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Beyond Divinity

47%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, grinding
47% User Score Based on 289 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindows
Buy Nowfrom $1.77
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About

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
Beyond Divinity screenshot
Beyond Divinity screenshot
Beyond Divinity screenshot
Beyond Divinity screenshot

47%
Audience ScoreBased on 289 reviews
story42 positive mentions
stability29 negative mentions
  • The game features an interesting story with some surprising twists, particularly towards the end.
  • The addition of a second character adds a unique dynamic to gameplay, requiring strategic management of both characters.
  • The game has a nostalgic charm and humor that appeals to fans of classic RPGs.
  • The game is plagued by numerous bugs and crashes, making it frustrating to play.
  • Voice acting is often poor and inconsistent, detracting from the overall experience.
  • The skill system is convoluted and unbalanced, leading to a lack of meaningful character progression.
  • story
    192 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Beyond Divinity" is a mixed bag, with some players finding it decent and others criticizing it for being boring and poorly paced. While the overarching plot has interesting elements and some quests are well-written, many reviewers noted issues with pacing, lack of meaningful choices, and bugs that hindered progression. Overall, the narrative is seen as less compelling than its predecessor, "Divine Divinity," leaving players divided on its effectiveness and engagement.

    • “The story is actually quite endearing albeit quite campy at times; I would consider it an acquired taste and not for everyone. The voice acting is hilarious in its almost so bad it's good quality.”
    • “The story isn't all that complex (you + some other dude try to find a way to escape and rid yourselves of a curse), but I think there are a few curves and bends here and there that at least try to make it interesting.”
    • “The plot is pretty fine, and most of the quests have a twist in them, which is neat.”
    • “The reason I'm leaving this negative review is purely just because of how boring and drawn out the story is.”
    • “I'm almost 12 hours into the game and almost nothing has happened story-wise.”
    • “The story stinks; it's very bare-bones and barely makes any sense.”
  • gameplay
    64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in "Beyond Divinity" is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its innovative mechanics and character customization, while others criticize its dated design, bugs, and lack of balance. The transition from single-character to party-based gameplay has received both praise and frustration, particularly regarding the new mechanics that some find clunky and unresponsive. Overall, while it retains familiar elements from its predecessor, many feel it falls short in delivering a compelling and enjoyable experience.

    • “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.”
    • “In terms of gameplay, Beyond Divinity offers a diverse range of character classes and skills to choose from.”
    • “It's got RTS-lite gameplay where you control two party members, each with their own skills and stats, with the option to summon more temporarily.”
    • “The gameplay is quite linear and the dungeons come in quite a wide variety with a quaint selection of weird inhabitants for you to beat, ensorcell, and stab your way through.”
    • “But a lot of nitpicking around the gameplay and outright bugs drags it down enough for me to not recommend it.”
    • “The gameplay is very dated.”
  • music
    45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the atmospheric score and the contributions of composer Kirill Pokrovsky, while others criticize the frequent reuse of tracks from previous titles and technical issues like audio glitches. While many find the soundtrack fitting and evocative, there are complaints about its limited variety and moments where it feels out of place or overly invasive. Overall, the music is seen as a highlight for some players, but its execution suffers from inconsistencies and bugs.

    • “From me just deep respect to you all at Larian, and a farewell to the great Kyrill who filled what couldn't be achieved with graphics in your early games with his masterpiece music score.”
    • “The soundtrack is good! It does reuse several great songs from Divine Divinity, but it also features a slew of new stuff, like the main theme, which is ominous and has a growing pressure that is definitely appropriate for Beyond Divinity's atmosphere.”
    • “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.”
    • “Music is glitching out constantly, ruins the mood.”
    • “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
    41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users noting that they appear dated and plagued by bugs, reminiscent of older titles like "Divine Divinity." While some appreciate the diverse environments and art style, others criticize the cluttered visuals that make navigation difficult. Overall, the graphics are seen as a step down from previous entries in the series, with a general consensus that they do not meet modern standards.

    • “Its visuals are surprisingly diverse; you have hell forts, hell lakes, hell wastes, and more. You also get crystal and mushroom forests, cult towns, and verdant green lands when the game teleports you back to Rivellon or when you choose to play the battlefields against your better judgment.”
    • “To be perfectly clear, there are striking visuals; Act 3 has a number of them, and between the acts, you also get cutscenes that are pretty cool.”
    • “The game's visuals really help immerse you in its fantasy world.”
    • “Somehow runs worse than Divine Divinity and is plagued with graphical errors.”
    • “Graphically, Beyond Divinity looks horribly dated, which is normal, so do not expect any nice visuals.”
    • “The environment graphics are way too busy, and most of the time it's difficult to tell where you can walk and where the path is blocked, what is an obstacle and what is an interactive element and what is just empty space.”
  • stability
    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes that significantly hinder the gameplay experience. Many players experienced frustrating issues such as freezing, audio problems, and corrupted saves, leading to a consensus that the game feels outdated and poorly optimized. While some still found enjoyment in the story and gameplay, the overwhelming presence of technical issues makes it difficult for many to recommend investing time in it.

    • “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.”
    • “This was particularly rough for me during my last chapter where freezes and crashes made it frustrating to progress.”
    • “It's buggy, frequently crashing to desktop, and the whole experience feels like the devs went over budget.”
    • “Divine Divinity was great, but this... is unplayable. It's full of bugs and glitches; when saving or loading, the audio disappears and the FPS falls in some places. They should rename this game from Beyond Divinity to Beyond Unplayable.”
  • humor
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding it both intentionally and unintentionally funny, particularly through quirky NPC dialogues and campy voice acting that some describe as "so bad it's good." While the humor is appreciated for its wit and environmental gags, opinions vary on its effectiveness compared to previous titles in the series, with some feeling it falls short. Overall, the game is recognized for its comedic elements, though the uneven quality of voice acting and writing can detract from the experience for some players.

    • “It's also incredibly funny, both when it means to be and not.”
    • “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
    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game can be excessively tedious, particularly in later levels where players face overwhelming mobs and repetitive dungeon layouts. Many found the need for significant grinding to progress frustrating, especially when combined with a lackluster story and mechanics that feel more like a chore than an engaging experience. While some appreciated the optional grinding areas and merchant accessibility, the overall sentiment leans towards the grinding being a painful slog that detracts from the game's potential enjoyment.

    • “Some fights can feel unfairly difficult, requiring significant grinding and trial-and-error to progress.”
    • “You can read others' reviews for a list of the game mechanics faults, which I would have tolerated with a good story/plotline, but even with the wealth of dialogue and flavor text, it failed to make it feel like anything more than perpetual grinding.”
    • “I wouldn't recommend this game to anyone who doesn't want to go through a tedious, painful slog of a game.”
  • atmosphere
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in "Beyond Divinity" is characterized by a mix of ominous and immersive sound design, featuring both reused and new music that enhances the game's tone. While the environments are well-crafted and populated with engaging elements, some players feel the overall atmosphere falls short compared to its predecessor, "Divine Divinity." The interplay between the two main characters adds a unique dynamic, contributing to a blend of frustration and charm in the game's atmosphere.

    • “It does reuse several great songs from Divine Divinity, but it also features a slew of new tracks, like the main theme, which is ominous and has a growing pressure that is definitely appropriate for Beyond Divinity's atmosphere.”
    • “The sound design is 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, they are usually filled with cool enemies, interesting NPCs, plenty of useful loot, and some puzzles to figure out.”
    • “The atmosphere in the game was decent, but at times the music felt out of place (preferred the music in Divine Divinity).”
    • “This one is quite rough around the edges and very different in both tone and atmosphere. The game revolves around two characters, one a death knight, the other your flavor of pesky adventurer, that choose to interlink with each other and thus embark on a quest that is both frustrating, joyful, and charming!”
    • “The atmosphere is worse than in the first game.”
  • optimization
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with players noting significant issues such as crashes, stuttering in open areas, and poor performance on both Windows and Linux systems. While some improvements over previous titles are acknowledged, many users find the game unpolished and frustratingly unoptimized, particularly regarding UI and voice acting. Overall, those seeking a smooth experience may want to consider alternative ways to engage with the story.

    • “Acceptable performance, with few crashes in 5-6 hours and a bit of lag in open areas like battlegrounds.”
    • “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.”
    • “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.”
    • “The game has an interesting plot, difficult puzzles, and good humor, but it's not optimized for modern systems.”
  • emotional
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while it features some surprising and impactful moments, particularly in its ending, many players feel confined by its linear path and tedious story. The lack of engaging narrative and mechanics detracts from the overall emotional experience, leading to frustration rather than connection.

    • “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, and the death of one character results in the death of both, combined with a boring story, equals a bad game.”
  • replayability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 worth playing but not necessarily replayable.

    • “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.”
    • “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.”
    • “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 diminish replayability.”
    • “Overall, I would 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 with just one playthrough.”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 disorganized experience.

    • “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.”

Buy Beyond Divinity

50h Median play time
42h Average play time
17-60h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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