Beyond Divinity

About

Beyond Divinity is a single player role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Larian Studios and was released on October 29, 2012. It received neutral reviews from players.

In Beyond Divinity, players control a fallen paladin chained to a demon warrior, forced to work together to uncover the truth behind their bond and defeat a powerful evil. The game features a party-based combat system, isometric view, and a rich, immersive story set in a detailed fantasy world. Players will need to make choices that affect the outcome of the story and the development of their characters.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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47%

Audience ScoreBased on 321 reviews

story46 positive mentions

stability33 negative mentions

The game features an interesting story with some surprising twists, particularly in the ending.
The dual-character system adds a unique layer of strategy to gameplay, allowing for varied combat approaches.
The game has a rich lore and humor that can be enjoyable for fans of the series.

The controls are clunky and managing two characters can be frustrating, especially when one character's death results in a game over.
The voice acting is often poor, detracting from the overall experience and immersion.
The game is plagued by bugs and technical issues, including crashes and glitches that can disrupt gameplay.

story
223 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
69%
10%
The story of "Beyond Divinity" is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its dark themes and plot twists, while others criticize it for being bloated, poorly paced, and lacking depth compared to its predecessor, "Divine Divinity." Many reviews highlight the need for prior knowledge of the lore to fully grasp the narrative, and while some quests are well-written and engaging, others feel repetitive and uninspired. Overall, the game offers a decent storyline that may appeal to fans of the series, but it suffers from execution issues that detract from the overall experience.
- “The story is dark, the world is gritty, and the game definitely has that classic Larian charm.”
- “Your reward in the end for making it through this game is a pretty great narrative and satisfying lore/plot element to slot into the overall story of the Divinity games.”
- “The story is actually quite endearing albeit quite campy at times; I would consider it an acquired taste and not for everyone.”
- “The story is un-compelling and lacking in background, so you do not feel attached to the main characters.”
- “The story is bloated with filler, and the death knight companion, which could’ve been an interesting AI partner, instead demands constant micromanagement.”
- “The plot had so much potential, but glitches and terrible gameplay make it almost impossible to get through the game.”
gameplay
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
62%
13%
The gameplay of "Beyond Divinity" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its dated mechanics and cumbersome controls that can feel unresponsive and frustrating. While some appreciate the rich lore and the complexity of managing two characters simultaneously, others criticize the linearity and bugs that detract from the overall experience. Despite its flaws, fans of the original "Divine Divinity" may find enjoyment in the familiar gameplay elements and the unique twists introduced in this sequel.
- “This unusual partnership is not just a narrative device but a core gameplay mechanic, as you are required to manage two characters simultaneously, balancing their strengths and weaknesses as you navigate the dangers of Rivellon.”
- “Beyond Divinity introduces gameplay elements I’ve never seen before in an RPG, the most fascinating of which being the ability to essentially create your own abilities, tailoring them all the way down to what icon represents them.”
- “While the gameplay can get iffy at times and has some serious lag issues in certain areas if you own more than 3 GB of RAM, this game is a worthy successor to Divine Divinity, and a must-play if you want to understand the connection between Divine Divinity and Divinity 2.”
- “The gameplay is very dated.”
- “But a lot of nitpicking around the gameplay and outright bugs drags it down enough for me to not recommend it.”
- “The plot had so much potential, but glitches and terrible gameplay make it almost impossible to get through the game.”
music
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
58%
15%
The music in the game, composed by Kirill Pokrovsky, is generally praised for its grandeur and emotional depth, with many tracks enhancing the atmosphere. However, there are criticisms regarding the heavy reuse of music from previous titles, leading to a limited selection and occasional audio glitches that detract from the experience. Overall, while the soundtrack has its standout moments, it is marred by inconsistencies and technical issues.
- “What stands out most in presentation is the soundtrack by Kirill Pokrovsky, whose music imbues the game with a sense of grandeur and melancholy.”
- “Kirill Pokrovsky remains the composer of this game's music, and the additions to the collection of Divinity soundtracks it brings are between good to awesome.”
- “For me, the music really enhances the game's value, which is a very rare achievement for a non-Japanese game.”
- “Even the voice acting manages to be more awkward than before, and parts of the soundtrack are just recycled.”
- “The music was mostly just taken out of the first one and reused without even any mixing or remixing being done to it, and what new scarce tracks there are aren't really wowing, so to speak.”
- “In terms of music, the soundtrack consisted of mainly reused tracks from Divine Divinity.”
graphics
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
66%
11%
The graphics of the game are widely criticized for being outdated and plagued with issues, reflecting its age and the limitations of its original design. While some users appreciate the diverse environments and artistic elements, many find the visuals lack polish and clarity, making navigation difficult. Overall, the consensus is that the graphics do not meet modern standards, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The visuals are great, but this game is dated.”
- “The game's visuals really help immerse you in its fantasy world.”
- “Firstly, the graphics and art style of Beyond Divinity are top-notch.”
- “The isometric visuals are serviceable but dated, with environments that convey atmosphere without the polish of modern RPGs.”
- “Graphically, Beyond Divinity looks horribly dated, which is normal, so do not expect any nice visuals.”
- “Combat is mediocre at best and its old-school graphics are simply ugly, even for 2004.”
stability
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
The game is widely criticized for its instability, with numerous reports of pathfinding issues, glitches, and frequent crashes that significantly hinder gameplay. Players have experienced audio problems, random freezes, and the need for frequent saving due to the unpredictability of bugs. While some find the game enjoyable despite these issues, the overall consensus is that its technical shortcomings make for a frustrating experience.
- “I'm running on Windows 10 and the game runs great at 2560x1080 resolution.”
- “This game isn't as buggy as people say, well in my experience, but having to save often because of those rare bugs is annoying.”
- “Pathfinding issues, glitches, and occasional crashes have long been part of its reputation.”
- “Unfortunately, it is riddled with glitches.”
- “It's buggy, frequently crashing to desktop, and the whole experience feels like the devs went over budget.”
humor
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding it both intentionally and unintentionally funny, particularly through the over-the-top voice acting of the death knight and amusing NPC dialogues. While some critiques mention a decline in wit compared to previous titles, the game still delivers entertaining moments and environmental gags that resonate with fans of the genre. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted charm, despite some inconsistencies in voice acting quality.
- “The death knight's voice acting is hilarious; he always yells and really leans into the part.”
- “This is a really funny game, and if you love environmental gags and mocking fantasy tropes, then this game is going to make you laugh.”
- “The two main characters are awesome, and their dialogue is really funny sometimes!”
grinding
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and often unrewarding, particularly in later acts where backtracking and battling large mobs become a chore. While the inclusion of optional areas for grinding and skill development is appreciated, many reviewers feel that the repetitive nature of dungeons and encounters detracts from the overall experience, making progression feel like a painful slog. Despite some interesting worldbuilding and artwork, the grind-heavy gameplay ultimately leaves a negative impression on many players.
- “Besides that, it is a bit too grindy and not very rewarding.”
- “Some fights can feel unfairly difficult, requiring significant grinding and trial-and-error to progress.”
- “I wouldn't recommend this game to anyone who doesn't want to go through a tedious, painful slog of a game.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
33%
50%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with players reporting significant glitches, crashes, and performance issues, particularly on modern systems. While some users noted acceptable performance under specific conditions (like using older versions of Linux), many experienced frustrating stuttering, NPC interaction problems, and a generally unpolished experience. Overall, the game's technical shortcomings detract from its narrative and gameplay enjoyment.
- “Acceptable performance, few crashes in 5-6 hours, a bit of lag in open areas (battlegrounds grassy area).”
- “A big step up from Divine Divinity in regards to performance, but still ultimately falls short due to the same issues that plagued Divine Divinity.”
- “There are problems due to the game being old and poorly optimized. For example, I have an issue with NPCs shifting when I alt-tab, and sometimes they appear 'out of bounds' and become unable to interact with. This glitch prevented me from finishing an early quest with an important reward.”
- “However, if you just want to know the story that led you to Original Sin and you can't sit through an unoptimized and unpolished game, do yourself a favor and watch a video.”
- “While I put a good few hours into the first game, here performance is bad on Windows 10, the UI is still terrible, and the voice acting is even worse.”
atmosphere
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
28%
27%
The atmosphere of the game is described as deep and immersive, effectively conveying a dark mood that enhances the RPG experience, despite some dated visuals. While the sound design, including atmospheric music and voice acting, adds depth, some players feel the music occasionally detracts from the overall ambiance. Overall, the environments are well-crafted and engaging, though opinions vary on whether the atmosphere matches that of its predecessor.
- “Despite this, the overall mood of the game succeeds in maintaining a dark and immersive atmosphere.”
- “The sound design is also impressive, with atmospheric music and well-done voice acting that adds depth to the story.”
- “The worlds and environments are well made and atmospheric, and when outside the 'battlefields', are usually filled with cool enemies, interesting NPCs, plenty of useful loot, and some puzzles to figure out.”
- “The isometric visuals are serviceable but dated, with environments that convey atmosphere without the polish of modern RPGs.”
- “The atmosphere in the game was decent but at times the music felt out of place (preferred the music in Divine Divinity).”
- “The atmosphere is worse than in the first game.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players appreciate the surprising and impactful moments, particularly in the ending, others find the overall narrative tedious and confining, leading to a sense of boredom rather than engagement. The lack of autosaves and the high stakes of character death contribute to a frustrating experience that detracts from the emotional depth.
- “So I'll just say it's original, it's got its surprises, it's got some really hard emotional bits and the ending was amazing!”
- “Awfully boring story and system that might, at first glance, seem cool but are just tedious.”
- “No autosaves + (death of one character = death of both) + boring story = bad game.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game's replayability is mixed; while it offers extensive content with around 100 hours of gameplay in a single playthrough, some players find the adventuring areas repetitive, which can diminish the desire to replay. Despite this, the game includes features that enhance replay value, such as leveling up and purchasing equipment, making it enjoyable for some players. Overall, opinions vary, with some considering it not particularly replayable, while others appreciate its depth and storytelling.
- “They are supposed to be a fun addition to make the game replayable and allow you to use it as a hub for leveling up and purchasing equipment and consumables.”
- “Following on from the ultimately replayable diving divinity, you now go beyond in terms of storytelling width; you are now truly on your own.”
- “It doesn't mean it isn't fun, but sometimes the adventuring areas can feel reused and repel replayability.”
- “Overall, I say this is really a game worth playing; though not replayable (for me).”
- “Longevity and replay value are by far the things that stand out, as just a casual playthrough can take upwards of a hundred hours. No, that isn't a typo; there are around 100 hours of things to do in this game just with one playthrough.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is criticized for being poorly executed, with players finding the dual character control cumbersome and the battlefield system confusing, leading to an overall messy experience in character progression.
- “Very awkward game design: controlling two characters at once was very cumbersome, the battlefield system in the campaign didn't make much sense, and character development was a mess.”