Divinity Original Sin: Story Like a Maze

Divinity Original Sin: Enhanced Edition

Last week's Awkward Mixture article considered the prevalence of combat in Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition, with a diversion to describe Character creation. Though this week's article was originally intended to conclude Divinity, I've realized I need one more to resolve any lingering concerns. Instead, this article will focus exclusively on the relevance of plot and its overarching effects, without any reference to detail with the hope of avoiding any serious spoilers.

Unlike most RPGs, Divinity: Original Sin insists the player create not just one, but two characters to jointly serve as the protagonists of this adventure. Unfortunately, Divinity refuses to ascribe any characteristics to this pair, and they remain mutually mundane in their quest to defeat evil. There are prepacked templates for starting characters, but the player can disregard these in favor of an original design. The player can reorganize the initial Stats, Abilities, and properties of their two heroes to any configuration they desire. Freedom of design exists, because Divinity includes no classes, so the player is not bound by past decisions when their character acquires new Stat points, though specialization in a few Abilities will result in a more proficient hero than generalization.

Once the player has finalized their designs, Divinity begins its introduction, delivered by a narrator who describes the existence of a powerful force called Source which resides in all living creatures. Long ago, Source was wielded by Sourcerers (not Sorcerers) to work great deeds of justice and mercy, but for reasons unknown Source became tainted. In the current era, Sourcerers manipulate Source for evil purposes. The heroes, delivered to the town of Cyseal, are newly trained Source Hunters, warriors dedicated to eliminating any who wield Source. In the region of Rivellon, the setting of the Divinity series, Source Magic is a particular type of magic, distinct from the elemental magics practiced by most mages, relating both to the soul of individual creatures and the Source of power at the beginning of the world, in the First Garden.
These two particular Source Hunters are tasked by their guild with discovering the murderer of a Cysealean councilor, Jacob. Authorities suspect a Sourcerer is responsible for the havoc, but they have no witnesses, nor suspects. In their search, the protagonists become embroiled in a far reaching plot, which traverses the mundane locations of towns, mines, and forests, along with the fantastical Fairyland, ancient occult temples, and distant realms of time and space. In order to pursue the clues leading outside the city walls, the Source Hunters must overcome the numerous enemies besieging Cyseal on all sides: goblins, orcs, and undead.

In spite of the murderous opening, and the relentless debauchery of sadism and cruelty perpetrated by its villains, Divinity is costumed in goofy attire, which it never abandons even as it approaches its conclusion. The enemies the Source Hunters apprehend (as well as the allies they enlist) are a motley collection of bumbling, giggling fools who are deadly serious and exceptionally skilled. Take for instance the Conduit, a figure so incompetent as to always see her plans defeated at the last moment, but swift enough to escape apprehension. While this paradoxical design was undoubtedly intended, it causes Divinity to stumble in contradiction between its humorous appearance and its grave heart.

This conflict creates an unresolved and irritating tension in most aspects, but it's developed best in the visual design of its cutscenes and characters. The designers eschewed the more realistic style of Neverwinter Nights and Pillars of Eternity in favor of flamboyant character depictions and cutscenes featuring soft edges and vibrant colors, which beautifully capture the eye of the viewer. The dialogue also attempts to resolve this tension, and sometimes it delivers wonderful lines, (such as the previously mentioned) reference to Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, but mostly lacks electrifying power.
After Cyseal's initial issue is resolved, the plot meanders into the mountains (metaphorically), while the heroes are bombarded by requests from villagers, ghosts, goblins, and cats, to solve their mundane problems. These side quests, which are too numerous to count, are as absurd as locating a townfolk's lost sheep, or arbitrating the theft of a fish. Meanwhile, if the player pursues the main plot, they'll find it has no interest in displaying any coherent development. It zixs and zaxs without any clear intent, except to drag the player from one vibrant location to the next. For instance, twenty hours into Divinity, the heroes encounter an ancient Necromancer. This particular villain has received substantial promotion before the meeting. He seems so relevant to the story, and displays such immense power, it seems certain that, if the heroes defeat him, he will return later to extract his revenge. He does reemerge, but not until Divinity: Original Sin 2!

Ultimately, Divinity is a mystery, in which the Protagonists realize the murder of Counciler Jacob is connected to their true identities, for they are not two simple Source Hunters as they originally appear. As they travel through the mundane cities and the infinity of time and space, they encounter powerful Sourcerers, imp Historians, and interdemensional Gods, each of who know a piece of the protagonists' true identity. Though these beings hint at the truth, the developer prevents the player from interacting in any meaningful way. Instead the protagonists are coerced into idiocy by the dialogue options (or lack of), and the player must watch helplessly as these clues are ignored.

As the plot nears its conclusion, the pace quickens as the extraneous aspects are discarded, leaving only the core elements. In the penultimate battle the player duels Leandra, the sister of ally Icara and other recently acquired ally, the wizard Zandalor. After defeating Leandra, Divinity offers the player a choice, spare or slay Leandra. Killing her would be the easy solution, and Zandalor argues for it. Not because he hates Leandra, but because he fears the other outcome. The souls of the two sisters are bound together, and Zandalor worries that sparing Leandra might allow her to possess Icara, which he wants to avoid because he loves Icara. He's partially correct. If the evil sister is spared, they bond bodily, two souls sharing one shape. It appears as if Icara's soul controls the sisters' shared form. Yet, in the middle of the next fight (a minor fight with unnamed death knights, only minutes from the final Boss), Leandra overcame her sister's soul and took control. Without a pause, without a cutscene, Leandra/Icara betrayed the heroes and fought against them. Oddly, she seemed substantially weaker than the previous fight, and the heroes triumphed over her dead body. At first, I assumed this change was a mistake, but looking online, the developer seems to imply this was the intended result. Apparently, given enough time (and healing magic) the good sister will regain control of the shared body and join the heroes again.. Knowing this, it's a cool idea, but what still bothers me, is Zandalor's (and the protagonists') lack of reaction. Leandra/Icara switches sides battle, with only in game dialogue, and when she dies Zandalor doesn't react at all.
Divinity is constructed around a plot which can't sustain a sixty hour experience, and as a result, much of it is irrelevant side quests. Either the main quest is so sparse, or disjointed, I didn't or could be bothered to follow it. The strange jester like costume which Divinity wears over its bloodstained underclothes is another jarring aspect of a game which contains a number of other disturbing or confusing issues. Hopefully, this article has offered some insight without spoiling the game for those still interested in playing.

Next week, a final (really this time) examination of Divinity, particularly, puzzles, level walls, the Quest log, and items. If that seems like a long list, it isn't nearly as exhausting as finishing this extended game.

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