Larian Studios isn't shying away from darker or adult themes in its next RPG, Divinity, which may come as little surprise to anyone who has spent time in Baldur's Gate 3's orbit. That said, while the game's debut trailer displays all of that intent in its gory glory, Larian CEO Swen Vincke says the trailer isn't actually all that shocking, because it's the sort of thing you'd see on HBO or Netflix.
Given the chance to speak to Vincke after Divinity's reveal at The Game Awards, we ask about the creative thought process behind the trailer and if any sense of shock factor was on the team's mind. You only have one chance to make a first impression, after all.
Vincke says the shock factor wasn't really on anyone's mind at all, mostly because what they showed wasn't out of step with what you might see on Netflix or HBO.
"Shock factor really was not the thing that was on our minds," Vincke tells us. "I can understand why you think that, but we wanted to make a game for a mature audience that treats people like intelligent people that see a lot of things. This is not that different from what you see on HBO or on Netflix."
Vincke adds that the trailer's contents are perhaps not what you might see in the gaming space all that often, though it's fairly on brand for what Larian typically does with Divinity – the big difference this time around is that it's being done more cinematically.
"We wanted to make sure that people understood you're going to get what we did before, but you're going to see it in a cinematic manner," he says. "It's more grounded, because it also shows a lot of grounding in how you're not seeing something super fantastical, in the way that universe is being portrayed there. Sure, there's obviously fantasy elements, but certainly not there's magic everywhere, and stuff like that."
Vincke also calls the trailer "aspirational," noting that it shows "what we want the game to look like." Also, if you're wondering why Divinity takes the creative tone it does, the Larian boss says you've "got to go really dark if you want to make the player feel really heroic about making a difference."
Divinity doesn't yet have a release date or window, though there's a solid chance you won't be waiting too long, as Larian seems keen on going down the Early Access route once again.
