Divinity: Original Sin II - Review @ GameBanshee

[HiddenX]

GameBanshee has reviewed Divinity: Original Sin II:

Divinity: Original Sin II Review

Introduction
Divinity is a long-running series of video games created by Belgian developer Larian Studios that began in 2002 with the original Divine Divinity. Over the years, it went through multiple changes and even switched genres a couple of times, until it finally grew its beard, so to speak, in Divinity: Original Sin. With the debut of Original Sin, the series went squarely down the turn-based RPG path, including a focus on cooperation and a high degree of freedom. And now, after a successful Kickstarter campaign and a year in Early Access, the latest chapter in the long-running series, Divinity: Original Sin II, has officially been released.

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Conclusion
They said it couldn't be done. They said it was just nostalgia talking. They said we were just easily impressionable kids and/or grognards, and that was why we enjoyed those old RPGs so much. And before Divinity: Original Sin II, there was some truth to these faceless nay-saying claims. Even when I enjoyed RPGs in recent years, I always had to admit that they could never quite reach that bar set by the games that came out 15-20 years ago. But not anymore.

Original Sin II is not a perfect game, not by a long shot. But even with those imperfections, it's still a shining example of what a modern RPG should be.

Yes, there are some bugs, some quests are janky and rough around the edges, and some of the mechanics make little sense. But a classic like Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura has all those things, too. And you know what? None of that has stopped Arcanum from becoming one of my favorite games of all time, and as a result, I can't help but proclaim Larian Studios' Divinity: Original Sin II one of the finest RPGs of all time, as well.

As I write this, I'm thinking of starting a new play-through, co-op perhaps, seeing what else the game has to offer, trying new things, and once again immersing myself in the magical world of Rivellon. And that, in my mind, is the mark of a great RPG.

More information.

 

[you]

The funny thing is that this is not yet the mother of all rpg that swen has talked about for years. Er I mean he has stated this is not that game. I'm not sure what he wants to do but it sounds like 1000 hour game with a massive world that is many times larger than divinity or maybe he just doens't know what his final vision holds. Maybe someone should ask him next time there is an interview ?

 

[Mrozie]

AFAIK Swen was always a big fanboy of Ultima series, so he may want to step in this direction with his next game, I guess.

 

[JDR13]

I'd like to see him go back in the direction of Dragon Knight Saga. Give us Divinity III.

 

[Silver]

I would like to see Larian take on a science fiction setting. No-one has done a science fiction crpg to dos 2 standard yet.

 

[Maylander]

I'd like to see him go back in the direction of Dragon Knight Saga. Give us Divinity III.

I would like to see Larian take on a science fiction setting. No-one has done a science fiction crpg to dos 2 standard yet.

While I'd no doubt enjoy a sequel to D: OS2, I'd find both of these options more interesting.

 

[duerer]

Hmm, interesting.
Haven't checked OS2 yet, but these comments suggest that the HC community is not that pleased with it. More of the same? Impossible expectations?
Am genuinely curious.

 

[Maylander]

Hmm, interesting.
Haven't checked OS2 yet, but these comments suggest that the HC community is not that pleased with it. More of the same? Impossible expectations?
Am genuinely curious.

I think most are very happy with it. I do some reading over at the official forums and the Codex as well, and while most agree there are flaws, the general consensus is that it's a very good game.

What's strange is that the hardcore are seemingly not as overwhelmed by it as the more mainstream media. I find that rather odd.

Edit: Here's a pretty good indication:
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/so-how-do-we-rate-d-os-2.118398/page-6

That pretty much sums up the vibes I've been getting most places.

 

[duerer]

What's strange is that the hardcore are seemingly not as overwhelmed by it as the more mainstream media. I find that rather odd.

Exactly.
Also, this is the first heavyweight RPG in recent years that somehow left me cold when announced.
Since I'm an analyst mind, I'm in Piter de Vries mentat mode now, and try to understand my lack of enthusiasm by comparing to others.

 

[joxer]

Edit: Here's a pretty good indication:
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/so-how-do-we-rate-d-os-2.118398/page-6

Stop planting cuckoo eggs in this nest!
I almost clicked on it unintentionally.

 

[Maylander]

Stop planting cuckoo eggs in this nest!
I almost clicked on it unintentionally.

Haha, it's just a poll. Can ignore the comments and just look at the results.

 

[Drithius]

What's strange is that the hardcore are seemingly not as overwhelmed by it as the more mainstream media. I find that rather odd.

Well, it's a casual game, through and through:

• Diablo randomly generated loot.
• Inflated, exponentially increasing power numbers (HP, damage, armor, etc).
• Unlimited respecs and travel to anywhere at any time make for exploration that is free from any consequence.
• Physical/magic armor system completely trivializes or negates what should otherwise be hazardous effects. The same hazards that Larian spent so much time talking about.

At the end of the day, it just has a very conscientiously casual design. And reviews great because of it. But a hundred continuous hours of this design is really starting to make me ask, "is it over yet?"

 

[booboo]

Well, it's a casual game, through and through:

• Diablo randomly generated loot.
• Inflated, exponentially increasing power numbers (HP, damage, armor, etc).
• Unlimited respecs and travel to anywhere at any time make for exploration that is free from any consequence.
• Physical/magic armor system completely trivializes or negates what should otherwise be hazardous effects. The same hazards that Larian spent so much time talking about.

At the end of the day, it just has a very conscientiously casual design. And reviews great because of it. But a hundred continuous hours of this design is really starting to make me ask, "is it over yet?"

I always think of casual as "candy crush saga" or something requiring no (little) planning and simple button mashing. That was not my experience of D:OS2…however, all the things you mentioned bugged me about the game. I never used the respec mirror - and probably suffered somewhat since my build was not always 'sensible'. I think my biggest issue was the armour system - I prefer having innate resistances (through high stats) rather than relying on armour to give complete immunity until its gone (with some rare exceptions like rupture tendons). I tended to be stripped of my armour very soon though, which left me 100% vulnerable to effects like charm and so on. Sure, I exploited that too - but I didn't like the concept. I like the idea of say a high int/wits or whatever giving you high resistance to say a charm effect. Still, despite these gripes I enjoyed the game a lot.

 

[duerer]

Still, despite these gripes I enjoyed the game a lot.

Compared to the original's super light, super silly and super forgettable plot, how about the sequel's?
Is it…
- bad comedy (Original Sin / Dragon Commander)
- good comedy (Beyond Divinity)
- or just bland (Divinity 2)?

I think the story could be the only motivation for me ATM to get started with this game.

 

[Drithius]

The story is trite but overall ok (and an improvement on the prequel's). The biggest detriment to the story is that the game is so chock full of filler content that you gradually become fatigued by the ponderous nature of the game and lose interest in any narrative.

 

[daveyd]

The filler content in D:OS is what is deterring me from buying this game. It seems like Larian has fallen into the trap of "bigger is always better". I know some people drool at the mere mention of "100+ hours" of gameplay, but I'll take quality over quantity. I would rather have a shorter RPG that I can replay several times with some significant changes based on choices I make than play some massive "open world" full of trash encounters and fetch quests. I never finished the first game and just feel no desire to go back to it.

I'll maybe pick it up on sale some day but definitely am not dropping $45 on it.

 

[Drithius]

Well, just because it's filler content doesn't necessarily mean it's bad quality. Just the opposite in the case of D:OS2. The side quests are original and they don't typically hold your hand. The problem is that there are simply too many of them; you're practically tripping over content and, while that can be exciting at first, it really became quite fatiguing for me.

There is indeed a narrative that plays out, but it gets buried underneath a mountain of branching npc story arcs. And vendor reloading. Lots of vendor reloading. Yay RNG.

 

[Dasale]

Compared to the original's super light, super silly and super forgettable plot, how about the sequel's?
Is it…
- bad comedy (Original Sin / Dragon Commander)
- good comedy (Beyond Divinity)
- or just bland (Divinity 2)?

I think the story could be the only motivation for me ATM to get started with this game.

Story is more for casual players, that's making video games more an entertainment product for a massive market.

BD bored me, DOS unbalanced the writing with an obsession for humor, but I don't see the problem with DD and D2.

 

[GabrielMP_19]

The best RPG of all time could be released today and most hardcore gamers would hate it and say it was either casual bullshit or a broken piece of shit. I did not play DOS2 yet, but it's clear to me that most hardcore fans wear nostalgia glasses all the time. I do. Fallout 1 was completely unbalanced and somewhat broken in some of its parts (like the Glow, which could destroy your save file forever), but it is the best RPG of all time to me. Quality is very much linked to perception and it is impossible to find perfect games.

My impression without playing is that DOS2 is a non-hardcore game that is very well made... like tons of other RPGs released in the last five years.

 

[Drithius]

Your impression without playing, eh? Well, that's valuable indeed.