Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition

I remember the first time I launched "Original" Divinity: Original Sin . There was not much classic turn-based RPG with a view from above, and even those that appeared often left much to be desired. And then the title of the Belgian studio Larian came to the market. The Divinity series had its ups and downs, and it was set in a relatively loose convention, so I didn't expect anything spectacular after the next installment ... and I was "disappointed" in this matter. The game turned out to be not only fantastically implemented and full of interesting ideas, but also suitably difficult and rewarding all efforts with satisfaction that is in vain to be found in the competition. In my personal ranking, Divinity: Original Sin was the undisputed winner of last year's competition for the title of the game of the year, which is why I waited for the Enhanced Edition with high hopes. There is nothing to hide - a lot has changed, but did each modification really improve the gameplay experience?

As in any self-respecting RPG, so in Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition we do not play our characters for a reason. As the Source Hunter, we come to Cyseal, where we solve the mystery of the murder of Councilor Jake. In the course of the investigation we indicate several suspects, but even the final search for the perpetrator does not end our adventure - closing one case leads to a much more serious problem, which, of course, only we are able to solve. The plot of Enhanced Edition is not so different from what we saw in the basic Original Sin , although in some places you can notice small changes - and not only in the case of the ending crowning our conquests. Here and there new dialogues have been added, in some places we meet other opponents, but in general it is still the same story in which we face the power of the Source.

In discovering the main plot and lots of more or less fun side missions, this time, however, we can count on slightly better help. While earlier we had to reach each character or place important for the story ourselves, and the markers appeared more often confused than helped, so now the game does not lead us by the hand, but it better indicates where we should be heading. On the map we will find a lot of gold, silver and green markers symbolizing NPCs and locations worth visiting and helping to develop history. Some of them appear only after the discovery of a given area, others are revealed a little earlier, but studio Larian decided to slightly simplify the game. And this applies not only to the tasks themselves - the journal also seems to be better ordered and allows you to track individual threads in a more logical way. It is also much easier to find "hidden" tips, buttons and the like, thus significantly reducing the time spent solving individual puzzles.

Is that good This is of course a matter of taste, although from my perspective - the person who previously played Divinity: Original Sin also in "raw" form and often tore hair off my head - this is a change for the better. At times brutal "hardkorowość" was the uniqueness of this title, but the Enhanced Edition, instead of eliminate it completely makes it more palatable. People who nevertheless disgust with any simplifications should also not complain - and this is due to new modes. There are four in total - explorers, classic, tactical and honor, of which the last two are intended only for the most experienced players. We will find there not only a few surprises and completely new opponents, but also old friends equipped with new tricks. In honor mode, we only have one entry!

Regardless of which mode you choose, in addition to exploring, we will devote a lot of time to fighting. Although some skirmishes can be avoided thanks to properly conducted dialogues (all issues have been recorded!), The vast majority of such situations end in a bloody shambles. The fight in Original Sin belonged to the tactical one, mainly thanks to the possibility of combining different elements, and it is no different in the case of Enhanced Edition . I have not noticed any new combinations, but it can not be hidden that individual explosions and spells look even more spectacular , although at the same time it is difficult to talk about a total revolution. The whole looks nicer to the eye, but the two probably the biggest problems of clashes from the original version are still present - at least on PlayStation 4. The first of them is the individual rounds that last for eternity. If you're facing more opponents, it's good to buy popcorn or hot tea, because the animation festival lasts a few minutes at times. Nothing has changed in this matter, which I deeply regret, because in the event of failure and the need to repeat the whole ritual, determining the game "pleasant" is simply impossible.

The second issue is closely related to another novelty in the game, which despite the "freshness" duplicates errors that irritated me in the previous version. It's about control, of course. Although the interface adapted to the pad works even concertically and in this respect the game can not be faulted, choosing individual goals is extremely troublesome . Previously, this was due to a slightly "shaking" camera, and now due to the fact that the controller is not as precise as the mouse. In some issues, this has been solved perfectly - for example, when picking up objects, we just hold the appropriate button and thus select all interactive elements. Using a special list, we can pick them up, move them, examine them and it works exactly as it should, but during a fight or wanting to initiate a conversation with a character, we are doomed only to a manually controlled "crosshair". It often happens that due to his lack of precision, click next to the opponent or instead of NPC choose the item next to him, which we then automatically steal. Effect? We lose someone's trust, alert the guards or something even worse, which forces us to load the previous record.

There are not many unpleasant situations, but the ones that happen are very frustrating. Fortunately, the developers managed to avoid what I was afraid of the most. What are we talking about? About a split screen in local cooperation mode, which as announced has appeared in the Enhanced Edition . As long as the characters controlled by the players are close together, everything takes place in one window, and when they move too far away, the whole is divided into two separate sections. We can then independently move around the world (also enter separate locations) and although at times the divisions and merges of the screen operate with a slight delay, it also gives a lot of independence in exploration. At the same time, the creators managed to get the effect that Divinity: Original Sin was in vain to look for - playing with someone else, we have the chance to really focus on developing our own character and do it completely separately and regardless of the companion. Instead of forced teamwork, we get the possibility of completely individual fun. For fans of classic RPGs, the perfect layout, especially when a second person is sitting next to it.