Our review of "Divinity: Original Sin 2", the almost perfect role-playing game
The developers of "Divinity: Original Sin 2" have systematically built on the first instalment of the game and taken into account feedback from their fans. The result? One of the best role-playing games I've ever played.
The sequel to this game, which was an unexpected success in 2014, goes even further: more quests, more characters, more abilities, better graphics, better sound, you name it. Incredible, isn't it? I couldn't stop being impressed. "Divinity: Original Sin 2" spans an immense amount of space, without its developers trying to make any obvious savings. And on top of that, Larian Studios, a small but far from millionaire Belgian company that employs 40 staff, launched its game was launched thanks to a Kickstarter campaign. What it has achieved is nothing short of phenomenal!
Quantity and quality
At its core, "Divinity: Original Sin 2" is a typical role-playing game in the same style as "Pillars of Eternity" or "Dragon Age Inquisition". But while "Pillars of Eternity" compromises on graphics and sound, and "Dragon Age" on tactics and quest complexity, "Divinity" is top notch. Thanks to the positive fallout from the first instalment and the success of its Kickstarter campaign, Larian Studios has had enough resources to outdo itself. And we can already see it in the creation of the characters: 5 races and 14 different classes to be freely combined. It's not easy to choose! What's more, six original characters have remained. Short videos tell their story, which will accompany you throughout the game. You can't choose the voice, race and gender of the original characters, but you do get additional quest suites and dialogue options.
And while we're on the subject of dialogue... All the characters have a voice. All of them. Every secondary character, every hero and every villain has their own voice. It's a huge task, especially in role-playing games like "Divinity". What's more, the people who produced the voices did an excellent job. Unfortunately, you'll only be able to enjoy them in English.
Your eyes will also be served. If the first part was already magnificent, the second shines even more beautifully. Detailed worlds, monsters of all shapes and sizes, big explosions... The magical abilities and powers of the characters are numerous and impressive. For example, if you curse your enemies, a huge flaming skeleton rises out of the ground.
Ah, and you can be up to four players, online or in LAN. Even more ways to have fun!
Enthralling quests
A role-playing game is only as good as its storytelling, and I wasn't disappointed. If the first part was already captivating, "Divinity: Original Sin 2" offers us stories all more intriguing, tragic and amusing than the others. Talk to all the characters. And if someone pisses you off, punch them in the face. In theory, you can attack all the characters. The game will find a way to continue the story. You may not be able to complete your quest, or the next character you meet may be less than pleasant, but you'll keep going. The member of your four-player group you speak to influences the course of the dialogue. The undead have different access to certain themes to saurians and dwarves. So dialogue with several people, you won't regret it.
The quests are extremely varied; from burning pigs that you'll only understand if you can talk to animals (one of the best skills), to slaves and other living ships, to demon-possessed sorceresses... "Divinity" isn't linear. It generally offers you a variety of options to help you achieve your goal.
Tough battles
Battles are a central element of the game. They are conducted on a turn-by-turn basis, and I found those on the standard difficulty level very demanding. You absolutely must know and use your opponent's strengths and weaknesses. How do they attack, what are they allergic to? A poison kills some and cures others. The elements also play an important role. Oil starts to burn, blood freezes and is as conductive as water. So you can slide your opponent across it, but be careful - all the effects can backfire. You should also be careful not to injure your own players. Most of your enemies have physical or magical armour, so superficial wounds are not enough to bring them down. They can only be hit or paralysed when their armour is damaged. Your position is also an important factor: you get bonuses if you hit an enemy placed to one side from an elevated point. Careless mistakes will be fatal, and the quicksave will become your best friend.
You'll feel the strength of your opponents differently depending on your skills and tactics. I found it quite frustrating at times to always feel too weak. You soon notice that some skills are more effective than others. The environment in which a battle is fought is also a decisive factor. You can teleport your opponent to make their attacks less virulent.
There's so much to do and discover!
When you're not in battle or deep in conversation, you'll be discovering the world you're in. And it's a vast one! Let's start with the character features: the undead can pick locks with their bony fingers, the saurians dig without shovels thanks to their claws. Each spot on the map hides new secrets, new characters and captivating stories. You'll need to pay close attention and combine your different skills to solve the puzzles. As there are several ways to reach your goal, clever players will always find loopholes. The game wants you to follow its system. In the first instalment, one player discovered that he could fill a chest with items until it weighed tons, then use it as a deadly weapon by moving it telekinetically. I look forward to seeing what another player will discover in "Divinity 2."
A construction system also lets you create potions and build weapons and armour. Hours of fun ahead.
To sum up, jump at the chance!
My only criticism concerns the rough start. As is so often the case with role-playing games, at first the systems and possibilities make your head spin, especially if you're not familiar with the first instalment. Combat can be frustrating if you keep losing to the same opponent. Sometimes retreating is the best solution. This shows that "Divinity 2" still has some balance issues. Some skills are clearly better than others. While this is always the case in role-playing games, in 'Divinity 2' it really makes life difficult. My advice: don't assign more than two abilities to your characters to begin with.
You'll be really overwhelmed by the quests and opportunities available to you. And that affects your quest log too. It's hard to keep an overview and know exactly what you need to do. The quest indicators on the map are often no help to you any more, as they can only mark the organiser.
But these minor flaws don't tarnish my overall impression of "Divinity: Original Sins 2". There are so many exciting locations, fun dialogue, epic gear and battles that it will take you nearly 60 hours to get through it all. You won't find many role-playing games this complete.
"Divinity: Original Sins 2" was tested on a desktop computer. Versions for PS4 and Xbox One will also be released.
Being the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.