Divinity: Original Sin II

The average DOS2 experience

- Make character
- Get to Fort Joy
- Make character (again)
- Get to Fort Joy (again)
- Make another character (You definitely know what you're going for this time)
- Wow, this Fort Joy place is so in depth i keep discovering new things

16 hours later

- Make an UNDEAD character
- Get to Fort Joy

One of, if not the, best game I've ever played. I'm 14 years old and i play this with my dad since he used to be a big fan of DnD when he was a kid so when we discovered this game we were immediately hooked. On PS i have over 300hs in this game and i could repeat that thrice over. It has infinite replay ability and I'm still figuring out stuff even now. Also this game has really helped me and my dad spend bonding time together. I heavily recommend this game to anyone, before i used to only play fps games or fortnite but even still this game has been an immensely entertaining game. To anyone reading this, thank you for reading my review and if you buy this game i hope it can bring you as much joy as it brought me.

I know that Baldur's gate 3 is an overall better game because of numerous QoL features,
But DOS2 feels more satisfying in terms of mechanics and story.
Both games are way above the standard rpgs we have been getting.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is more than a game that scratches your Baldur's Gate itch.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a game many will turn to in lieu of more recent Larian projects. While I understand why, I also feel like this game is much more than just something that can fill the hole in your heart that you will feel after finishing Baldur's Gate. A solid story is mixed with fun gameplay and really charming settings. This game has a sense of humor about itself that is also very appreciable, as it adds to the distinct charisma of it. There were parts that I didn't like as much however, those things being how I felt unguided at many times during the adventure. On one hand, I appreciate that the game doesn't hold your hand as much although on the other I did find myself lost and directionless at different points.

The cast of characters that accompany you on your adventure are interesting and have their own unique stories that are fun to explore. The multiplayer aspects, while I didn't explore them for much time, were very fun. It would definitely be fun to play with a group of friends. All in all, a fun game that deserves its own reputation rather than falling into the shadow of Larian's newest and most successful title.

Cool characters, interesting story. A captivating world.
Our wizard dropped a fireball on our heads to kill a Bandit. Wiped us out, left the bandit standing, and got killed by him.
10/10.

Important Spoiler-Free Info for new players ;
1. Once you leave the starter island, there is no going back. Make sure you find and speak to ALL of the companions (The characters on the ship in the opening act) before leaving, as well as finish any quests.
2. After leaving the island, you will be on a ship again. When on the ship, it is important to choose your favorite companions to join you before leaving.
3. Very early on in the game, you want to find or buy a good shield with a Strength level of 5 or 6 and hold onto it. You will likely end up needing a low strength shield for a mage character later on, but will be unable to find one due to loot scaling based on your level.

I am brand new to the Divinity series and I would like to come at this review from a 2024 perspective on behalf of other gamers new to the franchise. I got into DOS2 after playing BG3 because BG3 was probably the best RPG I ever played in my life. I wanted to see if DOS2 had that same magic. In short, yes it does. But I wanted list some pros and cons comparing to BG3 (obviously knowing BG3 came out 7 years after DOS2) for those in my shoes.
Pros
- I liked the story here better than BG3
- VA is just as good as BG3
- Combat system is better than BG3 simply by virtue that it is a home grown system and does not have the same restrictions given that BG3 is based off of D&D 4E. The AP, memory slot, and skill cooldown based on turns in DOS2 is MUCH better than the BG3 combat system built around Action, Bonus Action, spell slot, and especially the "once per long rest" restrictions that I loathed in BG3
- Combat relies more on crowd control than bursting down enemies for big damage. Feels more strategic
- The loot is more fun in DOS2 than in BG3 especially if you are a stat junkie. Seeing "big number go bigger" on your gear is fun.
- The unique loot that has cool set bonuses and special effects are far more streamlined, and unlike BG3 you are far less likely to accidentally miss some crucial loot needed for endgame builds by doing something silly like Long Resting too much or accidentally talking to the wrong person with the wrong party member
- Respeccing your party is far easier, you can just add/remove points in specific skills rather than starting from scratch every time like you had to in BG3
Cons
- While the story is better, the lore and characters are better in BG3. Not really a con but I thought I would mention it here.
- Mild Spoiler: you have a total of 6 companions (in addition to an optional custom origin character) that you meet in Act 1, and you can switch them out whenever you please. However when you move to Act 2 whichever companions in you party ARE YOUR PERMANENT COMPANIONS and you will never be able to change them out again...and the game LITERALLY NEVER EXPLAINS THIS TO YOU. Such an odd and dumb choice by Larian here, I am glad BG3 changed this.
- If you thought the auto pathing in BG3 was bad, DOS2 is far worse. Clearly Larian did some major improvements there
- Line of sight in this game is ridiculously janky. Characters apparently cannot tilt their heads up to look over waist high obstacles or down to look below knee high guard rails. This will kill a few fight for you almost guaranteed
- Casting AOE spells in CC is a pain because the cursor usually wants to auto lock on a target
- Build crafting is far less reliant on loot than in BG3, but also has a lower ceiling since you are not using gear with broken extra abilities to combo with builds. If they ever make DOS3 I would love to see more of the unique loot that they had in BG3 while keeping the frequency, diversity, and power of generic loot in DOS2.
- While certain quest and loot lockouts due to irregular game pathing are far less common in DOS2 than in BG3, it still happens. Be cautious.
Overall, if you liked BG3 I can't recommend DOS2 enough. It truly scratches that same itch.
EDIT: after playing for tens more hours, I have some more cons
- no jumping means that for every single time the game want you to take a path with even the slightest break in the ground, you have to jump through hoops pulling our your transpiration gloves or other spells to get your party to just FREAKING TRAVERSE THE GAME it's such a bone headed design oversight
-without mods, the pack weight limit and inventory management is unreasonable. Get the mod that removes carry weight limits, it's the single best QOL thing you can do. The fact that the vanilla game, even in BG3, has this inventory limit nonsense is barbaric