Larian Studios’ Divinity: Original Sin is a love letter to the early days of computer role-playing games, so it makes sense that the game’s extremely limited edition (under 1500 copies) is a love letter to the fans of classics RPGs.
First off, the Collector’s Edition comes with two copies of the Kickstarter success, each playable on PC or Mac (with cross-platform play). This is important, as Divinity: Original Sin focuses strongly on cooperative play. It’s an isometric free-roaming RPG during times of peace, and a turn-based tactical RPG during combat. Both players are free to wander where they choose, however, so one may be in combat while another is checking out a nearby village. It’s a really cool system that allows sadistic players to stand just outside the radius of a battle and watch their friends die.
For purchasers of the limited edition, available for pre-order at the Larian store for $US94.99, there are plenty of things to do while their friends die. For instance, they could roll the included set of tabletop RPG dice to determine if they should help, or play some Solitaire with the custom deck of cards.
They could put stickers on things — perhaps on the screen of their phone so they aren’t bothered by their companion’s calls for help. Maybe drown them out with the soundtrack CD, or spend some time memorizing the set of crafting recipe cards, used to master the game’s item creation system.
And lo, there be a cloth map, because no classic role-playing adventure is complete without a cloth map. If your RPG collector’s edition doesn’t come with one, you should just mail it back.
For those of you allergic to lengthy sentences, here’s what’s inside:
- Two copies of Divinity: Original Sin for co-op adventuring
- Digital copies of Divine Divinity and Beyond Divinity
- Recipe cards to help you craft in-game
- A cloth map of Rivellon
- A two-sided A2 poster
- A Soundtrack CD
- An Original Sin-themed playing card deck
- Premium-quality RPG dice set with pouch
- A Sticker pack
Divinity: Original Sin is now available on Steam Early access for $US39.99. The game officially launches on June 20.
Comments
12 responses to “Exactly What I Look For In An RPG Collector’s Edition”
Really you look for JUNK in your collectors stuff?
I don’t mean to be rude or to belittle ones taste but stickers are hideous things. Almost no one cares for sound tracks and manuals these days aren’t worth the paper they are printed on. (unlike ps1 era when I would always read a manual first when i rented any game).
Extra DLC which is is worthless and the free copies can be picked up for a couple $1 on steam or Gog during any typical sale. The poster isn’t really good enough to frame, the cloth map will end up in a box somewhere and both the card sets will join them never to be used or looked at again. Your phone will be more useful at looking up recipes than looking at a deck anyway.
The only thing an rpg gamer might like and then only if they are a huge boardgame nerd is the dice set, but even that has no purpose because such a person likely has the dice for every game they play already.
Personally I think its the same over priced nonsense we get shoved in our face with the 6 different copies of every AAA game that comes out nowdays. Outside of the high end statues and the like which might have value to collect/display the rest is always junk.
Horses for courses man. I love this stuff. Soundtrack CD, paper manual and deck of cards are a big draw for me.
Whoa! Get a load of this guy.
If you ask me, manuals/artbooks/novellas and collector soudtracks is exactly what they should include and make better than what they usually offer.
TL: I don’t care for them, ergo no-one else does.
I know for a fact that myself almost all my mates (see, I’m not claiming everyone here, just the people I know) love VGM. Bastion, Ace Combat series, BlazBlue are amongst other games I have gladly forked over money to purchase the OST.
What I find funny is I remember when Cloth Maps where standard with games.
Yes, and not that long ago.. I’ve still got my physical version of Heroes of Might & Magic 5, with manual and cloth map – released in 2006
And yet it feels like a life time. I guess Video Games move so much faster.
I know right?
If there’s one thing that still makes me happy in all the right places every time, it’s a nice cloth map. And art books. Love them art books.
me too. The ultima series had a great point of difference with the stuff they packaged with the games.
Yeah! I still have my ‘Black Gate’ box. Cloth map of Britannia and a Kickass Manual. I used to love the stories woven through those manuals too. (Oh Iolo, you comedian…)
I honestly think there’s a solid market for Physical stuff like this if they do it right, maybe it’ll come back around, but I expect publishers are pushing more for all digital (Lower costs and easier to control piracy)
Incidentally, i’m playing the Beta of this game. I think it’s great. If you loved the old Ultima/Baldurs gate style, this one will be for you.
A bit better than Dragon Age: Inquisition, Inquisitor’s Edition.
RPG Dice ftw!