Rivellon is the world in which Divinity Original Sin 2 takes place. In this realm, Source is the energy from which all living beings are made. Some of these individuals can use Source to cast spells or improve upon their fighting abilities. An organization that is known as the Divine Order is persecuting these users of Sou

The world in which Divinity Original Sin 2 exists is called Rivellon. In this reality, all living creatures are made from an energy called Source. Some people of Rivellon are capable of tapping into Source to improve their abilities in fighting or to cast spel

The tag system is a new feature introduced in this sequel, which allows specific dialog options to become available based on gender, race, profession, and origin story. New tags may be gained and current tags may be lost based on character decisions and achievements. Should the player choose to design a character without an origin story, they will have the choice to add extra tags during the creation process to help personalize the experience by giving the character a unique personality and dialog options. There are presets that allow a character to begin the game better suited for a play style fitting a traditional RPG class such as warrior or rogue but there are no character classes, allowing the character to be customized and built as they progress through the game however the player sees fit. The multiplayer limit has been raised from two player to four player, and players may be in direct conflict with each other during certain quest goals based on origin story, making it a spur of the moment decision to play cooperatively or competitively. There is also the new dynamic music system where the player selects a character's chosen instrument, allowing this instrument to take lead in the soundtrack during crucial moments of combat or story development.

While many changes and updates have been discussed, this is not a complete listing of all the new features and improvements present in Divinity: Original Sin. As the game continues to develop, more information will be provided leading up to the release of the final product. For those who cannot wait until its completion, this title will be available on Steam Early Access September 15. Stating definitively that this is an improvement on the original is impossible based on only playing a small portion of an early build, especially since the original set the bar to some lofty heights, but it's safe to say fans of Divinity have every reason to be excited about Original Sin II.

Divinity: Original Sin II is projected to be completed sometime in 2017. The Early Access build is accessible in Steam with a preorder. This version is obviously not the full game and may not have the same level of polish the final product will, so those wanting the complete final build would be advised to wait until it becomes available. For those wanting to get into the new Original Sin now, this build is worth the asking price. The first act of the campaign is available for both single and multiplayer modes which is easily a dozen hours of content and letting the players get their feet wet in experiencing the unbridled freedom of choice that is offered. The PvP Arena is available with select maps playable now with more coming in the future. Approximately half the skills are available across eight of the ten schools of magic. Those who take advantage of Early Access will naturally be upgraded automatically to the retail release upon completion.

Limited hands on time with the early build of Divinity: Original Sin II can only paint a very limited picture of what will be forthcoming in the sequel, but the information available should assure fans of the original that they can remain optimistic about what is to come. The enormous world and the near limitless freedom to explore it returns, as will the lauded combat system. Veterans of the original will feel at home in combat, though several improvements have been added.

The amount of freedom and impact the choices have during character interaction with NPCs shows that this Original Sin II was not just influenced by great video game RPGs, but also by great table top RPGs. An homage to this is slg game units master mode, where a player can create an adventure for a group of their friends to play. This mode is made to be as accessible as something of this nature can be, but does take a bit of time to figure out the finer points. There is a ready made campaign players can use to sample, but this is where someone can design a dungeon layout including a narrative story, various effects, vignettes and enemy placement and have their friends play through it. This mode is analogous to running a successful tabletop gaming campaign, where the game master takes the time to put together a well thought out campaign and has some interested players this can end up being a very rewarding mode. The inclusion of a mode like this is very ambitious, and could almost be its own role playing game but oddly enough this came about as a Kickstarter stretch goal.