The LARIAN Thread

[Vaako]

Divinity II is very good and underrated, by the way. Wood recommend.
Not referring to divinity original sin 2, beyond divinity, etc.,
This one:

Did this even have anything good in it? I played it when it was new but except for the dragon combat I cant remember anything of note.

[rusty_shackleford]

Divinity II is very good and underrated, by the way. Wood recommend.
Not referring to divinity original sin 2, beyond divinity, etc.,
This one:

Did this even have anything good in it? I played it when it was new but except for the dragon combat I cant remember anything of note.

It has fun!

[Vaako]

Divinity II is very good and underrated, by the way. Wood recommend.
Not referring to divinity original sin 2, beyond divinity, etc.,
This one:

Did this even have anything good in it? I played it when it was new but except for the dragon combat I cant remember anything of note.

It has fun!

So no.

Also the new trailer certainly was memorable. My favourite when he blew up and took all the hedonists with him.

[The_Mask]

[Xenich]

Divinity II is very good and underrated, by the way. Wood recommend.
Not referring to divinity original sin 2, beyond divinity, etc.,
This one:

Did this even have anything good in it? I played it when it was new but except for the dragon combat I cant remember anything of note.

The base concept of the game is pretty generic. Combat is generic console style, though with the various skill tree selections, I it does have "some" depth in play and style.

The main thing I like about Larian games is the little secret nuggets be it exploration or even quest resolution with various NPCs. They aren't all simple resolutions. Some contain branching solutions based on exploration or sleuthing different possible approaches to a given quest problem. In that way, if you have ever played Divine Divinity, it is much like that as this is carried over in their style of design. Some are simple "ie killing some insignificant mob constantly... bunnies", to rather than just heading out and doing what an NPC asks you, you explore and find information that changes the perspective of the task that was assigned you.

Outside of that though, as Rusty said.. it is just "fun" to play with all the mechanics of its design. The world is "fairly" open, allows for some choice, but has some limits.

Overall, it really is a good game if you delve into it, but if you just button smash through, don't pay attention to anything and drive to the end, it will seem pretty generic, though you are missing a lot by doing such.

[rusty_shackleford]

Did this even have anything good in it? I played it when it was new but except for the dragon combat I cant remember anything of note.

It has fun!

So no.

Also the new trailer certainly was memorable. My favourite when he blew up and took all the hedonists with him.

[Xenich]

Let me guess, the game will ship with sex dolls of various animal/beast designs to facilitate the "true" experience of an RPG of this nature.

[The_Mask]

Let me guess, the game will ship with sex dolls of various animal/beast designs to facilitate the "true" experience of an RPG of this nature.

I was comparing this trailer with the Diablo II trailer I watched as a kid. Marius telling the story. The bar lighting up on fire and demons coming out. Compare that with this one and wonder "what is the difference?".

The difference is that in Diablo II evil just bursts out and ends the lives and property of otherwise good people minding their own business, while in this trailer we see a woman ******* a lizard while a guy's beard lights up on fire in the middle of an eclipse, while children are present.

The people in this trailer seem to be willing participants or passive in front of the act of murder, and philosophically, they are either inviting evil or letting it happen.

This means that the game will have a very hard time to portray any nuance, because there is no other way to deal with pure evil than smiting it down.

Thinking while I am typing this: on one hand it could be very satisfying to play a game with 0 nuance. Just 100% demon killing no matter the form they take, human or otherwise, could be rather interesting, too. But the trailer is certainly something. Putting children next to sex and arson? Not on my 2025 bingo card, that's for sure.

[ThulsaDoomer]

Let me guess, the game will ship with sex dolls of various animal/beast designs to facilitate the "true" experience of an RPG of this nature.

I was comparing this trailer with the Diablo II trailer I watched as a kid. Marius telling the story. The bar lighting up on fire and demons coming out. Compare that with this one and wonder "what is the difference?".

The difference is that in Diablo II evil just bursts out and ends the lives and property of otherwise good people minding their own business, while in this trailer we see a woman ******* a lizard while a guy's beard lights up on fire in the middle of an eclipse, while children are present.

The people in this trailer seem to be willing participants or passive in front of the act of murder, and philosophically, they are either inviting evil or letting it happen.

This means that the game will have a very hard time to portray any nuance, because there is no other way to deal with pure evil than smiting it down.

Thinking while I am typing this: on one hand it could be very satisfying to play a game with 0 nuance. Just 100% demon killing no matter the form they take, human or otherwise, could be rather interesting, too. But the trailer is certainly something. Putting children next to sex and arson? Not on my 2025 bingo card, that's for sure.

There was no "morally grey" nonsense in Diablo 2, you were always fighting evil and every step of the way justified that cause. Each new act showcased the depravity and apathy of Hell as it carved bloody chaos through its path to "freedom". Many of the enemies you fought were once innocent people, corrupted and twisted into abominations. This was never thrown in your face akin modern fantasy, and it's a quality I always admired from old Blizzard. The disconnect is that much of classical fiction is a battle of good and evil, and with further nuance, the inevitable corruption of man and thus the eternal struggle against it. Virtue was admired precisely because it was a defiant act against evil, to remain good or pure in a world uncaring of your convictions. Diablo played on this quite well, at least until D3.

Now, morality is a spectacle, to be used and discarded on a whim in the fantasy sphere. Good is unmoving, too rigid, and thus it is evil as it restricts freedoms. Evil is now the spirit of misunderstood rebellion, often used as a justification to fight the tyranny of good. This was evident in BG3; with the devil refugee's seeking the safety and acceptance of Baldurs Gate, forcing themselves upon isolated communities and causing problems. The game wants you to be sympathetic to evil, because these people weren't directly involved in their corruption, or so they claim. In Diablo, there is no jury of innocence, once corrupted you are put down for the good of the world. In Baldurs Gate 3, evil is given numerous chances for appeal, often depicted as the victim. Yes, you can kill them, but that doesn't nullify the contents intentions.

Remarkable how much the gaming sphere has shifted its own creations formerly steeped in Christian dogma to suit modern revisionism born of socialist subversion.

[pokafox]

was expecting petit bourgeois torture porn and am still disappointed

[Mortadela_Viva]

The cinematic trailer for BG3 was also ultra-gory, Larian business as usual.

The level of gore is not the problem. People having a sex orgy while sacrificing a human in a satanic ritual is. Children participating in this ritual is the cherry on top.

Yeah, I could see the inquisitors doing that to a sorcerer, the man being burned certainly is one, but not with a whole festival around it, at least in DOS2 I remember sorcerers being basically time bombs

[roldet]

People are reading too much into it, trailer just wants to grab attention and it did. (Some stuff reminded me of Berserk manga.) Real problem is what trailer wants to advertise and cognitive dissonance that comes along with it. It is simply not possible to present yourself as grounded, down to earth, brutal *** metal dark fantasy game while embracing soy gay race representation and "body types". Like the game is sooo brutal and edgy (but complies with UN/EU directives) while being inclusive and catering to most fragile snowflakes, they are not sincere and i do not buy what they are selling.

[ghardy]

Remarkable how much the gaming sphere has shifted its own creations formerly steeped in Christian dogma to suit modern revisionism born of socialist subversion.

I can only quote Chesterton to add to this:

The modern world is not evil; in some ways the modern world is far too good. It is full of wild and wasted virtues. When a religious scheme is shattered (as Christianity was shattered at the Reformation), it is not merely the vices that are let loose. The vices are, indeed, let loose, and they wander and do damage. But the virtues are let loose also; and the virtues wander more wildly, and the virtues do more terrible damage. The modern world is full of the old Christian virtues gone mad. The virtues have gone mad because they have been isolated from each other and are wandering alone. Thus some scientists care for truth; and their truth is pitiless. Thus some humanitarians only care for pity; and their pity (I am sorry to say) is often untruthful.

[Hyborian]

Thinking while I am typing this: on one hand

[maidenhaver]

The trailer looked exactly like an ai fed an input, like "collage of indian holidays". These ******* spotting details in that vortex of waste, besides the white man getting sacrificed to the joy of multi-racial spectators, actually reveals how trained on filth they all are. Go to hell.

[CheesusCrust]

That was gross

more gross than the previous Divinity game where they shoved violence and gore in every nook and cranny and called it cool

[Roguey]

Right wing (read: normal) person here. The trailer for Divinity shows a very clear punishment visited upon the people of the village for taking part in degeneracy, debauchery, and human sacrifice. Devoured by the evil they courted. Game looks pretty based so far and I can't wait to play it. Thanks for your concern.

HQ status: told

[rusty_shackleford]

Right wing (read: normal) person here. The trailer for Divinity shows a very clear punishment visited upon the people of the village for taking part in degeneracy, debauchery, and human sacrifice. Devoured by the evil they courted. Game looks pretty based so far and I can't wait to play it. Thanks for your concern.

HQ status: told

why would I care what some libtard says?

[rusty_shackleford]

"uhhh actually it's COOL when you depict gay communist interracial orgies as long as a white guy gets tortured alive and a demon pops out of his skull haha!"

[Roguey]

"uhhh actually it's COOL when you depict gay communist interracial orgies as long as a white guy gets tortured alive and a demon pops out of his skull haha!"

Everyone dies.

[rusty_shackleford]

"uhhh actually it's COOL when you depict gay communist interracial orgies as long as a white guy gets tortured alive and a demon pops out of his skull haha!"

Everyone dies.

I'd make some snide joke about forcing you to watch gay porn but then they die so it's ok, but that doesn't work for you

[Roguey]

"uhhh actually it's COOL when you depict gay communist interracial orgies as long as a white guy gets tortured alive and a demon pops out of his skull haha!"

Everyone dies.

I'd make some snide joke about forcing you to watch gay porn but then they die so it's ok, but that doesn't work for you

*Evil people do incredibly depraved things and then get utterly ****** up* has been a staple of fiction for a long time.

[maidenhaver]

"we celebrate the wisdom of anus god saar. We smile bigly. Poop make happy. Very glad."

[WhiteShark]

It is possible to show evil receiving its just deserts without depicting filth, torture, and pornography in graphic detail.

[Kolgrim]

This studio is the spiritual embodiment of the Weimar republic.

[maidenhaver]

This studio is the spiritual embodiment of the Weimar republic.

Completely defeated.

[Oyster Sauce]

Everyone dies.

I'd make some snide joke about forcing you to watch gay porn but then they die so it's ok, but that doesn't work for you

*Evil people do incredibly depraved things and then get utterly ****** up* has been a staple of fiction for a long time.

So true. All of the morally upstanding characters in the rest of the game will be white and not sexually aggressive gaylords.

[Vergil]

Stupid statue stunt already making it clear they have a giga inflated budget they don't know how to use correctly.

[Envuen]

uh no thanks, I'm gonna stay with Nevernigger nights games

[Tweed]

It is possible to show evil receiving its just deserts without depicting filth, torture, and pornography in graphic detail.

Not anymore it isn't. Subtilty died a long time ago, people must be shown every drop of blood, every thrust, and every horse dropping or else they just don't get it.