For something divine, this game is truly unholy.
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| GAMEPLAY |
|__________ |
--BACK TO THE BASICS--
Those games you had where "A" is jump and "Left Trigger" is block, forget those. The control scheme is entirely different from anything I've played, but it doesn't take long to figure out.
--CLASSIC FREE ROAM--
When I first got Divinity II, I thought it could easily be one of those set storyline games that have become so popular. Much to my surprise, this game is built much around the concept of the free roam found in PC MMORPG's (Massive Multiplayer Online).
--UNLEVELED ENEMIES--
This isn't one of those games where you can hack and slash through the main storyline in 10 hours. The game places enemies of higher and higher levels further in the lands, thus making it impossible to just get from one place to another on level one.
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| FLAWS |
|__________|
--OUTDATED GRAPHICS--
For an '09 game, this had to be the most disappointing part. I haven't seen scripted movement since the ORIGINAL XBOX. Not to mention the SIMPLE textures, and I actually have had VERTICAL LAG (For those who have never played a PC game, it's when half of the screen moves faster than the other and a noticeable line forms. This normally only occurs ON A PC.)
--ANGERING DIFFICULTY--
Ever set a game to "Easy" or "Low" and the game still just completely obliterated your character? Feel free to revisit that feeling now.
--POISON AND FIRE--
Ah yes, the infamous poison. Let me tell you, every RANGER class enemy you meet is obsessed with the stuff. As soon as it's available to them, it's the first attack they use. In a group of 5 bandits, it's not unusual to be poisoned 13 times before successfully killing them all. On top of that, every magical enemy loves fire, and your character burns well for someone who becomes part dragon.
--OUTNUMBERED--
You never face an isolated enemy, and that's exactly the problem. Most boss battles don't just involve the boss, it involves 10 enemies that are a higher level than you AND the boss.
--DEATH CHEATS YOU--
I'm not gonna lie, even on "Low" difficulty, your character dies way too easily. And because potions aren't instant effect, there's nothing you can really do when you're outnumbered and getting hacked to death. It's nearly impossible to kill the necromancer "Laiken" who at the beginning of the battle, not only summons his demon, but four melee specific creatures and a high level mage, and Laiken himself attacking you from a distance while you're quickly hacked to death. And no, dedicating almost all of your stat points towards HP doesn't help.
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|CONCLUSION|
|___________|
All in all, Divinity II isn't horrible, but it's a game that requires a lot of patience and constant saving. To anyone interested, I say rent it first.