Larian Comments on Whether You Need to Play the Old Divinity Games Before the New One

Larian Studios has shared that players don’t necessarily need to dive into the previous Divinity games to enjoy the new one, but playing at least a couple won’t hurt either. The Divinity series of role-playing games debuted in 2002 with Divine Divinity, the second project by the relatively young Belgian development studio. The critically acclaimed franchise currently includes six titles, with a seventh on the way. And the most recently released, Divinity: Original Sin 2, is one of the highest-rated role-playing video games of all time.

With all that history, there’s definitely a lot of lore and backstory already established. Set in the fantasy world of Rivellon, the games are loosely interconnected but take place across different time periods, sometimes separated by centuries. As such, some of the characters, events, locations, and themes are recurring, and this robust compendium has those who are excited about the upcoming Divinity wondering if they need to play the old games before jumping into it.

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“No, We Don’t Want to Make the Same Game” Larian Responds to Divinity’s Baldur’s Gate 4 Expectations

Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke acknowledges some players may expect Divinity to effectively be Baldur’s Gate 4 but says that won’t be the case.

Should You Play the Older Divinity Games?

Larian founder Swen Vincke had a chat with GamesRadar+ on the topic of a crash course in the previous Divinity games, saying both yes and no. And it all starts with Baldur’s Gate 3 since gamers who enjoyed the co-op multiplayer or tactical combat, says Vincke, should definitely give Divinity: Original Sin 2 a try, as it laid the blueprint for what would eventually become BG3. Its 2014 prequel, Original Sin, would also be good to jump into, although it doesn’t have the companion system the two most recent games do.

According to Vincke, gamers who enjoyed Larian’s 2023 award-winning RPG for its “cinematic narrative experience” should only dive into the older games if they’re interested in the lore. Here, the developer is presumably talking about Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2, which were not developed by Larian and take place in the Forgotten Realms’ Faerun, a completely different universe from that of the Divinity games. And, of course, anybody who hasn’t yet will probably also want to immerse themselves in Baldur’s Gate 3 before Divinity is released, not only because the game earned numerous accolades for a reason, but because the upcoming RPG’s gameplay is expected to be similar, including co-op multiplayer.

Larian Studios’ Divinity Games So Far

So, as Vincke says, it’s not necessary to run through all of the Divinity games in preparation for the new game, though those who have played the previous titles will recognize some of the lore. Elements of the first Divinity game will be “referenced properly inside of this Divinity,” stated Vincke in the interview. Aspects of Ego Draconis and The Dragon Knight Saga, which refers to Divinity 2, will also appear in the upcoming release. However, continues the developer, they form the backdrop or history of the new Divinity and helped shape its world. So for those who have spent time with the franchise, elements from prior games will be recognizable, but being familiar with them is not a prerequisite for enjoying the new game.

In fact, Vincke warns gamers who are planning to play those first few Divinity titles that “they’re a bit outdated by now. They are quite old.” That is indeed something to keep in mind. For that reason, it might be best to begin by playing the games backward. Though they are tied together, it’s not necessary to consume them in order. It may prove a good idea to jump in with the newest first and then keep progressing back in time until the graphics, gameplay, or tech stops being palatable.

It’s also important to keep in mind that the gameplay experience will noticeably change the further back in time one goes. Larian experimented with different gameplay styles and mechanics for its Divinity games over the years. Transitioning from hack-and-slash RPG action a la Diablo, the turning point came with Divinity: Original Sin in 2014, which revived the series with the turn-based tactical combat and cooperative play that many gamers now associate with Larian titles. But for anybody intending to dive in and see how far back they can go, all of the Divinity games are currently on sale on multiple platforms, and Larian also recently released a free current-gen upgrade for Divinity: Original Sin 2 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.