Divinity Original Sin 2 is the sequel to the ever popular Divinity Original Sin game. With the success that the Divinity Original Sin garnered back then, they came back with a sequel that is better, grander, jampacked and so much more than its predecessor. Let’s dive in and explore this world of the Source.
Platform Reviewed: PC
Platforms Available: PC
Publisher: Larian Studios
Developer: Larian Studios
Release Date: September 14, 2017
MSRP: $44.99 (PHP 1239.95)
This review is based on a review copy provided by Larian Studios.
PC specifications used in playing the game:
Intel Pentium CPU G3258
NVIDIA GeForce GTX750 Ti
8GB RAM
Game Display Settings configured to: High
Resolution: 1920×1080
I have played a bit of Divinity Original Sin but i didn’t get to explore that world as much as I did but even then I spent countless hours on that one. Now here comes Divinity Original Sin 2. It’s a new world, new characters, and new classes for you to choose from. You can choose from 5 origin characters or you can create and mold your own character for a more customized experience.
I settled with playing one of the origin characters but change their starting class build. There are so many customization options and the many possibilities to tweak your characters are endless which is good for multiple playthroughs of the game since it guarantees you a different experience all the time.
The customization also extends to the weapons and equipment of your character. Each piece of clothing and the weapons are visibly seen on your character. What I find fascinating is that a piece of armor looks very different on a given character. For example, I had this face mask that looks like it has horns on humans but when I equipped it on the lizard it grew in size and it looked more intimidating than the horned version.
For those who have played the first game, you will notice that the gameplay is very similar. You get action points each round and those action points can be used to do certain actions like attacking, casting a spell, moving or looting an enemy. Battles are turn-based and it relies on your initiative attribute to determine who goes first and so on. You can also use the environment to your advantage but this also means that the enemies can do that as well. For example, you can cast fire on the ground and it will spread like wildfire, throw an oil bottle at the fire and it will explode damaging nearby enemies and allies alike. This makes each battle more realistic since you can also get damaged by your own spells or you might accidentally heal your enemies instead.
You can have up to 3 allies to join you on your quest but you can also go at it solo from the get go. And even if you do have allies, you can always unlink each character to let them move freely on their own and explore the world alone. Each of them can have different interactions with NPCs and quests and they each have their own questlines that they would follow. That makes the game more massive than ever as you can have 4 different plotlines concurrently ongoing all at once. But it can also be challenging especially if you encounter enemies in groups. This also means that each of your character can have their own conversations with NPC each with different responses everytime. Responses can be based on their very nature as a class or even their experience as a human, an elf and so on. I really like this feature because this means that any conversation can have different outcomes for each of your character. Your other characters can’t even know about what you just talked about with an NPC unless you confide in them with the details.
Your characters level up by using experience points that they can gain in various ways. You can mainly gain them through battle encounters but you can also get them just by exploring the world around you. Each new area gives a specific number of experience points and since you can separate your party members they can even gain experience points individually. There are different ways to build up your character. There’s the usual statistics like Constitution and Intelligence. And then there are skills which strengthens your usage of the elements and weapons. You can also level up a character’s attributes which are used in sneaking, thievery, bartering and so on. And lastly, you can acquire talents which provides a passive trait for your character.
The game starts you off aboard a ship that gets shipwrecked after an evil sourcerer (this is not a typo, they actually call their magicians as sourcerers since they use souls consumed from people as their “source” of magic which is aptly named the Source) escapes. You will then be transported to a town where your main goal is to try and escape it. Even though the game starts the same for everyone, each journey is definitely unique as you can tackle quests and traverse areas any way you want. In my playthrough for example, I used teleportation gloves to escape the town while I have heard of others going through a different route. You can also try to negotiate with NPCs and enemies, and if you have enough points in persuasion you might even convince an enemy to let their guard down.
You can also practically trade with anyone in the game even your enemies. If an enemy or NPC has something to trade, a trade button will be visible. You can then trade with them or barter or donate items to them if you want. Some of the traders in towns can also identify items for you but you can also identify items yourself by getting a magnifying glass and have enough points in Lore.
Locked doors and chests can be unlocked with lockpicks or a hand of the undead (skeleton key anyone?) But if those aren’t accessible to you at the moment, you can always tear them down with brute force and just attack it. Be warned though that by attacking your weapons can lose durability. If this happens though, you can always repair it with a repair hammer or by your friendly neighborhood blacksmith.
Because of the freedom that the game gives you, you can really do about just anything in the game. Had a tiff with a merchant and want all your money back? Kill them. Don’t like killing? Sneak around and pickpocket them. Just don’t get caught though or the whole town’s guards will rain death upon you. Killed someone who was important to your quest line? Don’t worry, you can always eat their dismembered parts if you’re an elf so you can see their memories. Don’t like being grossed out? There’s a certain spell that lets you see ghosts and then be able to talk to them and see if they remember anything that can help you. Afraid of ghosts? get the Pet Pal skill and talk to animals instead. Maybe they witnessed something important and can tell you instead. Allergic to cats? Check if there’s a note nearby that you can read and help you with your quest line. Like I said, the possibilities are endless and it can make for hours and hours of entertainment. You don’t want to play solo? Invite a friend over for local coop or find a friend online and go multiplayer with anyone from the world.
The game has definitely improved from its predecessor and it is more accessible to everyone. The difficulty can be raised or lowered to your liking and still you’ll get different experiences. There is even a mode where you can create your own story which is through the Game Master mode. Everything that happens in this game is tailored by the actions that you make. Everything that you do creates a chain reaction that will resonate throughout the game. Each dialogue is remembered and each encounter will be witnessed by everyone around you. So don’t think you can get away with murder if there’s a witness nearby as they will always remember.
Divinity Original Sin 2 is a fun game from start to finish. It’s a game for the people, by the people, and of the people. It’s a game that’s rich with stories that you help create. It’s a game teeming with history to discover. Items that can either hinder or help you on your way to greatness. Friends and enemies or enemies that can become friends that will impact your story. It’s a game that lets you enjoy a true-blue old school tabletop RPG. It’s a game that people will keep talking about in years to come.
