Divinity II: Ego Draconis

Divinity II: Ego Draconis
European cover art
Developer(s)	Larian Studios
Publisher(s)	Dtp Entertainment 1C cdv Software Entertainment Steam (online) Focus Home Interactive (remake) Atlus USA (NA remake)
Designer(s)	Farhang Namdar
Engine	Gamebryo
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360
Release date(s)	EU November 20, 2009[1] NA January 5, 2010[2]
Genre(s)	Computer role-playing
Mode(s)	Single-player
Rating(s)	ESRB: M OFLC: M PEGI: 12+ GRB: 15, [3]
Media/distribution	DVD
System requirements Windows Windows XP or Vista 1.8 GHz Intel Dual Core or better 1 GB of RAM for Windows XP / 2 GB for Windows Vista DVD-ROM drive 9 GB of available hard disk space 256 MB DirectX 9.0c With Shader Model 3.0 support (Nvidia 7600 / ATI Radeon X1600) DirectX 9.0 compatible Sound card with speakers or headphones DirectX 9.0c / 10.0 (Vista) 56.6 kbit/s or better modem for updates DirectX 9.0c or above

Divinity II: Ego Draconis (Latin for "I, of the dragon") is a sequel to the Divine Divinity RPG. It is developed by Larian Studios and published by DTP. It was published in the United States by cdv Software Entertainment.^[4]

Plot

Divinity II: Ego Draconis takes place in a magical world called Rivellon, populated by both intelligent races such as humans, and less intelligent creatures, such as goblins. The otherwise beautiful countryside bears witness to the ruins and pocked landscapes of ancient wars and cataclysms. In Rivellon, the hero (a Dragon Slayer) begins on his (or her) quest to complete their initiation rituals to become a true member of the Dragon Slayers. The Dragon Slayers are searching and killing Dragon Knights - the people who have the power to turn into Dragons - who, long ago, betrayed the people of Rivellon by killing their Divine hero. After an initiation the hero and the commander spot a Dragon Knight at the lands that are known as "Broken Valley". After a mild twist, the dying Dragon Knight, Talana, tells the hero that the Dragon Knights are actually working against a greater evil power; the person who threatens the whole of Rivellon, Damien The Damned One. The dying Dragon Knight, which turns out to be the last of the Dragon Knights, passes the power to turn into a dragon to the hero. The hero, now a Dragon Knight, becomes both the hunter and the hunted. As the hero tracks down and destroys the Damned One's minions, the hero is also hunted by former friends, the Dragon Slayers.

Game engine

The game uses the Gamebryo engine,^[5] the same engine popularized by the role playing games Oblivion and Fallout 3.^[6] A large number of improvements and revisions were made to the engine with the release of the remake, resulting in increased performance and improved graphical effects.

Reception and Ratings

On Metacritic, the PC and 360 versions have an average score of 72^[7] and 62^[8] respectively. The Dragon Knight Saga remake has average scores about ten points higher, with the PC version getting an average of 82^[9] and the Xbox 360 version getting an average of 72^[10].

GameZone's Dan Liebman gave both the PC and Xbox 360 versions an 8.4, saying "Strong narrative and open-ended design are the highlights of this fantasy experience. Divinity II: Ego Draconis will likely be overlooked by many due to the timing of its release, but it offers a genuinely engrossing world for RPG buffs to wallow in."^[11] GameZone also gave the Dragon Knight Saga a 7 out of 10, stating "Although the graphical improvements are appreciated, newcomers expecting a visual powerhouse shouldn’t get their hopes up. A good number of glitches can still be found, visual inconsistencies being one of the most striking. Your overall perception of Rivellon’s scope isn’t quite the same as a Bethesda RPG—it’s a limited field of view, despite the actual grandeur of the world."^[12]

IGN scored it a 4.8 out of 10, stating "I can’t recommend the Xbox 360 version of this product to anyone." ^[13] However, in the review of The Dragon Knight Saga, another IGN reviewer stated "If you haven't touched Divinity II at all and you enjoy action-RPGs, you won't be disappointed with the Xbox 360 version."^[14]

Editions

The Windows Collector's Edition includes an 18 cm resin figurine holding a metal letter opener, a cloth-map of Rivellon, a soundtrack EP with seven tracks composed by Kirill Pokrovsky and a temporary tattoo showcasing the Divinity II: Ego Draconis logo^[15]

Expansions

In March 2010 Larian Studios announced an expansion for both Windows and Xbox 360 titled Divinity II: Flames of Vengeance due to be released in Q4 2010.^[16] An official forum post on July 8, 2010 announced Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga will include a remastered version of Divinity II - Ego Draconis, featuring new content and an improved engine, as well as the new Flames of Vengeance Add-On, which will also be available separately.^[17] The addon's official website announces that Dragon Knight Saga and the Flames of Vengeance add-on will be released in Germany around the middle of August 2010 for PC and Xbox 360. All other language versions will be released in November 2010.^[18] Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga was released in the United States on the Xbox 360 on April 12, 2011. It included a Soundtrack CD and an art book.

After the release of Flames of Vengeance and The Dragon Knight Saga, Larian Studios stated that they will continue making more Divinity games. One such game has been announced, the hybrid real-time strategy/role playing game Dragon Commander, which will take place before the previous Divinity games, during the heyday of the Dragon Knights. The tentative release date is 2012, though Larian has stated that if they need more time, they will move the release date.

References

1. ^ "Divinity II Confirmed for November 20th Release". zConnection. 2009-09-08. http://zconnect.org.uk/article/524. Retrieved 2009-11-18. 
2. ^ "Divinity II - Ego Draconis Goes Gold". IGN. 2009-11-24. http://pc.ign.com/articles/104/1049357p1.html. Retrieved 2009-11-24. 
3. ^ "Divinity II: Ego Draconis". GRB. http://grb.or.kr/Statistics/Popup/Pop_StatisticsDetails.aspx?app=12990&type=00. Retrieved 2010-02-18. 
4. ^ "Divinity II - Ego Draconis published by cdv USA in North America". GameBanshee. 2009-09-17. http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/static/EkVFkplFkulGjYjprD.php. Retrieved 2009-09-18. 
5. ^ "Larian Studios committed to Emergent's Gamebryo for developing diverse titles incl. Divinity II: EGO DRACONIS". Emergent. 2009-12-07. http://www.emergent.net/en/News/Press-Releases/LARIAN-STUDIOS-COMMITTED-TO-EMERGENTS-GAMEBRYO-FOR-DEVELOPING-DIVERSE-TITLES-INCLUDING-THE-HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED-DIVINITY-II-EGO-DRACONIS. Retrieved 2009-02-09. 
6. ^ "GameObserver interview with Bethesda Softworks". GameObserver. 2009-07-09. http://www.gameobserver.com/features/inside/all-platforms/gameobserver-interview-with-bethesda-softworks-130/. Retrieved 2010-07-09. 
7. ^ "Divinity II: Ego Draconis (pc) reviews at Metacritic.com". http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/divinity2egodraconis?q=Ego%20Draconis. Retrieved 2010-07-09. 
8. ^ "Divinity II: Ego Draconis (xbox360) reviews at Metacritic.com.". http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbox360/divinity2egodraconis?q=Ego%20Draconis. Retrieved 2010-07-09. 
9. ^ "Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga for PC Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/divinity-ii-the-dragon-knight-saga. Retrieved 2011-09-18. 
10. ^ "Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga for 360 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/divinity-ii-the-dragon-knight-saga. Retrieved 2011-09-18. 
11. ^ "Divinity II: Ego Draconis - Review - GameZone - Reviews". GameZone. 2010-01-04. http://xbox360.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r36187.htm. Retrieved 2010-07-08. 
12. ^ http://xbox.gamezone.com/reviews/item/divinity_ii_the_dragon_knight_saga1/
13. ^ Onyett, Charles. "Divinity II: Ego Draconis Review - Xbox 360 Review at IGN". IGN. http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/106/1061529p2.html. Retrieved 2010-07-08. 
14. ^ Michael, Jon. "Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga Review - Xbox 360". http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/116/1162736p2.html. Retrieved 18 September 2011. 
15. ^ "Divinity II: Ego Draconis (Collector's Edition) for Windows". MobyGames. http://www.mobygames.com/game/divinity-ii-ego-draconis-collectors-edition. Retrieved 2010-07-08. 
16. ^ "Divinity II: Flames of Vengeance". GameStar. 2009-03-02. http://www.gamestar.de/news/pc/rollenspiel/2313111/divinity_ii_flames_of_v. Retrieved 2009-03-02. 
17. ^ "Divinity II: Flames of Vengeance status update". Larian Studios. 2010-07-08. http://www.larian.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=415418#Post415418. Retrieved 2010-07-08. 
18. ^ "Divinity II: Flames of Vengeance FAQ". Larian Studios. 2010-07-09. http://www.flamesofvengeance.com/faq.php. Retrieved 2010-07-09. 

External links

• Official website
• Flames of Vengeance website