PAX West 2017: Divinity: Original Sin 2 Lets You Wear Faces

Divinity: Original Sin 2 at PAX West 2017: the setup

The first Divinity: Original Sin was a massive undertaking for Larian Studios. After a highly successful Kickstarter campaign, it launched with acclaim in the role-playing genre, and the studio hoped to repeat that with the sequel. Divinity: Original Sin 2 takes place centuries after the original, in a time when magic and sorcerers are persecuted and imprisoned. A party of four protagonists is tasked with fixing the injustice, though the game does not force anyone to care.

Most previews of Divinity: Original Sin 2 have focused on the obvious improvements: the multiplayer arena, the new characters and better storytelling. Those are widely accepted as upgrades over the predecessor. The four new preset characters in particular add another layer of immersion to an already diverse world. The PAX West 2017 demo showed another side, one that is far less polite.

The undead race

Any of the four main races can be undead in Divinity: Original Sin 2. Players do not have to settle for a simple hooded skeleton with an affinity for poison, although poison does heal undead characters and healing potions hurt them. They can instead be a skeleton dwarf, elf, lizard or human, and combine the usual traits of the chosen race with the undead package.

Like the other races in the game, the undead get a set of perks. They can walk through Death Fog without dying painfully, which is a real advantage. They can speak to the dead, including animals. They can siphon their source for more devious magic. And they can use the Face Ripper.

What the Face Ripper does

Picture Arya Stark wanting to become someone else, Littlefinger for example. In Divinity, the process is to kill the target, drain his source magic, use the Face Ripper on his face and craft a mask from the ingredients. Put on the mask and nobody knows the wearer is not that person.

The mask does more than disguise. An undead character wearing a face can take on the traits of the race it belongs to. Wearing an elf’s face, for instance, grants that elf’s skills, including the ability to use cannibalism as a detective skill. It is horrifying and beautiful in equal measure, and it makes a clear case that Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a game that enjoys being gross.

Undead perks in Divinity: Original Sin 2

• Poison heals an undead character, and healing potions hurt.
• Death Fog can be crossed without painful death.
• Undead characters can speak to the dead, animals included.
• Source can be siphoned for more devious magic.
• The Face Ripper takes a dead enemy’s face, and a crafted mask lets the wearer pass as that person and borrow the race’s skills.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 PAX West 2017 verdict

The preview gave a clear sense of why the sequel mattered to role-playing fans. The new systems on offer would let a player cause plenty of havoc, and an undead character with a stolen face is a terrifying thing to be, or to meet.

The demo gave an early look at what makes Divinity: Original Sin 2 distinctive. It is a game where disguise is a mechanic, grossness is a feature and choices are open, and the preview left a strong impression.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 was scheduled for release on September 14 for PC.

Sources

• Divinity: Original Sin II, Wikipedia — developer, release dates and gameplay details