Original Sin 2 an enthralling, beautiful adventure
DIVINITY: Original Sin cemented Larian studio’s name as one of the heavyweights in not only the isometric RPG market, but the RPG market as a whole. Recapturing the childish nostalgia of titles such as the legendary Baldur’s Gate, Original Sin was an immediate hit in the gaming world.
Enter Divinity: Original Sin 2, an even more enthralling and beautiful adventure that builds on its already astounding predecessor. Morally grey seems to be the new black and Original Sin 2 deals with many areas that distance it from the “good vs evil” shtick of The Lord of the Rings and brings it more in line with the likes of Dragon Age or Game of Thrones. Even choosing your party at the very beginning teaches some very harsh lessons on the topics of exlusion and racial tension. Choosing an Elf in your party might make the Elven more open to dialogue, while having an undead in your posse may cause NPC’s to mistrust, flee from, or even attack you.
Another facet of the story that touches on issues of marginalization is Original Sin 2’s focus on ‘sourcerors’ - beings of magic who are forced to wear collars that culls their ability to use magic, lest they spark fear in the common folk of the world. New players rejoice: not having played the original Divinity will have no bearing on your ability to grasp the main story, as the events that occured in the first game took place hundreds of years prior to Original Sin 2, condemning them to in-game legend.
Whatever class you choose, make sure to choose one of Larian’s masterfully written origins stories for your first play through. Although you do have the option of creating a completely custom character, the premade selections to choose from are spectacularly crafted, thoroughly engrossing and often hilarious. What boggles the mind even more than the excellent origins stories are that every character in the game is fully and professionally voice acted. The sheer amount of unique voice acting in this game is just baffling.
Combat, though turn-based, feels fluid and satisfying. There wasn’t a single encounter in the game that couldn’t be solved in a myriad of ways, from clever teleportation tricks, to interactions with environmental hazards. For a style of combat that inherently lacks flow, it felt dynamic and exciting to me.
There can be no doubt that Divinity: Original Sin 2 will be regarded as one of the all-time greats in years to come. A stellar sophomore effort from the developers who seem to be unable to do wrong.