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I have been looking forward to playing Divinity: Original Sin 2 since its release on PCs last year. When I saw it was available on the PlayStation Store, I noticed something interesting. Anyone who pre ordered D:OS2 would have immediate access to Act 1. But did I really want to order a game two weeks early just to play the first part?
Review is based on Act 1 only.
Divinity: Original Sin was an amazing mix of old school CRPG mechanics, fun magical powers, and a quirky sense of humor. Best of all, was how the game invited players to interact with the environment with their various Source abilities. It was not just the simple act of mixing fire and water to make steam, but what you could do afterwards. Teleporting enemies into lava you had created, hiding in said steam, and trapping groups of enemies behind a walls of ice were just a few of the stunts you could pull.
Larian Studios promised that D:OS2 would provide more, but it was hard to believe they could. The first major difference is in the character creation. The sequel lets the player choose between six different custom characters to play as. Each has their own unique back story and all will be encountered during the game. It is up to the player to choose their character’s class and if they would rather create a new character completely from scratch, the option is there.
This is a welcome addition as the six fully voice characters hint at deep back stories that are immediately engaging. From quests of revenge to journeys of self discovery, D:OS2 presents appealing lore before the game has even begun. One of the hardest parts of the game will be selecting the character you want to roleplay as.
The game is not graphic intensive, but still is very beautiful. You start your journey as a prisoner on a boat and it is as brown and drab as one would imagine a prison barge would be. However, once the game opens up it displays how good it can look. Underground tunnels look great and there are many scenic views on high cliff tops that allow you to look over Fort Joy, the prison island you are stranded on. This is one of the most impressive looking isometric CRPGs out there.
Games like D:OS2 rely on their deep systems and tight mechanics. If they fail here, it does not matter how good the rest is. Larian’s role-playing adventure does an amazing job. Tense turn based battles will test the player’s skill and patience. Strategy is of the utmost importance and simply spamming your most powerful attacks is not an option. While you can customize your party to whatever suits your play style, team composition is incredibly important and can be the difference between a tough battle and a life and death struggle. Every victory is incredibly rewarding, while each wrong move teaches a valuable lesson.
There will be a downside for some. D:OS2 is filled with menus and text. This may not be noticeable for veterans of RPGs, but for those new to the genre, it can be daunting. The developers did everything they could to simplify the system from an easy to use hot bar to a simplified inventory screen, but it can still be very intimidating.
There were a few issues that sprung up while playing. The first came during the character creation screen. As I was listening to Fane’s (the undead custom character) origin story, his cloaked phased through his body making it look like he was holding a parasol. More annoying was when two menus popped simultaneously later. One menu partially covered the other and pressing a button removed both. These issues were more irritating than anything else but still noticeable.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 is an engaging game that will never let the player go. The characters and their interactions add to the in-depth world. The systems may seem complicated, but once learned will provide hours of enjoyment. This is a must own for all fans of RPGs and video games.
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