Divinity original sin 2 review install#
Divinity original sin 2 review full#
Divinity original sin 2 review portable#
Divinity original sin 2 review Pc#

While docked Divinity 2 targets a dynamic 720p, while in portable mode it renders at 648p - with no other major visual changes.

Divinity original sin 2 review Pc#

Switch paired against the maxed out PC version. Plus, we get FXAA anti-aliasing, and bloom is enabled too. Despite the many compromises, some big features still make the cut: lighting detail is kept at PC's medium setting, for example - though light shafts are removed. A customised cascade shadow system is included too, meaning the fade-in for shade is different on Switch overall, while ambient occlusion is stripped back too. Polygon counts on certain models are reduced, and texture resolution is also cut down to help fit into the smaller RAM allocation. On top of the cut-back resolutions, most of the settings on Switch are pruned back in some way. Visually speaking, any comparisons with the PC release will be brutal - but it's fascinating to see how close it gets.

The fact that four-person multiplayer support is working at all surprised even the developer - who originally targeted just two players online.

Divinity original sin 2 review full#

The game is full of sub-systems, calculations under the hood, plus a physics engine that needs to be optimised to work around a stricter CPU budget. Overall, it seems it was the CPU limits on Switch - with just three cores - that needed the most work.

Based on conversations with the developer, the port took just under a year in total to complete, and adapting the engine itself wasn't too arduous.

Divinity original sin 2 review install#

On top of cutting the install to 11GB, the team had to adapt to just three available CPU cores on Switch, and just 3.5GB of usable RAM. Working on Switch won't have been without its challenges. :: PokГ©mon Sword and Shield walkthrough and guide Expectedly the results are hardly pin-sharp - and it's likely the first thing you'll notice when moving from any other version. The lowest I've caught so far in the most taxing scenes is 880x495. The visuals are rendered at 1152ењ†48 in this case, as the top number. Swapping into portable mode, the native resolution is altered in step, owing to its reduced GPU clocks. Even on Switch's smaller screen it looks clean and easy to follow, scaled properly for readability. The team has gone to great lengths to make the user interface look the part on console. In terms of the pure, mechanical side of the game, the Switch version is still intact despite this, largely thanks to the UI being so clear. The setting is a decent match for the PC version but in common with many of Switch's most challenging ports, the result is simply a lot blurrier. The presentation is supported by a pass of FXAA anti-aliasing, which does a reasonable job of keeping most jagged edges at bay. Pushing the engine hard while docked, resolution can drop down to 1088ењ†12 in heavier scenes. 30 frames per second is the target, and the game can drop a lot lower, but as a turn-based game, the impact isn't quite as dramatic as that sounds on paper.Дivinity 2 on Switch runs with a dynamic resolution setup and so that means while docked you're hitting 1280x720 at best, albeit with a 900p UI redesigned especially for this version. Equally, the reduced frame-rate is something of a distraction. Visually speaking, the art direction comes through effectively despite a huge hit to resolution, whether playing portably or docked. This is fundamentally a feature complete version of Divinity 2, right down to a four person multiplayer option, and the freedom to carve out your own path using your chosen character's abilities and traits. As ever though, it's a matter of which cutbacks can you accept to get the benefits - and Larian appears to have made smart choices. A 39GB PC game install is pruned back to 11GB, after all. And yet, a port exists - and the developer has risen admirably to the challenge. Beyond the usual constraints involving Switch's limited CPU and GPU power, there's also the matter of transitioning the core UI across. It's so dense with options, in fact, that I had doubts that a satisfying portable version would work at all. From its lush visuals - a vibrant mix of forests and dungeons powered by developer Larian's in-house engine - down to its turn-based RPG mechanics, it's rich with fine detail. Of course, Divinity 2 is quintessentially a PC experience.

We've seen the rise of cross-play in the likes of Fortnite, but this again shows Switch coming into its own as a perfect complement to the home experience - but beyond the intriguing cross-save mechanic, can such a complex, challenging game transition effectively to Nintendo's console hybrid? Among the most celebrated RPGs to hit PC over the last few years, Divinity Original Sin 2 makes a surprise debut on Switch with a unique and compelling new feature: the ability to share saves with the Steam version of the game, effectively allowing you to take your game on the go, then return your progress back to the PC version.