A hidden gem
If you have ever played the first divinity games (Divine and Beyond) then you know how larian studios does things when it comes to RPG's.
Div 2, like its predecessors has a steep learning curve, Fantastic environments, plenty of easter eggs, great combat and a humourous writing style. It took me a while to purchase Div 2 but when I did I was more than impressed.
The game starts in usual territory. Starting as an unknown hero, you pick 1 of 3 starting classes. Magic, Ranger, Warrior. I will not go into the story but I found it quiet interesting. OK not the best ever written but there are plenty of twists you dont see coming and the dialogue and cutscenes in which they are told are superb.
At first it starts off slow but thankfully the first zone can be finished in 10 -15 minutes. After that you are greeted with a huge map full of towns, NPC's, Dungeons etc.
Lets start with the combat. Everything you do in this game looks awesome. Fast paced combat is the name of the game here however due to its more difficult learning curve (I played on normal) you cant just run in and hack n slash, unless you are very OP for the mobs. You get a good selection of skills and can select a spell skill even if you are a melee class (think fable). The creatures in the world don't respawn however so you cannot grind a dungeon to level up, This can be a pain but its a lot better than going through the mobs again just to get to a location you have already reached.
The difficulty is fairly hard. You might find yourself killing 5 mobs at a time, only to go into a dungeon around the corner and get killed by a single hit. But is usually means you should head for another quest first to get EXP and better loot.
Graphics are also amazing. Each environment has its own high res texture look. Green fields to massive towers to Dungeons lit be candle light. For me it feels a lot like Divine Divinity in terms of graphics and the mood they provide. Which is no mean feat considering capturing detailed 2D environments in 3D usually fails with the lack of detail.
The Sound is good but not the best. The music score is excelent however the foot steps, sword swinging sounds etc, could have had a bit more effort put into them, but its nothing like the horror that was Two Worlds 1.
Loot looks good. Maybe could have done with a few more models because most 2 Handed swords etc look the same (Unless they are Hereoic). But all the armour you wear looks badass so you never have to wear something good, but looks terrible.
I could sit here for hours talking about Divinity 2:Dragon Knight Saga because for me it was the first game since Mass Effect 2 that i just can't put down. Yes it has flaws. Character creation is poor, not enough item models, but from beginneing to end it is a very enteraining romp.
I am not one of these people who give out a 10 just because i am a fan of the game etc. But this truly deserves a 9.
If you still dont believe me then wait until you see it in the bargain bin (Which shouldn't be too long because the hype for this was non existant) with a spare weekend and dive in.
You wont be sorry
Mortor Vosa