“The tale itself achieves a commendable balance of gravitas and lightheartedness that was sometimes missing in the first Divinity: Original Sin. Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a masterwork that radiates excellence in every aspect, whether we're talking about its broad commitment to character choice and rewarding combat or the little interactions, like my chat with the rat, that make its fantasy world feel both properly 'fantastic' and believable. But inspired imitation isn't the chief goal here, as in the somewhat similar (and also excellent) Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian. It's one of the finest RPGs of any variety in years, especially if you're a fan of the old isometric Baldur's Gate model that defined the genre in the early '90s. Moments like these are a big part of the reason why I love Larian Studios' new adventure so much. I'd always figured being able to talk to animals would open doors to deep wisdom, but if similar interactions in Divinity: Original Sin 2 prove anything, they're just as foolish as we are. But the punk got it in his little rodent brain that I was lying for my own gain, so he tried to charge past them to the wharf beyond… and got fried by lightning that the husks vomited from their mouths. Just the other day, I met one at the top of a flight of stairs who asked me if the zombie-like creatures crucified below us were any danger to him, and I assured him they most certainly were.
