Some rats won't listen to reason. 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. 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. Toldja, little guy. 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.

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Moments like these are a big part of the reason why I love Larian Studios' new adventure so much. 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. But inspired imitation isn't the chief goal here, as in the somewhat similar (and also excellent) Pillars of Eternity from Obsidian. 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.

Don't get the impression that it's all about conversations with rodents. This is a proper Great Adventure, packed with high-fantasy hijinks affecting the whole world, but it happily deals less with Tolkienian absolutes and more with the nuanced, morally gray areas that make the universes of Dragon Age and Game of Thrones so appealing. Original Sin 2 has important things to say about marginalization and exclusion, focusing as it does on so-called "sourcerers" whom the rest of the world clamps with magic collars that protect others from the abilities that set them apart. If you’re new, you don’t have to worry about missing out on all the lore from the first Original Sin from 2014. The sequel takes places centuries later when the settings and characters of the first game have slipped into legend, and it stands fine on the strength of its own tale.

“ You're encouraged to hunt for sidequests in the strangest places.

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It doesn't hurt that Original Sin 2 is as graphically beautiful as any game of this perspective has ever been. Everything on the screen speaks of attention to loving detail and thoughtful placement, whether it's the arrangement of flora on a sandy beach or the animations of a winter dragon thankful for being released from its chains. It's beautiful in other ways, too, though, such as how little stories spring from items and NPCs that other games might be content to leave as part of the scenery. Talking to a random character might lead to tales of sad memories that have no bearing on the plot but are no less stirring and rewarding for that fact. Animals, as mentioned, often give a different perspective on what's going on if you have the "Pet Pal" perk that lets you talk to them. Turning over every rock and slip of paper just to find these small wonders is one of the best parts of Original Sin 2.

Other RPGs do well in this regard, but Original Sin 2 stands out because this well-written story exists in a world that's alive with an impressive degree of freedom and flexibility. It's not enough that you can choose to either chat or fight your way out of most conflicts: instead, it wants you to be able to use unconventional tactics like teleportation spells to bypass puzzles or unreasonable NPCs entirely. You play as a figure with the power to affect the world, but there's a welcome sense that the world Larian has crafted here doesn't exist solely to cater to your whims. Sometimes, for example, an NPC who plays a key role in a long side quest storyline can die in a chance encounter if you fail to act quickly enough, thus preventing you from seeing what might have happened until a future playthrough (or a reload).

“ Few modern games are brave enough to lock out major content like this based on your decisions.

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In fact, this degree of freedom can cause friction if you’re playing in the co-op mode for up to four players, especially since – just like in real life – your buddies can run off and do their own thing and profoundly change the way you intended on going about your business. Essential companion quest NPCs might end up dead while you're off selling junk in town. Different people might pick up different pieces of a cursed set of armor that only plays nice if wear all the items, but its bonuses are for naught if no one can agree on who gets to wear it. And, naturally, sometimes they'll refuse to help with a fight, leaving victory more fleeting than it is on the already challenging normal mode.

Among the many great things about Original Sin 2 is the inclusion of a "Game Master" mode that lets you guide custom scenarios with friends in real-time much like a pencil-and-paper Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master, thus allowing for fun and replayability long after you've completed the main story. But I found that the volatility of the normal campaign co-op mode allows for much of the same unpredictability that makes tabletop D&D so fun, although, as with any game that requires a unified, coordinated team for success, you're likely going to have a better time if you play co-op with friends you trust rather than some randos in the lobby.

“ Racial tensions and the heroes' inborn skills allow each character to feel distinct.

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You can create fully custom characters if you wish, but I find Original Sin 2 is best enjoyed by choosing one of the six pre-designed characters with origin stories. That’s because each comes with a surprising variety of customized dialogue options (and, for that matter, fully voiced responses from the NPCs they interact with). Take Sebille; she's a dangerous elf who wants revenge on the lizard who forced her to commit nightmarish acts while she was in slavery. She carves her arms with the names of her victims and – like all elves in this dark universe – she can chomp on severed arms and legs to learn more about the life led by whatever poor fellow ended up as her meal. Then there's Lohse, an unfortunate soul whose body is treated like a Motel 6 by all manner of demons and spirits, leading her to turn on the party at some of the most inopportune moments. But my favorite is Fane, an undead scholar who's thousands of years old (and oddly speaks with a decidedly non-Skeletorian inflection). Gas clouds that can kill other party members don't bother him at all – to the contrary, he heals himself by chugging poison or standing in it. He can also pick locks with only his bony finger. But those skills come at a cost: should he strut about without a helmet or a magical mask, Fane may cause key NPCs to attack him out of horror and fear or go running for the hills.

“ It's fun (and terrifying) to see how companions' goals conflict.

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Better yet, this type of fun doesn't have to end with the campaign. Original Sin 2 also comes with an Arena mode that lets you pit your wits against other players in structured PvP whenever you wish.I still found some bugs hiding in all this, but they were little things, chiefly in the vein of NPCs who wouldn't talk to me or puzzles that wouldn't work without a reload. It's a testament to how well Original Sin 2 works in general, though, that I often wasn't sure if I was seeing a bug or if I simply needed to remove a curse or something first. At any rate, Larian has rapidly been zipping out effective patches since launch to remedy these at a speed that’s been pleasing to watch.