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on August 18, 2025
<img src="http://img03.deviantart.net/ab4d/i/2010/023/e/0/metroid_zero_mission_on_vba_m_by_bakkeby.png"; style="max-width:400px;float:left;padding:10px 10px 10px 0px;border:0px;" alt="Metroid Zero Mission on VBA-M by bakkeby on DeviantArt" />Most crafted items will sell for more Gold than their ingredients will individually. The player should take that into account as they might be able to make easy money by selling items they don't need if the sale value is high enough, one of the ingredients is not consumed in the process, and the other is easy enough to get a hold
There are some RPGs that hold the player's plan, at least through the beginning parts of the game. Divinity: Original Sin II **** is not one of these games. The player is given objectives and some hints at where they might need to head to accomplish them, but nearly unlimited freedom is given to the player in how they wish to go about it. This freedom on top of proverbially being thrown to the wolves level of hand holding can be overwhelming for players not used to it, but this means how the game unfolds is entirely up to how the player wishes to accomplish the myriad tasks. For example, if you have ever played an RPG and wished you could just hack everyone to death and not have to attend to the errands of an annoying NPC, that freedom exists. I am not suggesting that killing every NPC in the game will lead to the optimal experience with this title, but the freedom is there for anyone who wishes to try it. The barbaric blood path is a choice, the numerous dialog options as well as other behavior choices could make completing the story a very cerebral experience.
On the note of killing magisters, combat in Divinity: Original Sin II is a complex but enjoyable affair. Battles are turn based with everyone having a set number of action points every turn. There is no finite MP meter but everything costs AP, including moving on the battlefield, and a lot of skills have a cool down period. Elevation factors into battle as well, with those on higher ground getting a damage bonus while those beneath them suffer a penalty. Trying to damage an enemy typically requires wearing away their physical or magical armor points before their vitality can directly be damaged but there is more to success in battle than just chipping away at someone's life bar. There are numerous status effects and elemental factors that can be used in battle, whether causing continuous passive damage, incapacitating foes or buffing or debuffing. Covering an area with oil for example will inflict slow status on people who wander into it, and if that doesn't sound bad enough a fire attack can be done on the oil covered surface to make everything burst into flames, setting anyone in the effected area on fire and causing passive damage for a number of turns. Should the player find themselves on the receiving end of this tactic, having someone with the ability to make it rain can remove the flames and burning status but can end up creating steam clouds, which sets up the board for a whole new set of problems.
Things are a little bit different this time around. For starters, the Divinity: Original Sin **** II takes place over 1,000 years after the events of the original. The Divine is no more, and the Void is ever expanding and will consume the world if allowed to grow unchallenged. In addition to the great time gap between the two games, the role of the player in relation to the magical force known as Source has been completely flipped. No more are we engaged in a witch hunt but instead we step into the shoes of a Sourcerer and get to experience what being on the receiving end of said witch hunt feels like.
In a departure from the first <a href="http://hev.tarki.hu/hev/author/JuliS86364">SLG Game Units</a> where the player assumed the role of a Source Hunter to rid the world of the forbidden magic known as Source, we are now taking on the role of a Sourcerer. Taking place 1000 years after the events of its predecessor, the story begins with the player being held prisoner in Fort Joy, a misnomer if there ever was one. The Divine is dead and the Void is expanding, which will eventually consume this godless world if it remains unchallenged. Sourcerers are taking the blame for this turn of events, with the player being the main target for the Magisters of the Divine Order's witch hunt. Fort Joy is where you were sent to be "cured" of your powers. While the specific method of "curing" is not spelled out in detail, the self preservation instinct kicks in to send the message the only objective for now is to get the hell out of Fort Joy.
Divinity: Original Sin was met with universal acclaim when it was introduced over two years ago. This should not be surprising, as the title featured a massive world to explore had almost no restrictions on how the player went about completing it. This story driven adventure featured a multitude of side quests that could be handled in a variety of different manners, resulting in a game experience that becomes uniquely tailored to the player's choices and play style. Creating a worthy follow up to to such a quality <a href="http://unpop.org/blog/member.asp?action=view&memName=MauriceWilsmore8054">SLG game story guide</a> is no small task, but Larian Studios seems to be up to the ambitious task of creating a sequel that doesn't simply match the quality of its predecessor but also surpass it.