Review: Divinity: Original Sin II

Divinity: Original Sin II is projected to be completed sometime in 2017. The Early Access build is accessible in Steam with a preorder. This version is obviously not the full game and may not have the same level of polish the final product will, so those wanting the complete final build would be advised to wait until it becomes available. For those wanting to get into the new Original Sin now, this build is worth the asking price. The first act of the campaign is available for both single and multiplayer modes which is easily a dozen hours of content and letting the players get their feet wet in experiencing the unbridled freedom of choice that is offered. The PvP Arena is available with select maps playable now with more coming in the future. Approximately half the skills are available across eight of the ten schools of magic. Those who take advantage of Early Access will naturally be upgraded automatically to the retail release upon completion.


Players are given points at the beginning of building their custom characters. They are automatically assigned to specific Attributes or Skills depending on what Preset was selected, but the player may reassign them. There are three points available for Attributes, and two for the Combat Abilities section, which also includes Weapon and Defense Abilities. There is one point open to assignment for Civil Abilities. Based on points assigned to the player's Combat Abilities, the player will have different Skills available to them. They may choose three of those available Skills to st


Combining a Blood Rose with an Empty Potion Bottle will create the Attar of Blood Rose. This unique Potion will provide a +1 bonus to all the player's stats and lasts until death. While the Empty Potion Bottle is very common, there is only one Blood Rose in the game that the player may obtain, and it is found in Radeka's Cave on the island of Fort Joy. Players who invest points in the Five-Star Diner talent can double the effects of Attar of Blood R

The aforementioned slight impact on our reputation for taking out those guards and subsequently taking out some rather high ranking magisters was they started to engage Fane and company in battle on sight in Fort Joy, which is brought up to illustrate how player choices impact the game's environment. Had Fane not decided to slay about a dozen magisters they probably would have remained peaceful to us, but that is part of the appeal of Divinity: Original Sin II. A player doesn't have to be a homicidal maniac if they don't want to, there are nonviolent options for getting one's way either through charm or intimidation, or alternative routes to take to reach the desired location. Doors can be broken down, locks can be picked, or keys can be "found" or maybe someone can be sweet talked into opening. This is a game that is possible to complete while killing every NPC but that's not the only or even recommended way. Up until those guards messed with my kitty Fane was using the nonviolent solution to every encounter that he could, but we were able to change our social activity on the fly and the game immediately adjusted. Interaction with NPCs, both party members and everyone else, is a crucial aspect of shaping a player's role and standing in Rivellon.

Several weeks ago I was fortunate enough to get some hands on time with Divinity: Original Sin II at PAX . That experience only gave a brief glimpse into what is offered in this build and I imagine I will feel the same way about the Early Access build when the complete SLG Game building guide is released. The predecessor was a massive choice-driven RPG that was in the vein of classic computer RPGs. The bar was set high by Divinity: Original Sin and everything that made that title so great returns here and then some. Making any definite declaration about a game's quality prior to its final release is impossible and I do not want to over hype this title to the point of having expectations it can not reach, but anyone who enjoyed its predecessor needs to keep this one on their radar, regardless of whether they want to wait for the final version to come out or if they want to dive into the early build right away.

On the note of killing magisters, combat in Divinity: Original Sin II is a complex but enjoyable affair. Battles are turn based with everyone having a set number of action points every turn. There is no finite MP meter but everything costs AP, including moving on the battlefield, and a lot of skills have a cool down period. Elevation factors into battle as well, with those on higher ground getting a damage bonus while those beneath them suffer a penalty. Trying to damage an enemy typically requires wearing away their physical or magical armor points before their vitality can directly be damaged but there is more to success in battle than just chipping away at someone's life bar. There are numerous status effects and elemental factors that can be used in battle, whether causing continuous passive damage, incapacitating foes or buffing or debuffing. Covering an area with oil for example will inflict slow status on people who wander into it, and if that doesn't sound bad enough a fire attack can be done on the oil covered surface to make everything burst into flames, setting anyone in the effected area on fire and causing passive damage for a number of turns. Should the player find themselves on the receiving end of this tactic, having someone with the ability to make it rain can remove the flames and burning status but can end up creating steam clouds, which sets up the board for a whole new set of problems.