Larian Studios have released a 'Making of' video for Divinity 2, providing behind the scenes insight into the development of the game.

If you have the original Divinity 2 and would like to see the Dragon Knight Saga benefits without re-buying the whole thing, Larian has finally released a D2 + FoV = DKS patch.  In other words, just buy the expansion only for your old Divinity 2 copy, apply the patch, and you have the ful Dragon Knight Saga improvements:

Hello,

We have made available a patch that will bring your Ego Draconis plus Flames of Vengeance setup up to speed with the improvements of the Dragon Knight Saga.

If you own Ego Draconis and Flames of Vengeance, you can download the correct patch on the following webpage:

http://www.larian.com/fov2dks_community.php

As the page explains, you need Ego Draconis and Flames of Vengeance installed. The patch will turn your ED+FOV installation into a DKS installation

If you have any questions or issues, please use this topic.

I'm not sure how readers will respond to this but Direct2Drive has started offering game rentals - 5 hours for $5 and you get the $5 off if you actually buy the game.  The only game of interest to us at the moment is Divinity II (the original) and it's limited to NA at the moment.

Divinity II (original, not the forthcoming DKS or FoV incarnations) has been belatedly reviewed at GameBanshee.  As usual for them, there's no score, but here's an indicative snip:

The broad strokes of the campaign aren't exactly inspired. There's you, there's Damian, and that's about it. You don't meet any companions (the dragon knight you encounter at the start of the game stays with you in spirit form, but she just acts as sort of a narrator), and there isn't really a story arc. All of the heavy lifting in the story occurred in the booklet that came with Beyond Divinity, and so all you do in the campaign is build up your character so you're strong enough to defeat Damian at the end.

Fortunately, what Larian is really good at is filling their world with lots of interesting things to see and do, and so their campaign remains enjoyable even if there isn't much in the way of connective tissue. There are plenty of quests to complete, puzzles to solve, fortresses to demolish (while in dragon form), and oddities to find, and the game provides good humor all throughout (such as when you run into the devastating killer bunny). Larian is also good about rewarding players who explore thoroughly. There is always something to find around every corner, whether it be a magic fountain or a valuable skill book or a hidden quest, and I had a lot of fun just searching through dungeons when I knew there had to be a key around somewhere to open a prominently displayed chest.

Larian is looking for late-game Divinity II saves to test the import feature on Flames of Vengeance, so it sounds like they're getting there.

It's been a while since we've posted a Divinity 2 review, so here's one at ComputerGames.ro.  The article is the mirror of many others, with the author feeling the first part of the game is a waste of time and enjoying the Dragon form part.  The score is 70% and here's a snip:

It’s odd how the characters can be so flat, lacking any cultural or political color, but then, when it comes to the hero’s mission, they suddenly get possessed with the all-knowing divine discourse. Many times you’ll get the feeling that you’re walking through a mechanical universe that ignores personal details as long as they’re outside the initial design scope. The consequence is that NPCs don’t react at all to the character’s sex, appearance, or even the decisions you take during missions.

I guess I’ve been spoiled with Dragon Age, where each hero had a very coherent background story and could thoroughly influence the narrative. But I feel Divinity 2 is too superficial when it comes to interaction. At least doing something else with a dragon other than filling the screen with blood is welcome.

Divine Divinity is a classic that uniquely combines Ultima with hack'n'slash combat. With the move to full 3D and consoles, how does the sequel stack up?  Our review has two complete opinions - one from Corwin, and one from txa1265.  Here's a sample:

Having detailed my frustrations, let me outline why I think this should be considered as one of the most enjoyable games released in 2009. For my first 20-30 hours or so, I found this game to be an absolute blast. It drew me away from Dragon Age: Origins and kept me playing. The game makes much of your eventually getting a Dragon Tower, but don’t rush it - the first half of the game is easily the best. Once I got my tower, all the things I really love about rpg’s virtually disappeared and I was left with an action/aerial combat game.

Head here to read it all.

We don't normally track prices but since cdv sent out this PR...

Becoming A Dragon Knight Just Got Easier With Divinity II – Ego Draconis Reduced Price

Hello - 

We wanted to give you a heads-up that Divinity II – Ego Draconis is now available for only $39.99 on both the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC.

Be sure to visit www.honorofrivellon.com for tons of game and contest info!

GamersInfo has a review of Divinity II.  No score as usual for this site but the article is positive, despite some issues:

There is something strange about Divinity II that I haven’t been able to explain to myself. The game has a notable lack of polish in numerous areas. There are little things all over the place that could use tweaking or even radical changes. The dialogue and scripts for characters feels amateurish, the combat system doesn’t really seem to work well at all and for a good portion of the game, I felt completely abandoned. Despite those things, there is something a little magical in Divinity II; the world and sense of discovery I had as I explored it were fantastic. The history of the dragons and lore of the world along with the very memorable plot twists combined to pull me in.

Divinity II for the PC has been reviewed at GameShark, with a rating of B- and recommended for Gothic fans :

Once you complete your ritual, all hell breaks loose. A Dragon Knight has been spotted in a nearby settlement and thus it’s time to get to work. Don't get too excited, however, as you're a new Dragon Slayer and not ready for the battle. It's time for some "fetch" quests! As expected, you'll spend a lot of time on various inane quests that the townspeople have few qualms about sending you, a highly-skilled warrior, to manage. "I miss my pet pigs!" No problem, I'll handle it.

Actually, the simple quests give you a chance to take a peek at the outside world, which is the best part of Divinity II. There's something mysterious and enchanting about seeing a far off part of the terrain and thinking "I can eventually get there." Much like the Gothic games, you can wander the countryside and find enemies to fight… whether you're strong enough to fight them or not.

The Divinity II patch for the X360 has finally been released, fixing the save-game issues.  Here's the PR:

Divinity II – Ego Draconis Patch 1.0 Goes Live (Xbox 360)

Good news! Patch 1.0 for Divinity II – Ego Draconis is now live and available for download. The patch addresses a variety of issues including fixes for game save files and a minor quest bug (The “Charlie the Goblin” quest). Simply start the game on either Xbox LIVE* and accept the update.

Just as a reminder, Divinity II – Ego Draconis is available now on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC!

Be sure to visit www.honorofrivellon.com for tons of game and contest info!

The company behind Divine Divinity II - Ego Draconis, cdv Software, has a new montage trailer out. You can watch it on  Youtube.

A site called Kombo.com has a Divinity II review on the X360.  Describing the game and aspirational, the bugs and uneven difficulty bring the score down to 6/10:

Unfortunately, for every positive point there are at least two glaring issues. Bugs and frustration abound in Divinity II. Several times throughout the course of the game I had to actually restart my console because the game froze. Additionally, combat often feels like exploiting the game's flaws rather than mastering the gameplay mechanics. Running in circles around enemies or attempting to lodge them in a glitch in order to gain the upper hand isn't all that fun.

Jim Rossignol has kicked up some thoughts on the early part of Divinity II at Rock, Paper, Shotgun but it seems he's about to give up:

This is where things start to trundle downhill. I’d already managed to swallow the laggy menus and stuttery performance – hey, that’s how it is on my PC, I’m sure it’s smoother on other PCs, with other builds – and to focus on the characters and questing. I like the structure of the game, and the way you can hybridise your character from a huge selection of skills. I even like the monsters, as predictable as they are, they seemed to have some clout. The sheer size of the valley in which I was adventuring was enough to entice me, too: I wanted to explore. There were some entertaining characters along the way, and some decent rewards for even minor quests. A discount with the blacksmith for fixing him up with a lady from the nearby farm was okay by me. However, once I hit the valley I also hit the grind. I was going to have to go back and kill every last goblin if you was going to be able to walk down the road – I needed to level up. And up. And up

Action Trip's Ure 'Vader' Paul posts his review of Larian Studios' Divinity II and scores it above average at 6.8/10. He played the XBox 360 version and spends some time talking about its flaws, plus he's also less than thrilled with the way the dragon transformation ability worked out in the game:

Combining flying, shooting and classic RPG gameplay was a nice idea. As it happens, this concept was very poorly realized. Larian Studios clearly got a little too carried away with this one in an effort to offer as many different features as possible. Perhaps it would've been wiser to invest more time into polishing the gameplay where you control your character on-foot....

...As a developer, I'd dump all of the flying segments in favor of a traditional and well-designed RPG action experience, rather than having a crack at two or more genres at once and winding up with a technically underdeveloped fantasy game jam-packed with somewhat disorganized content. The story generally serves its purpose, but I'm afraid there's not much to lure you into the many random quests, which you get from a variety of NPCs. After a while, it all turns into a dull routine, with precious little replay value. For an RPG, this is not good.

There is a new trailer for Divinity 2. This one introduces the Necromancer and shows off how you can make your own monster.

There is one odd part to this video. It shows the PC summoning a ghost. You don't need the Necromancer to do that.

You can view the trailer here or click the image below:

IGN has reviews for both the PC and X360 versions of Divinity II.  The PC review is the main one, with Charles Onyett keeping the main text and adding a different summary for the X360 version.

On the PC, the rating is 7/10, which they list as "decent":

The more you play, the better it gets. Such is the way of things with many role-playing titles as their gameplay systems evolve, narratives progress, and new items and skills become available. It's especially true of Larian Studios' Divinity 2: Ego Draconis since it starts out so slow. The next in the line of Larian's Divinity games, this is a Western-style traditional high fantasy setting filled with fireballs, wizards, goblins and dragons. It's the type of fantasy world we've seen plenty of times before, most recently in Piranha Bytes' Risen and BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins, though those examples contain a greater breadth of distinguishing qualities that make them stand further out from the pack than Larian's effort. Still, there's plenty of satisfying content to dig into in Divinity 2, provided you're willing to overlook some of its generic and underdeveloped aspects, of which there are quite a few.

On the X360, however, the score is a lowly 4.8/10:

I can’t recommend the Xbox 360 version of this product to anyone. The occasionally glitchiness of the PC version was much more pronounced on the console, particularly when it came to enemies getting stuck in the environment. The aiming mechanic is cumbersome and confusing when dealing with more than one target, which happens frequently, the menu system and interface are a chore to sift through, and character movement and control is more imprecise. An inconsistent framerate, low level of detail compared to other Xbox 360 releases in this genre, and jerky animations combined with the already unoriginal art style makes this an unpleasant experience for anyone. Even worse, at one point a door disappeared from the environment so I couldn’t actually exit and had to reload a previous save (which didn’t solve the issue), and in multiple instances save files I overwrote multiple times didn’t load correctly. That’s pretty poor, and part of the experience you should be aware of if the Xbox 360 version is your only option.

Thanks to EvilKoala for the links.

[This newsbit has been changed to reflect the release of the patch]

Larian and dtp have released the v1.03 international "super patch" for Divinity II.  This updates all international versions to the current US level and includes a number of new features, as promised some time ago.  Note that starting a new game is recommended.  Here's the full post from the Larian forums:

Patch 1.03 brings new features for Divinity II: Ego Draconis and fixes some bugs in the German, French, English, Italian and Spanish version. It also brings all language versions on the same patch level.

To deliver the smallest patch possible per language we seperated the patch exes into three versions:

German Patch 1.03:
http://www.divinity2.com/downloads/patch...1.03_GERMAN.exe (1,87 GB)

French Patch 1.03:
http://www.divinity2.com/downloads/patch...1.03_FRENCH.exe (876 MB)

English, Italian, Spanish (plus US) Patch 1.03:
http://www.divinity2.com/downloads/patch/Divinity_II_-_Ego_Draconis/Divinity_II_Patch_1.03_EIS.exe (406 MB)

If you already have a Divinity II patch installed on your PC just click on "Search online for updates" in your start menu and you've got it.

New features:

- Added a crosshair option for better targeting/item interaction
- Physics improvement. Easier to walk forward when running into objects.
- Melee attacks now hit multiple targets in a cone
- Greatly improved both sword and bow targeting
- Turned down homing of enemy projectiles on lower difficulties
- Added waypoint shrines to map
- Shorter animations for certain skills

Notes:

- Patch 1.03 contains Patch 1.01 and Patch 1.02
- To make all changes shall work properly you should start a new game
- This Patch only works with all DVD versions of the game, online retailers will deliver their patch in addition.

Here's a pair of new Divinity II reviews from the US, both on the X360.  First, Cheap Ass Gamer recommends a buy despite the problems; here's a snip:

Exploring Rivellon is a rewarding and interesting experience, talking to its citizens and reading up on its literature not only serve to flesh out the world itself but often times lead to secrets and side quests. While the writing and dialogue seem bland at first, the game’s dialogue quickly straddles a nice line of being to the point while still containing bits of humor. The quests themselves manage to rarely feel like fetch quests by giving you a handful of choices on how you’d like to proceed. Since there is no strict morality meter, you are really given the opportunity to decide how you want your character to approach each situation without having to worry about how it will effect his or her alignment with good or evil. This ambiguity also spills over into the way Divinity II seemingly has you stumbling upon quests simply by exploring every corner. Often I found key items prior to even running into the quest giver. (Oh, so you’re the reason I’ve been carrying around this seemingly useless item for seven hours – here take it. What do I get in return?) Somehow these aspects make the game feel less scripted and more like a true exploration.

...but the Adrenaline Vault feels differently, scoring 2/5 and a "skip it" recommendation:

Divinity II benefits from the dragon mechanic, but stumbles in almost every other aspect. While the world of Rivellon looks great standing still, frame rates in action sequences drop to abysmal levels, making the journey hard on the eyes as the image constantly tears. The game is also vexed with a myriad of bugs that impact play sessions, including dropped speech, graphical errors and occasional game-ending freezes that require a reboot. I also experienced several instances in which my saved game was corrupted, forcing me to clear the cache and begin again. While the similarly themed Dragon Age: Origins might have the production muscle of EA backing it up (thus granting it a fine level of polish), it’s unacceptable to have to play a retail release in this shoddy state of development. The game has some decent concepts that really would have benefited with an additional six months of development and, more importantly, QA testing, as it simply becomes a bear to play. At this writing there was no fix available, but hopefully this will be remedied in the future.

Thanks to Stephen for the Cheap Ass Gamer link.

GotGame has a video review of Divinity II.  I haven't watched it but the blurb sounds very positive:

I really had a wonderful time playing through this third person action role playing game; so I’d like to give you my thoughts and a comparison between the PC and 360 versions of the game, so let’s check it out!

A disappointing score for Divinity II in G4's review of the X360 version, with a rating of 2/5.  Poor combat, balance, a bad map and a padded story are all discussed:

With the ability to go from 0 to 60 in 2.6 seconds, top speeds in excess of 253 miles per hour and a sleek design that makes it look like something from the not-so-distant future, the Bugatti Veyron is a marvel of mechanical engineering that might just be worth its $1,700,000 price tag. Well, unless the spark plugs are bad. Or the starter is faulty. Then you just have a very pretty, very expensive paperweight. The point is, if you don't get the basic mechanics right, it doesn't matter what you layer on top of it.

It's a lesson I'm hoping the makers of Divinity II: Ego Draconis learn, and learn fast. Although they've created a game that's grand in scope and deep in options, fundamental problems derail the entire thing, turning this game into, well, a lemon.

"Lacks polish but is incredibly enjoyable" is the summary of Divinity II in Game Observer's review, which carries a score of 90%:

What on the surface looks like a run-of-the-mill European Action RPG (is there even such a thing??) is made unique through the inclusion of the summoned creature system, the Battle Tower, and the truly phenomenal and well thought out Dragon mode. Putting all of this together in one RPG without having the other aspects of the game suffer is truly a monumental feat and one that shouldn’t go unnoticed. If they find the right audience, Larian could make quite a name for itself creating sequels using the same formula. Though it lacks the kind of polish big budget games receive, it still manages to deliver one of the most unique and enjoyable RPG experiences of the past five years. Along with this, Risen, and Dragon Age, I’d have to say that the old school PC RPG is making one heck of a comeback. If ever there was a time to own a top of the line PC and a credit card with a high limit, that time is now.

Divinity II has also been reviewed at 1Up, where the not-so-formal author admits to bringing in some preconceptions before awarding a solid "B":

Okay, I'm making light of it; in all fairness, flight and combat in dragon form are among Divinity II's biggest selling points, and add much to the game's fun factor. Of course, this cuts both ways: when you're flying around in the game's action-packed, dragon form sequences, combat is frenetic, multifaceted, and fun. When you're walking around in human form (which makes up a significant portion of the game), it's more: hit the attack button, hit the attack button, use a special move, hit the attack button, profit. Then rinse and repeat, until your hair has that shiny, Pantene glow.

But combat isn't the entire game: you'll spend plenty of time running around looking for hidden items, solving puzzles, bringing widget A to NPC B, and engaging in a buttload of dialogue. Surprisingly, Divinity II features damn good English voice acting (this is a game from Belgium), a competently written (if rather formulaic) story, and a really friggin' fantastic original score. Little things like these may seem insignificant when you read them in a review, but they help not only to draw you into Divinity II's game world, but also to get across a sense of quality craftsmanship that the game desperately needs for gamer cred.

GameSpot has reviewed Divinity II, awarding 6.5/10 after criticising variable challenge, "bland" story and characters and bugs, while appreciating some of the more unusual aspects:

In Divinity II, the hunter becomes the hunted. You begin this third-person role-playing game as a newly recruited dragon slayer, eager to join a bloodthirsty party tracking down a fearsome lizard. Soon, however, a turn of events transforms you into what you once reviled: a dragon knight who can slice through enemies on the ground as well as transform into a winged beast and take to the skies. The ability to morph back and forth between human and dragon form is Divinity II's best and most interesting feature, though there are a few other elements that also help set it apart from the competition. Unfortunately, these flames of originality are too often extinguished by Divinity II's less compelling facets. This adventure is a hefty challenge, but the difficulty too often stems from imbalanced enemy encounters rather than tough, thoughtfully constructed battles. Furthermore, thin characters and a by-the-numbers plot make it difficult to get invested in the story. Divinity II may satisfy your craving for some looting and leveling in a fantasy world, but it lacks the sparkle and cohesion of the better games in the genre.

Thanks, Melvil!

Larian is pointing out a new Divinity II review at a site called Gaming Truth.  It's ridiculously short but praises the game with a 90% score:

While playing the Divinity II: Ego Draconis, you will notice that the title is always providing you something to do. It was refreshing to see that there wasn’t bland character interaction.  A lot of humor is injected in this game with your character and NPCs dialogue.  While on your main quest, you have the ability to take on many side quests to increase your character’s inventory and level up. One of the perks that will aid you in finding your way Rivellon is the ability to read the minds of characters you encounter. This will aid you in pulling their strings to eventually get what you want. However, don’t expect to use this power on everyone as it will cost you experience points each time you use it.

News from Larian the "super patch" for non-US versions of Divinity II won't make it this week:

Hello all,

As promised, here's the status update on the patches:

-It looks like the patches for the non-US versions won't be released today. I just got word from DTP QA that they're still working on verifying every single version that's out there with this patch. As long as that hasn't happened, they can't release it.

-A patch has also been submitted for the Xbox360 savegame bug. It now needs to go through Microsoft testing before it can be released.

Lar

In addition, Swen 'Lar' Vincke added some frank comments on our forums, explaining the difficulties in testing across 40 different versions, once the various online distributions are added.

icrontic gives us their impression of Divinity 2. It's an overall positive view of the game. Here are their final thoughts on the game:

Divinity II is a fun and unique take on the first person tactical RPG genre. Nice graphics, an interesting story, and a fluid development system make this a great example of the genre, even without the dragon gimmick.

Though the title has little replay value and ends somewhat too soon, the 30-40 hours you do get out of Divinity II will be hours you'll remember, and make it a game you'll be comparing others to for years to come. Divinity II is a must have game.

Here's a launch trailer for Divinity II and the accompanying PR:

Cary, North Carolina – January 6, 2010 – cdv Software Entertainment today unleashed the epic launch trailer for Divinity II – Ego Draconis, the action-RPG released earlier this week to North American retail outlets! In the new trailer, discover the vengeful history between warrior and dragon and prepare to seek justice for all, not only as a dragon slayer, but as a dragon! Take to the skies, perfect dozens of skills and strategies and fight against deadly creatures as you battle to protect the citizenry of the game’s fantasy world of Rivellon. Get a glimpse of your cursed destiny and divine voyage in the Divinity II – Ego Draconis launch trailer, available for download.

A tempered review of Divinity II is up at Worthplaying, with the author noting bugs and uneven balance but enjoying the general ground-based gameplay.  On the dragon form:

Flying over Rivellon as a dragon is fun ... at first. However, other titles, such as 1999's Drakan: Order of the Flame for PCs and Cavia's Drakengard series on the PS2 have done the dragon-sim thing far better than the somewhat bare-bones version delivered with Divinity II's aerial assailant. It's unique, if only because you can level up your dragon form, armor it and assign points to its own set of skills, but most of these options feel incredibly underused by what the game fails to do. This was supposed to be a big thing in the game, but it feels like something had been hastily added at the last minute.

The proof shows up as soon as you take flight, which only serves to underline the superior ground game of Divinity II. Enemies simply disappear from sight, as if everything on two legs were armed with a cloaking device that makes them invisible to air attacks. This only leaves flying monsters and giant enemy buildings as possible targets, thus reducing your dragon to acting as a giant wrecking ball and fly-swatting flamethrower.  Why have a dragon in the game at all if you can't roast enemies from the air?  This imminent threat is part and parcel of what makes a dragon so feared in the first place.

Describing the game as "engrossing" and the quests as "outstanding", GameZone has a very positive review of Divinity II.  The score is 84% and here's a snip:

Fortunately, Ego Draconis isn’t a chore to play. The world is vast and beautiful, and is absolutely teaming with activity. Take off in one direction, and you may find yourself caught in an ambush. Head off somewhere else, and a quest opportunity may appear. Each quest is fulfilling and enjoyable in its own right; some may offer rare potions as a reward, while others will let you play mind games with NPCs. Particularly appealing for the devious player is DII’s telepathy feature. Experience points can be spent in an effort to access the most private thoughts of others, often in ways that allow you to manipulate them. This feature can be extraordinarily useful, and shows the developers were not attempting to make some silly dragon-themed game, but a true RPG with intriguing mechanics for accomplishing objectives.

A v1.03 patch has finally been released for Divinity II.  Unfortunately, there's no updated details that I can see at the official site, so we'll have to presume for now that this is for all English versions as promised (Edit: looks like NA retail only).  Full notes don't seem to be available but here's the short list provided a month ago:

-New targetting system
-No more getting stuck on dynamic objects
-More hints on the map
-Weapons now hit multiple enemies if they are standing within the arc the weapon makes
-No more delays between skills and attacks i.e. the avatar reacts much faster in combat
-A bunch of fixes and other improvements

...and thanks to Blue's for this list of mirrors:  AtomicGamer, FileFront, Gamer's Hell, and WorthPlaying.

Edit:  Nope, doesn't seem to work on my Australian version.  The file is labeled "US" but we'll try to get more details.

Although the official NA launch is imminent, some of us have been waiting for a patch for other versions for quite a while.  Swen 'Lar' Vincke posts a short update on the Larian forums and - fingers crossed - we'll see the patch this week:

Believe it or not, the patch has been ready for quite some time, but there's a lot of process this thing has to go through before it can be released. Out of that process came one issue which is now fixed, so I hope you'll still see it this week. My sincere apologies.

The Larian site says this is the first US review of Divinity II, with Hardcore Gamer handing out a 4/5.  It's not a particularly deep article, so here's the summary:

The inability to roast anything on two legs from an overpowering distance away aside, Divinity 2 is a solid RPG if you are looking for a nice real-time romp though a fleshed out fantasy world. The ability to take to the skies as a dragon and mind read random passerby is certainly a big draw, but thankfully they are not the only ones to be found. The combat is solid and the gameplay is certainly strong on the lore and story aspects, letting you fight back a demon army in a believable world pretty much however you see fit.

CDV sends word of a Human vs Dragon trailer for Divinity II, which seems to have hit some NA stores early, according to accounts on the official forums.  Here's the PR:

Cary, NC, December 30, 2009 –Divinity II – Ego Draconis sets itself apart from every fantasy RPG on the market today by allowing players to take to the skies or fight from the ground – and this week’s new gameplay trailer shows off both styles of gameplay available to players. As a mighty Dragon Knight, players possess the ability to take on the form of a fire-breathing flying terror, which allows them to fight their way through flying fortresses and battle airborne enemies, or switch to human form and deal punishment to enemies with blade and bow. Grab this, the sixth gameplay vignette video from the game, and see how each form plays out.

...and watch it via Blue's channel on Youtube.

Yet another Divinity II contest, this time unlock all of the Achievements - X360-only and presumably NA-only:

Achieve True Glory with the Divinity II – Ego Draconis "Quest for Glory" Contest!

Be the first Xbox 360 gamer to unlock all the Achievements and win a wall-mountable Dragon Trophy, a complete Divinity II gaming setup and more!

Cary, North Carolina – December 29, 2009 – Your Quest for Glory awaits! cdv Entertainment USA is pleased to announce its Divinity II – Ego Draconis “Quest for Glory” contest, challenging you to be the first to unlock every in-game Achievement* in Divinity II – Ego Draconis by February 1, 2010 and be immortalized in the annals of Divine history when presented with the Dragon Knight Epic Trophy!! A bevy of gamers will win a boatload of loot, including a truly epic Divinity II – Ego Draconis prize pack. The first place prize package, which includes:

· Awarded the Dragon Knight Epic Trophy
· The Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft Divinity II - Ego Draconis customized system
· Divinity II - Ego Draconis Controller Skin Set
· Divinity II - Ego Draconis Decal Set
· Divinity II - Ego Draconis Game Card Set
· Divinity II - Ego Draconis In-Game Items Pack (weapon /armor)
· Gaming lounge which include a large screen TV, gaming chair, and controllers

The Dragon Knight Epic Trophy, given out only to the first place winner, is a high quality 3D rendition of a dragon’s head mounted on to a plaque. The figurine will be produced using the same 3D models in Divinity II – Ego Draconis and rendered and machine cut for accuracy.

To be entered into the sweepstakes, contestants must earn all the in-game achievements by February 1, 2010. Please visit www.honorofrivellon.com for more details, along with a complete list of all the prizes up for grabs!

This 1.5 minute trailer for Divinity 2 shows some gameplay footage of various areas in "The Lands of Rivellon." It's up on YouTube, or you can take a look at it here:

At least almost. dtp sends word that the PC demo for Divinity 2 has been released today and an XBox demo will follow on Dec. 21st. Whether other languages than German are included is still unclear.

Update:

A few PC demos are now available, more will follow.

Explore Rivellon: the PC demo version of Divinity II - Ego Draconis is available! As of now, you can download the official PC demo at the links mentioned below. The approximately 1,8 GB sized demo gives you a glance at the first hours of the game. After the tutorial, you can start exciting adventures in the "Broken Valley".

Download links:

• Download the English PC Demo Version here - size: 1,8 GB
• Download the German PC Demo Version here - size: 1,8 GB
• Download the French PC Demo Version here - size: 1,8 GB

CDV's US-only, X360-preorder-only contest for Divinity II continues with round two, so head over if that falls into your interest.

A site called Test Freaks has a review of Divinity II, based on NA preview code.  It's a screenshot-heavy article with a fair bit of time devoted to the reviewer's rig, resulting in a score of 8/10:

You’ll be doing a lot of fighting in Divinity II, what would an RPG be without fighting right? This is one of the parts of this game that I love, you’re actually involved in the fighting. You press the mouse button and your character will do something like swing the sword or shoot his bow. You’ll also be able to do special moves and combos as well to do high amounts of damage to your foes. You could also just hit them with a fireball or two if you don’t want to get your hands dirty. You’ll run across well over 100 different creatures to fight in Divinity II and the majority of them will be using magic so you’ll need to make sure you’re prepared.

A pair of Divinity II reviews has been spotted by GameBanshee.  First, Australian site Impulse Gamer has a perfunctory article based on the X360 version with a score of 7.8/10:

Divinity II: Ego Draconis is an interesting yet strange game on the XBox 360 and after giving the game a thorough trashing, it seems like it would be more suited to the world of PC gaming, especially considering the control and camera issues. However for me, it was still an endearing RPG game and even though it was quite PC-esq, something made want to explore this world of men and dragons.

...and over to Game Debate, who award a score of 8/10:

Yes, Divinity 2 is full of fantasy characters that could be straight out of Lord of The Rings or Dungeons and Dragons, but much of the game is tongue in cheek in a very charming way. You can’t help but smile when talking to the NPC’s who all have regional accents from throughout the UK. Of course, as inLord of the Rings , there are loads of “ooh ar” accents representing the West Country, but you’ll also find scouse soldiers, Irish boatmen, and my personal favourite, a Welsh weapon smith and his wife...apparently from Dudley. There is a real charm to the voice work of the NPC’s which certainly makes up for your characters lack of speech. Yes, you select a voice when creating them but this is mainly just used for quips during battle. When in conversation you select your responses from a text menu.  Or you can choose to read minds...

This trailer explores what you can do in your Battle Tower like combat training, potion making, build creatures and more. You can view it at GameTrailers or click the image below:

Strategy Informer has gotten their hands on a copy of Divinity 2 and posted their review, scoring it 7/10:

Here's their summing up:

Divinity II, whilst not being a direct contender to Dragon Age, is nevertheless going to be in the shadow of that game's PR machine. It's a very good title, and highly addictive in certain areas. It's not often that we play through a game until the early hours of the morning, but this title earned its place on that most hallowed list. Unfortunately, it's far from perfect. Nothing game-breaking, but there's so many oddities, annoyances and moments of utter frustration that keep this game from being as great as it could have been. Nevertheless, there's plenty here to entertain, and it's not every day that a game can stand up against Bioware and not be utterly crushed.

A new preview for Divinity 2: Ego Draconis can be found at a site called Spawn Kill. 

They spent some time with the game. They comment on the early areas in the game as well as what you can do later on:

Later in the game you can create your own creatures to fight along side of you. As you kill enemies and creatures you will start to collect their body parts. With these you can create a creature to hold aggro on a mob or perform other various needs while fighting. You also will have your own Battletower. The Battletower is your own personal space where you can customize and upgrade your character and gameplay even further.

GameZone  posts a preview of Divinity 2, and seems to like what they see:

Divinity II is the sequel to Larian Studios’ original fantasy game, “Divine Divinity,” complete with all the bells and whistles of a modern role-playing experience. Much of the core design has changed from its predecessor, though largely for the better. Taking cues from many recent RPGs, Ego Draconis emphasizes the role of player choice within the game. The result appears to be a slicker, more accessible adventure through an impressively rich fantasy realm.

Gamebanshee posts a link to a statement on the official Divinity 2 Forums  giving some information on an upcoming patch and eventual demo scheduled for Divinity 2.

Here's the post:

Hi all,

I just wanted to give you the update on the next patch. The US release contains a number of fixes and improvements, based upon your feedback, and the new patch has been derived from that. It's currently in QA but as the game is pretty big and they need to test it against all the different language versions and both platforms, it might still take a bit of time before it's released, but we're trying to get it done as soon as possible. To give you an idea of what the new patch contains, here's a small (but not finite) list:

-New targetting system
-No more getting stuck on dynamic objects
-More hints on the map
-Weapons now hit multiple enemies if they are standing within the arc the weapon makes
-No more delays between skills and attacks i.e. the avatar reacts much faster in combat
-A bunch of fixes and other improvements

We'll keep you posted on when it clears QA.

There's also a demo in the works which should be clearing pretty soon too.

Apologies for the time it's taking, but nowadays it takes longer to test something than to actually implement it, but I really hope it'll be released soon.

A follow-up later in the thread clarifies, "Our plan is to bring all releases (that includes the German one) to the same version. So the next patch will bring everything on par with the US version. " The US version is scheduled for release early in 2010.

While Larian Studios' Divinity 2 has already been released and reviewed in Europe, for those of us in North America the game is still on the way, scheduled for early next year, so Worthplaying has a preview up along with some screens for those of us still waiting for the game.

Here's a short excerpt on the mind-reading ability:

My character has the mind-reading skill, which I immediately used on the first available NPC, much to my amusement. There's no set limit on how often you can use a skill, but it draws on your experience points instead of any magic, making it an issue of how much you want to be in debt. Depending on how strong the mind is that you are trying to read, the experience cost in using this skill can vary from a miniscule 30 points to a few thousand points. The rewards, such as extra options during dialogue or gaining particular insights that reveal unique rewards like a piece of an armor set, can make the gamble worth it. Hearing the reactions from each of Rivellon's thoroughly entertaining NPCs is often a reward in and of itself.

There is a short trailer at GameTrailers showing off the mind reading ability of the hero. It weighs the advantages of this skill while hinting at the end of some price to be paid for this skill. You can view the trailer here or click on the image below:

A game feature trivia challenge for Divinity 2: Ego Draconis has been announced by publisher cdv Software. It will take place in three rounds at the Honour of Rivellon website.  You will get the chance to get your hand on some great loot - prizes that is.

Here's the full press release:

cdv Announces the Divinity II - Ego Draconis Game Feature Challenge! November 30, 2009Today we are excited to launch the Divinity II - Ego Draconis Game Feature Challenge! The world of Rivellon is vast and filled with magic, beasts and deception. Your knowledge of this realm is vital and the time of reckoning has come...master the ways of the Dragon Slayer for your chance to win awesome Divinity II prizes! Three rounds of questions will be presented to aspiring Dragon Slayers, beginning today, November 30, 2009, with questions referencing Divinity's Throne, Alchemy, Enchanting and Battle Chest features. Dragon Slayers who answer all the questions correctly will be given a chance to receive a variety of great Divinity II prizes.

For more information about the contest, and its rules, please visit - http://honorofrivellon.com/the-battle-tower/

Prize packages for the Divinity II - Ego Draconis Game Feature Challenge include themed controllers, controller skins, in-game bonuses and more!

We have a large contingent of Scandinavian readers, so this tidbit from Alrik might be useful.  After enquiries on the official forums, Lynn Vanbesian from Larian confirmed the Scandinavian distie is Mastertronic - same as with the UK release.  This means the game has been released but Mastertronic may not have wide reach elsewhere, so if you can't find the game in-store, you might consider ordering it from UK resellers.

Calling it "a truly great roleplaying experience", Realgamer awards Divinity II a score of 8/10 in their review:

As with any roleplaying game, the story is the key to success and Divinity II is gripping and epic! Driving you on, even when gameplay wise the game does become a little frustrating? The story is driven forward with some good voice acting which can be quite comical at times, but also by some absolutely stunning cut-scenes which look like they’ve come straight from a CGI blockbuster movie. Quests are pretty original and instead of the simple retrieving of objects as in some roleplaying games. You will often find yourself having to bring bandits to justice, sort out disputes between NPC’s and take care of assassins stalking their prey. As with a lot of roleplaying games, Divinity II is fairly combat intensive, however it does allow for a lot of exploration and you can often find characters and quests hidden in areas you wouldn’t expect to find them. Areas themselves are very large and you can go almost everywhere! In true Divinity fashion the game world is also littered with hidden catacombs and tunnels allowing for even more exploration. The game is absolutely huge! I invested between 30 to 35 hours in the game and still had many quests to undertake and visit some of the varied locations which range from small hamlets to intricate towns and sheer cliffs with camps littered throughout!

This short review of the X360 version of Divinity II claims there are no sidequests, which sounds dubious given Larian's history.  Anyway, the score is 6.4/10 and here's a snip:

The game is free-play meaning that you are constantly on a mission. Meet a character and hope they will offer you training, or an exciting change to the story. Your first mission involves training to be a slayer, but then you board the ship and move to another location to actually start your quest. As you walk down the path, several 4 legged animals will pounce at you, but when you replay the mission, which is rare, they all come from the same place at the same time showing a linear code process. Your job is to basically smack the living daylight out these over-powered-for-their-size enemies and claim some pointless gold. Notice how all this happens before you start a mission, like Far Cry 2 after the tutorial. It drives you mad when you keep getting slaughtered by enemies who know you are coming from miles away even when looking the other way.

 

As you progress, you unlock some new cool stuff like better swords and safe houses where you can replicate enemies to use for advantage over an opponent, but it is a very detached follow-that-path story which we don’t expect to see in this current generation. This also means there are no side quests, and with the game being built around single-player replay value does lack.

Lacks polish and wait for it.... 6/10 on a PC and Xbox review of Divinity 2.

Whilst I encountered nothing game-breaking I did lose count of the number of minor irritations the engine threw at me, and more than a few expirations were the result of the skills simply refusing to trigger. A little polish could have gone a long way here. I can't help but feel that an extra couple of weeks in Q&A would have nudged Divinity II from an almost-ran into the winner's enclosure. As it is, this is a good game which suffers a death of a thousand cuts - a viable alternative to Dragon Age for the less statistically minded, but sadly prevented by becoming a winner in its own right by any number of minor faults.

The story is compelling and well told, and there's certainly enough flow to put it in the category of "just ten more minutes" games - but you'll need a lot of patience to get the most out of Ego Draconis.

We should start seeing some more English Divinity II reviews with the recent UK and AU releases.  This time we have one from Games32, who praise the story, choices in quests and interesting dungeons on the way to a score of 88%:

If you are even remotely interested in playing a top quality RPG, with a narrative that hasn't been told and retold in every single game of the genre, then you shouldn't miss Divinity 2: Ego Draconis. For a company that doesn't spin millions, Larian Studios delivered a real gem, a sequel that surpasses the original in every imaginable way and should please even the most fastidious gamers.

GameBanshee reports that the North American version of Divinity II: Ego Draconis has gone gold. It will be available in retail stores on January 5th, 2010:

Divinity II - Ego Draconis Goes Gold!

Cary, NC, November 24, 2009 - cdv Software Entertainment USA and dtp entertainment are pleased to announce that the action-RPG Divinity II - Ego Draconis has gone gold. The game allows players to take on the role of a young Dragon Slayer, a hero with the ability to transform into a dragon, and take to the skies to fight against an onslaught of deadly creatures while protecting the citizenry of the game's fantasy world. Divinity II - Ego Draconis will arrive in North American retail on January 5, 2010, and will be available for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC.

For more information about Divinity II - Ego Draconis, which is rated "M" for "Mature" by the ESRB, please visit http://www.cdvus.com or http://www.divinity2.com.

The sequel to the critically acclaimed action-RPG Divine Divinity, Divinity II - Ego Draconis transports players back to the wide-open, war-torn world of Rivellon where they'll learn to read minds, plunder dungeons and ultimately learn to morph into a playable dragon at will. Developed by Larian Studios, Divinity II boasts a robust adventure with more than 60 hours of gameplay, teeming with massive dungeons and outdoor spaces to explore, deep on-the-ground and aerial combat and an intrigue to unravel that could unveil hidden truths and revive forgotten evils that will change the face of Rivellon forever.

About cdv Software Entertainment USA
cdv Software Entertainment USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of cdv Software Entertainment AG, is a leading publisher of third-party video games and interactive entertainment with offices in New Jersey and headquarters in Cary, North Carolina. cdv Software Entertainment USA has published critically acclaimed and commercially successful titles including Divine Divinity, Blitzkrieg, City Life, DarkStar One, Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened and Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. For more information, please visit http://www.cdvus.com.

There is a sweepstakes going on for all you Divinity II fans out there over at www.honorofrivellon.com. You can register and have the chance at winning a new Custom Divinity II Gaming PC.

First prize winners recieve:

• Custom Divnity II - Ego Draconis Gaming PC, including
  • NEC LCD Desktop Display
  • AMD Phenom-based Processor
  • ATI Radeon Graphics Card
  • DDR3 RAM from Patriot Memory
  • Power Supply from Thermaltake
  • Logitech Desktop Speakers
  • Logitech Gaming Keyboard
  • Logitech Gaming Mouse

• Divnity II - Ego Draconis Gaming Mousepad
• Divnity II - Ego Draconis Game Card Set
• Divnity II - Ego Draconis Decal Set

Other winners will recieve the mousepad, decals, logitech gaming mouse, game card set and other various prizes.

You can view a trailer of the hero morphing into a dragon over at G4TV or just click the image below.

The UK distie for Divinity II has sent out a press release in ancticipation of tomorrow's release:

MASTERTRONIC UNLEASHES THE DRAGON WITHIN!

Mastertronic has today announced the forthcoming release of Divinity II - Ego Draconis on PC and Xbox360. The action - RPG sequel to the critically acclaimed Divine Divinity, Divinity II - Ego Draconis transports players back to the wide-open world of Rivellon, where they'll face the ultimate challenge of becoming a Dragon Knight. With up to 60 hours of gameplay, and the ability to play as either a knight or a dragon, Divinity II offers players an expansive experience packed full of lands to explore, dungeons to conquer and plenty of exhilarating ground and aerial combat.

In this new instalment in the award-winning Divinity series, you must face your destiny and know that the choices you make will determine the gameplay and inevitably, your fate. Players begin as a Dragon Slayer; hunters who roam the countryside, determined to rid the land of dragons. However, as the story unfolds, the player discovers new abilities as they evolve into a legendary Dragon Knight. Learn their secrets and use the ability to change between human and dragon forms to maximise your tactical advantage and reclaim the lands of Rivellon.

The Divinity series is the epitome of RPG games, attracting excellent reviews and high scores to give an average of 81% from Metacritic. Face your destiny and delve deep into this epic tale of conquest and write your own unique legend as you quest throughout fabled Rivellon. Your choices will determine the fate of all.

Neil McKenna, Product Director of Mastertronic says �We are proud to present the new instalment in the highly rated Divinity series, Divinity II - Ego Draconis on PC and Xbox 360. The game is built around a multifaceted quest structure, which places you in the centre of the adventure to creating your own unique story. Divinity II is the game that fans of the big epic role playing games have always wanted to play and it successfully delivers an RPG experience that both the fans of the classic series and new players will love.

Divinity II is due for release on 20th November and retails at 39.99 on Xbox and 29.99 on PC.

On a related note, Worthplaying has a handful of new screens.

Larian has kicked up a trailer showing off the warrior class gameplay for Divinity II.  As an aside, today is the Australian release date and UK players should see it in another day or two.

A video interview with Larian Studios' Swen Vincke is to be found at G4TV, but if you are lazy just look at it here.

Larian is pointing out a video interview with Swen Vincke at Crave Online in their Inside the Game feature.

CDV has been watching other successful launch programs recently and has announced a preorder offer for Divinity II in conjunction with GameStop in the US.  This PR also confirms the January 5th release date:

cdv USA Announces Divinity II - Ego Draconis Pre-Order Program

Pre-order Divinity II - Ego Draconis at GameStop and receive the exclusive "Blood Echelon" Armor and Weapon Set

Cary, NC—November 9, 2009—cdv Software Entertainment USA is pleased to announce a new Divinity II - Ego Draconis pre-order incentive program. Starting today, consumers who pre-order Divinity II - Ego Draconis from GameStop will receive the exclusive Blood Echelon Armor and Weapon Set while supplies last.

The Blood Echelon is a select lodge of elite Dragon Slayers who have earned the highest of distinctions on the battlefield. Their elite armor and weapon set includes:

Blood Echelon Armor - Sturdy as granite and shaped to intimidate, Blood Echelon armors set new standards in the art of war.
Blood Echelon Weapon - The Claymore, the Frontline Slayers’ mighty weapon of choice, cleaves armor like it was mere flesh.

The pre-order program is available now through January 5, 2010. Please visit your local GameStop for more information and incentive details, or check online at http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=75982. Incentive items will be available GameStop online or at time of pick-up starting January 5, 2010.

Please note that this program applies only to pre-orders of Divinity II – Ego Draconis for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft.

The action-RPG sequel to the critically acclaimed Divine Divinity, Divinity II - Ego Draconis transports players back to the wide-open world of Rivellon, where they’ll face the ultimate challenge of becoming a Dragon Knight. With up to 60 hours of gameplay, and the ability to play as either a knight or a dragon, Divinity II offers players an expansive experience rife with lands to explore, dungeons to conquer and plenty of on-the-ground and aerial combat.

Divnity II - Ego Draconis will be released on January 5, 2010 in North America on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC.

Divinity II - Ego Draconis is rated M for Mature by the ESRB. For more information about Divinity II - Ego Draconis, register at www.divinity2.com.

A new trailer for Divinity II titled A Quest for Richard:

This time, our weekly update provides you with a little insight on a quest for Richard of Aleroth. You will see, how you can use the romantic feelings of a guard for your own purpose via the mindreading ability. The video is just under four minutes long and is now available in the media section.

There are five trailers up at Voodoo Extremem showcasing Divine Divinity 2 in action. There are the usual combat trailers and one of controlling a dragon. In one of the  trailers it shows off your home and servants. You can send your servants off to fetch various things for you. In addition your home acts as a place to store your treasure and teleport to the places you have traveled. If you have played Overlord 1 or 2 then you will feel right at home in this place.

We recently posted the press release for the Divinity II release in Benelux (late November) and we know US previews are consistently stating January 5th but what about the UK and Australia?  There's been no announcement we've seen (although Lynn from Larian says a UK announcement is coming "very soon") but major UK online retailers are all (currently) aligned on November 20th (GAME, for example) and major Australian online stores a week earlier - November 11th (Gamesmarket, for example).  We'll let you know if those change.

This preview of Divinity II from Game Revolution seems to be hands-on.  Here's a sample:

Upholding the new standard of branching conversation trees and quests set by Mass Effect and Fallout 3, Divinity 2 allows you to not only complete quests in more than a handful of ways, but also lets you read the minds of any NPC at the cost of some experience points. (Don’t worry about losing a level when using this power; you will just accrue “experience debt”.) Mind-reading can also give you the location of a special mace or lower the prices of a merchant. Coupled with the dragon who has been fused with your soul (it’s a part of how you become a Dragon Knight) and who can speak to you, provide helpful comments, and imbue you with otherworldly abilities like seeing the dead, you are indeed a one-man wrecking crew.

A short video based on a part of the alchemist quest is to be found on the Divinity 2 site. It shows how mind reading can help you in solving a quest.

Hooked Gamers has a preview up for Divinity 2: Ego Draconis - the sequel to the first Divinity game. You can do pretty much what you want in the game: 

There are no "right" or "wrong" actions; there exists no karma meter to reflect your morality. The game presents the player with various options, each with a differing outcome.

The player's ability to read minds further complicates quest completion. Mind reading allows the protagonist to gather more information, discern secret locations, find special objects, etc. There is, however, a drawback: reading minds costs experience. The player can spend valuable XP on reading another character's mind only to discover nothing of value.

Larian has released a new video showing off an archer in action. Grab it from the Media page on the official site.

US site Crave Online list their first impressions of Divinity 2.

The bottom line is as follows; the game looks gorgeous, and the story is deep and provides roughly 60 hours of standard gameplay. The interface is what your familiar with, but not a straight copy of anything in particular. They added considerable flexibility to the way the game is played through a unique dialogue system. The fighting is intense to look at, but how it actually handles is unknown.

Larian announced today on their forums that the release for Divinity 2 in Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg is scheduled for somewhere between the 30th of October and the 6th of November.

Note that this is the English version of the game.

Omega writes in to point out a site called VideoGamesBlogger has news of a CDV press release announcing a January 5th release date for Divinity II in North America.  While the full text of the PR isn't supplied, this matches with at least two recent interviews, despite the unusual choice of release date.

A video of the French Xbox 360 version can be found at JeuxVideo.tv. I don't understand a word of what is being said, but it contains enough ingame action to compensate for that.

Thanks Omega for spotting this.

Three more French reviews surfaced the last couple days.

RPGFrance: 8/10
To conclude, Divinity II - Ego Draconis is a very good RPG where solving each quest is very satisfying. The dialogues are excellent, with a refreshing portion of humor put in, but without going too far. The transformation into a dragon is an extra bonus. Every RPG fan should try this new Larian title . It was a long wait, but it was worth it.

Tom's Games: 16/20
Risen is hardly out, and already RPG fans are being treated to another quality title - Divinity II - Ego Draconis. It could very well appeal to a large number of players thanks to its many qualities. Beautiful, large, fun to play through and easy to access. Divinity 2:Ego Draconis is a good surprise. It will appeal to fans of action RPGs, and it would be a pity if you miss out on it.

And a magazine review at PC Jeux: 80%
Divinity II distinguishes itself by its succesful and very detailed graphics. The game really has a unique feel to it... Divinity II could very well become the perfect RPG for all audiences.

Thanks to Lynn for providing the translations.

GameSpot takes an updated look at Divinity II.  Like Kotaku's recent preview, they claim an expected January 5th release date for NA.  Here's a snip:

One look at Divinity II's sprawling world map and it's easy to see that the game is a big one--with plenty of places to explore and quests to engage in. With that said, the developers seem to have taken that size into effect and made movement fairly easy. You can, of course, fly wherever you like once you've attained dragon form. There's also a series of teleporting hubs you can use to instantly move from one area to the next. There's also your battle tower, which is your character's home base and which you can transport to and from more or less instantaneously.

Larian has kicked up a handful of the first French reviews for Divinity II.  Here's a quick summary:

• Jeuxacto - 17/20
• JeuxVideo - 16/20
• Gamekult - "a careful implementation and a series of succesful designs"

Larian is pointing out a new Divinity II video, cut from the best scenes of their cinematic trailers.

A new US preview of Divinity II is up at Kotaku, based on a demo from Swen Vincke who showed them a scenario many of our readers will have seen before.  Of more interest is the release date and online options at the end of the article - though it's not exactly official, of course:

Overall, I enjoyed my time with Ego Draconis. Even running the Xbox 360 version on my standard definition TV was a smooth (if less vibrant) experience, and it looks to be a solid RPG experience. And without that pesky good-and-evil dichotomy to worry about, I'm really looking forward to tearing around the fictional world as a dragon to see how many things I can wreck or upset with my fireball breath.

Too bad you can't turn into a dragon inside of most buildings.

Look for it on Steam, Impulse and shelves (in Xbox 360 form) January 5.

An official site for the French version of Divinity II has been launched.

A new Divinity 2 trailer has just been released for your viewing pleasure.

Larian Studios has a fun little contest going where you can win a prize by drawing a dragon.... in MS Paint. Here are the details.

Draw us a dragon and win a fantastic prize!
Whoever thought a scanned creation or something made with modern image editing programs would do is wrong! The challenge of the contest is that you are only allowed to draw in MS Paint! Yes, you read correctly. We want you to create a dragon exclusively with the tools from MS Paint. It is not about creating the most detailed, beautiful or biggest one. Show us how much charm your dragon can have despite the simple tools.

We want the funniest, most bizarre, most fancy, or just the best MS Paint dragon you can offer!

When and how does the contest take place?
From 7th until 21st of October, you have the possibility to post as many pictures as you want in this thread.

Who is allowed to join?
Young and old, Dragonknights and Dragonslayers, what matters is that your dragon was made exclusively with MS Paint.

How will the winners be chosen?
From 21st to 28th of October, you, the community will choose the best creations. On the 28th of October we will announce the winners.

What is the prize?
The first place gets a big Divinity II Poster hand signed by the Larian team and a Divinity II T-Shirt.

The second place gets a big Divinity II Poster hand signed by the Larian team.

The third place gets a small Divinity II Poster hand signed by the Larian team.

You can leave your own masterpiece on the Larian Studios forums right here.

Larian Studio's CEO Swen Vincke was interviewed by Game Central. The resulting podcast can be listened to here and in the first 29 minutes of the interview you will learn about the reasoning behind some of the design choices in Divinity 2, the previous Divinity games, remastering Divine Divinity (around 21 minutes in the interview), in which Swen mentioned they have a deal with Impulse.

While there still is no official information of an English release in Europe on any platform, for the German speaking countries (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) the Xbox 360 version of Divinity 2 is available from this day onward.

Game Central looked at Divinity 2 at PAX and came back with a positive preview.

As character development goes, Divinity 2 wisely stuck with its roots. Wanna dual wield some long swords but conversely cast healing and recovery spells? Go for it. Fancy stealing folk’s wallets while swinging a club with the strength of an ox? Sure thing. Divinity is all about personal play choice, not one-dimensional class restrictions like your typical hack n’ slasher.

Does Divinity 2 look like it’ll manage to top the original? Probably not. Will it be a crap-ton of fun to play? Unless something changes drastically, hell yes. Look for it on shelves in December of this year. As for me, I’m already setting aside the hard drive space.

We probably know enough about Divinity II but, if not, Game Central has a preview from PAX:

But of course, the main sell of the game is the ability to transform your character at will into a huge-normous flame-belching dragon. According to Swen, it’ll take some time to unleash this power (you have to become a dragon knight first), but once you have it, you can expect to play at least 50% of the time as your new scaly doppelganger. There’s no health penalty for morphing back into a homosapien mid-flight and falling 200 feet to the rocks below, and there’s no time limit or restrictions when you spread your leathery greenish wings and take airborne. But certain quests that propel the main story arc must be completed while in your human form. You can expect quite a few puzzles that will revolve around switching embodiments back and forth as well.

Meanwhile, any Spanish-speaking readers can check out this competition held by Koch Spain.

A blog covering the 3 days of PAX 2009 is to be found at the Divinity 2 site.

Pax 2009 is on! Within minutes of the doors opening, all controllers on the CDV booth are in hands, and crowds are already beginning to swarm around the stand. Today we see a lot of fans of the original Divine Divinity game, and Swen Vincke, the CEO of the development studio Larian, was on hand to chat to them about the game and the world. Not once during the three days did I spot Swen NOT talking to fans – he is VERY passionate about his team and his game! 

Today we ran a raffle to win an autographed Xbox 360, and expected a good amount of hopeful fans, but we were overwhelmed when we saw that when the time for the draw came, the stand was swamped with people – great stuff! 

A good start – the stand looks great, the show is busy, the game is well received and already there is a great feeling of excitement and passion from the fans. Can’t wait till tomorrow!

Alrik let us know that acoording to this post on the Larian forums, Divinity 2 will be available in France for both PC and XBox 360 on October 15 and is published by Koch.

We already know cdv will bring Divinity II to North America, with PAX revealing an expected December release.  The actual official statement was sent out today, although there are no additional details and the date is only "this holiday season":

cdv USA to Publish Divinity II - Ego Draconis in North America

Publisher to immerse players in an unparalleled adventure this holiday season

Cary, NC, September 17, 2009 – Just in time for the upcoming holiday season, cdv USA will be bringing the fantasy epic Divinity II - Ego Draconis to PC and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. This extraordinary action-RPG continues the epic and stirring tale told by its best-selling predecessor in the Divinity series.

Divinity II - Ego Draconis combines action-packed, varied gameplay with a deep, diverse quest structure that branches out into many directions, a world where every decision has a consequence on how the game proceeds.

“Divinity II - Ego Draconis is a perfect fit for the North American market, and we are very excited to be publishing it,” said Tom Gross, CEO of cdv Software Entertainment USA. “Larian Studios is a well-respected developer and for this reason we are very glad to be able to expand our US line-up this holiday season with such a fantastic product.”

For more information about Divinity II - Ego Draconis, which cdv USA will ship for Xbox 360 and PC this holiday season, please visit www.cdvus.com or cdv.gamespress.com.

Last week was apparently not the last location update as this week Broken Valley is featured.

If you ever come across a beautiful landscape painting in Rivellon, it is most likely of the Broken Valley. Despite its name, this is the most laid back and relaxed location in the land, and it is often said that here you “don’t do today, what you can put off and do tomorrow.”

The patch version 1.02 has just been released. It is available on the official Divinity 2 site, but don't bother going there any time soon - the server is extremely slow. You better wait a bit until the patch is available from other locations as well.

Larian studios forum member Phnx translated the German patch notes:

• Sorting function for items in the inventory and in a few other menues implemented
• Improvement of texture quality
• More options in the graphic options menu
• 3 new custom buttons for the aiming system
• Crashes caused by the fading system fixed
• Navigation-path improved for big creatures like trolls or demons
• Performance for single core-processors improved and an extra option in the graphics options implemented
• Problem with aiming of story-NPCs has been fixed
• "Always running" when frequently using pause/running buttons has been fixed
• Fading system has been improved

Thanks Leth and Alrik for letting us know.

The last of the locations in the Wednesday Divinity 2 updates is Aleroth.

The biggest city in Rivellon, Aleroth is both spoken of as a mighty bastion of hope and dreams, and also as the capital of treachery and corruption, depending on whom you speak to.

As well as being the headquarters of the mighty Champions, here you will find the famous and legendary Source fountain, once renowned for its awesome powers, long since diminished. A sign, it is said of both the talk of refreshed power to come, and yet also of the disease that has rotted the core of the city in recent times….

Aleroth must be visited to be experienced and you must leave alive to be able to recount your own stories and opinions of this impressive place.

No one can prepare you enough.

And there are 2 panoramic screenshots of Aleroth to look at as well.

Swen Vincke posted a short message on the Larian forums to give some feedback on the concerns with respect to selecting CDV as a publisher and the upcoming patch.

I just got back from PAX in Seattle where we showed the game to the US audience and I got to meet the people at CDV for the first time. I can tell you that this is a very different team than the one in 2002, and I was quite impressed by their professionalism. As the US deal was only signed recently, they need some time to prepare their market but I think they'll do really well.

As far as the market and competition are concerned, I think it's cool that there are several RPG's coming to market as there's really been a drought, but I also think Divinity2 has sufficient strengths to create its own market. That was evident from seeing the warm reception the game got at PAX and by observing the people play.

We also haven't stopped working on the game ever since it's been released in Germany, paying very close attention to these forums, and while the reviews so far have been good, I think that with everything we've added, they'll get even better. Most negatives hinted at by reviewers are gone now, using the simple secret formula of : listen to suggestions, fix things that bother people and implement features that are in popular demand. That means that the versions which we are mastering now are quite battle-tested, and incorporate a whole bunch of things we didn't manage to do during the original production. While delays suck (also for us who ultimately do this because we enjoy seeing people have fun with our creations), they sometimes do have advantages, and I think the work done on the original release definitely falls in that category.

And this about the new patch:

Quick update for you: It's ready, it's gone through QA, and it's being prepped for release. That basically means that it's now with the digital distribution partners, and once they are ready, the patch can be released. My guess is late this week, or early next week.

The patch is for both disc and distributed versions but as the game is also being distributed digitally, it means we have to go through the digital distributors to make sure they have the patch available when it gets released. Unfortunately it delays the entire process a bit, but at least it'll be with you soon.

The digital distribution partners in Germany (that I'm aware off) are Metaboli and Steam.

At PAX CDV announced that they will publish Divinity 2 in the US. The estimated release date is 'somewhere in December'.

Read a bit more information here.

A short while ago Verena Kyratzes and her husband both did a preview of Divinity 2. She has now finished the game and finalized her review, which would have been rather possitive if not for the ending. Warning this is a spoiler heavy review.

But enough complaining about the minutiae of gameplay. Up until the end Divinity II still was a lot more fun than Oblivion, or Gothic III (sorry if you’re one of these people who get aneurysms when they hear or read that name, I should have warned you. It took me long months of psychological counseling until I could type it without going into seizures). There is still nothing I can say to refute that fact. The game has witty writing that is to this day only topped by Gothic I & II and the early Fallout games. It has lots of sidequests. Diverse sidequests, which pleasantly sets it apart from Oblivion or fetch-me-these-seventeen-polkadot-shrubberies-Gothic-III. You can even find peaceful solutions to some of these (big plus, says Verena the pacifist). Last but not least: Man, is flying fun or what? (Yeah, man, it is!)

The latest update at the Divinity II site is the Orobas Fjords:

The Orobas fjords are a very important area for zeppelin trade across Rivellon, but this does not guarantee that it’s a safe place to be. Read more about them in the location section.

With the two new and impressive panoramic screenshots you will get deep into them.

Swen 'Lar' Vincke has posted an update on the Divinity II forums, indicating the anticipated big patch will be released "any day now":

The patch is ready, has been going through testing for some time now and we're waiting for QA to release it. Should be any day now.

The list of improvements is quite impressive I think, and we'll be releasing an entire list when the patch is out. In a nutshell: lots of UI improvements, different difficulty levels, extra graphics settings to increase the quality (significantly) a bunch of graphic improvements (e.g. swimming, animation speeds,...), a high-res texture pack, a number of optimisations, and of course a number of bugfixes.

Thanks, Alrik!

A new feature trailer has just been made available by DTP. The most interesting thing in the video is the release date of fall 2009, which could be anywere from the end of September to December.

Thanks PrinceofDeath.

In this weeks installment of the series of Wedensday updates you can find more information about the Maxos temple.

He will test both the endurance and wits of any who dare to trespass on her halls. This is a magnificent and ancient building, yet its atmosphere reeks of treachery and decay: Learn more about Maxos Temple in the Location section.

In addition there will be two beautiful panoramic screenshots, that will give you a dark perspective of Rivellon.

A screenshot of the inside of the temple is to be found on the Divinity 2 facebook page.

dtp sends word that Divinity 2 is sold out in the German market. A couple of units are still filtering through the channel, but dtp is currently out of stock. The game should be widely available again within a few days.
Divinity 2 defends the no. 3 position in the charts since its release a couple of weeks ago.

Update: According to Eurogamer.de the manufactured 50.000 units. The number is unconfirmed but sounds realistic.

So Divinity 2 is doing fine. There's a fair chance the game will cross the border for a major hit in Germany, which is 100k for more than 28€ within 12 months.

The latest Wednesday update at the Divinity 2 site:

Once a glorious Battle Tower, Lovis’ citadel tower is now a cacophony of ancient tricks, traps and puzzles, some obvious, some hidden from plain view. The tower is not the sort of place a night stalker should consider infiltrating: Learn more about the Lovis Tower in the Location section.

In addition there will be two gorgeous panoramic screenshots. They will give you a fantastic view of the dark dungeons of Rivellon, as also a great view of the flying fortresses.

This weeks update of Divinity 2 covers Sentinel Island and two new panorama screens.

A place rife with myth and awe, Sentinel island still, to this day, houses the greatest Battle Tower of all time….Once ruled by the legendary mage Maxos, the place has long been befouled since a dark necromancer called it their home, bringing with them all manner of dark creatures and artifacts, and the evil that is said to accompany such fascinations. A naturally magical place, the island itself is arcane in its very essence.

The Swiss based gaming site GBase.ch reviewed Divinity 2 (in German) and awarded it 8.5 points. Like in other reviews the same things were noted. Overall the same negative issues were noted as in previous reviews with the remark that this game still has the potential to become the best RPG of 2009.

While we wait to get information on the various international publishers for Divinity II, we now know at least France will get a Collector's Edition.  Head over to the official forums for links and pics.

Thanks, Alrik.

The next location to be highlighted on the Divinity 2 site is Farglow.

Farglow is a closely guarded secret, but one that is familiar to all Slayers. This is the place of their initiation into the sect, where the mightiest of warriors gather to share skills and knowledge, and train the next generations of heroes. Here there are countless characters, straight out of myth and legend, and from here new stories grow. Renowned by the civilians and adventurers of Rivellon alike, those that are said to have visited the legendary Farglow, or even those that know of someone who has, can often earn themselves a few tankards of ale by spinning a tale or two about the goings on in this mysterious place.

Here are two more reviews of Divinity 2 from the German version. However for those who were nagging about the flood of reviews in a language they could not grasp, these are in English. In reality they are just blogs, but due to the lack of reviews in English it will do for now.

The first is by Verena Kyratzes and the second by Jonas Kyratzes.

Both views can be summed up by this sentence:

So: some flaws, but plenty of interesting content framed by enjoyable gameplay. Recommended!

Besides that Divinity 2 also appears to be refreshing after a drought.

Besides reading a lot and going to the movies a lot I also play computer games… a lot. Only recently there has been an appalling drought in the genre of first or third person RPGs. The good kind. Not the kind from Japan, with half-naked twelve year old girls called Simon as protagonists.
So, along comes Divinty II: Ego Draconis.

Here are some more reviews in German for Divinity 2. Thanks to the forum members of the Larian boards who collected them.

Games aktuell 81%
gameware.at 80%
Gamers against Rejection 81%
Eurogamer 7/10
Gameswelt 79%
gamona 79%
areagames 8/10
spieletipps  80%
CBS "good"

I didn't read all of them in detail, but overall the same issue as noted before are listed (although not every review lists all of them). Some of these things, such as a slider for enabling better graphics, some bug solving, improving the auto aiming feature and hopefully balancing  are already promised for the next patch, which means by the time the English version is released the game will be much better.

4Players reviewed Divinity 2 as well and was positively surprised by it. It's in German, but the reviewer stated more than once that he never expected the game to be that much fun.

Two more reviews in German popped up; Looki rated it with 82% and Krawall with 81%.

The same negative points are noted as before (story, remote combat, lacking quest and map info and some balancing issues), but the positive points outweighs the negative (and the patches might even remove some of them).

Furthermore Sevengames.de did a video review of Divinity 2 where they liked what they saw and recommended the game to any RPG player. The game is covered in the first 6 minutes of the video.

The Wednesday Divinity II updates are switching to locations now, with the first one online.  Head over to check out Broken Valley Village.

The first patch for Divinity II has been released, offering improvements to the minimap and balancing.  You can grab the 40Mb file from Worthplaying, and no doubt your favourite mirror site:

Der erste Patch für die deutsche Version von Divinity 2: Ego Draconis baut den Kompass mit zusätzlichen Features zur Minimap aus (Feinde, Nichtspieler-Charaktere, Wegpunktschreine sowie Questgegenstände werden anzeigt) und optimiert Leistung und Balancing.

Gamersglobal have made their review of Divinity 2 available and give it a score of 7.5. The reviewer (Avantenor on our forums) states that the game lacks perfection in amongs others the implementation of the dragon part, mouse control and especially the weak AI of the opponents. Still he does claim it's a good game that should give the player enough fun in playing and with the upcoming patches it might overcome several of its current flaws.

The review is in German, but it has several videos to watch.

PCGames have reviewed Divinity 2 and rank it at 80%. The story gets a thumbs down as do the battle system (especially when using arrows) and the user interface( maps, qeust & shop interfaces). A thumbs up goes to the quests, music and voiceacting, the possibility to create your own creature and the flexibility in creating your character.

If your German (or your translator) is good enough; the full review can be read here.

The Divinity II site is pointing out the first German web review - the score from GameStar's critique is 83% and my Google-fu says the quests are very good with multiple solutions but there were some bugs and crashes.  Apparently a patch is planned.

The last and final cinematic trailer of Divinity 2 is now avaialable at, amongst others, Gametrailers. It is about your destiny as the last of the Dragon Knights.

Larian is pointing out some fresh footage of Divinity II from GameStar.de's Server Down Show.  The commentary is German but here's Larian's description:

The latest Server Down Show, currently available at GameStar.de, features Petra Schmitz who talks about her experiences with Divinity II: Ego Draconis. The little German we understand tells us that she likes the game a lot and especially enjoyed the many side-quests the game features. There's also some new footage of the game to be seen.

Another Wednesday gone, another set of updates at the Divinity II site.  First, there's a new 360 degree screenshot showing off a dungeon location - here's the accompanying blurb from lead designer Farhang Namdar:

"Flying as a dragon is awesome. Destroying enemy emplacements as an airborne, fire breathing lizard is a great way to blow off some steam, but sometimes, you really just can't beat a good, old fashioned dungeon crawl! Shapeshift to your human form, and you can explore many different labyrinths within the world of Rivellon, searching for treasure, avoiding traps and generally laying the smackdown on any nasty denizens you come across. Load up with supplies and prepare to face some of the most fiendish and deadly catacombs you have ever taken steps into!

We at Larian love our dungeons almost as much as our dragons, we remember plotting out our own maps on graph paper in the far and distant past, and we hope that you will clearly see this passion shine through in the final game! We really wanted to convey that classic dungeoneering experience, enriched with physical challenges and brain cracking puzzles with all the modern production values that you would expect, but most importantly, its FUN.

Enter freely and of your own will, adventurer!"

Second, studio head Swen Vincke talks about the differences the X360 and PC versions in their latest podcast.

Some German previews have popped up in the last couple of days.

In a positive preview Eurogamer.de states that the games does a lot of things in the right way and that there is a deep story combined with lots of humor but that the success of the game depends on how well Larian is able to solve some of the issues they encountered with balancing, framerate and CTD's. Still they conclude that if these issues are solved the game is something to look forward to.

There are also a lot of screenshots on Eurogamer.de.

GBase.ch has lots of positive things to say about the deep story, character development, graphics and combat, while also making a side remark about Larian still working on balancing.

And finally Krawall brings us a preview as well with a preliminary rating of good, but note that the graphics when flying as a dragon are a bit bland, which they blame on the Oblivion engine. When not flying as a dragon they state the game is very beautifull.

dtp sends word that the German version of Larian Studios' Divinity 2: Ego Draconis has gone gold and is on track for release on July 24th. The XBox 360 version has been delayed until early September to focus on a high quality PC version.

The date for the international release is also "early September".

Divinity II: Ego Draconis – PC-Version erreicht Gold-Status, Version für Xbox 360 verschiebt sich

Hamburg, 10.07.2009 – Nach mehr als drei Jahren Entwicklungszeit hat die PC-Version des kommenden Rollenspielhighlights von Publisher dtp entertainment und Entwickler Larian Studios, Divinity II: Ego Draconis, den Gold-Master-Status erreicht und befindet sich nun in Produktion. Damit erscheint Divinity II für den PC in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz plangemäß als Standard-Fassung und Collector’s Edition am 24. Juli 2009. Der Veröffentlichungstermin der Xbox 360®-Version des Spiels verschiebt sich allerdings.

„Divinity II ist im Laufe seiner Entwicklungszeit zu einem sehr großen Rollenspiel herangewachsen, dessen Ausmaße unsere bisherigen Planungen deutlich übertreffen. Allein für das Spielen des Haupthandlungsstranges benötigen fortgeschrittene Rollenspieler nach unseren Berechnungen gut 40 Stunden – und damit haben sie nur Teile der riesigen Spielwelt richtig erkundet. Durch diese Größe, bedingt durch die unzähligen Nebenquests und Handlungsmöglichkeiten des Spiels, mussten wir den für die Qualitätssicherung benötigten Zeitaufwand ebenfalls deutlich erhöhen. Wir haben uns im Sinne der Spieler dazu entschieden, den Veröffentlichungstermin der Xbox 360-Version zugunsten einer hochqualitativen PC-Version zu verschieben, damit die in Deutschland größere PC-Rollenspieler-Gemeinde sich auf einen pünktlichen Release noch im Sommer freuen darf. Im Anschluss konzentrieren wir alle Qualitätssicherungsmaßnahmen auf die Konsolen-Version, so dass diese Anfang September in den Handel gebracht werden kann“, erläutert Claas Wolter, Senior PR Manager bei dtp entertainment.

Auch international wird Divinity II: Ego Draconis Anfang September veröffentlicht.

Divinity II: Ego Draconis bringt den Spieler zurück in die Welt Rivellon, mehr als ein halbes Jahrhundert, nachdem der Divine regierte. Viel ist seitdem geschehen, doch der Tod des Divine – dem Helden des Vorgängers von Divinity II: Ego Draconis – ist zweifellos das tragischste Ereignis. Er wurde von einem Drachenritter während der Schlacht gegen Damian, Rivellons Erzfeind, verraten und getötet. Seine Paladine schworen Rache, und so entstand der Orden der Drachentöter.

gezeichnet von vergangenen apokalyptischen Kriegen. Seine Landschaften und Labyrinthe sind frei erkundbar. Rivellon ist auch die Heimat zahlreicher Nichtspielercharaktere, die eine große Auswahl an Quests und Handlungssträngen eröffnen – und sonst gerne zum Plaudern bereit sind. Das verzweigte Questsystem verschafft den Handlungen des Spielers weitreichende Konsequenzen.

Divinity II: Ego Draconis, entwickelt von Larian Studios und veröffentlicht von dtp entertainment, erscheint in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz am 24. Juli 2009 für den PC. Neben der zum Preis von 49,99 € erhältlichen Standard-Edition veröffentlicht dtp entertainment auch eine randvolle Collector’s Edition. Zum Preis von 69,99 € enthält diese eine 18 Zentimeter große Drachentöter-Standfigur aus Kunstharz samt Brieföffner-Schwert aus Metall, eine Stoffkarte der Divinity-Welt Rivellon, eine Soundtrack-CD und weitere Fan-Goodies.

In the second part of the 3 part series of cinematic trailers for Divinity 2 you'll now get to know that you are on your path to destiny as told by Talana, Dragon Knight of old.

In this week's Divinity 2 wednesday updates we are offered a 360 degrees screenshot from what I think is the battletower. Whatching it requires Quicktie to be installed.

Furthermore; a new podcast is available from Larian’s Lead Game Designer Farhang Namdar introduces “FUME Design”, the Freedom, Universe, Motivation and Enemies concept.

In a series of three videos some detailed information about Divinity 2 will be presented in the coming period. Today the first of these videos (named Cinematic trailer act 1) can be viewed in the Media section of the official site.

Divinity II: Ego Draconis – New trailer movies give sneak preview on the huge storyline

Hamburg/Germany, July 3^rd, 2009 – This is a very personal way to bring some light into dark secrets that surround the background story of dtp entertainment’s and Larian Studios’ upcoming RPG highlight Divinity II: Ego Draconis:

In a couple of new videos, mysterious Dragon Knight Talana (voiced by Sally Wallis) exposes, why Dragons and Humans are at war with each other and how evil Damian, after his original defeat, managed to reunite his forces to again threaten the world of Rivellon. If you look carefully, you may even pick up on some secret details about Talana’s very personal role in that whole story...

Today, publisher dtp entertainment and developer Larian Studios release the first of three upcoming Divinity II background story videos.

Divinity II: Ego Draconis takes the player back to Rivellon, more than half a century after the Divine came to power. Much has happened there since, but the death of the Divine – the hero of the previous game – is undoubtedly the greatest tragedy. He was slain by a Dragon Knight during a battle with Damian, Rivellon’s arch nemesis. The Divine’s paladins swore revenge and so the order of the Dragon Slayers came to be.

Rivellon, the beautiful but war-torn world first explored in Divinity II’s award-winning predecessor, features many areas and labyrinths for the player to explore. This world is the home of plenty of non-player characters, offering a multitude of quests and storylines  – or just the latest gossip. Because of the branched quest system, the player’s decisions can have far-reaching consequences. The player can shapehift between human and dragon forms to bring a whole new dimension to your ability to explore the world, as well as many more combat options. Rain firey death from above as an airborne dragon, or get up close and personal with sword, bow or magic as a human.

The player is set on an unexpected quest that will unveil hidden truths and revive forgotten evils which will change the face of Rivellon forever.

The latest Divinity II updates bring information on the "relentless" warrior Rhodes and the "once famed" Dragon Knight Talana, as well as a podcast from Lead Designer Farhang Namdar introducing Damien.

Finally, Friday will see Act 1 of a suite of new trailers released on the official site - we'll let you know when they go up.

The Divinity 2 updates of this week brings us some more information on the Dragonknight and Richard, one of de Champions of Aleroth. And there is some more information about how mindreading works, explained in a podcast by Lead Game Designer Farhang Namdar.

This weeks update of Divinity 2 goodies brings us information about 2 new NPCs; The champions of Aleroth and the New Order, a podcast about the Divinity 2 universe and the second part on character progression and customization.

New podcast, creatures, screens and wallpapers are on offer in the latest Divinity II update:

For the today’s update we have tied an attractive huge packet: In addition two new creatures – a mysterious ghost and a sweet ladybird – we’re going to present to you the topic “customised experience”.  Jan Van Dosselaer, Writer and Desiger of Larian, is answering questions about new features and possibilities for new topics. In the new podcast Swen Vincke, Larians CEO, is reporting on Divinity’s “Quest and Choices”.

There will also be some new visuals from E3 Los Angeles: some new screenshots, four brand-new wallpapers, two for members only, and two for all general users.

Larian is pointing out a major German preview of Divinity II over at GameStar.de.  Here's their description and a short translated piece:

The extensive article – along with a bunch of new screenshots and a preview-video – describes the dragon, the quests, the charactersystem, mindreading and more. Here’s her conclusion (translated from German):

"Knock me down with a dragon’s scale! I haven’t seen such an affectionate, detailed and engrossing fantasy-RPG in ages. Fantastic and complex characters, an excellent story line, smart and amusing brawls and clever ideas make Divinity II: Ego Draconis a glittering gem in the genre, which – if released bug-free – you should not miss!

Potential: Very good "

An E3 preview of Divinity 2 with a few negative remarks on the Xbox 360 version can be found on Kotaku.

I sat in on a demonstration of the game at E3 2009, and everything started well enough. The PC in publisher DTP's tiny booth launched the game smoothly, and the graphics were crisp, smooth, and vibrant. Intrigued, I leaned in closer, only to have the PC sputter, stutter, and die.

Then my demo pilot switched to the Xbox 360 version, where the graphics were noticeable darker and the frame rate nowhere near as smooth. Now I know which version I'll be picking up.

Ego Draconis is a 3D action roleplaying game, much like Fable or Gothic, only with a twist. After a certain part in the story, the player gains the ability to transform into a dragon, covering long stretches of terrain in minutes, while having to face off against much larger foes.

The character-driven section of the game is rather nice. All NPCs in the game are fully voiced and animated using motion capture, giving the world a very lifelike feel.

Next to look at Divinity II is GameZone, who experienced a slightly different outcome to the drunks-at-the-tavern quest:

One mission has the player going into a tavern to kick out drunkards who are scaring off townspeople. After battling the drunks for 15 seconds, their lieutenant made a graceful appearance wondering what in the world was going on, and after a quick conversation, you have the choice to continue the battle or end it peacefully to see the benefits later on in the game. Once the drunkards are gone, the inn keeper lowers his prices as a thanks and the townspeople show up to drink and provide quests to accept. 

Divinity II impressions from GameSpot:

To find out information, you'll speak with non-player characters much as you would in other role-playing games. We took a walk around Broken Valley, Divinity 2's first region. The first thing we did was head to a tavern, where we talked to the patrons seated outside. One of them wanted to enter the tavern but couldn't because it was overrun by drunken soldiers. We entered the tavern and had a talk with the intoxicated sods, where we could resolve the quest in one of several ways. In this case, we resolved it peacefully by speaking with the soldiers' lieutenant, which meant patrons who had been avoiding the tavern would now enter, including other quest-givers. Had we fought the soldiers to drive them out, some of these NPCs would not have entered, locking us out of some potential quests. Such choices will drive the game's morality system, affecting potential quests, as well as the items available for purchase from merchants.

Gametrailers talked to Claas Wolter from DTP about Divinity 2 and got some in-game video sequences to show as well.

IGN had a look at Divinity 2 while they were at E3 and came back with the information that the game is available in September. Apparently this means the German version will be available in July and the English version 2 months after that.

Larian has announced an opportunity to playtest Divinity II.  As they have always done, you'll need to live close enough to Oudenaarde to travel to their offices:

We are still conducting invitation only play tests. If you live in the neighbourhood of Oudenaarde (Belgium) and want to spend some hours trying out our next RPG, send an email to playtest@larian.com. Please include what days you are available this month. These are gameplay and focus tests, so you will be sent a small questionnaire. This will allow us to establish what type of gamer you are and fit you in the right group of players.

Please take into account that you will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement (also known as a non disclosure agreement).

You will not receive any compensation for participating in these tests, but you might enjoy the experience as we think the game is shaping up pretty nicely.

You can also check out 10 screens from the X360 version at  MSXboxWorld.

The Divinity 2 website is updated with two new creatures; The Necromancer Ygerna and the Skeleton. In addition an interview with artist Koen and writer Jan.

How does the world in Divinity II relate to the original game?

Jan: After visiting Nemesis in Beyond Divinity, the player now returns to Rivellon, the idyllic-yet-deadly setting of Divine Divinity. This of course implies that Divinity II and the original share perhaps the most important of features, which is the game world itself. Much has happened and much has changed though, so the game will present a journey of discovery for both newcomers and veterans. Those who played the other games will obviously have no true advantage – that wouldn’t be fair – but they can enjoy a certain level of intertextuality between our newest adventure and its predecessors. Examples of this can range from returning (main) characters to winks in texts and dialogues even the die-hards may not immediately spot. I’m really looking forward to seeing the forum members share them with one another on the Larian message boards.

What was your vision for the world of Rivellon?

Koen: When I first started thinking about a look for Rivellon, I wanted to create a colourful and atmospheric environment without deviating too much from the original Divinity. This was quite a difficult exercise: we didn’t want to end up with a game that looked like a cartoon, but at the same time, we also didn’t want to go in a direction that was too realistic. A balance between these two extremes needed to be achieved.

The latest suite of Divinity II updates is online:

A fearsome new creature that literally devours the memories right out of your mind joins forces with another flying grotesque creation and more details have spawned in our monster section!

In a brand new podcast Koen, our Art Director, tells you about the design of the gorgeous world of Divinity II. Also, Koen joins Jan, Lead Writer at Larian, in providing some answers to your questions in the Meet the Makers interview section!

In addition the Divinity II website offers social bookmarks and a RSS-feed from now on.

A collectors edition of Divinity 2 for the PC is available as a pre-order, although it is only available in Germany at the moment, where it has the 24th of July listed as the release date.

The Collectors Edition comes in a box with an 18cm large dragon slayer holding a letteropener in disguise, a cloth map, the complete soundtrack, an A3 poster, a tattoo, the game and a booklet (on the image for some strange reason it has an Xbox 360 booklet with a PC DVD case but I assume that's an error).

This week's Divinity II update sees some new creatures revealed and a new desktop wallpaper on offer.

It's Wednesday again which also brings us a new update available on the Divinity 2 website. First of all there are three new monsters; the Flying Demon, the Great Goblin Shaman and the Abomination.

This is the ultimate undead combatant, an amalgam of dead flesh and living steel that serves the single purpose of killing all it meets and does so with chilling efficiency.

If one should glance over some early research notes written by the nefarious necromancer Laiken, one may easily comprehend why these creatures are such depraved and psychotic killers, devoid of reason and clemency: "It is highly interesting to note that healthy subjects exposed to intense physical pain, still reflect that anguish after the transformation into an undead entity. When the forearms are removed for instance, and replaced by blades - an intense process of sawing, jamming and stitching - I find that subjects who undergo this procedure alive and conscious make for fiercer and more merciless undead warriors. Needless to say, it is a process I shall regularly practice - perhaps even exclusively should other experiments secure the same rate of success".

In addition there is also a new podcast explaining a bit about the art style (check out the media tab to find it).

After reporting that the German voices for Divinity 2 have all been recorded we now got word that the English voices hav been completed as well and the first place where they can be heard will be at E3.

Hamburg/Germany, May 13th, 2009 - Divinity II: Ego Draconis, the up-and-coming RPG highlight, is getting closer to completion. Recently, the extensive voice recordings for the English versions were finished and it was an epic task to match the game. Voice actors for over 400 game characters had to be cast, and dtp entertainment and Larian Studios have recorded 100,000 words in nearly 10,000 takes.

To breathe life into the characters of Divinity II's epic fantasy story, only top-class professional artists were chosen. Many are part of popular TV series; others are well-known voices from radio and television commercials for famous brands.

Zandalor, an old Mage, friend and counselor of the player, talks with the voice of Bill Bingham. The players will also get a short flashback with the Divine, the hero of the game's predecessor. His in game-voice belongs to Johnnie Lyne-Pirkis. Jeff Rawle lends his sonorous tones to the Narrator in Divinity II. He has credits, stretching back to the 1970s, as an actor and writer for over 70 TV series and films - among them "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", where he played the role of Amos Diggory.

Josefina Gabrielle has voice-acted as the powerful Necromancer Sassan. She is known for playing Laurey Williams in the musical "Oklahoma!" (London Royal National Theatre). Sally Wallis is Talana, the last of the mighty Dragon Knights in Rivellon. Richard of Aleroth is a dodgy Captain in Divinity II: Ego Draconis, leading the player to interesting choices. He is voiced by Andy Mace.

According to this post on the official forum all the German voices for Divinity 2 have been recorded. The post states there are 100.000 words that were recorded in some 10.000 takes and cover the voice for about 400 characters.
A list of names of those who participated follows but that list will mean nothing unless you watch German television or go to German cinemas.

The question that rises at the  moment is: How about the English voices?

After the dragon combat of last week it is the human combat that takes a cetral role in the Wednesday updates at the Divinity 2 site. Next to a bit of generic text is gives an explanation of some skills:

Battle Rage

The Battle Rage skill does exactly what it describes: like a mad barbarian would seize upon a poorly protected convent, you launch yourself into the fray, heeding not the danger it leaves you in. Most likely any clear and present danger will soon be eliminated, but do remember that this rage detracts from your defensive prowess for its duration.

Or perhaps you prefer to unleash some suppressive fire on your foes before laying the smack down?

Explosive Arrows

The rarest of arrows are perhaps also the most powerful ones. Extremely dangerous in the hands of some bowstring-happy pyromaniac – and absolutely frightening in the hands of a skilled archer – these arrows explode upon impact: not only turning the original recipient into a bloody jigsaw puzzle, but also tearing apart any one caught near the blast.

Fiery vengeance not enough for you? How about adding a little humiliation to your arsenal?

More skill descriptions can be found on the official site.

In the weekly update of the Divinity 2 site you can now learn about the dragons in Divinity 2.

As a Dragon Knight, you have been gifted (some would say cursed) with the ability to shape-shift between human and Dragon forms. Although being ground based, your human avatar still packs a mighty punch, and allows you to explore many areas that would simply be inaccessible to a monstrous creature. But shift to Dragon form and the whole sky suddenly opens up to you. Take flight and you can view the world from high among the clouds, and travel quickly from place to place.

Some locations are difficult, if not impossible for humans to reach on foot, so switching between Dragon and human form allows you to explore both the highest peaks and the deepest dungeons of Rivellon.

In addition there are 5 new screenshots and a new wallpaper.

In their weekly Wednesday update of Divinity 2 some information about the four platforms of the Battle Tower is presented.

The Necromancy Ring

On this platform, a pupil of the black arts will seek to build you the ultimate Creature. As you travel through Rivellon, you will be able to collect the limbs of the foes you have slain. The necromancer will then assemble these limbs to form the Creature, its powers depending on their composition. You can summon this Creature in combat to serve as an ally by using a unique item: the Crystal Skull.

In addition some new screens, an update to the FAQ and a podcast from Swen Vincke who talks about human and dragon combat is also available.

Larian has kicked off Divinity Wednesday, the first of their ongoing weekly updates for Divinity II.  Here's a rip of the announcement on their site:

We are kicking off our weekly blast of cool news with and introduction to the vision behind the game from Benoit Louzas, producer on Divinity II, backed up with a brand new series of questions for the official FAQ and some awesome, exclusive new screenshots fresh off today’s build.

The third blog on the Role Playing Convention can be found on the Divinity 2 site. Some new photo's can be found there and the following text.

Last day of the show, and as the doors roll open, the crowds once again surge in, eager to pick those last few minute bargains that they agonized over the day before. Then, if they are anything like me, they will have suddenly panicked at about 10pm Saturday night when it dawned on them that you REALLY want that item, and it MIGHT NOT BE THERE TOMORROW!!!!!

Most early risers included the clearly disciplined stormtroopers and associated bounty hunters, whereas mid day saw the arrival of the more feisty characters, (including a contingent of shouty dwarves chucking insults at an argumentative orc warband). At times, the Divinity stand felt like a very busy executive lounge at an airport that only went to fantasy or sci fi destinations….

We had a huge amount of fans come by to do the book quest today, and it was pretty exhausting for everyone from DTP, but again, the enthusiasm and politeness of the show goers was overwhelming. In three days we didn’t come across a single grumpy person (even the ogres) and that is pretty impressive considering how many people came by. I managed to grab a few minutes with the Community Manager, Bettina, who was rushing around meeting up with her beloved forum folks, plenty of smiles all around!

The sun came out again for a little while, and so many people took the chance to relax outside with a beer and listen to some amazingly lively medieval style bands. One thing I did notice, conscious or not, arch enemies didn’t mix. Elves sat in shaded areas in the breeze, orcs sat in circles and traded insults and the occasional punch, or took a back seat behind others and continuously teased or pestered them good naturedly; dwarves blockaded one of the beer tents; and humans practiced sword play, or tried on different armour types, as they admired themselves in mirrors.

As 6pm rapidly approached, the halls began to empty, and there was something quite sad about that. Seeing folks carefully packing away their costumes and returning to jeans and Tshirts, was surprisingly somber. Since Friday I have seen countless guild folks meeting up, clearly for the first time, groups of strangers sitting together, drinking and talking, some good natured boisterousness and just some darn good folks. I wonder if there are many other passions like this, that can claim to cram 15,000 people in one building, their clothes clearly defining personal tribal associations, giving them access to alchohol and food, allowing them to be armed with weapons – yet never once was there any hint of any real disagreement. This was an event packed with folks that love their hobby, are willing to share that passion openly with others, and possibly the nicest, most enthusiastic, and friendly people I have ever had the privilege to meet.

Raise a tankard to the manically busy DTP marketing team next time – they worked their fingers to the bone, and never once sneaked off for a crafty Stamina potion... :)

The second part of the Role Playing Convention blog can be found on the Divinity 2 website. As it isn't that long, here is the full text (you'll have to go to the Divinity 2 site for the images).

Busy busy busy. The show was nuts yesterday, but nothing compared to today! Legions of RPG fans roar a battle charge as they run towards the show floor when the huge entrance drawbridge lowers. You can feel the thunder of their footsteps in the ground and the walls….the sound of their bargain hunting fury echoes around the hall….A promotional girl panics… her eyes like a frightened rabbit… her head darts quickly, left then right … desperately seeking shelter……Aa slow drum beat starts somewhere deep below, she takes up positioning behind a desk, protected only with some tactical stickers and a disarming smile - but its too late….the awesome horde of fans are here…she cannot get out….she cannot get out…. .

Luckily the fans only take shots with cameras, no arrows nor bolts were fired :)

Take the intensity of Friday and add a +10 modifier – Roleplay Con day 2 is overwhelming. Never before has such a great group of passionate, enthusiastic and happy people been contained in such a small place! It is an honour to be amongst them.

Again we find ourselves with a warm greeting from fans, eager to complete the Divinity 2 quest and grab their loot from the hardworking team on the booth. We are down to less than a third of our freebie items, nothing could have prepared us for this level of excitement!

I had a chance to take a tour of the show today, and if I have managed to figure out the video camera, then we can upload a video in the future.

I have spotted today some of the best orc costumes I have ever seen (you guys KNOW who you are!), at least two people that were too short to be stormtroopers and an elven maiden that would melt the heart of even the most morbid of necromancers…..THE shadowrunner, without a doubt.

Check some fine show folks out on the pictures posted.

Its 8pm and the chink of chainmail slowly becomes quiet again for another day. Heres to Sunday!

In our Divinity 2 gallery you can find artwork of the dragon elf. It's a bit dark, but I guess its a dark creature....

There's a short blog entry at the Divinity II site as the German Roleplaying Convention in Cologne kicks off.  There's nothing about the game itself but since they are showing it to the public, hopefully we'll get previews and impressions in due course:

Today is Friday 3rd, and the first day of the show. We had a busy evening setting up the Divinity area, arranging posters and goodies for fans when they arrive. The ever busy marketing team has created a cool Divinity style quest for show visitors to take part in, to receive a nice hardback Divinity 2 notebook.

Already we are hoping we have enough!

Crowds have formed around the new Divinity video we are showing, and a surprising amount of gamers are already on the special quest. We are right at one of the main doors, so we sometimes are told off by security for having a crowd :)

Larian has launched an updated website for Divinity 2, with a nice background track that sounds unmistakedly Kiril Pokrovsky and a new podcast.  Here's the announcement:

The new Divinity 2: Ego Draconis website has now opened its gates for Dragon Slayers and other Dragon enthusiasts, and offers regularly updated information straight from the developers and special content from the game.

You can expect a lot of information, including game features, artworks, screenshots, videos, downloadable goodies, audio podcasts directly from the developers and much, much more. The first podcast stars Larian’s Lead Game Designer Farhang Namdar who gives insights concerning the development of the Battle Tower.

And to all the Divinity-Fans who want to know more about the game, we recommend the website's members area, which brings you even more pictures and exclusive extras. So sign up and be surprised!

Join, honoured Dragon Slayer: Rivellon is waiting for you!

Over at the official Divinity 2 forums there's a short Q&A with developer Lynn concerning several elements of the game. Here's a sample:

What’s the estimated length of the game?
We think around fifty hours


Are you free to have conversations with any NPC?
Yes you are, we even encourage it with witty dialogs all over.


Is the game set in 1 city or are there several cities to explore?
There are several small settlements/villages and one city.

Thanks Alrik

This one's only for those of you with the appropriate language skills...Belgian site 9lives has a preview of Divinity II - let us know if they have anything interesting to say.

A translation of large part of the review can be found on the Larian forums.

Once again, a heads-up rather than actual news.  The Larian site writes that German PC Gamer has a cover article on Divinity 2 in the latest edition.  If you grab the mag, let us know what you think:

For our German fans - the cover of the latest issue of PC Games is dedicated to Divinity 2: Ego Draconis and in the magazine you'll find six pages of Divinity 2 news including several new screenshots. The journalist writes about a three hour walkthrough through the game and talks about what his impressions of the game were.

Worthplaying has 20 screens from Divinity 2: Ego Draconis.  Some of them look familiar but I don't think I've seen all of them, so hopefully it's worth a look.

Our hosted site The Locus Inn has a post about a development update made by Larian Studio's head Swen "Lar" Vincke:

We’re still months away from release but the amount of things we need to deal with on a daily basis to finish this game is increasing rapidly. Not a day goes by with somebody figuring out that something still needs to be added to our task list. I think at this point it’s perfectly possible to occupy the entire development team with things like screenshots, localization schedules, movies, demos, TRCs, logos, legal stuff, websites, promo material, minimum specs, interviews, marketing assets, cover art, documentation, manuals, age rating submission etc… without ever doing a single piece of actual development work, also known as “working on making the game fun”.

Lar came back to the forums again and explains what is involved in his job that is really needed but takes him away from the fun of game development.

I’m waiting for a pre-processor thing to do its thing and as it usually takes its time to do its thing, there’s some room for another update for you. This time I’m going to complain a bit without really complaining, giving you all a bit of an insight in my inner soul and what I was singing about in the shower this morning – if you’re not interested in what Lar sings about in the shower in the morning, stop reading – it’s also not really about the game either but rather about the stuff that’s bugging me right now and how making a game inevitably has an impact on the lives of the people working on it and how the current state of game development doesn’t exploit the creativity of the people making games the way it should.

We’re still months away from release but the amount of things we need to deal with on a daily basis to finish this game is increasing rapidly. Not a day goes by with somebody figuring out that something still needs to be added to our task list. I think at this point it’s perfectly possible to occupy the entire development team with things like screenshots, localization schedules, movies, demos, TRCs, logos, legal stuff, websites, promo material, minimum specs, interviews, marketing assets, cover art, documentation, manuals, age rating submission etc… without ever doing a single piece of actual development work, also known as “working on making the game fun”.

My mailbox has become the scariest thing ever, dinging continuously with all kinds of interesting
and relevant information, with the implicit warning in it that if I don’t read this interesting and relevant information, somebody at some point will tell me – “ Well, you should be aware, I mailed you about that some time ago” followed by a I’ll-make-you-feel-guilty look followed by a “I’m still waiting for a reply btw” followed by a kind of indescribably “what do you have to say to that” look.

Luckily we have good producers and leads dealing with all the interesting and relevant information but nonetheless, for some reason, people still expect me to be aware of it all. I actually find that very reasonable, but due to a perhaps not incredibly exemplary lifestyle, my memory doesn’t have sufficient cells to absorb it all. I’ve discovered that some kind of self defense mechanism started operating which prioritizes information the moment I hear it and if it’s not at priority super one, it filters it out immediately.

This often leads to rather embarrassing situations where people tell me things ,then ask me something about what they told me, and I can’t answer because I’ve already forgotten what they told me because it’s not a super important priority 1 thing. That’s not very fair to them, and I realize it all too well, so I try to explain them this self defense mechanism that appeared out of the blue and outside of my control, but they look at me as if I’ve gone totally crazy. If I’m lucky, they don’t immediately condemn me for having a lousy social attitude, and suggest things like go see a doctor to check if I don’t have one of those memory affecting diseases. My typical reply to that is – “Trop is te veel en te veel is trop“ which depending on their nationality produces a smile or an even more worried look.

More worryingly, at least for me personally, said mechanism started doing its thing outside of work too, leading to a rapid decline in my social standing, not that I had that much left after spending years on making this game happen. I’ve even had to explain the mechanism of doom to my partner, quite often actually, and I must congratulate her on producing a whole range of original and occasionally very funny responses which all had the effect of driving the spear of guilt a bit deeper.

I read a quote from another game developer the other day, obviously I forgot which one;), who said:”I’ve got to make a hundred decisions a day, and people still expect me to think about strategy.”. I read that phrase multiple times, as it caught my fin-the-production feeling so well, and then immediately proceeded with closing my mail program and think feet-on-the-table about strategy, starting with what exactly strategy is, and maybe I should google it. It lasted an entire 2 minutes before somebody came in my office and said “can we have a meeting about that – I mailed you about that a month ago but still didn’t get a reply and I need a decision real fast”.

I said I was going to complain without complaining because I have to admit that in some perverse way I actually enjoy it. It keeps the adrenalin pumping and from time to time I even congratulate myself on my ability to multithread, just to keep my moral high and also because I observed that if I don’t congratulate myself, nobody will ;) This self-congratulating ceremony usually takes on the form of standing in front of the mirror doing all kinds of funny faces, replaying conversations with a silly voice and pretending that I actually have the time to do so. I find it particularly relaxing, but I think that’s as far off topic as I want to go here ;)

Anyways, to use some heavy words, my point is that modern day game development involves very complicated production processes and because gamers, rightfully so btw, have become very demanding, the impact on what developers have to deal with during their development cycle has changed significantly compared to when I started in this industry, some 10 years ago or so. And I’m not so sure that the form it’s taken, is such a good thing for producing great games .
I remember that when I was making Divinity I often thought of some particularly cool gameplay feature I implemented that day and that was in general a happy thought to go to sleep with. Nowadays, I often go to sleep going through a check list of all the stuff I forgot to do today, dealing with all the stuff I mentioned in the opening paragraph, and frankly, that’s not such a happy mechanism for getting good dreams. I still try to pick up on some gameplay feature I saw, as sadly I’m not implementing them myself anymore, but it’s definitely not the same feeling anymore since it’s tainted by all the non--game-development stuff.

The thing that triggered me writing about this is a planning meeting I was having yesterday, where we were balancing hours over multiple guys, trying to get tasks done in time, dealing with TRC’s which are some form of checklist you have to adhere to if you want to be published on the Xbox360 platform. I looked at the developers in the room and I saw some of them were eager to manage this and got totally involved in the planning exercise whereas others were having a dreamy look in their eyes, and I was wondering, what is that dreamy look about? I can’t speak for them, but I figured that if I were them, I would’ve been thinking – this is as far away from creating fun for people as it gets in this job.

And so I thought further, there’s got to be a better way than this. If the amount of effort we spend on that entire list mentioned before could be just focused on creating fun, what games could we then make? The creativity of thousands of developers worldwide is drained by all of the side stuff that comes with making a modern game, and that’s a horribly inefficient way of doing things.

I think of myself as a pretty competent guy when it comes to this game development thing, and when I make the list of all the things I did that were focused on creating fun as opposed to the list of things that need to be done to enable the fun to make it to your desktops and television sets, those two are heavily out of balance. I’m pretty sure my self defense mechanism wouldn’t occur if I’d only have to deal with the creating fun part;) It corresponds with a reaction you typically get from artists everywhere when they are dealing with the technical side of things – “I’m an artist but I spend more time getting my assets in the game than I do creating the actual art.” I’m pretty sure they’d produce a lot more and better art if they wouldn’t have to deal with the entire technical thing.

At Larian we try to balance the real work with the **** work evenly among the team, just to prevent people from committing suicide, and I can’t think of a better way, but I wished the **** work wouldn’t be there, because we could do so much better then. Don’t get me wrong – I think Divinity 2 is turning into a great game, but I know that without all of the stuff around, we could do so much more and I think it’s a real shame of talent that guys who can dream up a fantastic quest or great visualization should also be busy with filling in some form for some submission authority. You can of course argue that we should hire somebody else to do that then, and when you all buy massive amounts of Divinity 2 maybe one day we could, but for the time being, our resources are limited and we have to make do with what we have. And as far as I’ve seen, this is the case for almost all developers, because there’s just so much **** that we have to deal with.

So, what’s the solution then ? What’s needed to unleash the full potential of developers to make things that are even more fun ? Sadly, it’s a bit too idealistic for it ever to work, but it’s fun thinking about it anyway as it immediately explains why things are what they are;

a) Games should be immune to legal issues such as age rating
b) Everybody in the entire world needs to speak the same language
c) There should only be one gaming platform
d) There needs to be a god like instance which fits player’s profiles to certain games, telling them in an accurate way that they will like it or not without the need for any marketing, PR or anything else.
e) 42

The net result would be a massive increase in the amount and the quality of games, because I think you’d be shocked to hear how much money is exactly spent on the above. And even better, my self defense mechanism would vanish !

I can continue for quite some time about this but my preprocessor thing has finished and I need to get back to work. So to conclude, what was I singing in the shower then ?

I’ll keep that a mystery – but the tune was very bad :)

And for the record, all this doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate the work of all the people involved in legal, marketing, PR and localization because they have to deal with massive amounts of work. But I think they'll all argree that the world could be a better place for all of us if the system were different.

-------Intermediate note to all of you: The pre-processing thing just finished so I got a look at the new build. Based on the reactions in this forum on the jumping animations we actually modified them, putting in the salto animations only after you’ve become a dragon knight, but I’m not exactly sure if you have it right. It looks more reasonable to me it doesn’t feel as much fun. To be discussed -----------

Ding ding ding - Back to the mail machine. I’m so glad I don’t do MSN which btw is another self defense mechanism.

Cheers

Lar

In our gallery you can find four new screenshots of combat scenes and eight new artwork images of different monsters from Divinty 2.

Larian has replaced their placeholder Divinity II Ego-Draconis.com website with new artwork.  There's nothing new otherwise that I can see but fans may want to hunt through the various pages in case I've missed something.

Swen "Lar" Vincke made another update on the official Divinity 2 forums. This time it's about game testing, dialogs and user interfaces.

My next appointment took the slow train from Brussels, so that gives me some much needed room to give you all a new update... We just finished a two week “get in early and play the game every morning “ review session and I think the general feeling among everybody present in those review meetings was – bloody hell, this game is bigger than we thought. We were playing in god mode, using cheat keys without engaging in combat and it still took us a really long time to play through everything. I think I can safely say that we’ve reached at least one of our design goals and that was - make sure it’s dense enough with plenty of interesting stuff happening all the time, you know, the thing we call gameplay boosters. When you’ll finally get your hands in the game, there’s only one thing I can advise you and that’s to explore – there are plenty of detail layers and secrets within the world of Rivellon and quite a few of them are worth it. Mindreading also springs to mind as something which is worthwhile doing, there’s some really cool ones in there, at least I thought so.

There’s a lot of things going on at our studio for the moment and everybody is pretty stressed, but in general there’s a feeling of – if we manage to do this right, this could be a great game. Still plenty of opportunities for us to goof up, but somehow we managed to get something right. One thing which I think we’re getting pretty right is our dialog presentation. I’m talking about the entire voices/lip-synching/animations/cameras thing. An immense effort is being done to get all of that dialog presented to you in an entertaining way, and I’m really happy at how it turned out. Somewhere in the near future (how many times have I used that phrase already in the context of this project), you’ll be seeing video footage of those dialogs, and I hope you’ll agree with me that it’s been worth the effort.

The user interfaces are also getting more and more complete, and the difference between the PC and Xbox360 user interfaces is pretty sharp. I play games on both systems, and I was happy to see that some schizophrenic part of me could appreciate the nuances the UI guys put in for both audiences. You look at one UI and you say – yep, most definitely PC RPG. You look at the other and you have this thing of, ok – works well for an Xbox360 RPG. The underlying functionality is the same, but it’s surprising how much the look needs to fit the platform for there to be… well, call it gameplay. The same actions with a non-appealing UI on a particular platform feel a lot different than when it is appealing. Don’t ask me why, I tried explaining people in the team multiple times: “you watch, when the UI will look nice and fit, this will be fun” and they all looked at me in a disbelieving way, but now I feel vindicated. It’s a discovery we made when making Divinity - for a long time there was absolutely no item fever in the game, and then one day we got the presentation acceptable, and suddenly it was there. Magic…
And then I also saw something which I was looking forward to for a long time, but I can’t talk about it yet – all I can say is – they look cool and well done Tristan ! (and of course the legion of other guys involved).

Ok, I have to stop already – it was a slow train, but it wasn’t that slow and my appointment will be arriving soon. I’ll try to give a longer update….errr… in the near future.

Larian is pointing out a German Divinity 2 story contest at fansite World of Divinity.de.  Since my German isn't so hot, here are the details from Larian:

Time for those with literary ambitions to sharpen their pencils and dip their quills in ink, because the good folks of World of Divinity have prepared a Divinity II: Ego Draconis Story Contest. To compete you must write a story set in the Divinity II universe, so if you’re up for it, tell an epic tale filled with the exploits of fearsome Dragon Slayers and mighty Dragon Knights. The only constraint is that your story should be written in German. All entries can be sent to team@worldofdivinity.de up until the first of December so don’t tarry too long! Prices include exclusive artwork signed by some of that rare species – the Larians – games, T-shirts, tattoos and more. Good luck and happy writing!
For more info about the contest, visit the World of Divinity-fansite.

We've made an unofficial FAQ for Divinity 2 available. It is made up of 3 parts: Character Development, Game Mechanics and a Miscellaneous part.

The FAQ is created from official statements made by the developers of Larian Studios.

Our hosted site The Locus Inn has a FAQ up on Divinity 2. It is made up of 3 parts: Character Development, Game Mechanics and a Miscellaneous part.

Our hosted site The Locus Inn put up the already known information on the battle tower and in addition added 3 artwork images of the battle tower to it. You can find those images here.

We've put up the information on the battle tower and added 3 artwork images of the battle tower to it. Check it out here

Some additional background information of Divinity 2 can be found at The Locus Inn, with; a prelude to Divinity 2, more about the Dragon Slayers and the Dragon Knights from which the following is a small part:

To most humans, the Dragon Knights are as enigmatic as their lords and masters, the Dragons themselves. Neither have even the most famed historians been able to truly explain the when or why of their existence, nor do the oldest sources available to mankind speak of the arrival or rise of the Dragon Knights. This would suggest they must have walked Rivellon before man’s appearance and must therefore have been chosen from among a now extinct race. We do know, however, that Dragon Knights were chosen from among humans very early in our history, which indicates the Dragons saw potential in our species. In fact all currently known Dragon Knights are now believed to be of human descent.

Regular reader Alrik raised this post from Lar on the official Divinity II fora at Larian a couple of days ago but we've been a bit behind.  Lar's lengthy comments follow up an IGN preview that revealed the "Battle Tower", seeking to expand and correct some details:

Hey all,

I wanted to give you a bit of an overview regarding the battle tower as the information presented in the press articles sometimes lacks detail (this being a direct result from it being transcripts from notes which are transcripts from presentations which have to done at a fast rate).

The battle tower is an ancient structure which you'll have to conquer at a certain point in the game. Once you have it, you'll get access to a number of centralized "services" which you previously found scattered over the game world.

The services take the form of different exterior platforms that are attached to your tower and each platform houses the appropiate machinery or equipment and a platform dude (or dudette). There are four types of platforms: An enchantment platform, an alchemy platform, a necromancer platform and a skill trainer platform.

Each platform is operated by a npc which you put there, meaning that you'll have a choice between npc's. The choice of npc will decide the particular strengths of an individual platform. For instance, you can choose between an enchanter who's good at armor or an enchanter who's good at weaponry.

Each platform can also be upgraded. This not only changes the looks of your platform, but also increases the quality of what it can produce. In the case of the necromancer, it becomes a particular nice bloody mess

-The enchanter allows you to enchant and disenchant equipment you discover in the world.
-The necromancer allows you to customize your Creature. The Creature is a stitched together Frankenstein like err... creature where the limb composition determines its abilities and stats.
-The skill trainer allows you to increase the maximum level of certain skills and perhaps the unlocking of a skill here and there
-The alchemist allows you to brew all kinds of potions

The tower can be accessed using what's called a dragon stone, which allows you to quickly teleport at almost any point in the game back and forth to your tower.

The inside of the tower is also an interesting place. There you'll find a huge chest where you can store all the junk you find in the world and there's also a teleporter which allows you to teleport to various waypoints that you first need to unlock while travelling through the world. Other highlights include a throne room and your living quarters.

There are also some inhabitants in the tower. These include your runners. Runners are npcs that you can send out on various missions to collect ingredients/formulas for your platform npcs. You can send them out on easy but also on hard missions. Their chances of success are determined by the gear you provide them with.

We consider the tower an important feature of Divinity II presents an important "axis of character development" for the game. The design goal for the character development has been to allow you to grow your character by the choices you make, the way you level up/select your skills, the gear you equip and the way you develop your tower.

Any questions, fire away.

Cheers

Lar

Worthplaying has added 16 hopefully new screenshots to their gallery for Divinity 2. Most are exterior shots but there are a few that show some interface detail as well as an NPC or two. You can view them here.

Gamespot had a closer look into Divinity 2 and had, amongst others this to say:

The ability to transform into a dragon also opens up some interesting game-design options. You may be flying peacefully over a settlement when antiair attacks suddenly fill the sky. So you descend, take human form, and eliminate the defenses with your traditional weapons and spells. One effective attack combo is to cast a fear spell to make your enemies run away in fright. After that, you use a bow to strike them down from a distance. With the defenses out of the way, you can transform back into a dragon, take to the skies, and fry the citizenry to a blackened crisp with swooping fire attacks.

IGN has a new look at Divinity 2 with details about a "Battle Tower":

After running through the basics once more, we were given a look at the Battle Tower. This is a special building you'll gain access to roughly six hours into the game that will act as a home for your character. There you can do anything from storing valuables to upgrading your character. It's a place you'll be spending a lot of time at if you get hooked on Divinity 2.

The tower has a series of platforms for you to visit and take advantage of. Before you can, you'll have to recruit inhabitants. Each one you find has specific talents, so choosing one as your alchemist over another will reflect how you want to play. The first platform we saw is one where you can build a minion that can be summoned to fight alongside you in battle. By finding limbs, heads, and bodies (most often in boss fights) you'll be able to play a Frankenstein of sorts to piece together your monster.

Larian head Swen 'Lar' Vincke has posted an update on Divinity 2 on the official forums titled News from the Front.  It's a lengthy letter with news they are about to do the voice recordings - here's a small sample:

With regards to Divinity II, there’s been a lot of progress since the last time I gave this update.

Our sound/art/animation departments are continuing to polish and get the final pieces of content in before they’ll be heading into an extensive post-production phase. A couple of things were fun to see – for a long time we’ve had a long list of areas and dungeons that were fairly empty as they weren’t populated with all kinds of sceneries and items. Now that these regions are getting the “placement” treatment, the world is really coming alive and you also start seeing all the more advanced graphical features being used by the artists. When looking at how some of those levels come together, you start getting the feeling of – “hey, this really is a game”. It’s all good and well knowing that RPG world building consists of placing layer upon layer of content, but actually seeing all those layers come together makes you feel a bit more confident in what you’ve been doing all along.

The same goes for everything which is coding related. For a long time, our programmers have been making system upon system upon system. One system for boosting items, another system for animating dialogs, another system for determining what will happen when you walk into a particular trigger etc… I think the number of gameplay features alone runs in the four digit numbers. Once these systems are finished people tend to forget about them until the content teams start actually using them to do their thing. That typically ends up in the system being revisited because this thing isn’t possible, or that was forgotten, but as more and more of these systems become operational, the feeling of “hey, this really is a game” increases dramatically.

Thanks, Alrik!

Swen Vincke gave a second update on the development of Divinity 2 and what is happening at Larian Studios.

Hello again everybody,

Time for a new update about how development is going and what exactly is going on at Larian.
First of all, we’re going gold next week ! And no, I’m not talking about Divinity 2 In parallel to the development of Divinity 2 we’ve had a new secret broadcaster game in development since last year, and that one is now ready. Broadcasters have different ways of marketing things which is the reason you haven’t heard about this one yet, but that’s soon going to change. It always gives me a nice feeling when we actually manage to put something on a CD that goes into retail. For the people working on a game that’s been in development for a long time, it shows there is light at the end of the tunnel and for the ones that just finished their game, it shows that all that stress and problem solving are ultimately worth it. For me, the best moments of being a game developer have always been seeing people play your game and having fun, and I guess that goes for most of the team here. So it’s cool to have something go gold, it also means we still know how to do it.

With regards to Divinity 2, there’s been a lot of progress since the last time I gave this update.
Our sound/art/animation departments are continuing to polish and get the final pieces of content in before they’ll be heading into an extensive post-production phase. A couple of things were fun to see – for a long time we’ve had a long list of areas and dungeons that were fairly empty as they weren’t populated with all kinds of sceneries and items. Now that these regions are getting the “placement” treatment, the world is really coming alive and you also start seeing all the more advanced graphical features being used by the artists. When looking at how some of those levels come together, you start getting the feeling of – “hey, this really is a game”. It’s all good and well knowing that RPG world building consists of placing layer upon layer of content, but actually seeing all those layers come together makes you feel a bit more confident in what you’ve been doing all along.

The same goes for everything which is coding related. For a long time, our programmers have been making system upon system upon system. One system for boosting items, another system for animating dialogs, another system for determining what will happen when you walk into a particular trigger etc… I think the number of gameplay features alone runs in the four digit numbers. Once these systems are finished people tend to forget about them until the content teams start actually using them to do their thing. That typically ends up in the system being revisited because this thing isn’t possible, or that was forgotten, but as more and more of these systems become operational, the feeling of “hey, this really is a game” increases dramatically.

A publisher once told me – “seeing is believing”. I remember answering, “yeah, sure, whatever, but this is an RPG we’re talking about and, “, thinking of the layer upon layer thing, “it’s going to take a long time before you’re actually going to see the game get together and it’ll even take longer before playing it will be fun”. It frightened the XXXX out of him and I could understand his fear, because what I was saying was that he was going to have to invest a huge chunk of money into something which he’d only know was any good a long time after the start of production.

He didn’t sign in the end, and I often have to think of him now that we’re in this phase. I think it’d be good for his understanding of RPG development that he’d see the magic that’s happening now. But it’s also good for us, because I have to confess that throughout development, we often had doubts if we were doing the right thing. RPGs are such monsters with so many components in them that just listing those components can be frightening. And when you’re making them, you realize that with each component you add, you’ve just added another opportunity to ruin everything. We still could for that matter, still have the little matter of balancing all those systems to take care of.

Anyway, “layers coming together” is probably the best way you can summarize the development that’s going on right now and as I said in the my previous update, I find it one of the coolest phases of development, despite everybody stressing about “how the hell are we going to get everything ready in time”

A few other things I’ve spotted in the studio:

-A small team of guys has been slaving over the user interface (to replace the thing you saw in the mockups) and they’re starting to get some cool results. Visually it’s a bit of a mix between the user interface from the first Divinity and more contemporary elements. I’m quite fond of it so I hope you all will like it too. Can’t give out any screenshots yet, but you’ll see it soon enough I think.

-We’re prepping ourselves for the voice recordings and subsequent animation work and I’ve had pity with the guys who have to prepare everything on the logistics side. There’s this one excel file containing around 131000 fields of data, and they have to make a plan for hiring actors and assigning voices to npcs out of that, preferably a plan that makes a lot of sense. It’s another one of those RPG specific things – there’s a lot of text, especially if you add in things like multiple solutions and choices, and each piece of text, with the associated event flags, is an opportunity for things to go awry.

-A lot of optimization and bugfixing work is going on on the engine. The engine programmers have this impressive looking graphs running on their screens showing frame rate and memory consumption over time, and it’s quite fun to go listen to them losing themselves in long conversations about why “where the XXXX does that memory think it’s going”. I think I mentioned it before, but the 360 thing is a really good thing for PC players. Memory consumption and frame rate are managed much tighter (because there is no choice) and it leads to a smooth feeling when playing it on PC.

-The first easter eggs are making it in too. There’s one in particular which will be interesting to explain to certain people, don’t know if we’ll be able to keep it in, but for sure it’s a world premiere in game development

-I’m soon off on another press tour so we’re preparing a build for that, and that always causes an extra layer of stress, as the general idea is that everything works more or less in a way that the game can be presented. No pink textures, no characters that are 2km tall instead of 2m tall and preferable something that can run smoothly without crashing. The designers have a hall of shame in their room which illustrates the biggest bugs we’ve encountered during development. I hope that once the game ships we’ll find time to release them here, it’ll give you an entire different view on Divinity 2.

-Been looking at pictures from the days when we made LMK and Divionity. First observation, I had a lot more hair back then. Second observation, there really were few of us compared to the amount of people working on the game now. For  Divinity we were only three programmers over the entire development as opposed to the twelve that’ve been working on Divinity 2. I don’t even want to start talking about the amount of artists. Third observation, knowing what I know now I think we could’ve made Divinity in half the time so there’s something to be said for experience. Fourth observation, knowing what I know now I might not have started on Divinity. Fifth observation, I wonder if we could’ve made Divinity 2 in half the time knowing what we know now. Sixth observation, if I start like this, I can probably go on for a long time, so it’s probably better to abandon this chain of thoughts.

-We're looking for cool ideas for the cover of the game. Suggestions are always welcome.

I’ll end this update with another thought about the layer upon layer thing. If you look at screenshots from games in development, you can actually spot where they are in development, or at least, where they were in development at the moment those screenshots were taken. Usually you get to see screenshots months after they were made. It occurred to me when browsing through the dragon screenshots that they already don’t correspond anymore with how things look on screen (I mean that in a good way). Those shots are particle light whereas current versions of dragon action are quite particle intensive, adding a whole different atmosphere. Or those interior shots we released at the time of the announcement. There are quite a lot of layers missing there and when you see it now, things are very different. Made me think if it’s actually a good idea to release any media before all layers are ready because first impressions are so important. Then again, that would probably mean no media before the game is ready, and that’s probably not a good thing too. But I wonder how many people judge a game on the first shots and then don’t look anymore. I know I made that mistake a couple of times, even with some very popular games which I subsequently didn’t buy right away, only to be surprised in a positive way afterwards. Something to think about.

Cheers

Lar

Five brand new Dragon screenshots can be found in our gallery.

Divinity 2 - Ego Draconis: Dragons in sight

In Divinity 2 - Ego Draconis, players begin their adventure as apprentice Dragon Slayers who, after a bizarre twist of fate, will be able to shape-shift into a Dragon, so becoming mighty Dragon Knights, the very creatures they were supposed to chase. This puts them at odds with their former brothers in arms and indeed most of the population of Rivellon.

For this is where the tale takes place: Rivellon, the beautiful but war torn world first explored in Divine Diviniy 2's award winning predecessor.

Much has happened there since, but the death of the Divine - hero of the previous game - is undoubtedly the greatest tragedy. He was slain by a Dragon Knight during a battle with Damian, Rivellon's arch nemesis. The Divine's paladins swore revenge and so the order of the Dragon Slayers came to be.

Divinity 2 - Ego Draconis begins years later, near the village of Broken Valley where a Dragon has been sighted and players are ordered to start the hunt. But the battle plan goes awry and soon they will find themselves infused with the power of Dragons.

Not only does this event enable them to take the Dragon form at will and unleash a variety of unique powers, it also sets them on an unexpected quest that will unveil hidden truths, reveal old evils and shall have grave implications for the whole of Rivellon.

The first part of an RPG Vault Focus series on the recent Leipzig GC sees diary-type entries from amongst others Swen Vincke.

My modus operandi was to show how many choices people can make, and how their decisions pan out as consequences in the gameworld. I also spent considerable time talking about the mindreading option that adds even more depth to the quests. On purpose, I didn't show much combat, and not much of the dragon, because the last thing I wanted to see written all over the place was "hack & slash Diablo clone with a dragon".

At GameBanshee you can find an interview they had with Swen Vincke about Divinity 2. One of the questions was about dragon morphing:

GB: From what we understand, the protagonist is (or will be) stricken with a dragon morphing "curse". Will we begin the game with this curse or will we be afflicted during the game at some point? What advantages and disadvantages will such a curse carry with it?

Swen: It’ll happen during the game. The player starts out as a young dragon slayer initiate and will be going through the rites of becoming a real dragon slayer when the curse will strike. The advantage will be that the player will get the powers of a dragon knight and one of those powers is the ability to transform into a dragon. The major disadvantage will be that the player will be put high on the wanted list of his former friends.

Swen "Lar" Vincke has posted some stuff regarding the Divinity 2 development on their own forums: 

Hello all – I’m going to try to maintain a bit of a diary online to keep you posted on how development is going and what exactly is going on at Larian with regards to Divinity 2.  It won’t be that regular as time typically is my enemy, but I’ll try to give you these updates whenever there’s a hole in my schedule.

It’s been cool presenting the game at Leipzig and seeing all the reactions. Ever since the announcement I’ve seen the developers over here continuously check out what people are thinking about the material we’ve released so far, and it’s been fun seeing all the smiles when something good was said or occasionally hear the shouts of sheer frustration when someone posted something they didn’t agree with. It’s also nice to see the forum kick back alive regarding the work we’ve been doing and it’s an enormous relief that we can finally talk about the game we’ve been working on for so long.

The interface thread regarding the wasd controls has already sparked many a debate internally and especially the fears we’ve seen online of it being too action oriented triggered something over here. As a result we’ve launched a track to reinstall the pause feature of Divinity 1, and we should be able to try it out next week to see how it affects gameplay. It looks actually quite promising and a side effect is that we’ve now got a nice way of making screenshots (think bullet time).

We’re now in the stage of development that I prefer the most. It’s the stage where you have this huge beast with all kinds of features that you can tweak and realign fairly easily. We’ll soon be starting our playtests and it’s going to be fun to see the game grow week after week when we tune it to the feedback we get from the players. Well, I hope it’s going to be fun and that we didn’t too make too many bad decisions.

As more details about the game will be released, I’m also very curious what you all will have to say about it. This forum has always been a big source of inspiration to the point that when making the design for Divinity 2 it was: ok let’s see what they really liked and let’s see what they really disliked. Since you lot don’t always agree that was often an interesting exercise. And of course, we also have our opinion about certain things.

Because the above paragraph might sound cheesy, I want to stress the point about how important this community has been to our past development by citing one example: the two skeletons in Divine Divinity having their philosophic argument is a scene which has often been cited as one of the most memorable moments of the game. But the scene wasn’t completely our idea as it came about as the result of the interaction between a forum member visiting our office and Bronthion who designed the GIQ’s in Divinity. I think it was Alrik but I’m not 100% sure anymore.

Another example would be the moral dilemmas thread. The feedback we got there was important in making the crazy decision to try to have lot of immediately tangible consequences in the subquests and it even lead to the mindread feature, in some weird twisted way which involves a shower 
And I don’t even want to talk about all the help we got for the QA on Beyond Divinity from the members of this forum.

Anyway, I was going to give you a bit of an update on what we were doing rather than starting to think about why this forum is so important to Larian (and yes, I know, our years of silence haven’t helped a lot). The most notable things since Leipzig over here have been reviews of where we stand with the user interface, something cool called pre light-pass rendering and the art and animation teams entering their final bursts of production.

The user interface visible in the youtube video by Xanlosch is obviously a work in progress version and our art director has recently started deciding on the visual look of it. We went through all of the user interfaces the game offers (which is really quite a lot since we have different UI’s on the Xbox360 and the PC) and at first sight, it looks like the usability of those things is working out well. New to me was the character customization screen and the quest rewards screen which I had only seen on paper so far. Regarding the customization screen there is a neat feature which allows you to recustomize your character once you are already walking around in the game. And the quest rewards screen is different to what I’ve see so far in other RPGs (of course I didn’t play them all so maybe it exists somewhere). We’ll have to see how the play tests go, but my thoughts upon seeing the UI was that I think you shouldn’t find getting the game to do what you want it to do a big hassle.

The pre light-pass rendering is something we had to do to solve a problem on the Xbox360 and wasn’t really planned, but it came with a lot of benefits (also for PC) so I’m quite happy we did it. I think that once our artists will be able to use the full power of the thing, you should see something really nice appear in the next bunch of screenshots. I won’t tell you what yet.

And as far as the art and animation teams entering the final production phases goes, that doesn’t mean they’re finished yet because they’ll soon enter a long period of QA, but it means that most of the assets of the game are actually there and that most parts of the gameworld are ready, at least from a visual point of view. Our designers still have to fill up certain chunks of the game with all kinds of quests and boosters.

Our menu for the coming weeks is filled with the last remaining gameplay features being implemented, a whole bunch of quests being added and reviewing a lot of the artwork and animations that were made. That and of course seeing how the playtests go.

Right, back to some very boring task involving numbers and a lot of legal lines...or maybe I'll pretend I forgot and start my weekend.

Cheers

Lar

The second part of our Divinity 2 coverage from the Leipzig Games Convention is this Q&A we did at the end of the demo session with Swen Vincke.  Here's an exerpt:

RPGWatch: How many quests are there?

Swen Vincke: We haven’t counted them. It is a lot. The interesting part is the amount of solutions to a quest. There are quests with something like 30 solutions. Even though there are sometimes only small differences between the choices, in many cases the difference is quite big. If you count all of those it is a huge number.

RPGWatch: So you can’t do all quests in one play through?

Swen Vincke: No, it’s actually quite cool in that way. In Divine Divinity it took a long time before you see the results of your actions, but here it is very instant and you immediately see the effects in your quest chain.

Read it all here.

Larian has released a Divinity 2 fansite kit (17.7Mb):

The Divinity 2: Ego Draconis Fansite Kit is packed with game information, website tools and graphics including: screenshots, wallpapers, character art, the logo of the game. As well as some extra art assets such as backgrounds, buttons and rulers, to help make your Divinity 2: Ego Draconis Fansite rock!

The trailer that was shown at the Games Convention can be found out there on the internet, like on Gamers Hell, but it probably can be found on other places as well now or in the near future.

Myrthos traveled to the recent Leipzig Games Convention for a first-hand look at Divinity 2. In this first part we report about the presentation, including comments and examples from Larian studio head Swen Vincke.  Here's a snip:

One of the things you will be taught is the mystery of mindreading, which according to the words of Swen Vincke; “is a cool thing we have introduced in the game”. Every time you encounter a dialog in the game you have the option to read the mind of the person in front of you, which gives a new and unique twist to the quest you are doing. The mind reading is skill based as well, and you will get better at it when you assign more skill points to it.  Furthermore, you will be given your shiny silver-blue eyes that will allow the dragon slayer to see the world of the undead (and yes I did ask him what this meant but he refused to spill the proverbial beans on this one). In addition, you will also be infused with dragon memory, which is what a dragon slayer needs to be able to combat dragons.

Note that some mild spoilers are included.  Read it all here.

Some international previews (read not in English) can be found at:

The French site JeuxVideo had this to say:

Divinity 2: Ego Draconis looks set to become a great RPG and we eagerly await the scheduled release date of Q2 2009 on PC and Xbox360.

 The also French site Factornews mentioned this:

Though some of the movements weren't finished yet (the dragon moved his wings in a realistic way, but stayed in the center of the screen), the game already looks really cool. It's been years I haven't been able to play with a dragon, and Divinity 2 proposes us to be one ? I'm 200% up for that !

EuroGamer has it in Dutch, but it boils down to:

Larian Studios spiked our interest for this new installment in the Divinity series in such a way that we can't wait to get a new glimpse of Rivellon and its inhabitants

Thanks goes to Larian's own Lynn for providing the translations.

The first English web preview we've tracked for Divinity 2 is up at IGN, describing the ability to morph between human and dragon, flying to reach new areas and choices and consequences:

We saw a very basic example of this in a standard goblin hunting quest. Richard of Aleroth offers up this little mission, saying he'll pay you for each goblin heart you bring back. You can simply accept the quest and get paid for your work, or you can read Richard's mind. It turns out he isn't going to pay you a fair price for the hearts. You can then cut out the middle man and go direct to the person he was going to sell them to or refuse the quest outright. Refusing a quest doesn't end it. If you're not going to do it, Richard will take off to do it himself. Later you might bump into him out in the forest, surrounded by goblins. From there, you have a few more decisions to make and the chain of quests continues.

Last friday a presentation of Divinity was given by Larian Studio's Swen Vincke at the Games Convention. A video of this presentation was made by Xanlosch (a forum member of the Divinity 2 forums).

It shows the first live footage of the game and it is split up in 3 videos:

• First
• Second
• Third

The screenshots of Divinity 2 that were made available for the Games Convention 2008 can be found in our images section.

A preview of Divinity 2 in German can be found at PC Games. This preview is identical to the one in the latest paper version of the  German PC Games magazine. 

This is the translation of the summary (or at least a translation that is close enough...) 

A so ambitious RPG from such a small team is like the reception desk of Bioware making Mass Effect 2. That I still have faith in this is also influenced by the publisher: DTP impressively showed with Drakensang what is possible with a small studio with some patience and financial investments.
When they can make a very good  "Das Schwarze Auge" adventure why should the creators of the good Divine Divinity game not be able to make an excellent successor.

An announcement at the website of Larian studio shows that the presentation of Divinity 2 at the Games Convention this week, is not only for the press:

For all of you lucky enough to make it to the Leipzig Games Convention, Divinity 2 will for the first time ever be presented to the public this Friday in a live on-stage presentation. The presentation will show off a piece of the beginning of the game and also unveil a couple of previously unannounced features. It'll be worth seeing as it'll make clear why Divinity 2 is not just another RPG.

The news of Divinity 2 has preceded the official announcement, but to make things complete, here it is:

Divinity 2 – Ego Draconis: The highly anticipated sequel to the awardwinning action-RPG Divine Divinity!

Hamburg, Germany, August 7th 2008 – Hamburg-based dtp entertainment, one of the leading German game publishers, and developer Larian Studios today announce the action-RPG Divinity 2 – Ego Draconis for the PC and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®. The sequel to 2002’s award-winning Divine Divinity™ will be released in the second quarter of 2009.

In Divinity 2 – Ego Draconis, players find themselves once again in Rivellon, a timeless world full of awe and magic, shattered and frightened by the apocalyptic wars of the past. No one knows why so many people had to give their lives. Everything seems to be over, but the peace was deceptive, for the demon has returned and the horror once again runs its course.

Players begin as a Dragon Slayer, hunters whom travel the countryside determined to rid their lands of Dragons. As the story of Divinity 2 – Ego Draconis unfolds, the player will discover new abilities and possibilities as they evolve into a legendary Dragon Lord. In addition, the player character’s abilities can be steadily improved over the course of the game and specialised in specific areas. The further a player quests in the world of Divinity 2 – Ego Draconis, the more exciting the gaming experience becomes.

Over the course of the game, players will be able to find many items which have special game-play functions; some can be combined with others to advance further in the game. Additionally, players can use a large variety of weapons in their struggle against a seemingly inevitable fate. An extremely varied and demanding quest structure guarantees hours of fun and a high replay value.

The world of Divinity 2 – Ego Draconis is filled with humans and fantasy creatures, each having special combat abilities. Players will need to use every skill, potion and hidden trick to their strategic advantage to reclaim the lands of Rivellon.

And the official Divinity 2 site is online as well. It does not contain much yet, but they promise to fill it with contents soon.

A preview in German about Divinity 2 can be found at Gamestar.

They feel that Divine Divinity failed because it didn't match up to Diablo 2 and that the graphics were in 2D, which makes me wonder if they even played that game. Anyway in the article they can't help themselves and have a few references to Diablo 3 with respect to Divinity 2 to make clear the two games will be different.

The conclusion read likes this (part of it freely translated by me):

In the interview with Farhang Namdar (from Larian Studios), he told that he rather made Divinity 2 smaller in size than to have a large game with lacking contents. That is a welcome change to the oversized RPGs without a spirit.
After having played its technically rather weak predecessors, I hadn't expected to be so easily enchanted by the new Divinity. But the world looks wonderfully consistent, is continuously alluring and the multiple quest solutions show a lot of depth. The potential is there.
However I do not have much confidence in the current release date that was given.

That last statement came a bit out of the blue, but on the other hand, its probably true, like it is for almost any game.

Some new screenshots of Divinity 2 can be found at the official site at Larian Studios. 

One of the first previews of Divinity 2 can be found at Tom's Games. Unfortunately it's in French. At the Larian Forums there was a small translation of this piece of text:

Divinity II garde apparemment l’originalité de ses grands frères tout en disposant d’un lifting de haut vol. Un système de quête multi-facettes intéressant et rafraichissant qui pourra offrir une durée de vie considérable.

Un charme véritable se dégage du titre et la présentation nous a laissé une impression plutôt satisfaisante quant au travail déjà accompli.

Resulting in:

Divinity II apparently keeps its predecessors originality while benefiting from high end visuals, and also has an interesting and refreshing multi-faceted quest structure, offering a considerable playtime.

The game emits charm and the presentation gave us a pleasant feeling about the work to date.

Thanks goes to Alrik for letting us know.

Before you get all excited, you'll need to live near Oudenaarde in Belgium.  Here's the announcement:

We are currently conducting invitation only play tests to check out if our gameplay works. If you live in the neighbourhood of Oudenaarde (Belgium) and want to spend an afternoon trying out our next RPG, send an email to playtest@larian.com. Please include what days you are available in the months of August and September. These are gameplay and focus tests, so you will be sent a small questionnaire. This will allow us to establish what type of gamer you are and fit you in the right group of players.

Please take into account that you will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement (also known as a non disclosure agreement). Our number of testing slots is limited, so it's possible that we won't have any availability on the days you are available. Also, keep in mind that these tests are conducted on a work in progress version of Divinity 2, and that the very purpose of these tests is to fine tune the game.

You will not receive any compensation for participating in these tests, but you will be included in the credits of the game. Additionally, you might enjoy the experience as we think the game is shaping up pretty nicely.

There are some new screenshots to be found at CVG, with a small bit of extra info as well:

The game, entitled Divinity 2 - Ego Draconis, will continue the Divinity saga where the previous game left off.

Players will start off as a young Dragon Slayer who will ultimately become a Dragon Lord.

From what we've seen, an in-depth story will be complemented by a multi-faceted quest structure that offers a number of potential solutions to each mission.

Larian is advertising a suite of jobs requiring "a profound understanding of RPGs".  GameBanshee has also noticed the website ego-draconis.com -- currently just black with a "coming soon" message but the header says "DTP & Larian Presents Divinity 2: Ego Draconis".  Kinda gives it away.

At the Games Convention 2008, DTP will officially present Divinity 2 to members of the press, here is the relevant part from the invitation they just send out:

We are looking forward to present you Divinity 2 - Ego Draconis for PC and Xbox 360®

It is not mentioned if the game will also be shown in the public section of the GC, but my guess is that is isn't as this presentation is by invitation only.

We've posted a newsbit about the Divinity 2 preview in the latest PC Games issue below. The article reveals that dtp / Anaconda Games is publishing and the target release date is Q2/09.

The deal between dtp and Larian is certainly no surprise because dtp revealed 11 months ago that they had signed a game by a Belgian development studio.

Alrik writes that Kitiara on the German Larian boards has an early copy of the German edition of PC Games magazine, which officially unveils Divinity 2: Ego Draconis (presumably the local title?).  I'm told the mag hits the shops next Wednesday, so we should hear of more details soon and no doubt more at the upcoming German GC.

A big thanks to Ragon der Magier for writing in to point out a thread on Larian's forum that informs of a TV broadcast from Belgium over the weekend about game development in the area and featuring studio head Swen Vincke and Lead Designer Farhang Namdar discussing their "next-gen" RPG project and the industry.

Fortunately, the video can be viewed from the show's website and although the report is in Flemish, you can see short sequences of a  graphically impressive Gothic-esque third-person RPG and Swen takes viewers on a quick tour of the studio.  They are quoted as saying the game is due in 2009 and some 120 people are currently working on the title, although a forum post from a developer clarifies that less than half that are in-house with the rest outsourced.

I'm guessing we don't have too many readers from Oudenaarde in Belgium but it's the first "news" of Larian's next RPG project in a while.  Openings for a character animator and dialog writer have come up and here's the intro on Larian's front page:

We're now in full production on our next-gen RPG and are looking for new people to join our team. Specifically, we're looking for dialog writers. If you think you've got what it takes to write stunning dialogs and know what makes an RPG tick, then you should get in touch with us. Click here for more details.

Larian Studios has released a single new screenshot from their "next epic RPG" (with all bets on Divinity 2) and opened a forum to discuss the project.

Thanks, Alrik!

We've been extremely quiet in the last months, but that doesn't mean we've been idle. In the coming months we'll start talking about everything we've been preparing for over a year now, and all the RPG fans among you should be delighted by the news we'll bring. The only reason we've been so quiet is that we're not quite ready yet to talk about our next generation RPG, and want to focus on the development for the moment. Experience has taught us that once we start announcing things, a good part of the day is spent answering interviews, writing developer blogs etc... So please have a bit more patience with us, it'll be worth it - this is going to be one hell of a RPG.

Also, while you might notice some screenshots here and there (most notably in the October issue of PC Gamer US), they were given away under torture and do not reflect the final game ;) Those shots are work in progress and there are still a lot of things we need to do before our next RPG ships.