Divinity Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition

[AwesomeButton]

I played three hours coop on split screen with my wife yesterday. Split screen rocks, it's really admirable how complex it is and still they pulled it off with only very minor issues - only one player can zoom and rotate when you are both on the same screen, and, after you have become separated, you both have to stop moving before the game recalculates that it should stop splitting the screen when you are close enough again.

The game is excellent - the story, writing, music, over-the-top combat animations form a cohesive, cartoonishly dramatic, whole. If that whole is not to your taste, maybe you should have employed less of wishful thinking throughout the campaign, because it was telegraphed clearly enough what this game will be about.

Also, the music is miles better than in D:OS. Makes me stop and listen to it.

 

[LESS T_T]

I guess this is the first review from a (somewhat) major gaming website, Italian: http://multiplayer.it/recensioni/18...a-recensione-di-divinity-original-sin-ii.html

9.4

Divinity: Original Sin II is the perfect sequel to an already excellent game. The finish work done by Larian Studios is really commendable, as well as the most attention placed on all the most criticized aspects of the original. The result is a deeper, wider, technically improved role playing role, and now has a more interesting narrative side, qualitatively close to the level of some of the best productions of Obsidian. Do not play it would really be a crime, both for fans of the genre and for all those who love video games and do not get scared by more complicated systems than the average. So, do yourself a favor and buy one of the new benchmarks for hardcore role playing.

PRO
Vast and profound
He greatly improved the narrative side of the previous chapter
Excellent tactical combat system
Improved very much technically

CON
Maybe you could do something more to the visual style, too classic
Sometimes gambling companions lose their way through the street

 

[Grunker]

"Make anything into anything" is not "options".

...how?

No, seriously? I'm genuinely curious how this is not the case. In what definition is "make anything into anything" not literally a lot of options?

And again: there is a core class. Just pick the first dialogue option when you have to choose and you get the "core experience" or whatever. It stands out clearly from the other dialogue options.

How the fuck can you be against more options that you don't have to use..? I really, really wish other RPGs would do this.

 

[Grunker]

Also, credit where credit is due: I wish more games would do shit that is just downright cool callbacks to P&P tropes like Corpse Eater. Yeah it's not massively game-changing but what a neat idea. PoE did something similar with the Siege of Crägholdt questline. It's just pure, delightful fan service to P&P-nerds.

 

[Infinitron]

I think the kickstarter saved the company from going under

It did not, D:OS was 3 years into development and was going to come out anyway (but would have been a worse game without the Kickstarter)

 

[Grunker]

Anyone know if there's a way to make the camera stop re-centering on your characters after each action they take in combat? Means if you want to make several ranged attacks on the same target you have to edge pan after each one

 

[Luckmann]

You can re-customize your characters at the end of Act 1, even their appearances.

Can you change their classes as well?

There are no classes, only presets. It's a classless system, so you "change class" by moving points around.

 

[Grunker]

You can re-customize your characters at the end of Act 1, even their appearances.

I missed this somehow. Does it go for the companions as well? If so that's awesome news. Wasn't able to pick up Ifan before level 2 so he has a lot of wasted points.

 

[Luckmann]

spending 30% of game time on adjusting the camera.

Made extra frustrating from the fact that keybinds seem to reset on every restart, and that camera controls bound to the keyboard is all fuckey. I always bind panning to E/Q and it does wonders, but in D:OS2, the camera hangs and stops if I switch between panning left (Q) and panning right (E) too quickly, leading to constant frustration as I have to re-press to continue panning, or pan back.

And then, next time I open the game, the game has partially reset the keybinds so that if I press E, it brings up the Character Screen, which is bound on E for some reason.

If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have to "adjust the camera" at all, I'd just be panning as it comes naturally. It was extremely fluid in D:OS1 (where panning was completely unnecessary, to boot, just nice). No idea how they fucked something up that was working perfectly.

 

[Wulfstand]

Do you really have to stack either physical or magic damage? Or is that more of a requirement on Tactician? Because I'm aiming to have a mix-match of both.

 

[Grunker]

Lacrymas:

re: unique content. Dunno how much of it is there yet, but as an idea it seems promising enough.

 

[Bumvelcrow]

Spare copy now on offer in the Gifstraveganza forum. Don't dally. Also, don't brofist this message as I've already foreshadowed this offer once and I don't want to be accused of harvesting.

Edit:

 

[toro]

Got to chapter 3 and STHF.

Spoiler

Level Vitality is 200 (1% is 2, 7% is 14)
Constitution description is: 1 point would add +7% Vitality -----> 1 point would add 14 HP
Vitality description is: From Constitution: +84 -----> 16 points should add 16 * 14 = 224 HP but they just add 6 * 14 = 84 HP
In other words, the actual formula is Level Vitality * (1 + (Constitution - 10) * 7%) instead of Level Vitality * (1 + Constitution * 7%).

This is not a real problem however the shit below might be.

If at level 8 a dumbfuck like me would put all attribute points on the Constitution (aprox 35) then he could have Vitality = 200 + (35 - 10) * 14 = 550 HP.
Let add some gear with +50 HP (which is almost impossible) then MAX VITALITY AT LEVEL 8 should be something like 600 HP.

My character pumped with Constitution did not reach that number but enemies like the Gheist seem to be at "full level capacity".

Spoiler

The damage computation is similar. These fuckers are doing a lot of damage. Gheist(s) are semi-bosses but quite frequent after a point.

I don't know about other people but I simply stop having fun when the game starts throwing shit like this in my face.

Spoiler

There is a fight on the boat with 1 special NPC, two Gheist(s), two monks, two dogs, 1 ranger and 1 mage. Needless to say that the fight is not winnable when the AI is competent.

My solution was to try a couple of times until the AI failed and the enemies got stuck in some stupid routines (like walking in circle while on fire or waiting multiple rounds). It worked. That was it.

Is this a valid complain?

 

[Quillon]

Lacrymas:

re: unique content. Dunno how much of it is there yet, but as an idea it seems promising enough.

Wording got you convinced that this is a good feature? It is just little effort recycled origin content(prolly untouched) for unchosen origins in the expense of PC's controlling companions' narrative choices.

 

[Grunker]

Wording got you convinced that this is a good feature? It is just little effort recycled origin content(prolly untouched) for unchosen origins in the expense of PC's controlling companions' narrative choices.

I don't mind recycling if it's done smartly, and I'm not really sure I understand the "expense" here. Not having control is the whole point - you just get to choose whether to allow the contact or not.

 

[Quillon]

you just get to choose whether to allow the contact or not

No, they automatically start conversations and in those conversations you are that specific companion and choosing what to say.

Last time in happened; I was exploring along the beach, started a fight with alligators when I realized Red Prince were not with me, he got stuck in a conversation 100 meters back waiting for me to say things for him

 

[Arnust]

Spare copy now on offer in the Gifstraveganza forum. Don't dally. Also, don't brofist this message as I've already foreshadowed this offer once and I don't want to be accused of harvesting.

Edit:

Copy or not, what is that forum?
https://i.imgur.com/mhm6P26.png

 

[Grunker]

you just get to choose whether to allow the contact or not

No, they automatically start conversations and in those conversations you are that specific companion and choosing what to say.

Last time in happened; I was exploring along the beach, started a fight with alligators when I realized Red Prince were not with me, he got stuck in a conversation 100 meters back waiting for me to say things for him

Uhm, no. I've had two conversations of this character so far.

Spoiler

In the first (the screenshot) Sebille killed Stingtail because I allowed her to talk to him. In the second, I had the choice of fighting Lohse to calm her down or allow her to attack Saheila. In neither did I control the companion.

What you're describing is initiating conversations AS the companion.

 

[Quillon]

you just get to choose whether to allow the contact or not

No, they automatically start conversations and in those conversations you are that specific companion and choosing what to say.

Last time in happened; I was exploring along the beach, started a fight with alligators when I realized Red Prince were not with me, he got stuck in a conversation 100 meters back waiting for me to say things for him

Uhm, no. I've had two conversations of this character so far.

Spoiler

In the first (the screenshot) Sebille killed Stingtail because I allowed her to talk to him. In the second, I had the choice of fighting Lohse to calm her down or allow her to attack Saheila. In neither did I control the companion.

What you're describing is initiating conversations AS the companion.

Sebille's was not an example of "the conversations", bring Red Prince where that happened and facing the ocean move right, he'll start a conversation with someone there or bring him to underground cave, its entrance is at the end of the beach opposite way.

 

[Grunker]

I have no idea what you're talking about. The info-prompt popped up during my conversation with Stingtail.

 

[Quillon]

I have no idea what you're talking about. The info-prompt popped up during my conversation with Stingtail.

Yeah looked again, wrong tooltip There is that yeah, you can let them speak privately or not, in Sebille's case there and I encountered one for Ifan. I was talking on about a different thing.

 

[Shadenuat]

Companion stories playing via recycled content while you can just larp them yourself is pretty awkward. I was pretty surprised to see them all happy and alive to join me since I killed them all because didn't want to leave any witnesses on the ship and was playing all Sandro.

For all the undead pop outs in the beginning of the game, you just wear a hat and you're cheeky breeky. Everyone is buddy bros with you. You don't need the mask, it's more of a gimmick since you can just talk as other party members who can be any races.

Oh and you can buy an item that turns any potion into poison potion at the end of the prologue.

So far the only actually impressive thing I found is stealing & awareness system. If you steal something, NPC would look for an item and then ask if you seen anything, and you have to pass persuasion check. That might be most impressive stuff I've seen for stealing in RPGs for long time.

 

[Sjukob]

Beware the ambush at the marshes if you have a red prince in your party . You will face a tough battle.

 

[Lacrymas]

Is there a difference between the origin stories if the PC is one or not?

 

[Grunker]

Is there a difference between the origin stories if the PC is one or not?

Yes.