Larian have started talking about the sequel to one of the best games of 2014. They haven’t yet thought to title it Divinity: Derivative Sin, but I suppose that’s the sort of idea they’ll be canvassing Kickstarter for from August 26th.
Already Original Sin II is the Belgian studio’s biggest and most ambitious RPG to date – “one that will either sink us, or go on to be remembered as our best game ever”.
“Put simply, if you were to compare what we’re doing to what Bioware did back in the day with Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate 2,” said Larian boss Swen Vincke, “D:OS 2 is to be our Baldur’s Gate 2.”
Vincke yesterday took to his blog – the archives of which are worth perusing – to say that Larian are working to go “beyond what’s been done so far in turn-based RPGs”. That’s less empty hyperbole and more literal statement: the studio have retained the engine and intricacies of Original Sin, and so won’t be “losing time” constructing elementary systems they reckon ordinarily take up more than 60% of production.
They’ve also benefitted from all the augmentations of Divinity: Original Sin’s Enhanced Edition – the graphics and AI overhauls, and the reworked encounter design.
“Other than allowing us to perfect the game which I think always make commercial sense, the work that is being done on D:OS EE would in any case still have had to be done for D:OS 2,” explained Vincke. “So it’s not as if we haven’t been moving forward. On the contrary, all the money we’re investing in D:OS EE is also investment in the tech that’s powering D:OS 2. And the tech can do a lot.”
Now, Larian are straight onto worldbuilding, testing new ideas, and “fine-tuning”.
“If we can convince our players to help us, then that should allow us to make a real diamond,” said Vincke. “I know it’s all a bit cryptic for the moment… for now, let me just say that this is getting very close [to] the RPG that will dwarf them all.”
Is it just me, or did someone just apply the ‘Warm’ status effect up in here?