There's no question that Divinity: Original Sin 2 is going to be in the running for RPG of the year with its wide-ranging character builds, tactical combat system, and intertwining storylines.
You can always make a good thing better though -- and now that the game has left Early Access to enter full release, the mods are starting to roll in! Across the next few slides we've rounded up the best of the best that are currently available to enhance your Original Sin 2 experience.
There are two types of mods here: Steam Workshop mods and regular old downloadable mods you've got to install the old fashioned way from a site like Nexus.
How to Install Divinity: Original Sin 2 Mods on Steam Workshop
For Steam Workshop entries, just head to the Discussions or Community Hub page for the game, then tab over to the Workshop. For the mod you want to install, just hit 'Subscribe' and then restart the game.
Keep in mind before installing any of these mods that -- even if the mod in question isn't a cheat -- your Steam achievements will be disabled as long as any of the Steam Workshop items are currently active.
Of course, the downside there is that you have to have the Steam version of the game and not be using some other service like GOG. If you got your copy elsewhere and don't use Steam, many of these mods (or very similar entries) are readily available at sites like Nexus Mods with a little searching.
How to Install Divinity: Original Sin 2 Mods through Nexus Mods
These mods typically aren't self-installing and take a little more effort than their Steam counterparts. Navigate to the 'Files' tab and download the mod file, then extract it using a ZIP or RAR extraction tool.
For most of these mods, after unzipping you just have to drag the 'Data' folder over to one of these locations depending on where you bought the game:
- For Steam: C:Program Files(x86)SteamsteamappscommonDivinity - Original Sin 2
- For GOG: C:Program Files (x86)GOG GalaxyGamesDivinity - Original Sin 2
This will replace the existing version of the folder with the modded info.
Sometimes you may have to replace different files and folders to get a mod working, however. Windows 7 end of life. Make sure to navigate to the 'Description' tab at Nexus Mods to read the specific instructions for each mod!
Finally, don't forget that since the game just released, new patches will likely break some of these temporarily. If it isn't working, check back in a few days for a newer version!
Stealth - No Silly Bush, Barrel, Or Rocks
As far as I'm concerned, this is a required mod that should be an in-game toggle option. I love nearly everything about how Larian has crafted this turn-based, tactical RPG experience.. except for the comic relief. It has no place in this game world, and ruins immersion.
I can just skip the eye-rolling one liners in the dialogue, but stealth is always in your face with its silliness -- as your main character suddenly starts cosplaying as a bush or stumps around the room underneath the barrel like it's an episode of Scooby Doo.
My heartfelt thanks to the maker of this mod, who is unquestionably doing the Divine's work on Earth.
Divinity Original Sin Wiki
Crafting Overhaul
We've covered the crafting system extensively, which lets you create your own basic potions, scrolls, weapons, and even skills. But it some ways it does feel a bit lacking in comparison to the other options presented in Divinity: Original Sin 2.
Much like with Fallout 4, the modding community has come together to immediately fix this oversight, creating a much more robust system that utilizes more items.
Now all that junk like cracked plates and broken mugs can be turned into useful material, and unwanted old clothing and armor can be broken down into scraps that in turn are used to boost existing armor pieces.
Expanded Party Size
Who doesn't want a bigger party? Granted, this does break a few things on the balance and replayability fronts, as the game is meant to be played with four characters and then replayed later with four different characters, taking differing options along the way.
But who wants to play the game the way it was intended? If you want all the pre-built origin characters together in one playthrough, now you can go wild with a full group of six party members. It's a good bet those devastating boss battles won't be nearly as frustrating anymore either!
Free Pet Pal
The talent system includes a host of combat and non-combat options, but talents aren't added every single level -- so you will only ever have a handful of them to try out.
While that's clearly on purpose for build and replability purposes, some of the talents that you really want to have on hand all the time, like Pet Pal, can result in sub-optimal builds as you give up a combat talent.
This simple little mod gives your starting character Pet Pal for free. If the pre-built origin character already has Pet Pal as a standard option (like Ifan), then you get another extra talent for free.
Early Skill Book Unlocks
If you want to experience the full range of combat and build options straight from Fort Joy, this mod gives each skill vendor a much larger range of the associated skill books immediately.
That's right -- no more having to deal with only have four possible skills for each spell school until you escape the Fort! Instead you can get some of those devastatingly awesome later game skills (assuming you've got the gold or the pickpocket ability).
Permanent Spirit Vision
Spirit Vision is an imminently useful ability, since it is required to figure out puzzles like the elemental pressure plates in Mordu's basement.
Unfortunately you have to manually activate the ability every 10 rounds, which doesn't really make sense given that Spirit Vision doesn't require any Source points to use once you acquire the skill.
Doesn't it make more sense to just always have it active? That's exactly what this mod does, so you don't have to constantly turn it back on to see if you missed anything!
Combat Sneak
When you pump your stealth skill up to higher levels, it becomes very useful to position yourself before combat begins and get in a good old backstab to start the fight.
Unfortunately, it's less useful during combat, since sneaking requires so many AP. This simple mod makes sneaking more viable during combat (especially when connected to the Guerilla talent) by lowering the AP cost by half.
8 Max AP
This interesting little mod changes some of your tactical options and is only sort of a cheat that increases your max AP from 6 to 8. The mod doesn't automatically give anyone extra AP, it just increases the maximum AP you can have in a turn.
Divinity Original Sin Review
In other words, if you save AP from round to round (or you have abilities that increase AP temporarily), you can potentially get in more moves and attacks, but you have to be strategic about your AP usage to get to the full 8 points.
Tidy Skillbars
This mod offers only one single, tiny little change -- but it will be very welcome for players who demand a certain level of control and tidiness over their UI. Are you tired of how every single item you pick up automatically gets added to your inventory?
For the casual player that's useful, since they won't forget to use scrolls and potions found during the game. But if you want total control, this mod makes it so that only new skills get added to the skillbar, and not any items you grab.
Better Item Borders
Another simple UI change, this mod just makes a tweak to the border shading around any given item, making them pop much more on the screen and also making it much easier to distinguish the rarity of any given magic item.
Divinity Original Sin Cheats
Those were the 10 best mods we've found so far for this classic throwback RPG! What did you think of our picks, and what other mods would you recommend we try out? Let us know in the comments!
Even without mods, there are hundreds of quests, builds, and secrets to explore in this sprawling, turn-based fantasy epic. Be sure to check out some of our other Divinity Original Sin 2 walkthroughs to get the most of out of the game:
Published Sep. 25th 2017
Divinity: Original Sin | |
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Developer(s) | Larian Studios |
Publisher(s) | Larian Studios (PC) Focus Home Interactive(PS4, XONE) |
Director(s) | Swen Vincke |
Producer(s) | David Walgrave |
Designer(s) | Farhang Namdar |
Writer(s) | Jan Van Dosselaer Sarah Baylus |
Composer(s) | Kirill Pokrovsky |
Platform(s) | Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
Release |
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Genre(s) | Role-playing |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Divinity: Original Sin is a fantasy role-playing video game developed by Larian Studios. The game was partially funded through Kickstarter and is a prequel to Divine Divinity. Upon its release in 2014, the game received acclaim from critics, with many praising its ability to modernize the RPG genre. The game ships with the editor that created it, allowing players to create their own single-player and multiplayer adventures and publish them online.[4] An enhanced edition of the game, featuring voice acting and various other updates, was released in October 2015. A sequel to the game, titled Divinity: Original Sin II, was released in September 2017.
Gameplay[edit]
Original Sin is an RPG in the Divinity universe. Divinity: Original Sin concerns two heroes. The game touts turn-based combat, cooperative multiplayer, an interactive world, and includes a modding tool used for creating new content.[5]
Plot[edit]
The customizable protagonists of the game are a pair of 'Source Hunters': members of an organization dedicated to eradicating a dangerous type of magic known as 'Source' and its adepts, known as 'Sourcerers'. In the single-player mode, the player controls them both, while in the two-player co-op, each player takes control over one of them. At the start of the game, the Source Hunters receive orders to investigate the murder of a town councilor by a suspected Sourcerer in Cyseal, a port town in southern Rivellon. Upon arrival, they find Cyseal under siege by orcs and undead and soon discover that it was orchestrated by a Sourcerer conspiracy linked to the Immaculates, a cult based in the Luculla Forest further inland. They also find evidence implicating the White Witch, guardian of the Luculla Forest, in the murder. Their search for her takes them to the fairy realm of Hibernheim, where they find her trapped in a block of ice by the Immaculates' leader, the Conduit. Upon being freed, she introduces herself as Icara and pleads guilty of accidentally killing the councilor, but the Source Hunters, having uncovered evidence of Sourcery, mass murder, and human sacrifice carried out by the Immaculates, choose to ally themselves with her against the common foe. Icara reveals to them that the Conduit is actually her own estranged sister Leandra and directs them to infiltrate the Immaculates to learn of her plans. The Source Hunters discover that the cult has been mining a highly toxic metal named 'tenebrium' in the Luculla Mines, where they also encounter 'Death Knights', indestructible undead warriors created by Leandra using tenebrium and the Source to conquer Rivellon. Leandra destroys the mines in an attempt to kill the Source Hunters, but they manage to escape with her fail-safe that renders Death Knights vulnerable.
Throughout the game, the Source Hunters occasionally encounter magical crystals known as 'Star Stones' (some of them transformed into 'blood stones' by the Immaculates' sacrifices). Upon finding the first one, they are transported to the 'Homestead', a mysterious fortress outside of regular spacetime that is immediately familiar to both of them. As they recover more Star Stones, they learn from them that the Source had originally been a benevolent magic associated with Astarte, the goddess of life, before it was corrupted by the Void, an evil force from outside of the material world. The Source Hunters themselves are revealed to be reincarnations of two ancient generals, a man and a woman, who imprisoned the Source corruption inside an artifact known as 'the God Box' and were granted godlike powers to guard it. However, when a demonic being named 'the Trife' persuaded Astarte to open the Box, the corruption was released again and took on the form of a giant dragon, which Astarte went on to battle for eternity in the Void. As penance for their failure, the Guardians chose to be stripped of their powers and memories and were reborn in Rivellon as ordinary humans; the Star Stones are, in fact, crystallized fragments of their lost memories. Deducing that the Trife is now manipulating Leandra to weaken Astarte and to unleash the Void Dragon on the world, Icara urges the Source Hunters to stop her, either by restoring the 'soulforge' between the sisters (a psychic link that Leandra had severed), or by killing her if necessary.
The Source Hunters follow the Conduit's trail to the town of Hunter's Edge near the Phantom Forest, now overrun by the Immaculates, orcs, and barbarian mercenaries. They find directions left behind by the wizard Zandalor, Icara's lover and Leandra's nemesis, that point them towards an ancient Source Temple hidden deeper in the woods. Inside the Temple, they find Zandalor and learn from him that Leandra's objective is the God Box in the First Garden, which they can enter from the Homestead. In the Garden, they confront Leandra and can restore her soulforge with Icara if they have unearthed the means to do so in the Phantom Forest earlier: in this case, she recognizes how evil she has become and leaves with Icara and Zandalor to repent; otherwise, they must fight and kill her. Reaching the God Box, the Source Hunters join forces with Astarte to destroy the Trife, but not before it summons the Void Dragon itself. In a titanic battle, they manage to banish the Dragon back into the Box, and Astarte stays to guard it again for all eternity, thanking the Source Hunters and revealing to them that other gods knowingly let the Source be corrupted. The Source Hunters then leave the First Garden to embark on a new adventure.
Development[edit]
A crowdfunding campaign was launched on Kickstarter on 27 March 2013. By using the platform, Larian aimed to secure additional funds to expand the content of the game and the reactivity of the game world.[6] The Kickstarter was successfully funded by 26 April, raising almost $950,000, with donations from other sources bringing the total to over $1,000,000 of the game's final budget of €4 million.[7][8][9]
The game was expected to be released in late 2013,[6] but was delayed to 28 February 2014.[10] The release date was subsequently delayed again until 30 June 2014. Originally Larian intended to release Windows and OS X versions of the game simultaneously, and stated that once the OS X version was completed a Linux port would not be difficult. However, they decided to delay the OS X and Linux versions to focus on gameplay.[6] Support for Linux and Mac was delivered on December 23, 2015 in the form of the Enhanced Edition of the game.[3]
An enhanced edition version of the game, which includes new content, such as an expanded storyline and new gameplay options, was announced for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles in May 2015.[11] The re-issue was then released for Windows on October 27, 2015[12][13], followed by Linux and OS X versions on December 23, 2015.[3] The console version of the game was published by Focus Home Interactive.[14] The version was also free to all the players who have already purchased the PC version of the game.[15]
Reception[edit]
Reception | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Divinity: Original Sin received generally favorable reception, according to review aggregatorMetacritic,[16] where it was Larian's highest-rated game until Original Sin II released in 2017.[25] The game received highly positive reviews. Eurogamer described the game as 'hands down the best classic-style RPG in years', and recommended the game to RPG fans, with the caveat that they should be up for a challenge. GameSpot praised the game for its complex systems, beautiful world, exciting turn-based combat, and its story.[21]IGN wrote that the game was 'one of the most rewarding RPGs to come along in years' and lauded its depth, personality, and combat challenges.[22]PC Gamer appreciated the freedom, simulation, depth, and respect for player's choices evident in the traditional RPG.[23]Hardcore Gamer stated that the lack of 'hand holding' could discourage genre novices, and that the difficulty should be more consistent, but otherwise appreciated the game.
GameSpot named it the PC Game of the Year,[26] while Rock, Paper, Shotgun declared it 'The Best Kickstarter Of 2014'.[27]
Russian video game observer Tony Vilgotsky rated the game very high, saying in his review for Mir Fantastiki that Divinity: Original Sin isn't just another RPG about orcs and magic, but a really interesting world to live in.[28]
Within a week of the game's release, the game had sold over 160,000 copies, and became Larian Studios' fastest-selling game.[7] By September 2014, the game had sold over 500,000.[29]
Sequel[edit]
A sequel to the game, titled Divinity: Original Sin II, was released on September 14, 2017.[30]
References[edit]
- ^'A small delay for a good reason: Let there be voice! — Kickstarter'.
- ^'Divinity Original Sin Enhanced Edition Gets a Release Date'. IGN.
- ^ abc'Now available on Mac, SteamOS and Linux!'. Steamcommunity.com. Larian Studios. 23 December 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
- ^'Hands-on with the Editor — Kickstarter'.
- ^'Divinity - Original Sin'. Divinity Original Sin.
- ^ abc'Divinity: Original Sin'. Kickstarter.
- ^ abYin-Poole, Wesley (3 July 2014). 'Divinity: Original Sin Larian Studios' fastest-selling game ever'. Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
- ^'Divinity: Original Sin successfully Kickstarted, all stretch goals met'. PC Gamer.
- ^'Divinity: Original Sin now available on Steam Early Access'.
- ^'Divinity:Original Sin Release Date Is Set — Kickstarter'.
- ^'AgeLock'. www.divinityoriginalsin.com.
- ^'Update #74: Countdown to Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition!'. Kickstarter. 2015-10-21. Retrieved 2015-10-22.
- ^O'Connor, Alice (27 October 2015). 'Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition Is Out'. Rock Paper Shotgun. Gamer Network. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
- ^Kollar, Philip (May 15, 2015). 'Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition coming to PS4, Xbox One with tons of new content'. Polygon. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- ^Savage, Phil (May 15, 2015). 'Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition announced'. PC Gamer. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- ^ ab'Divinity: Original Sin for PC Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
- ^'Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition for PC Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
- ^'Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition for PlayStation 4 Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
- ^'Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition for Xbox One Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
- ^'Divinity: Original Sin for PC Reviews'. Eurogamer. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
- ^ ab'Divinity: Original Sin for PC Reviews'. GameSpot. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
- ^ ab'Divinity: Original Sin for PC Reviews'. IGN. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
- ^ ab'Divinity: Original Sin for PC Reviews'. PC Gamer US. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
- ^Suprak, Nikola (15 July 2014). 'Review: Divinity: Original Sin'. Hardcore Gamer. Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
- ^'Larian Studios's Profile'. Metacritic. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- ^'PC Game of the Year - Divinity: Original Sin - Best Games of 2014 - Game of the Year 2014'. GameSpot. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
- ^'The Best Kickstarter Of 2014 - Divinity: Original Sin'. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. 12 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
- ^Vilgotsky, Tony (June 2014). 'Review: Divinity: Original Sin'. Mir Fantastiki. Igromania. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
- ^Vincke, Swen (12 September 2014). 'Thoughts after releasing Divinity:Original Sin and what comes next'. lar.net. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^'Divinity: Original Sin 2 will launch on September 14, 2017!'. larian.com. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Divinity:_Original_Sin&oldid=904727527'