Remember the days of old? When I say that, I am referring to the classic RPG’s of the 90’s. Games such as Baldur’s Gate, and Ultima. Well, do I have a treat for you, and it’s a certainty that 10-15 years down the road, this game will be mentioned in the same sentence as those classics. Divinity: Original Sin is a game that was made possible by Kickstarter. It is crazy to think that this game could have never happened. Thankfully, my fellow gamers noticed this title, and it reached it’s goal. If Original Sin is any indication of the quality of games that can be developed through crowd funding, I need to start watching that site for gems like this. Let us count the ways this game captivated me.
Anyone who knows me, knows I am a sucker for good music in a game. The intro music to Divinity: Original Sins had me just sitting in my chair, admiring just how beautiful the melody placed in front of me was. I didn’t even start my game, and here I was, in awe of one of the many amazing things they were able to craft. It is not just one song either. The entire game has beautiful music, great voice acting, and overall very impressive sound effects. I could write a whole review on just the soundtrack, but I would rather you go and take a listen for yourself. Accompanying the amazing soundtrack, is the visuals. This is a top down view, and the visuals accompany it beautifully. The colors are vibrant and beautiful, the textures are very well detailed, and it is an overall gorgeous world to look at. Every model in the game is done well. No two characters look the same. Everyone has something unique about them.
The most impressive part of this game for me at least, is the combat. Developer Larian Studios went to such lengths to give you many options for any situation. If you are someone who loves to just run in and 
hack at your enemies, you can do that. Like being a little more stealthy with your approach? Don’t worry, you are not forgotten. How about using the environment to your advantage? They have you covered as well. With multiple classes like the fighter, rogue, cleric, and many more, you can truly make a character unique. Add in the turn based combat, you can sit and think, and try to analyze how the encounter will proceed. Add in environmental hazards, and you can have fights that will not repeat themselves. It truly is a unique encounter every time. Out of combat, are some puzzles that make you think. It doesn’t tell you what to do. In an age of games mostly holding your hand and telling you what to do, I applaud Larian Studios for actually making you think. That feeling you get when you finally solve a puzzle is what made me love video games in the first place. That and being able to role play as a hero in old times. Speaking of role playing…
This is role playing at it’s finest. You feel engrossed in the world. For the first time in a very long time, I actually sat through almost every interaction. The Dialogue is very well voice acted, adding even more depth, allowing you to sit and feel like you are that hero. Character development is very deep, and makes you feel attached to your hero. It almost brings you back to your childhood dreams of being that adventurer in the old times. With a staggering amount of unique enemies to fight, you never feel like you are just fighting the same type of monster over and over again.
Have a friend who also likes RPGs? Great! My best friend and I sat and played through this game an entire day. We lost track of time, and before we knew it, it was already 5AM. We weren’t mad about it though, because it was a game well worth the play. Being able to play with your friend adds more variety in the ways you can tackle enemies, puzzles, and in my case at least, makes your role playing experience that much better.
Not every game is perfect however, and I did encounter a bug that deleted my game save. Thankfully, this was only 3 hours into my own solo experience at home. I have tried to replicate it, and have not been able to. Hopefully this isn’t a rare occurrence, as I can see myself and other gamers getting pretty heated if you have spent 20+ hours on a file to have it all flushed away. Other then that, any other “negatives” I have feel like they are just nitpicks.
With probably the greatest soundtrack I have heard in recent memory, visuals that define the term eye popping, and combat that truly is unique and unlike any game before it, Divinity: Original Sins is a breath of fresh air into an industry of mostly tired and cliched stories and tactics. With a developer that is actively patching the game often and listening to the fans feedback, I give this game one of the biggest recommendations I have given in a long time.
Verdict: Recommended
