Larian Studios

The first Dragon Knight Saga review emerges 90%

Jeuxvideo.com the largest gaming website in France just put their review online of Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga. We were glad to see that they were rather explicit in their praise of the game. Here are a few of the things they had to say (translated):

"Let's not beat around the bush - Flames of Vengeance is an add-on of exceptional quality"

"The design of the scenario is brilliant and exciting, and the dialogs are so well written that it seems as if they come straight from the best point & click adventures."

"The result is a magnificent experience, with a narrative quality that brings back memories of Planescape Torment."

"A great role playing gaming which you cannot afford to miss under any condition !"

Their score: 18/20

RPG FRANCE reviews DKS: 90% !!!



RPG France just released their review of our latest game, and join their colleagues at JeuxVideo.com by awarding it a 9/10 score. Here's a snip:

"In conclusion, there are studios who like to please their fans by taking into account what they want so that the game gets better. Larian Studios belongs to that club. By offering not only an improved version of the original game, but also an add-on of exceptional quality, free of issues, Larian Studios proved themselves not only in the originality of the scenario, but also where it comes to gameplay, graphics and music. Flames of Vengeance is an add-on you just need to have if you are fan of the Divinity series (or not !!!)"

First English review is in !

Un nouveau test vient d'apparaître en ligne, en anglais cette fois-ci, et c'est The Examiner qui attribue 4 étoiles sur 5 à Dragon Knight Saga!

Voici 2 extraits issus du test:

"La première chose qui nous frappe en jouant à Dragon Knight Saga est la qualité du scénario, de l'écriture et du jeu d'acteur - tous excellents. La bande-son est également très bonne."

"Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga peut paraître un peu sévère en début de partie, mais c'est un jeu si généreux, divertissant et détaillé qu'il vous tiendra en haleine pendant de nombreuses heures."

Lire le test complet

The first pure Xbox360 review is in: Editor's choice award !



Le premier test uniquement dédié à la version Xbox 360 est apparu ce matin, sur le site de Xboxygen. L'auteur du test attribue une note de 4/5 à Dragon Knight Saga, ainsi qu'un "Coup de Coeur de la rédac":

"Doté d’une richesse incroyable, il se place aux côtés de Risen comme une perle pour tous les maniaques du jeu de rôle à l’ancienne."

"Ceux qui recherchent un jeu de rôle généreux et intransigeant se perdront sans déplaisir dans les contrées de Rivellon pendant longtemps. Très longtemps."

Lire le test complet

Made2Game rated the X360 version 8,5/10

"Divinity II offers a really strong mix of action and RPG elements... Not having played the original I can’t compare what this reworking has improved on but the game does look good, offering some huge lands to explore and a large variety of trolls, ogres, goblins and skeletons to fight against."

Read the full review at Made2Game.com.

Final score: 8.5/10

The X360 critics on Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga

UK Newspaper The Guardian has a game's blog in which the author discusses what he's been playing over the weekend.

This weekend The Dragon Knight Saga made it to his console and these are his impressions:

"This is a beautiful role playing game which encourages exploration and experimentation while keeping you at least interested in the main plot"

and

"From what I've seen so far this could well end up being a cult hit on the 360."

Alriiight!!

Elder Geek video-reviews DKS

A cool video review materialized today at Elder-Geek. Elder-geek.com does not rate games but the author recommends Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga, which is equal to[color:#33FFFF] “Worth Buying”[/color]. Here’s a snippet:

"The Dragon Knight Saga is a huge improvement over Ego Draconis"

"A profound game experience"

"Divinity 2 truly shines now!"

Watch the full video review at Elder-Geek.

French review at www.jeuxactu.com



Reviews are starting to come in, at after getting two 90% scores in France already, JeuxActu.com now gives The Dragon Knight Saga a 17/20.

Here's a translated snip of what the author had to say:

"The Dragon Knight Saga is a better game than Ego Draconis, and does this using a two-level approach. On the one hand, the initial adventure has received a serious face lift which makes it a lot more fun, on the other hand, the inclusion of the Flames of Vengeance content gives us another 15 hours of additional pleasure and closes the scenario in style. So, yes, the game didn't get the benefit of a tremendous PR campaign, but trust us, it's equally good, if not better, than today's blockbusters !"

French quote:

"Si vous aviez commis l'erreur de laisser passer Divinity II : Ego Draconis l'année dernière, voici l'occasion parfaite pour vous rattraper ! En effet, Divinity II : The Dragon Knight Saga joue sur deux tableaux et nous en donne plus, tout en faisant mieux. D'une part, l'aventure initiale a subi un lifting salutaire qui la rend encore plus délectable qu'auparavant. D'autre part, l'extension Flames of Vengeance intégrée dans ce pack tout-en-un nous offre une quinzaine d'heures de plaisir supplémentaire et conclut le scénario en beauté. Alors ok, le jeu ne bénéficie pas d'une grosse campagne de promotion. Mais croyez-nous il vaut autant, sinon plus, que les blockbusters du moment."

Read the full review at JeuxActu

Two more Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga reviews

In the UK, Resolution Magazine awarded the game 8/10 (very good on their scale), saying:

"Divinity II manages to do something magical, appealing to the inner child before unleashing it on a fantasy world full of charm." "Graphically, the game runs on the same engine as Oblivion and Fallout 3. It’s practically a revelation when you consider how fabulous Divinity II looks... It’s an even more impressive fact when you consider the raw size of The Dragon Knight Saga."


And in Spain, Meristation gave it the same score, saying (according to Google translate):

"The Dragon Knight Saga is an excellent addition for any RPG fan, and exceeds the expectations of what you would ordinarily expect from a hack & slash game. A good fight, accompanied by an adventure full of humor sprinkled and inventive content, it's a curious mix, but it works perfectly in the hands of Larian and it's something that's not easy to achieve."

Neoseeker awards Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga 9/10 + Editor's choice award !!!



Neoseeker.com just released their lenghty review of The Dragon Knight Saga and awarded it very high marks.

Here are a couple of things the reviewer had to say:


"I can say off the bat The Dragon Knight Saga is a gem."


"Conversations are well-written and at times outright hilarious -- I found myself many times having to really stop and laugh out loud. One scene in particular stands out, where I had the option of trading with a skeleton or giving him an existential crisis -- I'll leave the rest to your imagintion and amusement. As with all skilled writing of this variety, it's woven perfectly in with the more serious overarching story, including some horrific bits."


"In short, Divinity II has one of the finest soundtracks in gaming, period, and it really adds a lot the experience. It's quite varied, too, though like the writing, there's an undercurrent running through all of it, tying it together nicely."


"Naturally, much of your time will be spent in combat, something which really grew on me as I played. At first it may seem somewhat simplistic, but the depth opens up as you unlock skills, increase in level and stats, and encounter more complex battles."


"In ways, Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga feels like an organic evolution of the Divinity series, with some of the feel kept intact, but it takes just enough risks and explores just enough new ground to appeal to old timers and newcomers. In short, it's one of the best outcomes series fans could've hoped for."

Read the full review at Neoseeker.com

MyGamer and GamingShogun love The Dragon Knight Saga!

We spotted two reviews of The Dragon Knight Saga over the weekend.

GamingShogun does not rate games, but seemingly liked the game and had this to say:

"Witty dialogue, brilliant graphics, and an interesting skill tree design...The Dragon Knight Saga plays nice and smooth with interesting character building styles and really funny dialogue."

MyGamer.com rated the game 8.8/10 and gave it a "distinguished" label.

"Divinity 2 simply is a great game...Simply writing this review has made me want to go back and play even more of the game."

Two more Xbox360 reviews materialize

First off is the The Guardian in the UK which rated Divinity II - The Dragon Knight saga 4 out of 5 stars. Here are a few of the things the reviewer had to say:

"One year on and with a hefty lick of paint and an expansion pack Divinity 2 returns and this time deserves to gain a far wider audience. It should at the very least appeal to RPG fans looking for something prettier than Fallout 3 and more expansive than Dragon Age."

"Traditional it may be but Divinity 2 Dragon Knight Saga is an excellent RPG that is up there with the very best on the Xbox 360."

Next is french magazine Power Computer who gave it an equal score, 8/10, calling it a nice surprise:

"Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga is a very good RPG. The adventure is interesting to follow, the presentation is efficient, and the game offers well-balanced gameplay. A nice surprise !"

Nowgamer.com reviews Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga on Xbox360

And they liked it !

Rating it 8.2/10 and giving it "The Dark Horse award" which stands for "Awarded to a game that has successfully hidden its greatness right up to the moment of review where it has been found to be flippin' marvelous" they say:

"A graphically appealing, world-spanning, exploration and questing focused, largely open-world RPG opus quite unlike anything else on the console. It even manages laugh-out-loud moments with its bawdy and often Pythonesque humour."

On the topic of the humor in Divinity, they also awarded it a LOL-award, which goes to games that "cause drinks to gush from our noses in an unstoppable avalanche of unrestrained mirth"


They further say that "The game separates itself from its peers with a number of major hooks...(which) are all paced out rather beautifully." and "there’s simply no other hardcore RPG release in this half of 2010 which can touch it."

Read the full review at Nowgamer.com

IncGamers.com loves Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga!

Inc.Gamers reviewed the Dragon Knight Saga and gave it a smashing 9 out of 10 score!

Here are a couple of things the reviewer had to say:

“Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga is a wonderful, welcome surprise. It's been a long time since I've played an RPG that manages to balance a lengthy, in-depth story with such a self-aware and hilarious script.”

“Great (and funny) writing, well designed quests, respect for the player's intelligence and an open approach to character creation make The Dragon Knight Saga an outstanding RPG.”

"For listening to criticism and revisiting an imperfect game, Larian Studios deserves high praise. The team has turned what appears to have been a near-miss into a triumphant re-release. It's so rare to find writing this strong in an RPG, let alone one with a fantasy theme, that it should be cherished."

Read the full review at Inc.Gamers .

Official Xbox360 magazine – 17/20

The French version of official Xbox360 magazine awarded Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga 17/20 ! The reviewer liked the game a lot and said:

"This ultimate version of Divinity II shows us its best side!"

“The Dragon Knight Saga mixes humor and epic feeling in a brilliant way, and offers excellent value for money”

Allaboutthegames.co.uk – 5 stars out of 5

Chris from the English Allabouthegame magazine was blown away by The Dragon Knight Saga. Have a look-see at his review, it oozes praise. He was immediately amazed by the updates the game received, and recommends it to everyone with an XBOX360, especially at the bargain bin price this massive game comes at.

"There was no sign of the screen tear or frame-rate issues and the whole thing nipped along at a decent pace. Also immediately noticable was a ton more detail and polish on all the textures and models. Excellent stuff."

"The world of Rivellon is a fantastic one to get lost in."

"Another area that this game oozes quality is in its voice acting."

"Larian have clearly lavished a lot of love and attention on their game. It's huge. It rewards exploration ten fold, and the storytelling is on a par with the biggest block-busting games today. Hell, in a lot of places I'd even say it surpasses them, such is the level of imagination on show here."

Read the full review here

Final score: 5/5 !

Jeuxvideo.com – Best RPG 2010 on PC and 360



PC - Meilleur Jeu De Rôle 2010
XBOX360 - Meilleur Jeu De Rôle 2010

In its Christmas special "Les Jeux de Noël 2010" ("Christmas Games 2010"), the French magazine jeuxvideo.com has awarded Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga with the "Best RPG of 2010" award twice! The game was given this honour on both PC and 360.

"Thanks to its open character development, the remarkable quality of the musical score and its well-written story, this games deserves your full attention."

"Don't forget that for a bit less that 40 euro, this title offers a superior 60 hours of gameplay."

More XBOX360 reviews for Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga

Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga continues to charm reviewers around the globe. The following reviews were spotted over the weekend:


XBOXDynasty.de:
Silver Award, 8.4/10
"An extensive campaign, countless subquests and witty dialogs make it a game worth playing." (German, translated)




Gamgea.com:
9/10
"Every action-rpg fan who hasn't entered the world of Rivellon yet, should get this!" (German, translated)


Impulsegamer.com:
8.7/10
"Graphically, Divinity II is a very good looking game with some great backgrounds and impressive attention to detail."


Videogame UK:
8.5/10
"The team has worked hard to develop controls that meet the standard console gamers expectations, and they did not disappoint."

Read the full articles here:

XboxDynasty.de
Gamegea.com
ImpulseGamer.com
VideoGame UK

More Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga reviews and Interview with Lar

US site Beefjack.com reviewed Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga and rated it 8.5/10, saying:

"The Dragon Knight Saga offers a huge amount of traditional RPG questing, and it's very easy to lose yourself - and hours of your day - enjoying its world."

***

French print magazine PC Jeux rated the game 87% saying that it's

"well paced, rich in detail, very atmospheric, good looking and features fun combat together with fluid performance."

***

RPGCodex meanwhile scored an interview with Swen Vincke, the game's director, in which he answers some probing questions about the development of Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga.

Two more reviews of Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga

Testing it on the Xbox360, Spanish gaming site Vandale Online posted their review of Divinity II - The Dragon Knight.

Rating it 88%, they had this to say:

"Divinity 2: The Dragon Knight is a game not only recommended for enthusiasts of the original, but for anyone willing to undertake a new role-playing adventure with a large dose of intelligent humor."

---

Strategy Informer meanwhile gave the PC version a shot, and rated the game 8/10. Their closing comments:

"This is definitely an improved version over the original, so kudos to Larian for the extra work they've put in. The game does do a pretty good job at fixing the technical problems, the extra content is welcome, and the pacing is improved so that you don't get stuck all the time. This is definitely a game for hardcore RPG fans, so if you haven't tried it already, this is definitely worth a go."

Five new reviews for Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga

Benelux magazine Gameplay reviewed The Dragon Knight Saga on PC and said "The Dragon Knight Saga brings new life to Divinity 2 and shows craftsmanship at all levels. An ode to all fans and highly recommended for Dragon newbies."
Final Score: 82%


French magazine Canard PC said "The Flames of Vengeance part offers us in 20 hours more memorable dialogues and characters than most games manage to do in 60 hours"

"Flâmes of Vengeance va plus loin et nous offre une épopée de 20 heures qui contient plus de personna- ges mémorables et de dialogues de qualité que la plupart des jeux qui en durent 60"
Final Score: 8/10


Eurogamer.be said "The game has us travel the world with a smile on our face, always hoping to encounter new areas and characters. Most non player characters are true pearls and it's easy to underestimate how much they add to your sense of fun. The dialogues are full of nifty word-games humor and sarcasm."
Read the full review at Eurogamer.be
Final Score: 8/10


UK site Console obsession reviewed the Dragon Knight Saga on Xbox360 - "The Dragon Knight Saga is excellent value for money" and "fans of similar RPG’s will mostly likely fall in love with the package, and it will be a love affair that will last for hours, days, weeks, and possibly months."
Final Score: 8/10


Godisageek.com, reviewing the Xbox360 version said - "Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga is a game that’s worthy of anyone’s gaming shelf." and "he way the game plays is nice and fluid,"
Read the full review at Godisageek.com
Final Score: 8/10

The Dragon Knight Saga spreads its wings to Norway in style

Norwegian site Gamer.no awarded Divinity II - The Dragon Knight saga a 90% score. We needed google translate but here's their conclusion:

"Divinity 2: Ego Draconis was a wonderful role-play with certain imperfections when it was originally released a year ago. The new version has better graphics, fewer annoyances and a generally more streamlined experience. In addition, we have a fabulous add-on pack that not only allows us to experience a proper conclusion to the Dragon Knight's Saga, but also includes lots of great content with a much stronger focus on interaction with other characters than what we found in the original. The result is a brilliant gaming experience all RPG fans should not miss, as long as they do not have anything against the action-based combat rather than virtual dice."

Final Score: 90%

Somethingawful.com digs Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga - 9/10

We were a bit concerned when somethingawful.com asked us for review code of Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga, given that they have a slight tendency to rip games apart, and that's why we're very pleased to announce that their review of the Divinity II - The Dragon Knight Saga turned out extremely favorable.
Rating it 9/10, the reviewer said:


"The writing is consistently terrific, from the genuinely creative quests with multiple solutions to the NPCs which are all hand-crafted and infused with personality. Where other games would have copy + pasted Unclickable Villager A and B a few dozen times, Dragon Knight Saga gives you an actual village, complete with gossipers, philanderers, military deserters, the occasional secret murderer, and even a few normal people."


"Combat is fast-paced and responsive. You aren't controlling a lumbering doll with stiff animations, but a nimble character that glides along to follow the camera movements"


"The game's tone is downright enthusiastic. While Dragon Age had an understated tone that served it well, Dragon Knight Saga goes all out. Instead of hints of gryphons that never appear, you get to see a massive flying fortress right out of the gate - and that's just a glorified bus to get from your training area to the first town. The writing just plain goes for it at all times, whether "it" is humor or excitement or depth, and rarely falls short."

Read the full review at somethingawful.com

Final Score: 9/10

Xbox-Mag.net reviews The Dragon Knight Saga

French gaming website Xbox-Mag.net reviewed Divinity II – The Dragon Knight Saga and rated the game 16/20 saying:

"Un excellent action-RPG, nerveux et épique, qui se doit de siéger dans votre ludothèque si vous êtes amateur du genre."

Read the full review here.

Final score: 16/20