Divinity Original Sin II Review — Epic Old School R.P.G
Divinity Original Sin 2 is a modern-day masterpiece of tactical gameplay, where you fight mythical monsters and complete personal campaigns. Set in the fantasy world of Rivellon the scope of this game is both ambitious and overwhelming, as every decision you make can affect another part of the story and change the outcome of your campaign. This game reminds me of the old-school R.P.G’s I used to play, except with a modern game engine that kicks ass and a story that’s peppered with humor and intrigue.
My thoughts
This is a beautiful looking game brimming with particle effects, ambient lighting and clever camera perspective that makes you want to brandish a sword and behead a few monsters. You choose from a group of characters including Elf, Geomancer, Lizard, Healer, Dwarf or Ranger; each with their own backstory and campaign. You can also create your own custom character builds if you want as well. The game has a steep learning curve and extremely difficult combat that newbies may find difficult. In fact, even seasoned RPG players may find this game challenging — this game doesn’t hold your hand and I am glad.
Divinity Original Sin 2 uses turn-based combat which focuses heavily on tactical gameplay, and this is one of many areas where it shines. If you want to use a potion or spell that one of your companions has in their inventory — no problem, simply transfer it across. You can also remove characters from your party as well, just detach one of them using the rotary menu and catch ’em later. Playing with up to four friends in a split-screen couch co-op is a doddle as well; adding even more elements to the playability of this game. However, be warned you’ll frequently stumble across enemies who just want to ‘whoop yo ass’ so save, save, save.
The gameplay is vast with a dizzying amount of ways to complete each quest. There’s also plenty of spells to choose from like the Decaying touch or Pyroclastic Eruption which causes multiple oil-filled rocks to erupt. Want to flay the skin from your enemy — make sure there’s not an object blocking your path, yes local topography can cause spells to miss fire. However, if you don’t want such a challenging game, there are options to change the difficulty:
- Explorer Mode: This is an easy level for those who want to focus on exploring rather than combat.
- Classic Mode: This is the normal level that is meant to challenge the player.
- Tactician Mode: This is a HARD option.
- Honour Mode: You are limited to one save, which will be ERASED if your entire party dies.
You may have trouble controlling your characters in some combat scenarios especially when there are lots of different characters in one battle. This can become quite overwhelming at times as it’s difficult to see where you’re casting spells, but do not fret a highlighted panel located in the top left of the gaming screen shows you the active character and the turn-based combat gives you time to plan. Blood and gore are quite prominent as well with characters regularly being flayed alive or sliced like Salami.
The game’s main orchestral score is worthy of a mention which is beautifully composed with a chorus that builds to a thumping crescendo — probably one of the best soundtracks I’ve heard for a game. The dialogue is also well written, although the prose can be a little flowery at times, I guess that’s expected in a fantasy game.
Pros:
- Stunning graphics.
- Great musical score.
- Great game mechanics
- Dialogue is well written
- Great Voice acting
Cons:
- Combat is punishingly hard in Classic Mode.
- Too Combat heavy sometimes.
Verdict:
This game is a masterpiece in tactical combat and will suit anyone who enjoys this genre. Sometimes it’s combat is so extensive and overwhelming that the story becomes bogged down with it. However, Explorer Mode offers a welcome break from the chaos of combat allowing you to enjoy the game’s aesthetics instead. That being said, this game does exactly what it says it will; it’s a mean C.R.P.G that doesn’t hold your hand…unless you ask it to. It will have you glued to the screen for hours, and when you’ve completed it you’ll start it all again with a different character.
Created by: Larian studios
Distributed by: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Game play: over +100 hrs
Rating: 9/10
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