➤ The return of the king 🎮

Contemplated among the best titles available for PC and considered, with full merit, an absolute excellence in the panorama of classic RPGs, Divinity: Original Sin was a real triumph for Larian Studios, starting from the roaring campaign on Kickstarter thanks to which it raised more than double the funds initially requested, about one million euros which covered a quarter of the total development costs. Released on June 30, 2014 with a few months delay, the title was the fastest in sales for the small Belgian software house, a not indifferent breath of fresh air that relaunched Swen Vincke's team on the market and laid a solid foundation for the future of the series, inaugurated with Divinity Divine in the "distant" 2002. The success of the version for Personal Computer has allowed the developers to focus also on console conversions, an in-depth work that in addition to re-adapting the elaborate control system for the joypad has resulted in numerous interventions on different characteristics of the game, so influential that Divinity : Original Sin Enhanced Edition will also be released on PC and given to all who had purchased the original work. We have thoroughly tested the PlayStation 4 version and this is what we think.

The improved version of the highly acclaimed Divinity: Original Sin lands on consoles

Couple game

For the most intimate details of the title, we refer you to the PC review edited by our good Armani, who awarded the work of Larian Studios with an excellent 9, here we will focus on the peculiarities of the Enhanced Edition and in particular on the molded control system for the DualShock 4, but not before having made a quick overview of the intrinsic qualities of Belgian production.

The incredible success of Divinity: Original Sin is inextricably linked to its delicious recipe, which involves a creative and fulfilling turn-based combat system, a rich narrative characterized by compelling dialogue and an underlying complexity that has few rivals in modern RPGs. , drawing heavily from the classical school of the genre. In simpler words, it is a rather punitive hardcore production, with an anthology of contents and a depth of other times; just think that even the simple exploration is decidedly less guided than the more recent congenital works. The two protagonists of the game are the so-called Hunters of the Source (or of the Origin, as it is sometimes indicated in the Spanish subtitles), sent by their Order to the maritime city of Cyseal to investigate the mysterious murder of Councilor Jake, a mystery for which many suspect his wife but that the most refined minds connect to the intervention of the Onigromancers, a dangerous sect able to use dark arts and manipulate the energy of the Origin (Source). As in any self-respecting role-playing game, it is possible to shape the heroes according to the traditional suggested classes, from the wizard to the warrior, passing through the thief, the cleric and so on, despite the freedom granted in the creation editor and the number of attributes, talents and abilities is so wide and varied that it is possible to lavish yourself in a plethora of intermediate solutions. Among the most interesting features, moreover, there is the possibility of casting spells even with characters not inclined to the magical arts (through the so-called Scrolls), a detail that considerably increases the tactical-strategic range of your team. One of the great novelties of the Enhanced Edition lies in the possibility of playing in two with the shared screen, a dynamic local cooperative that joins the already excellent multiplayer sector on the net, linked to the classic "drop-in drop-out" system.

When the two players move away from the same playing area, the screen splits allowing total freedom of movement on the map, supported by a view that in this new version is rotatable at 360 ° without the previously imposed limits, to the advantage of the exploration factor. . The pride of the work is the strategic approach to fighting, which in the Enhanced Edition is embellished with a renewed artificial intelligence shaped by Larian Studios by carefully studying the behavior of the players. This evolution is revealed in the new Tactical Mode, which unlike the Explorer and Classic modes (respectively the easy and normal difficulty level), places players in front of much more devious, tough and cunning enemies. Added to it is the Honor Mode, in which a single save slot is accessible which is inexorably canceled upon the death of the team: a real "mission impossible" suitable only for the most experienced and daring players. From the point of view of the narrative, among the most interesting aspects of this revised and corrected version is the dubbing of all the dialogues, a mammoth work embellished by the presence of new non-player characters, rewritten lines of text and a completely new ending. Spanish players can also count on subtitles in our language, a feature not available at the launch of the PC version and curated by a team of willing modders. The result, while presenting some small burrs, is overall positive. The finishing and balancing work carried out by the software house founded by Swen Vincke in 1996 also involved several quests, to which new mechanics in the management of the party must also be added, from the transfer of objects to the possibility of setting a character for automatic repair.

PlayStation 4 Trophies

Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition has a total of 55 Trophies divided into 47 bronze, 5 silver, 3 gold and one platinum, the latter relating to unlocking all the others. Most of the objectives are intimately linked to the plot, and the most difficult to conquer are those dedicated to completing the new modes of the Enhanced Edition, namely the Tactics and the very difficult Honor. Finally, there are some hidden trophies.

Power is nothing without control

The most substantial interventions in this new version of the title mainly concerned the interface and the control system, adapted to work very well also on the DualShock 4 and on the Xbox One pad. The texts and icons have been enlarged to make them more readable on large screens, in addition, the menus have been refined and modified to streamline the player's action, although the exaggerated amount of options, settings, objects and attributes to manage results in a final result at least laborious, requiring a few hours of practice to absorb most of the mechanics.

The battles in turn, however, allow you to take all the time necessary to diligently prepare your war strategy. The organization of the inventory is still a little problematic, given that a lot of time is spent analyzing objects and transferring what has been collected between one character and another: fortunately the "loot" of Divinity: Original Sin is almost always interesting and useful, especially when it comes to rare equipment. Returning to the control system, most likely better than this Larian Studios could not have done, and every single button of the DualShock 4 has been exploited properly. With the left analog stick you move the selected character, while with the right you rotate the view, you manage the convenient zoom and by clicking on R3 you get suggestions on the objects in the area. The digital cross has a function for each direction: Up enables tactical vision by framing the battlefield from above; Down activate the ironic and very useful stealth mode; Right sets the attack mode and Left forces split screen even when not needed. During the clashes the triangle button plays a fundamental role, since it allows you to pass on the skill bar where the scrolls related to spells and objects are also manageable; X represents the classic selection button, circle is used to pass the turn, square intervenes in different types of menus while R1 and L1 scroll selected objects and enemies. The L2 key, in combination with the triangle, is linked to the selection and subdivision of the party, while R2 activates the new radial Selection Panel with an infinite number of secondary menus, among which we find Inventory, Character, Skills, Crafting, Diary and Equipment . With the touch pad the map is displayed, finally with Options you can access the save games, the points of interest for teleportation and the classic general settings. As you may have guessed, this is a rather rich and deep system, not as effective as the combination of mouse and keyboard in terms of "workflow" but capable of making a product with such thickness accessible even on consoles. From a purely technical point of view, while not presenting the same graphic cleanliness as the PC counterpart at maximum detail, the title Larian Studios is pleasing to the eye and artistically curated, with some additions compared to the original version as regards the effects. The fluidity is around thirty frames per second in most cases, even if some shots are seen in the most chaotic situations and playing in two with the shared screen. Good dubbing, soundtrack and audio samples.

Comment

Tested version PlayStation 4 Digital Delivery Steam, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store Price 54,99 € Resources4Gaming.com

9.0

Readers (65)

8.6

Your vote

Refined and expanded version of one of the best classic RPGs, Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition is a must-have work for all fans of the genre, offering a high level of challenge, exciting strategic combat and a plethora of content, which translate in a simply exceptional longevity. Although inevitably cumbersome, the control system has been translated effectively on the controller, and with a little patience it is possible to fully enjoy the Larian Studios production even on consoles. Due to its underlying complexity and less guided exploratory approach than in other modern congeners, this is not a title for everyone, however, those who will be enthralled by its delightful fantasy atmosphere can only love every single line of code.