Divinity: Original Sin 2

It’s not very often a game as special as this comes out and the more I play Divinity: Original Sin 2 the more certain I am that it’s one of the best RPG’s of all time.

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Divinity: Original Sin II is a single-player and multiplayer turn-based RPG with a strong focus on strategic gameplay and a well-crafted narrative. The game boasts an intriguing story, masterful atmosphere, and plenty of humor, accompanied by outstanding game mechanics, visuals, and soundtrack. Despite some bugs and a lot of grinding, the game offers high replayability due to its pen & paper RPG-like levels of freedom.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 76,167 reviews

story9,387 positive mentions

grinding634 negative mentions

story
22,442 mentions
42 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The story of "Divinity: Original Sin 2" is widely praised for its depth, complexity, and engaging character arcs, with many players noting the rich lore and intricate quest design that allows for multiple resolutions and outcomes. While the main narrative follows a classic "chosen one" trope, it is enhanced by well-developed companions, each with their own unique backstories and quests that intertwine with the overarching plot. However, some players find the quest tracking system vague and the pacing uneven, particularly in the later acts, which can detract from the overall experience.
- “Divinity: Original Sin 2 excels with its engaging storyline, filled with twists that keep you hooked, and its strategic turn-based combat that encourages creative thinking.”
- “The story is captivating and very well written, graphics are good, music and the voice over is amazing.”
- “The game's intricate storylines, deep character customization, and innovative turn-based combat system create an unforgettable gaming experience.”
- “The story is convoluted and confusing, making it difficult to become invested in the characters or their fates.”
- “The quests are long, sometimes full game long, missions that have you actively thinking about how to complete them.”
- “The story feels sluggishly generic, practically beat for beat with games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire.”
gameplay
7,014 mentions
44 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Divinity: Original Sin 2" is widely praised for its depth, strategic turn-based combat, and intricate mechanics that encourage creative problem-solving and tactical planning. Players appreciate the variety of character builds, environmental interactions, and the ability to approach challenges in multiple ways, making each playthrough unique. However, some reviews highlight a steep learning curve, occasional balancing issues, and frustrating mechanics that can detract from the overall experience, particularly for newcomers to the genre.
- “The gameplay is extremely satisfying, rich and varied.”
- “The gameplay allows for a lot of freedom, with many possible builds, and the difficulty can range from easy to really hardcore.”
- “The combat mechanics are great, and the game is filled with interesting mechanics that allow you to strategize and think your way through encounters.”
- “I have several issues with balancing, the story, and gameplay mechanics.”
- “The game is like tabletop with a very poor DM plus poor mechanics.”
- “The gameplay itself is what makes it special.”
graphics
3,207 mentions
65 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and attention to detail, with many reviewers highlighting the vibrant environments and intricate character designs. While some players noted that the graphics may not be cutting-edge compared to the latest AAA titles, they still hold up well and contribute significantly to the immersive experience. Overall, the game's art style and graphical fidelity are considered a major strength, enhancing both the storytelling and gameplay.
- “The world in the game is vibrant and full of great artwork.”
- “The graphics are stunning, showcasing a world that feels alive and brimming with beauty.”
- “The game features stunning graphics with vast areas to explore, a plethora of weapons and crafting materials, and an engaging storyline with numerous characters to meet and interact with.”
- “These graphics are not current and are early 2000's at best.”
- “But misleading your customer base with selective screenshots and 'glowing reviews' and charging $50-100 for a game that rightly shouldn't be more than $45 based solely on its outdated graphics.”
- “Graphics are abysmal, controls are clunky, plot makes little sense, and there's nothing to get invested into as the story is dull.”
music
2,691 mentions
62 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in "Divinity: Original Sin 2" has received widespread acclaim for its orchestral score, which enhances the game's immersive atmosphere and emotional depth. Many players appreciate the ability to choose a lead instrument for their character's theme, adding a personal touch to the soundtrack. While some find the music occasionally repetitive, the overall quality and variety of tracks, including memorable pieces like Lohse's song, contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it one of the standout features of the experience.
- “Engaging characters, fantastic world building, and one of the best soundtracks you will ever come across.”
- “The music is absolutely beautiful and epic, especially the companion themes.”
- “The soundtrack, composed by Borislav Slavov, deserves special mention.”
- “The music to my taste was standard bland fantasy RPG fare.”
- “The music is boring and the game lacks the wit and charm of old Divinity games.”
- “The soundtrack feels like listening to the same tune over and over again, which is annoying.”
replayability
2,050 mentions
54 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The replayability of Divinity: Original Sin 2 is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its extensive character customization, diverse play styles, and multiple origin stories that encourage multiple playthroughs. Players appreciate the game's depth, tactical combat, and the impact of choices on the narrative, which contribute to a high replay value, often enhanced by community mods and the game master mode. Overall, the game is considered to offer an immense amount of content and replayability, making it a worthwhile investment for RPG fans.
- “The story is great, the combat is great, the (many) little details are awesome, the build customization is great, going from character creation (with racial skills/passives) to choosing a specialization (mage, rogue, etc.), then a spec in the spec (fire mage? earth mage? necromancer?...), then secondary spec etc., it's replayable thanks to this aspect of the game and the fact that you can ultimately change what happens in the game with choices of dialogue leading to different endings.”
- “The flexibility and replayability offered by this mode are a testament to the game's commitment to player choice and agency.”
- “The replayability of this game alone makes it worth a buy.”
- “Personally, it's not the kind of RPG that has significant replayability, but even without trying to 100% it, one can easily squeeze out 100-200 hours of playtime.”
- “The biggest problem for me is replayability; I can play this maybe once or twice, as the plot is memorable, and if you complete the game once, there's little reason to change, with things having little consequence at times.”
- “Not much replayability; other than that, it's pretty fun.”
humor
1,092 mentions
99 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The humor in "Divinity: Original Sin 2" is widely praised for its clever writing, witty dialogue, and the ability to balance lighthearted moments with darker themes. Players enjoy the quirky interactions with companions and NPCs, particularly when using the "Pet Pal" skill to converse with animals, leading to many hilarious exchanges. While some find the humor occasionally juvenile or out of place, the overall consensus is that it enhances the game's charm and replayability, making for a fun and engaging experience, especially in co-op play.
- “This game is an epic comedy; it's hilarious and very easy to immerse yourself in this world.”
- “From unexpected conversations with animals to bizarrely funny outcomes of your decisions, the game never takes itself too seriously.”
- “The writing is top-notch, with witty dialogue and clever humor that keeps players engaged throughout.”
- “There's a meta-quality infused into DOS2 that you can tell the developers put there to give the game a lightheartedness and a 'don't take it so seriously, it's only a game' vibe, but the result is some fantasy-ruining fourth-wall breaks and some truly baffling choices by the developers; which are not funny, ironic, or clever inasmuch as they're confounding, annoying, time-wasting, unfair, utterly enigmatic, poorly thought-through, and more.”
- “The flippant humor is not as pervasive as in the original, but it's still there, and it's still not funny.”
- “The story is a sad, unfunny joke, with few redeeming characters that actually make you care about them; there are far too many characters that are interesting at first glance but, woops, look at that, some pages went missing!”
grinding
709 mentions
3 % positive mentions
8 % neutral mentions
89 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight a pervasive sense of tedium associated with grinding in the game, particularly in combat and inventory management. Many players find the combat encounters to be excessively long and repetitive, often leading to frustration rather than enjoyment. Additionally, the game's inventory system and quest design are frequently described as cumbersome and tedious, detracting from the overall experience and making players feel as though they are grinding through the game rather than engaging with it meaningfully.
- “While excessive grinding can be bad, no grinding option can be a waste of a very enjoyable combat system with character builds and tactics players are eager to try out.”
- “There's no grinding in Divinity: Original Sin games -- in the sense that every battle is meaningful, necessary, and well-planned out by the developers.”
- “The gameplay isn't too grindy, and the smaller storylines that overlap the main storyline are fun and engaging.”
- “After a while, the combat becomes so tedious that the storyline and character development cannot overcome it.”
- “The game is a huge waste of time and life; one of the worst games I've ever played. Farming the same level in a gacha game feels less tedious than playing this 80% of the time. It doesn't feel like playing at all.”
- “The story is boring, the characters are boring, the world is boring, and the fights are incredibly tedious.”
stability
505 mentions
9 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
91 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been a significant point of contention among players, with many reporting a plethora of bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay. While some users note that the game runs smoothly on certain systems and that many issues have been patched over time, others express frustration with persistent problems, particularly in later acts, leading to a recommendation to save frequently. Overall, the game is described as enjoyable but marred by stability issues that can detract from the experience.
- “It looks great, runs great, and has a minimal amount of technical issues.”
- “Technically sound, not a single crash at 128 hours in, and it runs great.”
- “The gameplay is fun, the characters are interesting, the graphics are top notch, and the experience is pretty bug free.”
- “This is a clunky piece of shit that constantly wastes your time through glitches, unclear boundaries in battles, unclear terrain interactions, poor autosaving, etc. If you don't quicksave every minute then you'll get totally screwed at some point.”
- “A buggy, dragged out game that only got good in the final chapter (which was excellent, gotta give it that).”
- “The game is good but it's a buggy mess; bought this to play with my friend but now he has a freaking black screen and can't even play. I'm really pissed off at people bootlicking this game, I bought this game for its amazing reviews you all gamers gave it yet no one dared to mention how buggy it is due to fanboyism.”
character development
361 mentions
49 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
Character development in "Divinity: Original Sin 2" is widely praised for its depth and complexity, offering players a rich array of choices that significantly impact gameplay and narrative. Many reviewers highlight the engaging backstories of party members, the freedom to customize characters without class restrictions, and the meaningful interactions that enhance immersion. However, some critiques mention that certain aspects of character development can feel overwhelming or underwhelming, depending on player expectations and preferences. Overall, the game sets a high standard for character development in RPGs, blending intricate storytelling with robust mechanics.
- “I loved the character development in each party member (especially the Red Prince's and Fane's), and while I typically don't revisit games once I've beaten them, I'm very much looking forward to taking another run through this excellent RPG down the road.”
- “The character development has so many synergies to discover, the battles are engaging, there is zero grind, the story and variety of situations is astonishingly good, and almost every character is voice acted with top actors.”
- “The character development throughout the game, as well as the relationships between those characters, is phenomenal, and each of the main party members' campaigns are entire stories unto themselves.”
- “After a while, the combat becomes so tedious that the storyline and character development cannot overcome it.”
- “D:OS2 was too busy developing cutesy mechanical interactions to focus on plot or character development.”
- “The plot in general is interesting and has some decent surprises, but I do find the actual writing and character development somewhat unsatisfactory--the characters in this game don't exactly feel 'alive' to me.”
optimization
301 mentions
40 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many players reporting smooth performance even on lower-end hardware. While some users experienced minor performance issues, particularly in later acts or during intense battles, the majority found the game to run well with minimal bugs and quick loading times. The graphics are also noted as impressive, contributing to a visually appealing experience without significant lag or stuttering.
- “The game is extremely well optimized, looks great, there's nothing to complain about.”
- “This game is very well optimized (one of the best I have seen), I ran this on minimum requirements and performance was pretty brilliant.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, the optimization is impressive and the story is downright the most immersive and perfect game I have ever played.”
- “Game is just sadly not optimized well at all for modern hardware.”
- “This seems like a great game, but it's so poorly optimized that it's downright unplayable even though I meet the recommended specs.”
- “The last area(s) of the game are unnecessarily large (Arx) and just kill the game's performance.”
atmosphere
290 mentions
63 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, combining stunning visuals, a rich soundtrack, and detailed environments that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the dynamic and emotive music, which complements the diverse settings and emotional moments throughout the game. The world-building, character depth, and attention to detail contribute to a captivating atmosphere that draws players into the narrative and encourages exploration.
- “The handcrafted world of Rivellon is breathtakingly beautiful, with lush landscapes, intricate dungeons, and atmospheric lighting that bring it to life.”
- “The game's atmospheric soundtrack and sound effects transport you to this magical realm, enhancing the immersion.”
- “The atmosphere, music, and game-play are phenomenal.”
- “The game's atmosphere is awful.”
- “It's just sad how much of that atmosphere was lost in this game; it doesn't feel related to the first one at all.”
- “So I must admit after 5-6 hours in the game (19 hours played) I had given up on the story, not because it would be too hard to follow but because it was pointless as nothing I did had any effect. There is no feeling of atmosphere or reason to do anything.”
emotional
281 mentions
96 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with many players expressing deep investment in the characters and their stories, often leading to tears of joy or sadness. The intricate narratives, combined with a powerful soundtrack, create a rich atmosphere that enhances the emotional journey, making players feel connected to the characters and their struggles. However, some reviews note that while the game has emotional moments, it can also feel slow or lacking in cohesive storytelling at times.
- “Each companion's story is so intricately woven and deeply thought out, making it impossible not to get emotionally invested in every character's journey.”
- “The emotional impact this game left on me has yet to be matched.”
- “By the end of the game you are so heavily invested in the characters and their progression in their world that it's almost heartbreaking to let them go.”
- “A horrible 2/10 game suffering from a lot of UI issues, slow pacing including a long boring intro, save game corruption, boring storytelling that uses the most common features found in all RPGs, game mechanics that are very hard to figure out and make little sense, complex yet with almost non-existent documentation and its own launcher to make even launching the game a chore.”
- “It was very slow, with a stupid and boring story, and combat which was tedious and grindy.”
- “Top it off with another tired and boring story about the main protagonist being touched by divine power and his ascent to godhood.”
monetization
100 mentions
10 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
31 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game has been widely praised for its absence of microtransactions, DLC, and paywalls, offering a complete experience upon purchase without any predatory practices. Players appreciate the developers' commitment to providing a full game without additional costs, contrasting sharply with the prevalent cash-grab tactics seen in many AAA titles today. Overall, the game is seen as a refreshing exception in an industry often criticized for its monetization strategies.
- “No money grabbing nonsense like important content locked behind a paywall, no microtransactions, just a complete game available immediately upon initial purchase.”
- “It is also worth noting that Divinity: Original Sin 2 does not feature any of the predatory monetization schemes that are all too common in games today.”
- “It's truly refreshing in a world of season passes, microtransactions, and day one DLC to see a company put out such a wonderful game, with a very reasonable price tag, and with no strings attached.”
- “Forced trash unwanted launcher with ads for an unfinished project, come on...”
- “I used to have good things to say about this game, but it's been vandalized by a launcher that forces you to view ads for other products and tries to misdirect you into creating other online accounts.”
- “They injected a launcher after I bought the game that adds 30+ seconds between me launching the game and the game actually launching.”