One of the best RPGs I have ever played.
I’m a pretty big fan of RPGs, have been since I was a kid. About 10 years ago, I got into Dungeons & Dragons and fell in love with the aspect of role playing using my imagination. Now, with that being said, there have been a ton of D&D video games that have came and went. I played a little of Divinity: Original Sin, but not enough to even talk about, really. With Original Sin II hitting consoles in the form of the Definitive Edition, I wanted to give it a fair shake. I can easily say this is one of the best RPGs out there and possibly the best one-to-one comparison to actual D&D play.
Players take on the role of whomever they choose. They create their very own character at the beginning of the adventure and take them through the main campaign. Original Sin II offers a selection of “Origin” characters that are designed characters with backgrounds that have their own thoughts and goals in mind for the story. These characters get some special dialog options and offer players a way to play the game through the eyes of a thought out character. Of course, players can also choose to create their own custom character that they can fully role play how they see fit. The options here are both varied and extensive. This statement can be said about the entire experience.
Platforms: XB1, PS4, PC
MSRP: $59.99
Price I’d pay: $59.99
Players begin as a prisoner of sorts. They start off on a boat set sail for an island known as Fort Joy, where magic users such as them are being dropped off to live in exile until they are “cured” of their magic. After some rough seas, the player finally finds themselves on the island and now must find a way to get their magic canceling collar off and escape the island. Of course, this is just the first probably seven to eight hours of a game that can easily last players 60 hours. To avoid spoilers, I don’t want to get into the story since this RPG is all about the story’s twists and turns, all of which are completely up to the player to experience.
That’s what makes Original Sin II so brilliant. It really is a full on role playing game. Players can pick and choose not only what to do in a situation, but what to say. With its intricate dialog system in place, there can even be times players can talk themselves out of violent situations or decide to cut the chatter and go in daggers in hand. Along with that, players will recruit other party members that have their own skills and personalities that allow for even more role playing, and what makes Original Sin II so great is that it is even fun just talking to people. It’s not all about the combat; real role playing is going on here and it is top notch.
The combat comes in turn-based battles where players are allowed to see the entire battlefield and take their time on deciding what to do, which they may very well need to because this game is no cakewalk when it comes to the combat. I played on the Classic difficulty and found myself getting obliterated if I wasn’t careful. If there was one thing that got to me while playing, it was the fact that enemies always seemed to have full understanding of the map and hazards. Granted, this was more my fault, but I found myself in situations that I didn’t even see/realize before it was too late, but it felt like that while it was my fault, I would ask myself “How was I supposed to know that was there?” or “I didn’t know they could do that.” Live and learn, I guess. Luckily, the save system is there and players NEED to utilize it as much as possible. Every skill is based on a cool down system that makes players think on what they want to use before and after a situation is resolved. All skills are based on the class and abilities the characters know, and the customization and skills are both deep and satisfying to explore and use.
Just like in D&D, every character has a character sheet that shows their class, skills, ability points, and inventory. Gaining new abilities is simple as putting points into them after leveling up, and upgrading the skills characters have can benefit them as well. Players want to be a sneaky rogue that likes to pick pockets? Drop some more points into stealth and thievery. It’s a simple system that is both fun and addicting when trying to min-max characters.
Bringing this kind of game to consoles can be a risky endeavor. If the controls are not right, it can quickly become a chore to play, but rest assured, Original Sin II plays perfectly. With full controller support, players can move characters in real time and choose where to move them while in combat, have full movement of the camera and can zoom in and out how they see fit. Navigating the menus is simple and never convoluted either; anyone can pick up a controller and have a good time without having to wrestle controls they way they want them.
Speaking of anyone can play, Original Sin II offers up multiplayer as well. Players can co-op together both locally and online. While it can be questionable how this would work, it plays just fine online. Of course, players will want to play with other people that they know for the most part. I wouldn’t want some stranger to come into my game and just start wrecking things. Or, if I was looking for that chaotic character for the real role playing experience, I could do just that. That’s what makes this game so good – the choices both in game and out of the game.
Let’s talk about the presentation. Visually, the game is vibrant and very nice to look at while the audio is where the game shines. Not only is the soundtrack fantastic, but the voiced dialog is outstanding, and practically everything is voiced, even the small narrations. It is truly impressive.
I can go on and on about how great Original Sin II is and honestly, I’d love to, but I think I have said what needs to be said here. ANY role playing fan needs to pick this game up. It has the options, the story, the look, and the feel of a truly amazing RPG, and it shows. D&D players will love the role playing aspects of it, and tactical fans will fall in love with the turn-based combat. It has damn near everything in it including co-op, so you won’t even have to experience this alone. It’s one of the best RPGs I have played in years and one that no one should pass up.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.