Divinity: Original Sin II Is Divine

A cult known as the Divine Order has been hunting down users of Source and locking them up for reasons heretofore unknown. The player steps into the role of a Sourcerer captured by this cult and is now on a ship headed to the island prison, Fort Joy. While en route, a huge Voidwoken Kraken demolishes the ship. The player's Sourcerer pulls through and now has to figure out what destiny intends for them by seeking out the Divine Or

Limited hands on time with the early build of Divinity: Original Sin II can only paint a very limited picture of what will be forthcoming in the sequel, but the information available should assure fans of the original that they can remain optimistic about what is to come. The enormous world and the near limitless freedom to explore it returns, as will the lauded combat system. Veterans of the original will feel at home in combat, though several improvements have been added.

There are numerous preset classes to choose from: battlemage, conjurer, inquisitor, fighter, shadowblade, wizard and several more. In addition to the preset build players can select talents such as Elemental Affinity, Ambidextrous or Picture of Health to name just a few of the many. These talents provide stat bonuses or abilities, with one of the more interesting ones being Pet Pal that allows the character to speak to animals. Origin tags contribute to the character's background and open different dialog options such as barbarian, mystic or outlaw. The player may also choose an Origin Instrument for their character between bansuri, tambura, oud or cello, and this instrument may play automatically during certain parts of the game.

On the note of killing magisters, combat in Divinity: Original Sin II is a complex but enjoyable affair. Battles are turn based with everyone having a set number of action points every turn. There is no finite MP meter but everything costs AP, including moving on the battlefield, and a lot of skills have a cool down period. Elevation factors into battle as well, with those on higher ground getting a damage bonus while those beneath them suffer a penalty. Trying to damage an enemy typically requires wearing away their physical or magical armor points before their vitality can directly be damaged but there is more to success in battle than just chipping away at someone's life bar. There are numerous status effects and elemental factors that can be used in battle, whether causing continuous passive damage, incapacitating foes or buffing or debuffing. Covering an area with oil for example will inflict slow status on people who wander into it, and if that doesn't sound bad enough a fire attack can be done on the oil covered surface to make everything burst into flames, setting anyone in the effected area on fire and causing passive damage for a number of turns. Should the player find themselves on the receiving end of this tactic, having someone with the ability to make it rain can remove the flames and burning status but can end up creating steam clouds, which sets up the board for a whole new set of problems.

Divinity: Original Sin II is projected to be completed sometime in 2017. The Early Access build is accessible in Steam with a preorder. This version is obviously not the full SLG game cheats and may not have the same level of polish the final product will, so those wanting the complete final build would be advised to wait until it becomes available. For those wanting to get into the new Original Sin now, this build is worth the asking price. The first act of the campaign is available for both single and multiplayer modes which is easily a dozen hours of content and letting the players get their feet wet in experiencing the unbridled freedom of choice that is offered. The PvP Arena is available with select maps playable now with more coming in the future. Approximately half the skills are available across eight of the ten schools of magic. Those who take advantage of Early Access will naturally be upgraded automatically to the retail release upon completion.

The character creation process has received a massive overhaul. The player is no longer restricted to only playing as a human as Divinity: Original Sin II offers the option of also playing as a dwarf, elf, lizard, or undead. Each of these races has their own unique ability. For example, an elf can gain the memories of another individual through the simple act of cannibalism. So if you happen to stumble across a corpse, grab that severed limb, liberally apply some seasoning and let the elf party member chow down to unlock some of their memories. Dead men do tell tales, and they are also delicious part of a balanced diet.


Perhaps players want to throw caution to the wind and create a team that consists entirely of melee or ranged characters, even though each of those will present unique challenges. Some players prefer to go all-in on one damage type, whether it be physical or magic. It can make some battles harder, but the overall experience more enjoyable. Some prefer to min/max their characters and party. If the player is unhappy with their builds, they can change the specs of the characters later on in Divinity Original Si