Review Dragon Knight Saga Review

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: Divinity 2; Larian Studios

<p>Something Aweful <a href="http://www.somethingawful.com/d/video-game-article/dragon-knight-saga.php" target="_blank">put up a review</a> of <strong>Divinity 2: The Dragon Knight Saga</strong> and scored it 9/10.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In fact, if you're the sort of person that enjoys exploration, you will be rewarded. Keep an eye out in a dungeon and you'll discover pressure plates that open hidden passages. Read through a book and you'll discover a clue to the location of an extremely useful item, not as a glowy item in your quest log but simply as something that you discovered and figured out for yourself. Sometimes entire quests will be uncovered for people who truly go out of their way.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>If this review is a bit on the gushing side, well, too bad. Dragon Knight Saga almost flew under my radar, but it turned out to be a lengthy experience that was varied and fun the whole way through.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://www.rpgwatch.com/#16321">RPGWatch</a></p>

 

[CrunchyHemorrhoids]

This is essentially a Diablo-style action RPG

Barf.
Game's getting some high praise here too, any of it come from someone who didn't like the diablos?

 

[Murk]

Yes. I thought they were bleh, but I liked Div 1 so keep that in mind. If you want a light hearted action-rpg with quests that can be solved in different ways, a great sense of humor, respectable voice acting, and runs pretty well on older systems. Div 2 is your bag. The expansion is also much better than the original campaign, so the game actually gets better the further you go.

8/10 is a good score for it, and I wouldn't argue against the 9/10.

 

[StrangeCase]

It's kinda like Diablo in that combat occupies a large part of the game and there's an aspect of item-fever. On the other hand, it does have lots of sidequests and often different ways to solve them, a solid amount of exploration, and the occasional bit of platforming or puzzle-solving to mix things up a bit, though the platforming sections are kinda weak, IMO.

So yeah, it's an action game. Combat is real-time, it's over-the-shoulder view, you control your avatar directly. No way around that. That said, I think it offers a lot more options and content than most action games, and that content is pretty competently executed. Decent overall writing, too (barring the main quest, which is meh.)

 

[MicoSelva]

This game is getting some seriously high scores - even higher than New Vegas, I think. Good for Larian.

Is finishing Divine Divinity required to get all the plot? I only got to about half point of the game when played it all those years ago...

 

[Achilles]

I'm not a Diablo fan and I greatly enjoyed DKS. The RPG component is much more meaty than other action-RPGs and many quests are actually (buzzword alert) innovative and interesting, with varied objectives and alternative ways to finish them. Also, it manages to be genuinely funny at times. For whatever it's worth, it gets my seal of approval.

 

[commie]

@ micoselva

No it's not necessary to play the first one, except for a bit of background maybe. It's more like another game in the same universe than any direct sequel.

It's a great game, with a lot of humor, the mindreading is priceless.

 

[MicoSelva]

Thank You.

 

[commie]

No worries. It confused me at first too. I guess they just wanted brand recognition more than anything else.

 

[DraQ]

This is essentially a Diablo-style action RPG

Barf.
Game's getting some high praise here too, any of it come from someone who didn't like the diablos?

Well, I'm rather ill qualified here, as I like Diablo 1, but Divinity 2's advantages lie in completely different areas of gameplay experience, so I don't think my appreciation for this game stems in any way from the fact that I like Diablo 1.
I also consider Diablo 2 pretty meh, if it helps.

BTW: Divinity 2 item naming style is rather clearly a parody of the one used in Diablo games, which can be pretty hilarious at times.

 

[Murk]

This game is getting some seriously high scores - even higher than New Vegas, I think. Good for Larian.

Is finishing Divine Divinity required to get all the plot? I only got to about half point of the game when played it all those years ago...

As said by commie, it isn't, but I would recommend you play Div 1 anyway. It's a great game on its own and in my mind is better than the sequel. Amazing music, great atmosphere, some very clever and entwined quests, a huge world to explore, and that cheeky sense of humor that actually comes off a bit more subtly (possibly because of the silly voice acting).

 

[MicoSelva]

Well, as I wrote in my previous post, I did play DD, just never managed to finish it.
Granted, it was a long time ago and I don't remember much from the game. Actually, I remember almost nothing (except that my char carried a portable bed in a backpack). Must have played it in the dark time when I was addicted to Championship Manager when other games only served as a brief distraction before beginning the next football season and scoring goals to finally win that fucking triple crown and get into the top spot of the hall of fame. And goddamit, Barcelona, that trophy was supposed to be mine!

Um, yeah, I'm going to hide myself for a moment now.

 

[Admiral jimbob]

I might pick up DD from the ZOG sale, come to think of it. Is it more Diablo-like, or still fun if you don't like that basic gameplay? Really can't be fucked with Diabloesque gameplay, to be honest.

 

[MicoSelva]

It's definitely there with Diablo (2) or Sacred when it comes to combat gameplay. Luckily, combat is not all You do in the game - but it's a large part.

 

[Murk]

Combat is pretty much "click and hold button on enemy" or if you're a mage "RMBRMBRMBRMBRMBRMBRMBRMBRMBRMBRMB" but that's where the comparison ends. DivDiv is a proper aRPG, and neither Diablo nor Sacred can touch it in that aspect.

MicoSelva, I noticed that you did play it but it seemed as tho it was long ago enough that you don't recall anything about it - otherwise I imagine you would have remembered the very light main-plot of the game.

 

[MicoSelva]

Ah, ok. Your assumptions were 100% correct. I don't remember a thing about the plot. The same with IceWind Dale 2, which I played at a similar time.

I actually reinstalled DD a few of months ago, trying to refresh my memories (before the inevitable attempt to play the sequel), but it ended up untouched so far.

 

[CrunchyHemorrhoids]

You guys made it sound like it's worth a shot. Just got to the first town, so far so good.

Any tips for getting the maximum enjoyment out of this game? I'm thinking of going full mindread+lockpick, and a couple of melee skills and some ranger dodging.

Found the game looks better with HDR off, does getting around the 30fps cap bring much of an improvement?

 

[Seolas]

I'm itching to play this, holding out for Steam's Christmas sale in hopes that it goes on sale as cash is a bit tight right now. Ditto Drakensang (is it as good as it looks?).

 

[DraQ]

Any tips for getting the maximum enjoyment out of this game?

Be an XP whore. Mindreading costs and overall level counts a lot in combat.

Max lockpick is a good thing.

Explore a lot.

Think before you act - although the game is built with typical cleptomaniac player tendencies in mind, it won't hold your hand if you decide to screw yourself by failing a puzzle.

Other than that, just sit back and enjoy. Don't treat the game dead seriously, it can be pretty lulzy at times.

Also, you can respec later in game so feel free to experiment at the beginning. Respec costs but you can afford to do it at least once.

Finally, be careful about kicking bunnies to death for there is no Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch in Rivellon.

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

tbh due to the mindread cost I killed quite a lot of 1 XP bunnies trying to grind the XP debt away without risk. Then I regretted it, reloaded and decided that bunnies are just not worth it.

 

[Crooked Bee]

Yeah the bunny thing is really funny. Kudos to Larian.

 

[DraQ]

tbh due to the mindread cost I killed quite a lot of 1 XP bunnies trying to grind the XP debt away without risk.

Boy, would you be surprised.


[spoilar, obviously]

 

[Sceptic]

overall level counts a lot in combat.

From one of the interviews it seemed as if Larian patched this out in DKS (not having played the game I can't confirm first-hand)

Finally, be careful about kicking bunnies to death for there is no Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch in Rivellon.

I saw a video with this and thought it was hilariously lulzy.

 

[CreamyBlood]

I might pick up DD from the ZOG sale, come to think of it. Is it more Diablo-like, or still fun if you don't like that basic gameplay? Really can't be fucked with Diabloesque gameplay, to be honest.

I was never able to get into the Diablos despite repeated attempts over the years yet I didn't mind the combat in DD. Mikayel inspired me to try it out and he was right, it turned into a great RPG. He had warned me that the first five levels of the first dungeon were pretty diablo-like and he was right there too. If he hadn't said that the game opens up after that I never would have gotten past the beginning.

 

[Kotep]

Any tips for getting the maximum enjoyment out of this game?

Put at least one point into mindread and wisdom, since you get the biggest bonus/discount per point with the first point. More is fine but might be better used elsewhere, but don't worry too much as you can always reset your skill points for a cost in gold after about the halfway point. For melee fighters, rush attack is very useful as it closes the distance and gets you within hacking range. Don't worry about mindreading everyone, it's more meant to be an option than something you do to everyone (though you can if you're that sort of OCD.) And be sure to poke around because there's stuff hidden everywhere.