Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga Review
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The designers did a really good job of finding a comfortable balance between linear direction and open world exploration. You don't ever really feel trapped or bottle necked into going to one place. If you want to, you can just kind of explore the area and collect side quests, which can be seriously rewarding. Loot is especially well handled here, you'll constantly find new weapons, armor, and trinkets that upgrade both your stats and physical appearance. I also really liked that the game at times really makes you choose whether completing a quest is as important as losing a great weapon that requires you to turn it in for the bounty. That small element of finality is a nifty touch.
Speaking of which, I liked that this game kind of lets you make moral choices without imposing some kind of stat with it. You usually have multiple ways of handling things, like quest points and such, that take a variety of options and don't just boil it down to good, bad, and middling. The story feels that way too, if you explore all the lore options and books, the details of certain quests get really deep, and aren't very cut and dry. You often end up settling for the most appealing option for your character and don't have some plus or negative bar or stat looming over you condemning you to angel or demon for those choices. What a novel concept, moral subtlety.
The combat is was one of the highlights of the game for me. Old hats and newbies alike will find enjoyable and challenging fight sequences that push you to really consider strategies. Again, where the engine really shines is in the sheer diversity of options given to you as tools to find new and macabre ways to disassemble your opponents. I also really enjoyed that being a Mage didn't mean I was a limp armed squishy who couldn't go hand to hand in times of peril.
