• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Divinity Original Sin 2 review thread

Lanrutcon

Lanrutcon

Member
Orcastar said:
In Divinity: Original Sin 2, however, it is entirely possible, as a result of poor stat distribution, skill choices and lack of synergy, to end up in a state where a fight becomes practically impossible, without any means of making it easier or grinding for more xp, at which point your only option is to restart the game. The free respec option does alleviate this, but you don't gain access to it until act 2, which can be a good 20+ hours into the game.
Click to expand...

Aaaaactually, you can escape Fort Joy without fighting a single battle using nothing but 0 stealth and one of the many, many invisibility potions on the island. You can, in fact, reach level 5 without fighting anything except the Tutorial ship battles (and even then, you can skip one of the two fights). Then you can start cheesing the hell out of every single fight in Chapter 1. Hell, they even give you a special item with the #1 cheese skill on it in case you completely specced SIX characters like ass. Six. How you'd fuck up so badly that they all suck is beyond me, but anyway.

You've basically got 1 mandatory fight before Chapter 2 in the ENTIRE GAME which you can't solve with cunning and a handful of shit characters. That's the only obstacle even remotely impossible before respecs become free.
 
S

Stygr

Banned
Orcastar said:
Dark Souls is not difficult in the same way as D:OS2.

Souls games always give you options if you can't beat a particular boss. There are usually NPCs that you can summon to help you, or you can summon other players, which makes boss fights considerably easier. Even if you don't resort to summoning, you can always increase your stats by grinding more souls/blood echoes, which are for all intents and purposes an infinite resource. The game never stops you from progressing.

In Divinity: Original Sin 2, however, it is entirely possible, as a result of poor stat distribution, skill choices and lack of synergy, to end up in a state where a fight becomes practically impossible, without any means of making it easier or grinding for more xp, at which point your only option is to restart the game. The free respec option does alleviate this, but you don't gain access to it until act 2, which can be a good 20+ hours into the game.

TL;DR Comparing Divinity: Original Sin 2's difficulty to Dark Souls is intellectually lazy whataboutism.
Click to expand...

1- Bullshit, you have many ways to escape combat, you have CHOICES to do, you don't have to fight all game, you know, this is an RPG, not an action game, you need or better, you have to explore the world and you have a lot of choices, more than Dark Souls. You don't know what are you talking about at all. In Dark Souls you NEED to fight some bosses to progress in the story, in Divinity OS2, you MIGHT, you don't have particular restriction and you can avoid it.

And, if you dont know how to play crpg it's your problem, you have all the tools to reach and complete your objectives.
 
O

Orcastar

Member
Lanrutcon said:
Aaaaactually, you can escape Fort Joy without fighting a single battle using nothing but 0 stealth and one of the many, many invisibility potions on the island. You can, in fact, reach level 5 without fighting anything except the Tutorial ship battles (and even then, you can skip one of the two fights). Then you can start cheesing the hell out of every single fight in Chapter 1. Hell, they even give you a special item with the #1 cheese skill on it in case you completely specced SIX characters like ass. Six. How you'd fuck up so badly that they all suck is beyond me, but anyway.
Click to expand...
Sure, it's entirely possible to come with all kinds of solutions to cheese encounters and exploit the game's mechanics, but most players are not going to bother doing that and will just attempt to play the game "normally". Like I said, it's a different kind of difficulty.

Stygr said:
1- Bullshit, you have many ways to escape combat, you have CHOICES to do, you don't have to fight all game, you know, this is an RPG, not an action game, you need or better, you have to explore the world and you have a lot of choices, more than Dark Souls. You don't know what are you talking about at all. In Dark Souls you NEED to fight some bosses to progress in the story, in Divinity OS2, you MIGHT, you don't have particular restriction and you can avoid it.

And, if you dont know how to play crpg it's your problem, you have all the tools to reach and complete your objectives.
Click to expand...
Like I said, D:OS2. is not difficult in the same way as Dark Souls. Nothing you said here disproves that point. In Dark Souls you have a few simple systems that you can always make use of in order to make fights easier. In D:OS2 you have to get creative instead of relying on boosting stats until you're overlevelled. They are entirely different games and comparing their difficulty is pointless.
 
Lanrutcon

Lanrutcon

Member
Orcastar said:
Sure, it's entirely possible to come with all kinds of solutions to cheese encounters and exploit the game's mechanics, but most players are not going to bother doing that and will just attempt to play the game "normally". Like I said, it's a different kind of difficulty..
Click to expand...

I wasn't disputing that.

I was disputing this:

"...to end up in a state where a fight becomes practically impossible, without any means of making it easier or grinding for more xp, at which point your only option is to restart the game."

Which is factually untrue, since the open ended nature of the systems always allow for ways of making it easier on yourself.
 
O

Orcastar

Member
Lanrutcon said:
I wasn't disputing that.

I was disputing this:

"...to end up in a state where a fight becomes practically impossible, without any means of making it easier or grinding for more xp, at which point your only option is to restart the game."

Which is factually untrue, since the open ended nature of the systems always allow for ways of making it easier on yourself.
Click to expand...

Right, poor choice of words on my part, I should have said that it's possible to end up in a state where a fight becomes seemingly impossible, at which point restaring may easily seem like the only option.
 
C

CecilRousso

Member
Lanrutcon said:
Is Explorer really that easy? I'm on Classic, and the game stopped being hard at around the middle of chapter 2. I'm on the final chapter now, and let me tell you: if you survive the growing years your characters turn into engines of destruction.
Click to expand...

So far it is. I've only played up until the end of Act 1 since the game now crashes everytime it starts to load from that savepoint. But changing from Classic to Explorer changed the situation from getting trashed in almost all fights (had played up until a miniboss in the middle of the map), to making fights a question about time rather then skill and difficulty.

Even the last boss in Act 1 was without any major concerns on Explorer.
 
C

CrichtonKicks

Member
Orcastar said:
Dark Souls is not difficult in the same way as D:OS2.

Souls games always give you options if you can't beat a particular boss. There are usually NPCs that you can summon to help you, or you can summon other players, which makes boss fights considerably easier. Even if you don't resort to summoning, you can always increase your stats by grinding more souls/blood echoes, which are for all intents and purposes an infinite resource. The game never stops you from progressing.

In Divinity: Original Sin 2, however, it is entirely possible, as a result of poor stat distribution, skill choices and lack of synergy, to end up in a state where a fight becomes practically impossible, without any means of making it easier or grinding for more xp, at which point your only option is to restart the game. The free respec option does alleviate this, but you don't gain access to it until act 2, which can be a good 20+ hours into the game.

TL;DR Comparing Divinity: Original Sin 2's difficulty to Dark Souls is intellectually lazy whataboutism.
Click to expand...

I don't' agree at all. Act 1 really only has one mandatory fight from what I can tell and it's the final boss at the end. Pretty much everything else is optional and there are numerous paths you can take along the way and plenty of options that avoid fighting until you have the experience and gear to do so. If a fight is proving too hard for you then there are a billion other things you can do at that point until you are ready for the fight.

Starting with Act 2 you get unlimited free respecs and never have to worry about poor build or misallocated stats again.
 
S

saskuatch

Member
I can understand the difficulty gripe I usually play games on hard mode. So for divinity I went for tactician mode, on fort joy after escaping the prison I basically couldn't do any battle so well, and there was no way to respec or get more xp or more mats I hit a complete roadblock. I couldn't change the difficulty so at that point I decided to start over again. Lost like 15 hours lol.
 
D

Deleted member 30609

Unconfirmed Member
is this a continuation of the first, or standalone? if it's standalone I might jump into this soon.
 
T

texhnolyze

Banned
Berzerkiymc said:
Is playing on explorer goin to kill the experience? Classic is kicking my ass.
Click to expand...

It's hard in the beginning as level and gear do matter a lot. Try buying/stealing/picking things up, anything to upgrade your gears. But after level 4 onwards, you'll start to get the control in battles, due to more skills (especially crowd controls), better gears, and the better understanding of the mechanics. Paying attention to enemy levels is important as well. For example, if you find a group of enemies 2 levels higher than you, it's most probably you're not supposed to venture there yet.

But if you're still struggling, just switch to explorer to learn the ropes at the beginning, and when you find the game too easy later on, you can switch back to classic.
 
Sentenza

Sentenza

Member
Berzerkiymc said:
Is playing on explorer goin to kill the experience? Classic is kicking my ass.
Click to expand...
That's up to you.

It would surely kill mine, as "strolling casually while putting hordes of enemies down" is something I actively dislike in most RPGS and makes me bored of a game rather quickly.
Even more in a turn-based game with emphasis on tactical combat.

That said, if you are not enjoying the challenge no one can force you to endure it.
 
Z

Zesh

Member
Classic can definitely be pretty challenging in act 1 the first time around. However, like with most RPGs, you get a lot stronger as you progress -- there's a large power spike in act 2 after you get your key skills and gear starts ramping up. I had to up the difficulty to Tactician halfway through act 2 to maintain some challenge.
 
L

Lanf

Member
Wow, proud of my countrymen. Didn't expect to pick this up anytime soon, buuuut this is starting to be quite impressive.
 
StereoVsn

StereoVsn

Gold Member
Brandon F said:
Did Larian just swoop in and steal 2017?
Click to expand...

Would you say that Larian stole our hearts? :p

I am still deciding between Yakuza 0 and this one with Yakuza having a slight edge, but i did just pick up BOTW for the Switch. P5 takes a step back in comparison.
 
E

Eusis

Member
TheTylerRob said:
You can lower the difficulty too...
Click to expand...
I was hoping for a comment on what difficulty it was played on but couldn't find it. But it seems some of those difficulty beefs were about quest design and whatnot so maybe that wouldn't have been fixed anyway.
 
A

Aaron D.

Member
Brandon F said:
Did Larian just swoop in and steal 2017?
Click to expand...

It did insomuch as catching people off guard.

Much like PUBG few were following it closely until it dropped with the force of an A-bomb.

2017 will still go to BotW on the backs of sheer numbers and mainstream recognition, both well deserved.

But I have little trouble seeing DOS2 being referenced for years to come with the same religious-like adoration that BG2 & Planescape currently enjoy.
 
M

MisterShine

Member
I honestly can't think of another game that I have ever played that lets you cheese and bullshit fights if you absolutely have to than the Original Sin series, and the second one especially. Half of the really tough fights (if not more than half) start with dialogue meaning you can have 3 party members running around setting up the optimal battlefield ahead of time and start the fight on your own terms. You can almost always grab oil barrels around with you or make more of them, set them up around bosses and blow them to shit. Enemy AI ALWAYS chases you, so worst case scenario you can force the enemies to fight at the chokepoint of your choosing.

I'm shocked that anyone felt there was a "no-win" scenario in the game.
*I do think it is bullshit that you can't go down in difficulty from tactician, that needs to be made abundantly clear when you choose that. Also you should absolutely not play tactician your first time through unless you're 100% into a tough go*


edit:
Aaron D. said:
...
2017 will still go to BotW on the backs of sheer numbers and mainstream recognition, both well deserved..
Click to expand...

BOTW will definitely win most GOTY awards due to being Zelda (and its quality of course), but I honestly don't see how you can compare OS2 and BOTW at all. They're such completely different experiences.
 
F

FlibbertiGibbet

Member
BotW will sweep GOTY awards for sure, but DOS2 is more deserving of the crown, imo.

It's just a better game. Whereas BotW is a 9/10 or 9.5/10 title for me, DOS2 is a 10/10 without hesitation.
 
T

texhnolyze

Banned


Well, so far it's only got 28 reviews and I doubt it'll gain much more reviews from critics until the end of the year.

For comparison, Zelda and Horizon got 100+ reviews, while Persona 5 & Nier got 90+.

So yeah, it definitely won't swoop GOTY awards.
 
A

AnathemicOne

Banned
I just beat the game with a playthrough lasting a total of 133 hours (according to Steam), I have to say this is the best RPG I've played in my gaming career so far (out of my favorite of Dragon Age: Origins and Witcher 2, haven't played Witcher 3 yet). Divinity: Original Sin 2 deserves all the praise it gets. Yeah its hard/challenging and doesn't hold your hand but the tradeoff is an immersion of roleplay you rarely get with today's RPGs, an RPG that actually gets you to roleplay, combined with modern tactical combat. Definitely GotY for me and a modern classic I'll hold future RPGs to as benchmark.

Edit: Let me also say that the soundtrack is fucking excellent; perfectly captures the games highs and general feeling of a high-fantasy world mixed with gray morality/moral relativism. Props to Borislav Slavov.
 
A

AnathemicOne

Banned
MznGvlO.png


https://twitter.com/jesawyer/status/911663832732278784
 
G

gattsu

Member
TOO MANY GOOD GAMES THIS YEAR

FlibbertiGibbet said:
BotW will sweep GOTY awards for sure, but DOS2 is more deserving of the crown, imo.

It's just a better game. Whereas BotW is a 9/10 or 9.5/10 title for me, DOS2 is a 10/10 without hesitation.
Click to expand...

Yeah BotW will get it everywhere but tbh it's probably only in the top 5 this year. With PUBG probably deserving #1
 
S

Styles

Member
texhnolyze said:


Well, so far it's only got 28 reviews and I doubt it'll gain much more reviews from critics until the end of the year.

For comparison, Zelda and Horizon got 100+ reviews, while Persona 5 & Nier got 90+.

So yeah, it definitely won't swoop GOTY awards.
Click to expand...

It is GOTY... in my heart.
 
[TW]Stone

[TW]Stone

Tripwire Producer
AnathemicOne said:
I just beat the game with a playthrough lasting a total of 133 hours (according to Steam), I have to say this is the best RPG I've played in my gaming career so far (out of my favorite of Dragon Age: Origins and Witcher 2, haven't played Witcher 3 yet). Divinity: Original Sin 2 deserves all the praise it gets. Yeah its hard/challenging and doesn't hold your hand but the tradeoff is an immersion of roleplay you rarely get with today's RPGs, an RPG that actually gets you to roleplay, combined with modern tactical combat. Definitely GotY for me and a modern classic I'll hold future RPGs to as benchmark.

Edit: Let me also say that the soundtrack is fucking excellent; perfectly captures the games highs and general feeling of a high-fantasy world mixed with gray morality/moral relativism. Props to Borislav Slavov.
Click to expand...
Do you like the composer more than the previous? RIP
 
everyer

everyer

Member
MisterShine said:
I honestly can't think of another game that I have ever played that lets you cheese and bullshit fights if you absolutely have to than the Original Sin series, and the second one especially. Half of the really tough fights (if not more than half) start with dialogue meaning you can have 3 party members running around setting up the optimal battlefield ahead of time and start the fight on your own terms. You can almost always grab oil barrels around with you or make more of them, set them up around bosses and blow them to shit. Enemy AI ALWAYS chases you, so worst case scenario you can force the enemies to fight at the chokepoint of your choosing.

I'm shocked that anyone felt there was a "no-win" scenario in the game.
*I do think it is bullshit that you can't go down in difficulty from tactician, that needs to be made abundantly clear when you choose that. Also you should absolutely not play tactician your first time through unless you're 100% into a tough go*


edit:


BOTW will definitely win most GOTY awards due to being Zelda (and its quality of course), but I honestly don't see how you can compare OS2 and BOTW at all. They're such completely different experiences.
Click to expand...


Totally agree！

BOTW, in any aspect, from lore to details, can't compare to D:OS2.

BOTW is playing some mechanics, but the story is weak, and I hate the game is just a mixture of little puzzle games, if you replace the open world map into levels, it also make sense. What's the meaning of different shrines? Strong connection? No. What's the story behind you complete a shrine? No. I soon got boring after I played 20+ hours into it... DLC gets boring very soon too as the mechanics don't change.

But for D:OS2 I can play again and again with different characters to experience the world full of lore and stories and details... And the co-op experience is amazing.

I don't see much upgrade from BOTW to other Zelda games. But in D:OS2, they just make every weak point so much better in both depth and numbers.
 
A

AnathemicOne

Banned
[TW]Stone;250264982 said:
Do you like the composer more than the previous? RIP
Click to expand...

I do, that's not to say I don't mourn the death of Kirill Pokrovsky. Both composers have their own style, but I do say Slavov, imo, lives up to his predecessor.
 
D

danm999

Member
Fuck this game.

Because it looks amazing and I'm already juggling Breath of the Wild, Yakuza Kiwami, Nier Automata, War of the Chosen, Mario and Rabbids, PUBG and Uncharted Lost Legacy atm and I'm going to break and buy this too.
 
Ivory Samoan

Ivory Samoan

Gold Member
texhnolyze said:


Well, so far it's only got 28 reviews and I doubt it'll gain much more reviews from critics until the end of the year.

For comparison, Zelda and Horizon got 100+ reviews, while Persona 5 & Nier got 90+.

So yeah, it definitely won't swoop GOTY awards.
Click to expand...

I personally know 2 reviewers that are still reviewing it right now, and I'm talking about niche NZ game sites (that are both on Metacritic though)...so I'm sure it'll get plenty more reviews, it's a super long game!
 
Sygma

Sygma

Member
22 hours in and I just want more @.@

Almost done with Driftwood / Graveyard cleaning (done with the dwarves thingie),
I'm delaying the second divine ability "grab" a little and it feels like the game is handling levels over which is ... kinda weird ? lvl 13 atm

I pretty much have to do blackpits and the remaining of the map but fuck, so much is happening while simply roaming around, I'm definitely going to not keep doing that but simply one quest at a time per zone on the map

Last rpg I enjoyed that much in terms of keeping the hook in was Tyranny :>
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Larian Studios going on a "media blackout", full attention to the team's next game
News Game Dev 2
72
2K
Hudo replied
Games that you found surprisingly difficult?
2
68
3K
Edmund replied
How similar is Baldur's Gate 3's gameplay to Divinity 2 Original Sin's?
2
56
8K
Hudo replied
Dynasty Warriors: Origins | Review Thread
Analysis Review
33
2K
Thick Thighs Save Lives replied
Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 8, Due Out in 2025, Adds 12 New Subclasses and Loads More
News
40
3K
Donald mac Ronald replied
Top Bottom