I've only poured about 13 hours into Divinity: Original Sin 2, which is barely a dent in what is quickly proving to be one of the best games of 2017. But even in that time, the freedom that it grants the player bests even most open world games with how it presents so many different outcomes and solutions to its many encounters. To be clear, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is not an open world game, but a CRPG with controlled simulations in its environments, enough to lure many a D&D fan into its grasp and never let go.
Reviews for the game have gradually come out, as review copies did not go out ahead of launch, so scores are still coming in. But it's worth taking a look at the early word around the internet about Divinity: Original Sin 2, and why it's probably better than whatever you're playing right now.
Divinity: Original Sin II is not only a contender for best game of 2017, but one of the best RPGs ever created. The game could easily take a hundred hours to complete and the interplay between the well-constructed story, gameplay mechanics and player freedom creates a world I could see myself revisiting with different parties just to watch the story unfold differently. Simply put, Divinity: Original Sin II is truly divine.
The game gives you complete freedom to do and go whatever and whenever you want — but be wary, for the game also is never afraid to introduce you to the consequences of your actions. Want to murder an innocent shopkeeper? You are fully able to do so, but nearby guards won't hesitate to draw their blades on you in turn. Think you can haggle with a merchant? Give it a shot, but don't be surprised when they become annoyed of your lowballing.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 is one of the greatest PC RPGs of all time, and Larian’s continued dedication to creating incredible freeform adventures inspired by tabletop lineage is inspiring and commendable.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 may have been designed in the spirit of decades-old RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 2, but that legacy serves only as a foundation for the expansive game Larian has built on top of it. Few other RPGs allow such a wide range of flexibility while also supporting rewarding combat and a powerful story, all in a world that feels alive in the ways it reacts to you and goes about its business without you.
My plans don’t always succeed, of course, but embarrassing failures, like the time I froze my entire party during a fight with some demons, can be just as entertaining. That freedom to experiment and to make mistakes is present right from the get-go, when you make your would-be hero. Or villain.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 is available now on PC.
