Divinity: Dragon Commander

73%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,592 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Divinity: Dragon Commander Game Cover
Starting at $13.46Buy now
Get on Steam

"Divinity: Dragon Commander" is a strategy-RPG game that combines turn-based combat with real-time strategy elements. As the Dragon Commander, players will command troops, engage in aerial combat, and make political decisions that will affect the course of the game's story. The game features a unique blend of fantasy and steampunk aesthetics, with diverse characters and a variety of customization options.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

73%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,592 reviews
story178 positive mentions
grinding23 negative mentions
  • The campaign mode features engaging writing and well-developed characters, making the political decisions feel impactful.
  • The ability to transform into a dragon and participate in battles adds a unique and fun element to the gameplay.
  • The game combines various genres, including RTS, turn-based strategy, and RPG elements, creating a diverse gameplay experience.
  • The RTS combat is often unbalanced and can feel repetitive, leading to a lack of strategic depth.
  • Many political decisions are binary and lack nuance, making it difficult to feel like your choices truly matter.
  • The game suffers from bugs and crashes, particularly during RTS battles, which can hinder the overall experience.
  • story540 mentions

    The story in "Divinity: Dragon Commander" is a highlight for many players, featuring engaging characters and a mix of political intrigue and personal narratives that can significantly impact gameplay. While the overarching plot is often described as linear and somewhat predictable, the depth of character interactions and the branching storylines related to marriage choices add replayability and interest. However, some players feel that the RTS mechanics detract from the storytelling experience, leading to a desire for a more focused narrative-driven mode.

    • “Larian, who are now famous for Baldur's Gate 3 (and the Divinity series before that), are superb storytellers and this really shines through in the characters and elements of the game.”
    • “The story is very simple to pick up but has a surprising amount of depth to it, while I would have liked it if the villains were a bit more active in the narrative.”
    • “The story, as far as I can tell, is absolutely stellar.”
    • “The story is bland, the characters aggravating, the choices are either meaningless or stupid, and the actual gameplay has little to no strategic value whatsoever.”
    • “The writing for the story and dialog is weak, the characters never change or remember anything you've done in the past except as a numerical percentage that adds bonuses/penalties in the RTS mode.”
    • “The story itself was honestly pretty lackluster.”
  • gameplay424 mentions

    The gameplay of "Divinity: Dragon Commander" is a mixed bag, combining real-time strategy (RTS), turn-based strategy, and role-playing elements, but often falling short in execution. While the dragon transformation mechanic adds a unique twist to battles, many players find the RTS components simplistic and repetitive, leading to a lack of depth and engagement. The political and character interaction aspects are praised for their richness, but the overall gameplay experience is marred by clunky mechanics and a steep learning curve, making it less appealing for those seeking a robust strategy game.

    • “There are three intersecting types of gameplay: politics, the world campaign, and RTS for individual battles.”
    • “Very few games pull off mixing direct combat with RTS gameplay, grand strategy, and role-playing, but somehow this one strikes a satisfying balance.”
    • “The dragon combat is well-implemented and adds another dimension to the gameplay.”
    • “The ability to turn into a dragon, once the timer runs down, completely derails the gameplay to the point where both armies are mostly irrelevant because a well-built dragon can single-handedly raze the enemy bases in minutes.”
    • “The gameplay here is, to be honest, quite bad.”
    • “The rts gameplay, which forms the bulk of the game's combat systems, is a mind-numbing clickfest of swarming units around.”
  • graphics119 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful art style, detailed character models, and immersive environments, particularly in the non-combat sections. However, criticisms arise regarding the quality of graphics during RTS gameplay, which some describe as outdated or lacking compared to the rest of the game. Overall, while the visuals are often highlighted as a strong point, they are not universally acclaimed, especially in the context of gameplay mechanics.

    • “The graphics and sound design in Divinity: Dragon Commander are top-notch, providing an immersive and visually stunning experience.”
    • “Overall the game is fantastic in terms of animations, voices, graphics, and gameplay done better than even some triple-A titles, astonishing production quality.”
    • “The game's graphics are well-executed, with beautiful landscapes and detailed characters.”
    • “The graphics in gameplay are horrible!”
    • “The RTS graphics are near prehistoric and belong on the PS1.”
    • “For a game that boasts being an RTS game, it has abysmal gameplay and visuals when you are in the RTS part of the game.”
  • humor97 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing, engaging character interactions, and satirical take on political themes, often blending absurdity with genuine wit. Players appreciate the well-crafted dialogue and memorable characters that contribute to a light-hearted yet thought-provoking experience, making the game enjoyable despite some criticisms of its strategic elements. Overall, the humor is a standout feature, enhancing the game's charm and replayability.

    • “There's an arranged marriage in act 2 - I married the skeleton, which is mechanically suboptimal but extremely funny.”
    • “Most of the dialogue is well written and can be genuinely funny instead of relying on cheap jokes for laughs.”
    • “The characters are absolutely hilarious, the banter between them is far from politically correct and nothing is off limits.”
  • music78 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its energetic and immersive qualities that enhance the gameplay experience, while others criticize it for being repetitive or lacking originality. Some players highlight the soundtrack as one of the game's strongest aspects, describing it as epic and well-suited to various in-game scenarios, while a few find it underwhelming or annoying. Overall, the music is generally regarded as a significant and enjoyable component of the game, contributing positively to its atmosphere and engagement.

    • “The music is one of the best soundtracks to a game I've ever heard, and basically anything other than the RTS aspect of the game is top notch.”
    • “The music in this game is absolutely amazing, and I cannot stress this enough. I spent several minutes just listening to the music while I was trying to conquer the map.”
    • “Larian Studios did not disappoint, and again brought Kirill Pokrovsky onboard once more for a breathtaking soundtrack, one that truly sets the mood.”
    • “The sound design leaves something to be desired: the music sounds like it was sourced from a royalty-free library of music produced in a pipe, complemented by an SFX department of washed out, muddy explosions.”
    • “It's not surprising I found the OST so bad.”
    • “So in short, this game is a terrible, atrocious waste of a magnificent OST and a choice-studded storyline; more than anything, it makes one wish the devs had had at least some clue as to how one creates fun gameplay.”
  • replayability47 mentions

    Replayability in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the variety of choices in political decisions and character arcs, others find the linear campaign and limited mechanics reduce its overall replay value. Many highlight the potential for different outcomes based on choices, particularly regarding romantic and political paths, suggesting that those who enjoy exploring multiple storylines may find significant replayability. However, the short campaign length and lack of unique mechanics leave some feeling that replayability is not as strong as it could be.

    • “Despite that short playtime, there's tons of replayability if you want to see all the possible political, romantic, and companion decisions you can make.”
    • “The dragon adds amazing replayability value to your battles, giving you the sense of empowerment and fun as you rain down fire and brimstone.”
    • “Part strategy, part card game, part politically charged RPG, Divinity: Dragon Commander is a fantastic game with high replay value for the storyline decisions alone, if nothing else.”
    • “The story is very linear though, so replayability is not too great, except if you want to try different storylines with your possible brides.”
    • “I was able to complete the game in under 10 hours, and besides seeing different character arcs from your generals (or picking a different wife), gameplay-wise, there isn't a lot of replayability.”
    • “Once you finish the campaign, you can make a custom one that avoids the cutscenes and separate acts, making for a lot of replayability so you can explore the many political decisions set before you.”
  • grinding23 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often frustrating, particularly in the RTS portions where battles can feel like endless slugfests. While some appreciate the ability to skip or auto-resolve battles, many feel that the gameplay becomes repetitive and lacks polish, detracting from the overall enjoyment. Despite the interesting concepts and features, the grind can overshadow the fun, leading to mixed feelings about the game's pacing and mechanics.

    • “I had fun, but it quickly becomes tedious, and the more research you go down it changes from a unit macro-based RTS to a micro ability-based RTS which doesn't feel good honestly.”
    • “Found this game to be horribly tedious; worse yet, you can't even seem to enjoy being a dragon at any given time because the AI pulls a storming move all day, every day, every minute.”
    • “Another completely overrated game in Larian style: lots of cool features, loads of interesting ideas, but the gameplay is simply tedious as hell; the RTS portions are never-ending slugfests.”
  • stability20 mentions

    The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and stability issues, including random crashes, visual glitches, and problematic save mechanisms that can disrupt gameplay. Many players report that these issues significantly detract from the overall experience, making it difficult to recommend despite some enjoyment found in the game's concept. Overall, the stability of the game is a major concern, with many users expressing frustration over its unreliability.

    • “Sadly, it's very buggy, with random crashes, visual bugs, and orders that simply disappear if you load a file.”
    • “Nope, the game is extremely buggy to the extent that it makes you lose a battle.”
    • “For a game I really enjoy, I have to give it a thumbs down because of the game-breaking glitches.”
  • optimization13 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is inconsistent, with some players experiencing smooth performance on certain systems, while others face significant frame rate drops and issues related to camera transitions and texture quality. While there are reports of minimal bugs and enjoyable gameplay, the optimization challenges, particularly during intense combat scenarios, detract from the overall experience. The mixed feedback suggests that while the game has potential, it requires further refinement to enhance performance across various setups.

    • “For the most part, the game runs smoothly on Linux with Proton.”
    • “It's pretty detailed, it runs smoothly, I did not see any bugs at all and it is fun to play.”
    • “The optimization is great, no issues whatsoever, also little to no bugs; pick it up, totally worth every penny.”
    • “The game has some optimization issues: I have played this game across three systems, but on my latest system, when viewing a skirmish battle from the corner or during enough fighting, the game drops below 60 fps at 1920x1080, max settings.”
    • “Lots of potential, but executed horribly and with poor optimization.”
    • “Transition between dragon and unit managing is downright horrendous (camera flips and remains how you left it, wondering which way is north/south, etc.) also seems to have some bad optimization issues as it keeps telling me your system does not meet the requirements for 'high quality textures' and may cause system instability every time I launch the game.”
  • character development13 mentions

    Character development in the game is widely praised for its depth and charm, featuring engaging dialogues, strong voice acting, and impressive character designs that resonate with players. Many reviewers highlight the incorporation of socio-political themes, which enrich the narrative and enhance the overall experience. While some critiques mention a lack of nuance in certain areas, the consensus is that the character development stands out as a significant strength, making players genuinely care about the characters.

    • “Larian adds a lot of charm, a dash of humor, and a surprising amount of character development to this game.”
    • “The dialogue and character development, as well as the incorporation of real sociopolitical issues into a strategy game, is absolutely brilliant.”
    • “No thought is given to the finer nuances of character development, politics, and government.”
    • “Really makes one think how they come up with the character designs.”
    • “The characters have personality and it's quite easy to start caring about them - I'd say the character development is better than most RTS/TBS games.”
  • emotional9 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing, with some players finding it lacking due to a predictable story, unengaging villains, and poorly developed NPCs, while others appreciate the emotional weight of racial relations and the feeling of being a general or emperor. However, the overall execution seems to fall short, leading to frustration and a sense of immobility during gameplay.

    • “The racial relations based on these decisions add certain emotional investment too.”
    • “This game managed to hit some good notes for me, in that it made me feel like a general and an emperor, which I haven't seen many games do.”
    • “The balance isn't perfect - it takes way too long to beat the game at the rate you do things, not that I mind a long and heartfelt battle, but I was having nothing new to do when I got into the second act.”
    • “Terrible boring story with the most obvious twist, bad villains that you couldn't care less about, atrocious NPCs, and bad jokes (a constant for Larian). The game itself is so poorly executed that you will wish to skip every time.”
    • “It can be physically and emotionally painful.”
  • atmosphere5 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised as its strongest feature, characterized by a captivating blend of calm music, striking visuals, and immersive sound design that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the effective combination of genres and styles, creating a rich and engaging mood that draws players in.

    • “The atmosphere and mood of the game is its strongest aspect.”
    • “You have this calm music in the background with only part of a huge ominous head visible, and I found the atmosphere of that scene fabulous.”
    • “The sound design is also commendable, featuring quality effects and atmospheric music that complement the gameplay.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game involves real money for in-game purchases, which has led to disappointment among players who feel that the casual gameplay is too short and does not live up to the expectations set by promotional ads.

    • “Does this game use real money for in-game purchases?”
    • “Here a casual playthrough (easiest mode) is a short game that ends in loss before the game really gets to develop towards anything you see in the ads.”
    • “I loved this game when I saw the first ads for it on Steam; it looked like incredible fun.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

75% average critic score

Buy Divinity: Dragon Commander

Play time

7hMedian play time
14hAverage play time
3-16hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 7 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games