Divinity: Original Sin II impressions: Saving the world as a face-stealing skeleton

Divinity: Original Sin II is the highly anticipated sequel to an unanticipated hit. Divinity: Original Sin took me by surprise in 2014. For the most part, the revival isometric RPG revival focused on reviving the classics of old—Pillars of Eternity in particular, with its Infinity Engine stylings, but Wasteland 2, Tyranny, and Torment: Tides of Numenera didn’t stray too far from the template.

But then there was Divinity,  felt like what you’d get “if, instead of dying in the early 2000s, the isometric CRPG genre had kept evolving that whole time.” Built from layer upon layer of systems, Original Sin added dynamism to the stodgy Infinity Engine formula. Flexible skills and classes allowed for manifold character builds, quests presented half a dozen or more approaches, and a deep combat system reacted to both