I didn’t ask for this
If I had to make a list of things that I wouldn’t care to have in Divinity: Original Sin 2, a PvP mode would probably be at the top of that list.
But you know what? It was actually pretty good!
The PAX demo for Divinity was a PvP-only affair with two maps available. Each player got to choose two different classes to make up their party. I chose a warrior and a rogue, while my opponent went with a warrior and a mage. We were plopped into a small battle area and began duking it out.
Strewn across the map were plenty of explosive barrels, a treasure chest or two, and even Source puddles. For the unacquainted, these are basically puddles of strong magic power. If a player manages to get to one, they unlock one or two extra Source Skills that deal massive damage. The map layout played an important role in strategy, as you would expect.
One thing that became immediately apparent was that the number of Action Points was severely diminished across the board. Characters had less to spend, and skills cost less to use. It didn’t really seem to change much, all things considered, but it is a global change nonetheless.
Just as with Original Sin, the environment was a crucial part of the PvP mode. We set so much shit on fire, Smokey would have been pissed. Everything was definitely catered to create and spread flames, likely to show off the new Bless and Curse abilities. Blessing fire would make it heal those inside, while cursing fire would turn it into “necrofire” and deal even more damage. Blessing necrofire would turn it to regular fire, which could again be turned either way.
Weather effects were as important as ever. The mage could make it rain, dousing any fire and giving characters the “wet” status, making them more susceptible to lightning attacks and stun. Players from the original game will know this system well, and I’m glad to see it still retains its impact.
Other than that, it was a PvP battle. I lost the first match, and came from behind to win the second. The gameplay was solid, thanks to the core built by the first game, and I enjoyed what I played. That being said, I’ll probably spend little to no time in this mode once Original Sin 2 launches. I love what Divinity does, and very much anticipate playing through the sequel’s story with three of my buddies.