E3 Recap: Divinity Original Sin Enhanced Edition

13 May E3 Recap: Divinity Original Sin Enhanced Edition

Article was originally posted on Geek Legacy on June 19, 2015

When Divinity: Original Sin was released in June 2014, it surprised many fans of the Divinity franchise and media members alike with its classic PC role-playing mechanics, immersive story and co-op system. Later this year, console owners will have the chance to play Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition, which makes an old adventure feel very new.

During the demonstrations, many of the new additions to the enhanced edition were shown off and each one was constructed with the community’s feedback. The interface was overhauled to perfectly conform to a controller, which feels seamless and natural. You could easily forget this was a PC title originally as the game just feels like it was designed for the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. For example, the camera can now be rotated 360-degrees with the right analog stick, something that wasn’t previously accessible. Because of this, the graphics had to be redesigned in a way so that each asset could be seen from any angle.

You would never know this game is a port of the PC version with how smooth it runs.

Over eight-thousand lines of dialogue have been recorded and were completed just weeks prior to E3. Each character has their own voice and it really pulls you deeper into the story. The story and the ending have also been altered, but not changed. This difference was stressed so that even though it might be the same adventure you’re familiar with, there are enough changes to make it feel new. The demonstrators also mentioned how the end is completely different to give a better sense of satisfaction and a true “end game” feel.

The skills and abilities have been changed quite a bit in the enhanced edition. Some skills have been removed and replaced, others have been combined while many have been tweaked to provide more balance. There is also now novice, adept and master level skills, which will require more action points to perform but can be devastating when performed. The turn-based battle system is still familiar but with a fresh coat of paint, not to mention there are new ways to interact with the environment that can tip the scales in your favor.

There is still no limitations to how you can progress the story. The developers brought up players concerns about exploits and how it was possible to skip ahead certain missions and jump ahead by, for example, pickpocketing an NPC and not doing their trials. Larian Studios mentioned that while there was nothing they could do to temper these “exploits,” they did rebalance certain sections of the games difficulty. Players could still use these exploits and skip portions of the game but they will find themselves in a more difficult situation. The developers mentioned how they didn’t want to hinder the player’s freedom to do what they want but prefered to have more unexpected challenges or, “oh shit” moments as they described it so eloquently.

The switch between fullscreen and split-screen is seamless and appears without lag or delay.

Co-op is back and has been improved on in so many ways. It’s easier than ever for anybody to pick up a second controller and join a local game. The second player can embark on their own quests or engage in their own battles without the first player even participating. It was quite something seeing one player get transported to a jail and have to fight several jail guards while the other was roaming the open world and just enjoying the scenery. Of course, if the two players are in the same area and a fight breaks out, both will automatically join and conduct business as usual.

Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition was one of my favorite games from this E3 and even for those that played and loved the game on PC, the console version will be worth picking up again. In fact, if you already own Divinity: Original Sin on the PC, the enhanced edition will be offered as a free upgrade. Although there is no set release date, Larian Studios states that October 2015 will be when you can play Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition on your PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for the first time.

Stephen Janes is also co-host of the Pixelated Podcast and occasionally writes for this fabulous site. You can follow his gaming nonsense on Twitter and YouTube.