Divinity: Original Sin II - Preview Roundup

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Here is a list of previews for Divinity Original Sin 2.

RPGCodex has a preview and an interview.

Instead, let's talk about the new additions and changes to the formula. D:OS 2 seems to have been fine-tuned and expanded in every aspect of its design; it's been massively improved in comparison to the prototype I played last year. Even some of Larian's most outrageous ambitions seem to have been successfully implemented. The tags and origins systems, for example, have transformed character creation into an even more complex experience and brought a staggering amount of reactivity to the game. When you make your character (only one this time), you can choose from a range of races (Human, Elf, Dwarf, Lizard in the Early Access version; Undead will be unlocked later) and pre-written origins (currently four, from exiled prince to vengeful former slave). Each of these selections will add a "tag" to your character, and this tag is then frequently (!) checked during character interactions.​

Rock, Paper, Shotgun:

As I was sitting next to another journalist playing the game, I was treated to the rather horrifying image of his party killing my elf when they encountered her half an hour into the session. We were playing singleplayer rather than working together, and almost every time I glanced across at his screen, I saw a different approach to a problem I'd already encountered or an area that I hadn't discovered. Whether intentional or not, having the two screens side by side was a perfect way to illustrate the ways in which a relatively small area can contain such a diversity of options and experiences.​

Videogamer:

"More stuff" isn't the only change. The turn-based combat system has been rebalanced, with the distribution of action points to expenditure being dramatically altered. The practical result of this is being able to do more per turn. It's a lot more dynamic than the first game's stop and start combat, and the system now takes terrain into account, meaning that gaining a height advantage over your enemies is possible. The elemental, er, element is preserved, with cold, heat, electrical and poison spells being able to interact, often with spectacular results.​

PCWorld:

And whether you engage with any of the multiplayer nonsense? That's up to you. Personally I like having more control over my stories-doing every quest, seeing every story-than multiplayer allows. But it's a hell of a lot of fun to run on the side, like getting together for tabletop Dungeons & Dragons (or Pathfinder or whatever runs to your specific tastes) and seeing how it all goes wrong. A trainwreck in slow motion.

Just make sure you either play it with your best friends or complete strangers, because you're bound to get angry when in the midst of mopping up some low-tier enemies your "friend" shoots a massive fireball into a crowd, setting your newly-found AI party member on fire. Then you'll hear, "Uh...I think you guys are out of resurrection scrolls," meaning your would've-been-pretty-useful party member is left to rot on the dungeon floor.​

Eurogamer:

The embedded video edits my hours-long escape from the prison camp area into a more digestible 33 minutes. What you won't see in the video are the new Curse and Bless abilities that transform surfaces, like fire, into either holy fire that heals you or cursed fire that really roasts you. You also won't see the new super-powered Source abilities that consume Source Points. I played around with these in arena PvP, facing off against Rock, Paper, Shotgun's charming Adam Smith. Who I battered. Just saying. (It was very close really.) Lovely Larian boss Swen Vincke, who waltzed around in socks when I was there, demonstrated Divinity: Original Sin 2 PvP in a recent video (also embedded) if you want to see more.​

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PCGamesN:

I've heard of these tags before. They're to do with dialogue, right?

Yeah, they dictate how you interact with the world. 'Nature' tags, based on your gender and race, dictate how NPCs react to you (for example, lizards don't much enjoy the company of elves), while 'aspiration' tags take this to a more personal level. When creating your character you can pick two aspiration tags, such as 'scholar' and 'villain', and these unlock relevant options during conversation. If you take the 'jester' tag, for instance, you'll be able to select unique dialogue that's based around practical jokes or being a bit daft. There are ten tags, and they really help you build a character that's unique to the personality you want to role-play.​