Divinity: Original Sin 2

The World of Rivellon: Dark, Funny and Alive

Rivellon is one of gaming's great settings precisely because it refuses to take itself entirely seriously while also refusing to be trivial. It's a world of skeletons that tear the faces off people and wear them like masks so they can fit into polite society; a world of elves that lick your arm to learn about your vices, then eat corpses for the rest of the delicious story; where you can talk to cats and dogs (with the right perk) to round out this sordid tale. The writing balances absurdist humour with genuine gravitas, a rare skill that Larian would carry forward into BG3. Dialogue frequently hits the sweet spot between comic and serious, and the world reacts to who you are: an Undead character is treated differently to a Lizard, who is treated differently to an Elf. Race and origin carry real in-world consequence.

Combat: Layered, Punishing, and Deeply Satisfying

The combat system is where DOS2 earns its reputation and its most honest criticism simultaneously. It is turn-based and tactical, built around action points, armour types, and an elemental interaction system of extraordinary depth. It's an impressive system, someone's on fire? Douse them with water. Enemies are standing in a puddle? Blast them with lightning. Poison can be set alight. Steam from water and fire can obscure vision. Ice surfaces cause slipping. Every spell and action has environmental consequences that cascade in unpredictable ways.

The honest caveat: the game is huge in terms of tactical layering, there's a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors going on that's more like Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lightning, Poison, Steam Burns, Gale-Force Winds, and Die in a Fire. That depth is the game's greatest strength and its steepest barrier. DOS2 does not ease you in gently. The opening hours on Classic difficulty (the intended experience) can feel punishing to the point of confusion. There's a Story Mode for players who want to prioritise narrative over combat challenge, it's not a lesser experience, it's just a different one, and newer players should feel no shame starting there.

One recurring criticism worth flagging honestly: the final quarter of the game loses momentum, fights become gimmick-heavy, the pacing slackens, and the story threads that were compelling for 60 hours start to fray. It doesn't undo the excellence of what came before, but it's a real observation rather than nitpicking, and worth knowing going in.

The Origin Characters, DOS2's Secret Weapon

You can create a fully custom character, but the six pre-written Origin characters are DOS2's most underappreciated feature. Each is blessed with a long mission that runs parallel to the main quest, fleshing it out and making the stakes more personal, they also tend to get the best lines, especially the undead Eternal Fane, whose biting sarcasm keeps reviewers warm at night. The Origin characters you don't select as your main character become recruitable companions, meaning you experience their storylines from a different perspective. Playing the game twice, once as a custom character, once as an Origin, reveals entirely different layers of the same story.