Original Sin - Review Roundup #5

Couchpotato

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I know I said I wouldn't post another roundup of reviews for Divinity: Original Sin, but I lied. Here is the next round of reviews everyone they just keep being posted.

RPGFan - 89/100

Divinity: Original Sin will test your patience, skill, and the limits of your love for flawed creations. If you can get past the brutally difficult and mechanically confusing opening, you'll find a rewarding experience created in the tradition of old computer RPGs. One that, for all its wonders, manages to be maddening at times and soporific at others. If you're tired of hand holding and exclamation points above NPC heads, if you want a challenge, if you grew up playing classic computer RPGs and haven't been properly sated in years, you might find a new addiction with Original Sin. Just be warned that its enchantment grows dim at times, though any brush with wonder is worthwhile.
GamingBolt - 8/10

If there's ever been a time to throw out the words "Indie" or "Developed on a budget" then now is the time. As it proves that time, effort, fan feedback, and passion, are more important than high budgets, annual recycling, scripted Hollywood aesthetics, and glorified tech demos.
GodisaGeek - 7/10

A game that does well as a single-player RPG, and does well as a vast, exploration-based semi-open-world adventure, but excels at neither. Better than many of the RPGs in its ancestry, it nonetheless suffers from frustrating NPC engagement and lacks the intelligent storyline required to make it a classic of the genre.
Denkiphile - 4.5/5

Divinity: Original Sin is a surprising gem in modern PC releases not only because of how niche the actual gameplay is but also of the overall quality of the game. I honestly have no idea how it has been so well-received and successful considering the average person probably isn’t into cRPGs, but it does give me hope for the future that games can be successful without requiring the need to dumb down the gameplay, and that is probably the biggest thing to come out of this title.
And before I forget the Russian version is now available.

I know we're supposed to be on a two week holiday, but we couldn't let this slide: thanks to the hard work of the fine people at 1C, you can now play the game in Russian!

Please note that we aware of some minor issues: because of the latest patch we did before our holidays, some UI text is still in English (e.g. names of personalities in the New Game screen, names of some graphical option settings), but we will fix these as soon as possible.
More information.
 
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same old Larian problem. I lost immersion the minute I lost track of my goals.

There are no goals basically, its not like your village will starve and theres a countdown, its not like you follow something specific, but its not the other way eather. You see people whining all over, you can't really enjoy the universe, cause there are deep issues underneath

I really dont like the flow of the Divinity games.

Objectively this is a 7/10, but because its one of the first steps towards good old shit, its probably +1
 
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Going to have to agree for the most part. I'm level 17 or 18 in my playthrough, nearly done from what I gather, and have lost practically all interest in the game. It just got to be such a dull repetitive bore after figuring out the game's mechanics - there really isn't much to absorb you (or at least me) beyond predictable fight after predictable fight.

It's an ok game, but I just don't see how it adds up to the coming of the Messiah as some posters would try to have you believe.
 
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I think most fans are just celebrating that a game with that level of interaction and old-school mechanics got made in the first place, and managed to look like it had a decent budget.

I don't know why it's such a big problem and why it needs to be blown out of proportion as if anyone literally called it the coming of the Messiah. I believe a few of the most enthusiastic fans here have called it GOTY - but that's about it.

But I guess putting the game down feels better if you exaggerate a bit ;)

As for myself, I've yet to dive in thoroughly - but I'm definitely quite enthused with what I've seen. I'd be surprised if I don't give it 7.5+ myself - and it would have to do something bad in a really unexpected way for that to happen.
 
Going to have to agree for the most part. I'm level 17 or 18 in my playthrough, nearly done from what I gather, and have lost practically all interest in the game. It just got to be such a dull repetitive bore after figuring out the game's mechanics - there really isn't much to absorb you (or at least me) beyond predictable fight after predictable fight.

It's an ok game, but I just don't see how it adds up to the coming of the Messiah as some posters would try to have you believe.

Boring, dull? I completely disagree: This game has so many combat, crafting, spell, character building options, alternative solutions and secrets that I'm still surprised in my second walktrough!
It's not the messiah of CRPGs but it's certainly not boring in any way.
 
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I'm with Hidden on this one although he's part codex. :)
In not a single moment I got bored or lost track.

It does have it's shortcomings (PRS is interesting at first but is predictable, keys and quest items are character specific, crafting is OP, secrets do not function as sidequests, randomizing containers and traders destroyed excitment over finding a carefully hidden loot, etc). If there were not so many small things to be not happy with, it would be a masterpiece. But even with all of those it is a nearmasterpiece and 9/10 IMO.

7/10 I put on just a bit above average games. A bit more than mediocre. D:OS is so much above that. The inventory system itself deserves at least 8/10.
 
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To keep things interesting and challenging it is good to play

the 1. time: on normal difficulty without crafting
the 2. time: on hard difficulty with crafting
the 3. time: on hard difficulty as lone wolf

PS: @joxer
I criticized random loot at first, too, but it's good to find completely different things at different places in a second play-through.

BTW, I think some items are hand-placed or belong to special enemies.
 
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I don't know why it's such a big problem and why it needs to be blown out of proportion as if anyone literally called it the coming of the Messiah.

If calling Skyrim game of generation isn't exaggeration than neither is calling D:OS Messiah:).
For the record I don't consider both games to be either even though I like Skyrim and love D:OS(9/10 for me and probably goty).
 
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I enjoyed it (200 hours = 105 in Alpha/beta + 95 on release), but got really tired of the combat towards the end. I *hated* the final boss fight - I found it incredibly tedious, chipping slowly away at that health bar *chip*chip*chip*. Eventually I dialed down the diffoculty just to I could finish more quickly. Some of the other fights were really great and 'epic' - but that last boss fight sucked (the same thing/spawns over and over…and that useless 'help' … "ooh, i'm growing weaker!…" omg). I had some other issues (eg dialogue not changing on quest completion, some quests ….), but overall I'd give it 8/10.
 
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Drop will, cc, ignore respawns, all tenebrium, bloodstone use, they both dead fast.
Or if you were lucky, use that very rare OP spell, scroll only, you find one or none during the gameplay (remember the instakill thing demon in front of source temple does to you).

But I'll agree, the final fight could have been thought out better and definetly without annoying endless respawns.
 
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It's hard to imagine being bored with D:OS. It's a breath of much needed fresh air.
 
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As for myself, I've yet to dive in thoroughly - but I'm definitely quite enthused with what I've seen. I'd be surprised if I don't give it 7.5+ myself - and it would have to do something bad in a really unexpected way for that to happen.

7.5 is probably where I'm at; I'd likely be 8.5 or even 9 if the latter half wasn't just more of the same. It doesn't help that the story is so predictable as to be mind-numbing; I was surprised all of one time.
sisters…

Watching some 24 and building something in Minecraft... perhaps in a couple weeks, I'll be recharged enough to go back and finish the story.
 
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same old Larian problem. I lost immersion the minute I lost track of my goals.

There are no goals basically, its not like your village will starve and there's a countdown, its not like you follow something specific, but its not the other way either.

IMO it is a plus that you have no clear goals. You have to find your quests and their solutions. No - you have even to find the best of multiple alternative solutions!
No hand-holding, no quest-marker, necessity to use your brain, complete freedom and much non-linearity, nice puzzles and secrets. Things I really miss in many other modern games.
 
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Which CRPG works with an element of urgency except unpatched Fallout 1?
 
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7.5 is probably where I'm at; I'd likely be 8.5 or even 9 if the latter half wasn't just more of the same. It doesn't help that the story is so predictable as to be mind-numbing; I was surprised all of one time.
sisters…

Watching some 24 and building something in Minecraft… perhaps in a couple weeks, I'll be recharged enough to go back and finish the story.

Well, I'll see how I like it. I'm usually not crazy about pure text-based delivery and I could do without the forced goofy humor, but - other than that - it seemed to be well-written actually.

But for a game like this, I'm usually more into the mechanics and the exploration. Too bad about the random loot, which I still consider to be the big no-no for my part.
 
I'm around level 10 and just entered Silverglen area (area 2). I enjoy the game, but the story does suck and really doesn't keep me focused. I'm also tired of the 'cartoony' writing style— where conversations are flamboyant and artificial. I prefer darker, more realistic dialogue.

And the constant, repeated voiced lines in and around towns really is maddening.

The combat is good, however, and despite the crappy story, I'm still somehow driven to progress, level and loot hunt. How long that will last, though, I'm not certain. I'll probably finish the game tho, which is something considering how long it apparently is.

I'd give it a 7.5 right now. Doesn't make my top-10 RPG list, however.
 
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I thought the beta was pretty decent. They took out some of the fun things that were in earlier builds for the release version. The loot is a little too random. There needs to be a guarantee that you'll get all skillbooks and other needed items for every build. Outside of this, it isn't nearly as well written as the earlier games, but it is still fun. I prefer Stan, Olly, Elsa and Richard to Mediocre and Jihaad or whatever their names were. 7-ish from me too but only based on beta.
 
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