Divinity: Original Sin

The full version was released a week ago and it's been the #1 seller on Steam since then. Larian studios had nearly 0 marketing budget so this is quite impressive to me and shows that by word of mouth this game has been a success. Even more impressive is that even though the big publishers believe there is no room for cRPG's or isometric RPG's in the market they were obviously wrong. This was a work of love by a small company who received a decent backing through Kickstarter and early access sales on Steam. Hopefully we will see other companies take such risks as Larian are already beginning to see profit.

As for the game itself, WOW. Quality. A turn based cRPG with fantastic gameplay, graphics, music, writing and strategic battles. Character creation lets you build whatever you want without restrictions. D:OS follows basic D&D in that the cap level is relatively low so you can't build a mega player and mindlessly walk through the game without fear. You can go for 1 class and get it very strong in that particular area or go more well rounded in place of specialization.

This is where understanding how to build a team comes into play. Understand how to pick up the correct companions to fill in those abilities not found with you or your partner could mean the difference between life and death(in game). The role playing aspect is great as well. There is no longer a "follow the leader" atmosphere. The 2 main characters both have a say in making decisions and it's very apparent when you play through the game co-op. Oh I forgot to mention its co-op. Or that the game comes with a powerful modding kit allowing for creating your own adventures for up to 4 players to play in.

Hell I could go on but I'll cut this likely uninteresting article, on a game in the style no longer found in the mainstream, short. I cannot recommend this game anymore for any lover of RPG's. It's smart and doesn't hold your hand the entire way like say Skyrim does. There's an amount of thinking to be done which in truth will keep it out of the mainstream. If you can find the time and a friend who is interested go out and get it, enjoy it. You can feel good about supporting creativity in an increasingly watered and dumbed down industry.