Sulphur on 15/9/2017 at 07:00
One of the things the original D:OS wasn't so hot on was a compelling main quest. At least, we never saw much of it in the hours we put in, and what was there seemed kinda fluffy and inessential. How's it stack up this time?
Renzatic on 15/9/2017 at 08:32
Hard to say, since the opening scene, which you spend a goodly amount of hours in, is focused mainly on all the characters trying to escape from the island they're on, and all the goings-on surrounding it. The grander scheme is only hinted at during the first few hours of play.
But those few hints you do get point towards something potentially interesting.
(
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3224908/gaming/divinity-original-sin-2-review-impressions.html) Read this. See what you think.
Sulphur on 15/9/2017 at 08:46
Well, that reads like it's something I'm gonna have to purchase right quick, doesn't it?
Renzatic on 15/9/2017 at 08:48
It does indeed.
Kinda surprised that Chris Avellone wrote for this game. Though I don't know why, cuz by this point, it'd probably be easier to list the western style RPGs he hasn't written for.
Thirith on 15/9/2017 at 09:10
It'll be a while before I play this (in spite of helping crowdfund it), mainly because I've got so many other things to play first. However, I like what I'm hearing re: the writing/story. I wanted to love Divinity: Original Sin but found its tone and especially its sense of humour grating. Having Avellone work with them makes it a lot more likely that I'll like this one for the qualities I look for in RPGs.
Sulphur on 15/9/2017 at 09:43
It sounds like all the things I liked about the original are dialled up to 11 here. An NPC cat deciding to tag along and keep you company whilst staying separate from the party? Negating a crowd of angry dogs by not using your Pet Pal perk to talk with them or exploding them with a grenade, but by throwing a ball at them? A race of undead people with four race options and beard types? Sneery lizards? Sounds like its heart is in the rightest of places.
Thirith on 15/9/2017 at 10:03
Thing is, with the first game I felt that while the game itself had personality, none of the characters did. I always thought that Divinity: Original Sin wanted to make me laugh or smile at the expense of creating memorable characters. If I don't have characters to relate to, humour tends to fall flat for me - doubly so if I'm supposed to remain engaged for 50+ hours. Because of that, after a while the humour started to grate rather than amuse me.
Sulphur on 15/9/2017 at 10:15
Depends, I guess. Most of the party from D:OS were people I wanted to smack sideways every other conversation, but some of the characters in the world struck the right amount of daft. I may have wanted to kill Headless Nick, but he was already undead, so Jesh just summons him as a damage sponge for shits and giggles in a battle. It depends on how you deal with it. Many of the convos had too much text and drawn-out voice acting, but we skipped through those when it got tiresome.
But, all the animal voices are great: the mice are Irish* and begin a conversation by literally saying *squeak* out aloud, there's a French cock, and the cats are the right amount of languorous and uppity. There's also a frantic chicken I spoke to who was upset about being sacrificed when it didn't need to be. Of course, I took the bastard option there. She's still in my inventory, I think.
*or Welsh; I don't quite remember
Thirith on 15/9/2017 at 10:18
I'm kinda planning to get D:OS on PS4 sooner or later to play with my wife; I think that might be the best way to give it a second chance.
Malf on 15/9/2017 at 10:24
Well, while I've only really just started (and I'm already thinking of restarting with a completely custom character), The Red Prince in particular has massive amounts of character, even in his little pre-amble story monologue available during character creation. And Fane is already a stand-out in the game itself.
I've gone with Sibelle as my main due to a pop-up saying something about not getting the full experience if I didn't choose a pre-made character, but I'm already feeling like I'd rather go my own way and enjoy the pre-written stories of companions rather than play as one. I feel obliged to pick all the "Sibelle" dialogue choices playing as her, which I can't help feel is rail-roading my experience.
It would also be nice to be able to choose Sibelle as a companion, as her story seems quite interesting (albeit a somewhat rote story of revenge).
I'm a bit miffed about the changes to pickpocketing.
It was bad enough in the first game, where you had to have 2 skills to effectively pickpocket (Stealth and Pickpocketing), but now, thanks to NPCs noticing they've been robbed and then collaring your nearest available party member, you either have to engage the mark in conversation with one party member while your (unchained) thief pickpockets them and then runs away, or invest heavily in to Persuasion too in order to talk your way out of it, meaning 3 skills are required for a single action. And to rub salt in the wound, as with the first game, you can only pickpocket any given individual once.
Addendum: having to have 3 skills to effectively pickpocket wouldn't be so bad if the rate of skill point gain early on wasn't so damned stingy (another thing this game shares with the first).