Not one, but TWO new games on the way from the fine folks at Larian Studios? Nice. We’re getting a prequel to Divine Divinity (still a really cool RPG to dive back into for me) and an all new strategy game with what’s looking like a wild sense of humor from the same team. Here are looks at both games iv developer videos from before and during the show. Keep up the great work, guys!
Here’s a peek at the latest trailer for Atlus’ upcoming RPG Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga featuring some of that excellent music, which by the way, is going to be on the bonus CD included with the game (thanks Atlus!). There’s a demo hitting Xbox LIVE on March 22, and the full game will be available in stores on April 12, 2011. I’m certainly looking forward to seeing the changes and sinking way too much time into this expanded version of the original.
While I liked the original Divinty II: Ego Draconis on both the 360 and PC, it DID have it's share of technical issues that definitely required some serious patching. Nevertheless, the game not only got those patches, but some nice DLC and an excellent PC expansion that, along with the original content added up to well over one hundred hours of gameplay. In today's “Well, THAT woke me up!” news, Atlus USA has very wisely teamed up with Focus Home Interactive to present Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga exclusively for the Xbox 360 in North America.
It seems as if Atlus is striving to become the 'Kings of All Things RPG' these days as they branch out and publish non-Japanese developed titles such as The Cursed Crusade and now Larian's sweeping epic. Hmmm… maybe they can convince Soldak to get its games onto a console or look into stuff like the Eschalon series in the future… my mind is full of ideas. Er, anyway…
Press release/screens below the jump (it's long like the game, so go read it and make that pre-order afterward) and the trailer is up and running on the other blog.
Platform: Xbox 360 (also on PC)
Developer: Larian Studios
Publisher: CDV
# of Players: 1
Rating: M (Mature)
Score: B+
Featuring a vast game world fun to explore,
many quests to take (or perhaps ignore),
Divinity II, that new Larian lore
more than deserves the posted score
It’s got some quirks (but don’t games all?)
mayhaps a patch will raise things tall
Still, for adventure, heed well my call
What’s here is tops from wall to wall!
Plain old good to flat out great RPG’s make me wax poetic from time to time and as it deftly straddles the fence between those two poles, Divinity II: Ego Draconis gets 2010 off to a fine start in grand style for genre fans. Sure, it wears some of its PC origins on it sleeve a bit too proudly, yet the game is quite addictive and indeed, very highly playable for hours on end. Despite some pesky technical issues that rear their ugly heads, the game is also often quite good to look at provided you aren’t wistfully recalling something else while playing. Warts and all, you can’t knock developer Larian Studios for bringing this sequel to the stellar 2001 PC RPG Divine Divinity to the 360. The first game was an instant classic (it’s been an automatic install on the three PC’s I’ve had since 2001) and what’s here comes very close to being equally as fun an experience. If you’re looking for depth and a flat out huge and fun world to explore, Div II delivers and lets you keep the change.
So, I’m walking in the door on this wickedly freezing day and the Fed Ex guy pops up out of nowhere from behind me and almost scares me to death with his big grin and package waving ways. Seems I was his last stop and he was more than happy to see me, as it meant he got to finally go home.
Anyway, my review copy of Divinity II Ego Draconis hath arrived, so I now have New Year’s Eve plans. Yeesh – I KNEW I should have finished that preview a few weeks back!
Tempus Fugit, that’s for damn sure!
Ah well. Early impressions from the preview builds: the game is pretty damn good. The final versions should be better. Off to get in some more flight time… Back in a bit with an update.
Larian Studios’ surprisingly stellar epic follow-up to its 2001 RPG, Divine Divinity (my hands-on preview will be up this coming weekend) is coming to the Xbox 360 and PC on January 5, 2010 and lucky Xbox 360 owners will be able to snag a neat set of powerful gear if they boogie on down to their nearest GameStop to pre-order the game. Check out the goodies below the jump…
As a longtime RPG fan, I’m doing the happy dance again because yet another awesome game from a favorite series of mine (and many others out there) is finally on the way stateside. cdv USA has wisely picked up the North American publishing rights to Larian Studios’ Divinity II – Ego Draconis for the PC and Xbox 360. Both versions are set to hit retail this holiday season, which means pre-order time for those of you looking for what’s probably going to be quite the sleeper hit…
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 