For people who've gotten far in the game; Just *how* good is the story and characters? I've never played Baldurs Gate so I don't understand the comparisons. My first entry into RPGs was KOTOR, and so I've never gotten used to isometric games. They seem very outdated to me, but a good story is a good story, and I don't think a game should be dismissed because of lower production values.
I bought Torment. ToN, and I couldn't get into the story at all. I kinda fear it will be the same with Divinity- That's why I never played the first. I just find it difficult to really get immersed when its just a text book with far away character models that are not very detailed, compared to say a Mass Effect.
I heard that everything is well voice voice acted in DOS2 so that's a big allure thou. There is a big difference between production values in text-box adventures, and text box adventures with voice acting. The latter can add a lot of additional weight and emotion with good voice actors
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The game has gotten insane reviews, but most reviews I've seen talk about mechanics and combat, and not so much on story.
I have never, ever been a fan of isometric RPGs, but this game is just fucking flat-out amazing.
I only bought it because of the insanely high reviews. Playing with a controller is wonderful and makes all the difference for me. I never liked point-and-click movement, so having full control over my characters helps a ton.
I couldn't get into Pillars of Eternity or other isometric RPGs because they weren't immersive enough, lacking substantially voiced dialogue and dishing out lore-heavy stories that required just too much investigating and reading to fully flesh out.
That is not the case with Divinity: Original Sin 2. Every line of dialogue is voiced, and all the stories in the main quests and side quests have thus far been incredibly interesting and compelling. I've been moved, laughed out loud, and glued to this game since I started playing it.
It's a magical gaming experience. You feel like your actions have permanence in this world. Corpses of fallen enemies don't regenerate. They remain in their fallen states tens of hours later, complete with the elemental effects that felled them (electricity, fire, poison, etc.). Characters in the world respond to your decisions. The game is refreshingly off the rails and allows you to approach situations in so many different ways, each solution carefully calibrated so as not to feel slighted or dialed in.
It's a game whose world and characters are alive in a way that so few games I've ever played have accomplished. There is a genuine feeling of mystery and discovery around every corner, in every cave, or maybe just in the dirt itself (bring a shovel or lizard). The story shapes so cleverly around your actions and decisions, seamlessly.
Tactile is the best way to describe it. You loot items similarly to Skyrim. There are animations when barrels, coffins, or cabinets are ransacked. And every single item has a physical presence in the world and is used for decoration also. Bread, beer, grapes, carrots, weapons, armor, just everything appears as a physical thing that can be thrown, hidden, or just left on the ground to remain permanently unless you decide to pick it up again.
If you can't pick a lock on a chest, destroy it and its contents with actually come spilling out on the ground for you to pick up.
The voice acting and writing are top-tier and emotionally driven. The environments are beautifully realized with gorgeous graphics and stunning art direction. The combat is fantastic, and I'm not even a fan of turn-based games in the slightest.
Basically, this game has single-handedly made me examine my feelings on this genre as a whole.
I think it is a masterpiece and without question the best game I've played this entire year.
Nier: Automata is sublime. Breath of the Wild is messy and glorious but begins to show its limitations and seams after a while. Persona 5 is remarkable. Horizon: Zero Dawn is stunning. Destiny 2 is great fun but nothing more.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 is something else. It's just pure gaming magic. You poke it, and it pokes back in unexpected ways, sometimes hours and hours after a previous decision or action. It constantly surprises and delights in the grandest and simplest moments. It unfolds in intricate layers and never cracks despite moving so many pieces behind the scenes to accommodate player agency and discovery.
It's the best game I've played since I can't remember when.
Seriously, check it out. I doubt you'll regret it.
