The next chapter in Larian’s Divinity RPG franchise is looking for some funding help from the crowd.
As a new entry in a long-running franchise being developed by a well-established indie studio, you might think that Divinity: Original Sin could have done its thing without going to the Kickstarter well. And you’d probably be right – but if Richard Garriott can ask for a million bucks to do whatever it is he’s got going then I don’t think we can begrudge a request for assistance from a few guys in Belgium.
It’s been almost a year since our first look at Divinity: Original Sin, an isometric single-player RPG with turn-based combat and co-operative multiplayer. It appears much more akin to its predecessors Divine Divinity and Beyond Divinity than the more recent Divinity II: Ego Draconis (which I would consider a good thing) and Larian claims it’s the best RPG it has ever made. But with development winding down, it’d like to do even more with the game.
The studio is looking for $400,000 from Kickstarter in order to increase the size of the development team and maximize Original Sin’s gameplay potential. “Our main interest is to increase the depth and diversity of the game,” the Kickstarter states. “For instance, we want to guarantee that each quest has a meaningful choice/consequence mechanic. We want to ensure that where it makes sense, there are multiple ways to solve a quest. And when you move off the beaten path, no matter where, something interesting awaits you.”
As usual, there are all sorts of pledge tiers ranging from $5 to $10,000 and plenty of rewards to go around, and unlike most videogame Kickstarters, Divinity: Original Sin is well along and will happen regardless of whether or not the crowd comes through. The biggest risk, according to Larian, is that if the funding goal is met, it could result in a launch delay.
The Divinity: Original Sin Kickstarter runs until April 26, and you can find out more about the game itself at divinityoriginalsin.com.
