Today marks a moment of reflection as I grapple with the loss of a cherished friend—one whose legacy is now being unfairly tarnished. The unique armor system crafted by Larian Studios for Divinity: Original Sin 2 will not be carried forward, and the criticism from my colleagues has been relentless. Notably, PCG guides writer Rory Norris boldly labeled it “broken” in large, eye-catching letters on our front page. In a recent meeting, Morgan Park, a fellow news writer, expressed his disdain for the armor system in a rather colorful manner, leaving me feeling both bewildered and defensive.
What many fail to recognize is that D:OS2’s armor system stands alone in the realm of CRPGs. It introduces a combat rhythm that is refreshingly distinct, and I was genuinely excited at the thought of Larian revisiting this innovative mechanic with the design expertise gained from Baldur’s Gate 3. While there is a silver lining in the potential for new and improved systems, I feel compelled to defend what I hold dear.
Far out, man
Crowd control—whether through stuns, knockdowns, or other means of hindering opponents—plays a pivotal role in RPG combat. Typically, these effects hinge on a degree of randomness, akin to the D20 saving throws of Dungeons & Dragons. While this approach has its merits, D:OS2 boldly reimagined this fundamental aspect, offering a fresh perspective.
In D:OS2, each character and enemy possesses both physical and magic armor bars, displayed prominently above their health. Physical armor absorbs damage from weapons and related abilities, while magic armor serves as a shield against spells and elemental effects. Once an armor bar is depleted, attacks begin to impact the health bar directly. The twist? Crowd control effects become fully effective only after the corresponding armor has been stripped away. For instance, the warrior’s charge attack, Battering Ram, merely deals damage while the enemy’s physical armor is intact, but guarantees a knockdown once that armor is gone.
This design choice ensures that every character, even those typically associated with damage output rather than battlefield control, contributes to both offense and crowd management. Players are encouraged to abandon traditional roles; the absence of a classic tank or healer is liberating, as enemies can bypass tanks with mobility skills like teleportation. In this context, armor takes precedence over health, and the few abilities that restore armor are integrated into skill trees that also offer robust offensive options.
Each character must fulfill multiple roles—tank, DPS, and controller—while build variations arise from weapon choices, armor, and skill trees. This dynamic creates an aggressive form of turn-based tactics, where players race to dismantle enemy defenses and secure priority targets before they can retaliate.
Bigger and better
While Original Sin 2’s system is not without its flaws, they are no more pronounced than the typical shortcomings found in random chance-based alternatives. I believe that the real issues lie elsewhere, such as the randomly generated loot and the limited scope of non-combat quests. One of Rory’s primary critiques, which I can somewhat understand, pertains to party composition; players are often encouraged to specialize in either elemental or physical damage, which can lead to challenges in the endgame for mixed-damage parties.
Yet, I contend that this is less a weakness and more a matter of difference. There exists a wealth of character build variety within each category, and D:OS2 does not impose stricter limitations on viable character builds than any other RPG, especially at lower difficulty levels. In my last playthrough, I enjoyed an all-physical party featuring a dual-daggers rogue, a two-handed warrior, an archer, and a summoner.
As I prepare for yet another replay, I find myself intrigued by the prospect of an elemental party, particularly a melee-focused battlemage who combines elemental staves with warrior abilities. While the decision not to revisit this system for Divinity leaves me disheartened, my colleagues’ disparagement weighs heavier on my mind. I have faith in Larian Studios to deliver something equally inventive, and I look forward to what they will create next.
