Review: Divinity: Original Sin II

Original Sin II is an isometric PC RPG that plays beautifully with mouse and keyboard but also offers full controller support. Perhaps this was a result of how well the controller worked for Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition on console or maybe just a preemptive move with plans for this to go to console, but either choice for control input works well. The music is beautifully composed and accompanies this fantasy setting splendidly, along with the impressive voice acting, and having this title be fully voiced was no small feat. The graphics will not push higher end graphics cards to the limit, but the design of characters, environments and monsters look great as do the cutscenes that possess a painting-like quality. The overall tone of Divinity: Original Sin II is dark and serious, but somehow manages to maintain an element of lighthearted fun and levity. There are a few humorous, sarcastic quip dialog options that pop up quite a bit and the Pet Pal talent can lead to a lot of interesting side quests and humorous dialog. The greatest moment of silliness is when the player enters stealth mode and assumes the form of a shrubbery walking around. While one probably wouldn't file this title under the humor section, it's clear the development team had a sense of humor while creating this.


Larian Studios funded the development of Divinity Original Sin 2 through a Kickstarter and hit their funding goals within 12 hours of the crowdfunding campaign's launch. After an early access period, the game launched to PC in 2017. It was later released to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and then to the Nintendo Switch. The game received mostly positive reviews and was nominated for numerous awa


Perhaps players want to throw caution to the wind and create a team that consists entirely of melee or ranged characters, even though each of those will present unique challenges. Some players prefer to go all-in on one damage type, whether it be physical or magic. It can make some battles harder, but the overall experience more enjoyable. Some prefer to min/max their characters and party. If the player is unhappy with their builds, they can change the specs of the characters later on in Divinity Original Si

Players can make Charming Arrows to sell them for a profit in addition to using them in battle. It inflicts the Charmed effect on an enemy. Only one enemy may be Charmed by a Charming Arrow at a time. Players can craft them by combining a source of Honey with an Arrow. They are not the most valuable item in the game. However, one of the ingredients, Honey, is not difficult to acquire. The crafting process does not consume Beehi


Scrolls are helpful, but they're also consumable. Players may also combine items to create Skillbooks, and then memorize the spell. Combining a Tornado Scroll with an Aerotheurge Skillbook will result in a Tornado Skillbook. A Haste Scroll and a Pyrokinetic Skillbook will result in a Haste Skillb

Origin characters are ready-made characters that have their own base personality and backstory. These characters include Beast, a dwarf who led a failed rebellion against the queen, Fane, an undead human who woke up with the world he knew long gone, Ifan ben-Mezd, a human who was a crusader who lost his faith and has become a Lone Wolf mercenary, Lohse, a star chanteuse whose body is now host to a mysterious entity who makes its presence known at inopportune times, The Red Prince, a brilliant warrior general who was exiled for cavorting with demons, and Sebille, an elf slave turned assassin who hunts her former master. While certain classes make more sense for these character's history, the player is free to change their build into whichever one they wish to play as. The Origin characters can also be recruited into the player's party, and their presence will activate origin events the player can engage in specific situations and they also open up certain dialog options. When recruiting them, changing their class is worked into the dialog so the player has a lot of customization options in their party. The player can also split up the party if they want to have someone do some sneaking around alone or divide the party into two groups of two, which is easily done by moving the portraits of the character in the upper left hand corner.


Crafting in Divinity Original Sin 2 is a fascinating feature in that some players can go most of the game without knowing it even exists. The knowledge that is indeed in the game, and understanding how to use crafting can make getting through the game a little easier. Crafting can be offputting in any series as there's a lot of trial and error involved and not always enough payoff for the effort invested. It's helpful to know in advance what recipes are going to really help give the player the edge over their enem

The amount of freedom and impact the choices have during character interaction with NPCs shows that this Original Sin II was not just influenced by great video game RPGs, but also by great table top RPGs. An homage to this is game master mode, where a player can create an adventure for a group of their friends to play. This mode is made to be as accessible as something of this nature can be, but does take a bit of time to figure out the finer points. There is a ready made campaign players can use to sample, but this is where someone can design a dungeon layout including a narrative story, various effects, vignettes and enemy placement and have their friends play through it. This mode is analogous to running a successful tabletop gaming campaign, where the SLG game building Guide master takes the time to put together a well thought out campaign and has some interested players this can end up being a very rewarding mode. The inclusion of a mode like this is very ambitious, and could almost be its own role playing game but oddly enough this came about as a Kickstarter stretch goal.