This one is a huge step up from the first game in the story and dialogue department. I enjoyed it much more and actually finished it. I am still not 100% sold on the series. I can see why people love it so much, because it‘s a min/max-players dream come true. There are so many crazy things you can do and try to break the game balance. It's certainly an El Dorado for creative players who love to optimize their parties to the max. Unfortunately I am not that kind of gamer. I usually enjoy deep characters and battle systems, but it can get frustrating here if you are not 100% into the systems because of some insane difficulty spikes or just plain unfair encounter designs.

So I decided to play on easy, which was the right choice and made the game much more enjoyable for me. To be honest, I don‘t like the rather slow turn-based-battle-system with the constant status changes and physics that much. It can be confusing and unclear what happened and the controls and camera can get a bit fiddly. Another problem is that the last act really falls apart. Quest lines become super-unclear and there are some overly hard and frustrating battles. I also don‘t like how the game is divided into acts and how you can‘t go back to former acts and areas. Missed some quests on that island? Well, that‘s your problem. And they really need to overwork the user interface. The inventory system is a huge mess. Nevertheless I enjoyed my time with the game. Especially the first half of the game is great.

I recently completed Divinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition after pouring over 100 hours into it. I started with a dual lonewolves build but eventually switched to a 4-party setup with Ifan, Lohse, Sabille, and Fane. The game proved to be challenging yet addicting—I played on classic difficulty but switched to explorer when Fort Joy became too daunting. The game heavily relies on player creativity, offering countless ways to overcome challenges, whether through strategic planning or clever cheese tactics like collecting oil barrels for upcoming fights or abusing teleportation.

One of the game's strengths is its freedom for respec, allowing me to experiment with different builds and synergies between party members. However, the equipment scaling issue—where finding gear appropriate for my level was a struggle due to random drops—and the flawed implementation of the crafting system were notable downsides.

I thoroughly enjoyed the game's lore, especially revelations about the truth behind the seven gods, the God King, Fane, demons, Lucian, and more. The morally gray characters and their desperate struggles added depth to the story, surpassing the original Divinity: Original Sin in my opinion. However, the game's narrative suffered due to limitations imposed by the player character's choices. For example, being unable to hear Fane's conversations with other Eternals within the same party felt like a missed opportunity.

The need to replay the game multiple times due to missed storylines related to non-party characters killed before Act 2 was frustrating. Additionally, the endings felt flat, reminiscent of Fallout slides but lacking the impact.

Despite its flaws, Divinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition captures the essence of old-school RPGs with improved writing and storytelling. Its gameplay shines as one of the best in the turn-based genre, even if the narrative feels lacking at times.

This game is every bit as good as people say it is. The story, the lore, the gameplay, all thoroughly polished. It was my first CRPG, and it kick-started a love for the genre in me. I cannot recommend enough that you play it.

The game does have a steep learning curve tho. There are so many things you need to keep track of that it might take a while for you to feel comfortable. You'll start winning a lot more battles more easily once you understand all options available to you. Also, the last act has a massive difficulty spike right at the beginning - prepare well.

As a newcomer to this style of isometric, turn-based RPGs, I was a huge fan of D:OS1. I am an even bigger fan of this sequel.

The story, characters, side quests, personal quests - all of these come together in an absolutely beautiful way from start to finish. The overarching plot is phenomenal with so many twists and turns that it would be very difficult for any individual player to predict all of them. (You don't need to have played the previous game to understand what's going on, but it will certainly boost your experience to notice all the fun callbacks. It's humorously ironic that in the first game, the main characters were Source hunters, and in this one they are Sourcerors!)

But what sets this game apart from all other RPGs is its tactical combat. I played through the whole game on Classic (the second highest difficulty) and for me, someone who had played the first game twice, I found it incredibly challenging in certain points, especially in the final act. It honestly drove me to frustration at several enemy encounters. I unashamedly used cheesing guides and walkthroughs to know what I had to do to succeed and you will probably need to do this as well. This is basically part of the Larian experience! If this sounds like a turnoff to you, consider playing on the second lowest difficulty (Explorer). In my opinion, this is the ideal way to experience the game for the first time as it still requires you to use a certain degree of tactical thinking but it will never feel overwhelmingly difficult for the most part. Despite my personal frustrations, I found the entire game to be a deeply rewarding experience.

Basically every other aspect is flawless, from the writing, voice acting, and general polish. Ultimately this game is not for everyone, but to anyone who is seeking a great story with a decent challenge that will never hold your hand, this game is exactly what you're looking for. Just play it and back Original Sin 3 when it inevitably goes on Kickstarter!

The main appeal to this is the tactical combat, which is rich in choices and allows for several different approaches. Character builds are interesting and fun.
The writing and worldbuilding are tough to judge. The game is pitched at a very intense tone, with worldbuilding and atmospherics that should appeal to "metal album cover" fans. But the quest line is so convoluted, and the writing so limp, (it doesn't help that the comic elements are haphazardly thrown in the most incogrous places) that I found it hard to invest any energy in following it.
I played this multiplayer with a friend abroad and we had a good time, but mainly because we shared with the game the common language of 90s CRPGs.

just finished it yesterday after playing for 3+ years in coop with a friend... we kinda rushed the dialogues, but the story looks interesting.
we also killed everyone we could and may have broke a side quest or two.

if you're playing with an undead be mindful of where you are when messing with your equipment: people might get uneasy about seeing through your bones.
or do it when you want to know who's really with you or not