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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