Review of Divinity II Ego Draconis for Xbox360
by Kristofer Brozio • January 24, 2010
So today I'm taking a look at the Xbox360 version of Divinity II Ego Draconis. I reviewed the PC version HERE last month so I'm not going to be as in-depth with this review as I was with the PC version, it's primarily the same game just on a different platform, but there are glaring differences in the versions and I think it's worth it to take a look at this version. Divinity II Ego Draconis is an example of how not to do a game port really, this game is much better on the PC from the interface to the graphics and down to the gameplay as well, the PC version is the one you want to be playing. The game itself is decent, there's tons of stuff to do, it's long and the fact that you can play as a dragon adds to the game, but that doesn't make up for low framerates, tearing and other glitches in the game like having your character get stuck in places or the controller just not working correctly at times. I like the interface quite a bit in the PC version, but it's been re-done for the Xbox36o and it's a sort of stripped done version here. One glaring difference is that you don't get to see your character in the interface, in the PC version you can see him or her and the appearance changes with what weapons you use, what armor you equip etc, I really liked that feature and it's just not in the Xbox360 version. So read on to learn more..
Box shots first up:
Here's screen shots of the interface, it's really stripped down from the PC version, and it can actually be confusing and annoying to navigate and access it. It's quite a bit different from the PC version.
In the stats section you can learn about your character and there's cute descriptions of your abilities…
One of the things I do like about this game is that there really isn't any classes, you can train yourself in all of the skills and not be limited to just one.
The logbook lets you access your quests, conversations, monster encyclopedia and achievements.
There's a few options in the settings but not much there:
The map is pretty much the same as the PC version, just smaller..
Divinity II Ego Draconis
Divinity II – Ego Draconis brings you back to Rivellon, a timeless world of awe and magic, torn and scarred by successions of apocalyptic wars. Ever since the Great War ended, the Order of the Dragon Slayers has had eyes only for their number one enemy: the Dragon Knights who killed their Divine hero.
But all the while the true enemy the Black Ring still festers beneath the surface, ready for its next move, poised to strike. For their leader Damian tirelessly plots silent schemes with utterly malign intent.
Then one day, an event takes place that will reshape the history of Rivellon: a dying Dragon Knight gives her powers to a member of the order that seeks to destroy her: you.
Perhaps you, blessed as you are with the powers of the Dragon, will be able to stop the black tides that threaten to engulf Rivellon. Many adventures await you, many mysteries yearn to be unravelled and all the world awaits the outcome of your new destiny.
Divinity 2: Ego Draconis brings you back to Rivellon, a timeless world of awe and magic, torn and scarred by successions of apocalyptic wars. What the peace-loving people of the land did to deserve such terrible calamity, not even the gods can tell, but as any of their warlords will snidely say, the time to wonder and question quickly vanishes when the Lord of Chaos is slaughtering your kin, burning your cities and sowing the onetime fertile soil with salt. Twice this incarnation of evil burst forth from its hellish dimension to wade in valiant blood against the blackened sky, and twice Rivellon's defenders would not back down despite appalling losses. Still, victory brought no relief, for they knew that some day, the Demon would be back.
And back he'd be, sooner than anyone could have anticipated, because, as is so often the case, evil festered from within: humans, loyal to the Damned Hordes, sought not only to ensure the return of their dark master, but to give his Demonic form human semblance, so that rather than to destroy Rivellon, he would come to rule her. This group, known as the Black Ring, were close to achieving their goal and would doubtless have succeeded had it not been for both the tireless vigilance of the famed wizard Zandalor and the startling fate of an unsung adventurer named Lucian. This adventurer, guided as he was by the forces of good, exposed the Black Ring's sinister schemes and when the time came willingly underwent a daring ritual that infused him with the powers of the gods. So the Divine was born.
Leaving but grim corpses in his wake, the avatar of light followed the enemy to its stronghold, nestled deep beneath the desert wastes of Yuthul Gor, where he stalked and killed every Black Ring elder until finally he and their diabolic leader, the Demon of Lies, stood snout to face. The fiend smiled and told the Divine he was too late: the transfer was complete and the Lord of Chaos would walk again. Indeed, behind him, on a large altar lay a newborn infant, a shell of innocence wrapped around a soul of utter corruption. The Divine's sword saw the Demon dead, but despite being able to put an end to the vast plague that had almost brought Rivellon to her knees, he could not bring himself to kill the child.
The graphics are decent, there's nice lighting and the worlds are vast, but the game suffers from frame rate stuttering and even tearing of the frames as you're moving around. I played the PC version with a male character, this time I choose a female to mix it up a bit.
In the game one interesting this is the ability to mind read, this can serve you well as you can learn more from people that you normally wouldn't just through a conversation. it does cost you experience points though to do this. While you're conversing with someone the option appears to mind read them with 'X' button, you can go the entire game without doing this and still be able to finish it, it's a unique feature but it doesn't really add to the game. Conversations are multiple choice, and you'll find they can be quite boring at times.
I do like the battle aspects of this game, I like RPG games where you are actually part of the action, you press the button and you swing your weapon or you can cast a spell. I don't like the game where it's turn based, or you do something and then just watch it happen on the screen. The issue I have here is that it doesn't quite work all of the time, many times I'd push the button and nothing would happen, so you'll find yourself mashing buttons to survive. Another issue I ran across and not just with combat is that you and the NPC characters can get stuck in places and not be able to move, you can jump but you just can't jump over certain things. Like I got stuck near some barrels and sacks, they're small you could easily jump over them but my character couldn't I had to beat my way out.
Collection of items is also annoying, you can't just be standing in front of something to collect it or open a chest, you've got to put the sight onto what you want to open or access, and it can't be just anywhere on it it has to be precise placement. Once you find the right spot then you press the Left Button to open it, but it doesn't always work so you'll have to hit the button again. No it's not my controller, I tried two different controllers and found the same issues.
The same thing happens with button mapping. You can map items, weapons and spells to the buttons or the directly pad. it works fine with the buttons, but when using the directional pad I found it took several times to get it to register to the correct place. Very annoying to say the least.
To finish this off here's a game play video for you:
The PC version was very enjoyable to play for me, I liked it, but the ending wasn't the greatest, getting there though was fun and enjoyable. The Xbox360 version is just riddled with glitches and flaws, and just not as enjoyable overall as the PC version honestly.
If you want to play Divinity II Ego Draconis then get the PC version, avoid the Xbox version please.
+Vast world
+Play as dragon
+Lots of side quests
-Get stuck in spots
-Interface is much better on PC
-Low frame rates at times
-Frame tearing
-Controls don't work correct all of the time
-No real replay value
This product was given to technogog for review by the company for review purposes only, and is not considered by us as payment for the review, we do not, and never will, accept payment from companies to review their products. To learn more about our review policy please visit this page HERE.
Tags: Divinity II Ego Draconis Product Reviews xbox Xbox360
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