Divinity: Original Sin Preview

IGN is offering a new preview on Larian’s recently announced turn-based RPG Divinity: Original Sin, and while the beginning of it puzzled me by implying that turn-based co-op RPGs are extremely common, there’s certainly plenty of good info to be found in it. Here’s a sampling:

When I say that the game is cooperative, that doesn’t just mean that two players can be in the same game. Everything, from the combat to the loot to the quests themselves, is about two players working together, and this even extends to the dialogue system. When appropriate, your characters will hold a three way conversation, with an NPC making up the third pillar of the triumvirate.

Lines fall from the NPC, and then, where appropriate, either character can speak up, and you get to make the dialogue choices. It means that not only do you both feel involved, but you can disagree. Let that sink in for a moment. It means the great arguments over a D&D game have finally made it most of the way into our beloved digital medium. (Discussion creates gameplay.) Says Vincke. (It should be really engaging.)

The only slight disappointment is that currently if you do disagree, the game will resolve things by making a dice roll, pulling in charisma stats and maybe something more applicable to the current situation, like intelligence for tests of knowledge, or strength for intimidation.

But it extends beyond that; you need to explore the woman’s house so that you can see if she’s the drug dealer you suspect her to be, but she’s not exactly thrilled by the idea. She’ll follow you around and make sure that you’re not touching anything you’re not supposed to. But that ‘˜you’, there; that’s singular. She’s only got one pair of eyes, and they’re stuck in a single body. She can’t watch both of you at once if you’re not in the same place. So one of you leads her off into one room as a distraction, while the other ransacks her bedroom. Find the secret trapdoor (there’s always a secret trapdoor) and you find the drugs, stuffing your pockets full of the stuff in the name of evidence.