Larian Studios has revealed more details about how it intends to revamp its excellent RPG Divinity: Original Sin 2 in August's Definitive Edition, and it will involve a "largely re-written" late game with 130,000 words worth of new story—the equivalent of a chunky fantasy novel.
The studio's writers have also changed 150,000 words to make story arcs tighter, the developer said. Writer Kevin Vanord, speaking in the video above, said that the Definitive Edition will "tie up loose ends" better than the original, and that a lot of the new dialogue will help better explain the motivation of various characters.
Origin stories have also been polished "to better communicate how your decisions impact" the story of the main characters, and overall, the new words and rewrites will give you a "greater sense of reactivity across the world".
Beast, a dwarven companion, has been a particular focus for the team. He's been extensively re-written, and he'll have more to say and do in the game's conclusion, Vanord said.
Combat has been rebalanced across the board, making some fights easier and some harder. "The overall experience will now be smoother and make you feel like your experience in earlier fights has prepared you for what comes later, while still offering you new challenges," Larian said in a Kickstarter update. The Definitive Edition will also add some brand new fights, including one with the giant Kraken at the start of the third act.
The edition, which will be free for owners of the original, will come with a new tutorial, an easier difficulty level called Story Mode, and DLC about Sir Lora, the Squirrel Knight, who has to stop an apocalyptic cult of squirrels summoning the Great Acorn. Yup. That'll be free for new owners, too.
There will also be a long list of balance changes—including buffs to underused skills and changes to item prices—and some new music. For more on that, and to read about all the changes, head over to the full Kickstarter post.