Baldur's Gate 2 vs Divinity: Original Sin 2. Which one do you like best?

[SofNascimento]

I was watching some footage from BG3 early acess and I was thinking just how crazy is that Larian, the devs behind the incredible Divinity 2, are doing a sequel to the game I consider to be the pinnacle of CRPG and one of the most extraordinary games ever crafted by human hands.

And everytime I read people talking about Divinity 2 the comparison with Bioware's first masterpiece appears somewhere. Either in the sense that BG2 was finally surpassed or that it is the only CRPG that Divinity 2 failed to match.

So I was wondering what people here think? I always felt Era was a bit cold to Divinity 2, at least in terms of popularity, but it seems people are jumping with both legs on BG3.

What is your favorite?

 

[Taruranto]

BG2, I don't think DOS2 is even better than 1 anyway.

 

[ANNeFRANKxGOKU]

DoS2 has great combat and a boring slog of a story

BG2 all the way baby

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Gameplay wise, Divinity by a fucking mile.

I like BG2's story and writing more though.

Playing through BG2 again now, even the EE is dated and clumsy and I'm enjoying it less than Divinity.

 

[Bessy67]

I much prefer real time with pause, and I found the setting, characters and story in Baldur's Gate 2 more memorable than Divinity. I'm still kinda bummed Larian is making Baldur's Gate 3 instead of someone like Obsidian.

 

[Netherscourge]

I like DOS2's system better than BG2.

 

[DGenerator]

Divinity 2 =/= Divinity: Original Sin 2.

This is Divinity 2.

 

[Karak]

BG without hesitation

 

[SofNascimento]

I much prefer real time with pause, and I found the setting, characters and story in Baldur's Gate 2 more memorable than Divinity. I'm still kinda bummed Larian is making Baldur's Gate 3 instead of someone like Obsidian.

Click to shrink...

I'm playing Pillars of Eternity 2 right now and it's incredible. And in many ways closer to BG2 than Divinity 2 on account of the RTwP combat. But Larian is an extremely talentend developer so I think they can make an incredible game. The quesiton is how much it will be a great sequel.

 

[Anno]

Probably BG2 because I prefer RTwP and had played a lot of 2e so I didn't have any real issues with the rules. Both are very good.

Spoiler

Deadfire is actually the best though

 

[Enduin]

DOS games are great but they never clicked with me. Story, setting and gameplay just never worked for me. BG2 though, even with the wonkiness in adapting the D&D ruleset was still so fun to play and just a really compelling story and characters. And I don't particularly care for D&D settings.

 

[Bessy67]

I'm playing Pillars of Eternity 2 right now and it's incredible. And in many ways closer to BG2 than Divinity 2 on account of the RTwP combat. But Larian is an extremely talentend developer so I think they can make an incredible game. The quesiton is how much it will be a great sequel.

Click to shrink...

Oh yeah, I'm not questioning Larian's pedigree. They make great games, but I have a hard time seeing Baldur's Gate as turn based.

 

[ANDS]

Tried playing Baldur's gate and could not get past how dated it was. Felt the same when trying to play Fallout 2. I won't say these games are "games of their time. . ." but the mechanics definitely favor those who have experienced them before. By default DOS wins out.

I'm playing Pillars of Eternity 2 right now and it's incredible. And in many ways closer to BG2 than Divinity 2 on account of the RTwP combat. But Larian is an extremely talentend developer so I think they can make an incredible game. The quesiton is how much it will be a great sequel.

Click to shrink...

PoE I/II are fantastic. Games feel classic without being hampered by what they were trying to evoke.

BG2, I don't think DOS2 is even better than 1 anyway.

Click to shrink...

Hooboy.

 

[SofNascimento]

Oh yeah, I'm not questioning Larian's pedigree. They make great games, but I have a hard time seeing Baldur's Gate as turn based.

Click to shrink...

I would like to see Larian's take on a RTwP combat, but at the end of the day they should do what they feel more confortable with. It's gonna feel different of course, but I believe they can capture that Baldur's Gate spirit even with a different combat system.

 

[SofNascimento]

Tried playing Baldur's gate and could not get past how dated it was. Felt the same when trying to play Fallout 2. I won't say these games are "games of their time. . ." but the mechanics definitely favor those who have experienced them before. By default DOS wins out.

Click to shrink...

I think BG2 didn't age at all. I mean, there are some things that feel to contrived to a modern eye and the combat can feel obtuse at times, but when you look at the structure of the game, of its narrative and storytelling, its setting, pacing, dungeons, companions, etc... those things are stil incredible regardless the fact the game is 20 years old.

I don't think most RPGs have a dungeon as good as Irenicus hideout for example.

 

[StereoVSN]

BG2 is a better game. You could make an argument around DOS2 elemental and environmental interactions but doellcadting system overall is more intricate in BG2 I feel.

Story and characters are also better in DOS2.

Mind you, D:OS2 is an amazing game, Larian is a great studio, but its still doesn't hit BG2 levels.

 

[Aeana]

It's too bad Pathfinder: Kingmaker is never given a seat at the table in these discussions. I think it's one of the best CRPGs ever made. Baldur's Gate 2 is an excellent game, but it's not untouchable. I mean, it's based on 2nd edition which knocks it down quite a few pegs for anyone who is looking for satisfying combat encounters.

 

[DayVeeJones]

It's too bad Pathfinder: Kingmaker is never given a seat at the table in these discussions. I think it's one of the best CRPGs ever made. Baldur's Gate 2 is an excellent game, but it's not untouchable. I mean, it's based on 2nd edition which knocks it down quite a few pegs for anyone who is looking for satisfying combat encounters.

Click to shrink...

This right here. Kingmaker is one of the best CRPGs around.

 

[ANDS]

It's too bad Pathfinder: Kingmaker is never given a seat at the table in these discussions. I think it's one of the best CRPGs ever made. Baldur's Gate 2 is an excellent game, but it's not untouchable. I mean, it's based on 2nd edition which knocks it down quite a few pegs for anyone who is looking for satisfying combat encounters.

Click to shrink...

I'll have to give Kingmaker another go; I put a GOOD amount of time in the game and enjoyed it, but I was letting the game auto-level me and never felt in control of my characters so lost a lot of interest in the game (or maybe something else came along).

I think BG2 didn't age at all. I mean, there are some things that feel to contrived to a modern eye and the combat can feel obtuse at times, but when you look at the structure of the game, of its narrative and storytelling, its setting, pacing, dungeons, companions, etc... those things are stil incredible regardless the fact the game is 20 years old.

I don't think most RPGs have a dungeon as good as Irenicus hideout for example.

Click to shrink...

Entirely possible my opinion is based on playing the modern games first and then trying to get into the older ones and just missing modern trappings.

 

[SofNascimento]

Entirely possible my opinion is based on playing the modern games first and then trying to get into the older ones and just missing modern trappings.

Click to shrink...

That was my experienced... I only played Baldur's Gate fairly recently. The biggest challenge with BG2 is that because you begin already at a high level, you get a ton of skills and spells that you have no idea how they work or what they are good for. It can be overwhelming, especially because the combat doesn't tell everything you need to know, and this last factor does have to do with its age (although most RPGs suffer from this problem to some extent).

 

[Taruranto]

Pathfinder is good, but it has a lot of jank and it really can be a test of patience at times. It feels like a lot of stuff could be fixed in a sequel, though I'd really like for devs to stop using Unity, both PoE2 and Kingmaker feel like a loading times nightmare at times.

Overall I'm liking it as much as DOS2 I guess and It's more in like with what I expected PoE to be.

 

[Uhtred]

I mean, purely in terms of accessibility, graphics, combat mechanics, and just pure UX it's not really fair since DOS2 is a very modern take on the CRPG. With combat mechanics specifically you have BG2 featuring an adapted 2nd edition D&D rules vs something more tailored made for a PC game with DOS2. And everything else is just an issue of the limitations and design mentality of PC games in the late 90's.

However, In terms of story, characters, overall writing, side quests, exploration, loot, dungeons, pacing, villains, npc's, locales, and just the epic journey, BG2 is on another level over Larian's otherwise fantastic RPG. And these are the things that have the most impact on the quality of an RPG, IMHO.

So yeah BG2 is definitely the better RPG. If there was a modern remake of that game that made it more accessible, made efforts to better bridge the gap between the PnP rule set and a more fun combat system tailored more for a PC game, and featured modern graphics, nothing would stand a chance.

I'd wager most people who would say otherwise, have never played BG2, or came at it very late and will probably cite the creature comforts of a more modern game vs the brutal "read the fucking manual and get gud" attitude and archaic UI of a classic game, as the main reasons why.

IMHO, Pillars of Eternity 2 is a better contender, but even then...

 

[Aniki]

Divinity: OS2 has the better gameplay and OST but BG2's characters and story i enjoyed much more. Maybe BG3 will finally be the game to dethrone BG2, we'll see. Pathfinder: Kingmaker came really close to doing it, just the combat wasn't that fun and the general jankiness was also getting in the way sometimes. So BG2 still reigns supreme. I'm looking forward to both Baldur's Gate 3 and Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous.

 

[Artdayne]

I've struggled to get into BG 2, and my tolerance for dated graphics is extremely forgiving. I've loved both DOS games. Pillars 2 has a lot of things going for it as well but idk if I just struggle to get into the setting or what, I enjoyed Kingmaker more.

 

[Ivory Samoan]

I'm 12 hours deep into BG3 Early Access, and I absolutely think this is the perfect marriage of Larian TB gameplay with Old BioWare storytelling.....and it's pretty brutal hard too!!

I chose DOS2 only because I enjoyed BG more than BG2, and find DOS2 the pinnacle of modern CRPGs.

 

[The Kidd]

I know it's not the focus of this thread, but how does BG2 compare to BG1. I liked BG1, but after 30hrs I stopped right when I got to Baldurs Gate. Found the actual story content to be weak and bland.

 

[SofNascimento]

I've struggled to get into BG 2, and my tolerance for dated graphics is extremely forgiving. I've loved both DOS games. Pillars 2 has a lot of things going for it as well but idk if I just struggle to get into the setting or what, I enjoyed Kingmaker more.

Click to shrink...

I think BG2 looks beautiful. The Temple of Lathander is probably the most striking room I ever seen in a CRPG.... you're more or less used to the background being static and suddently you enter that place full of moving light... it's the perfect example of a game working within its own limitations to create something timeless.

I'm 12 hours deep into BG3 Early Access, and I absolutely think this is the perfect marriage of Larian TB gameplay with Old BioWare storytelling.....and it's pretty brutal hard too!!

I chose DOS2 only because I enjoyed BG more than BG2, and find DOS2 the pinnacle of modern CRPGs.

Click to shrink...

WHAT?!

I played BG1 after the second one and I found the difference in quality to be enormous. Had I played BG1 first and didn't know about BG2 I would never have imagine the sequel to that game would be one of the finest RPG ever. Except if I played the expansion, which is basically a piece of BG2 in BG1.

 

[AcademicSaucer]

Baldur's Gate doesnt have all that Source nonsense and sourcerers so I like it better

 

[N.47H.4N]

I only played DOS2 and loved, should I give a try to BG2?

 

[Tuorom]

I know it's not the focus of this thread, but how does BG2 compare to BG1. I liked BG1, but after 30hrs I stopped right when I got to Baldurs Gate. Found the actual story content to be weak and bland.

Click to shrink...

BG1 is pretty bland tbh. BG2 has more exciting things to do and you don't have to worry about an iron shortage for like 20 hrs of gameplay lol. It thrusts you right into a teeming city center.

PoE1 is like a much better BG1, it feels like to me. They threw in a line about iron and I was like oh boy here we go again, but that was it. Phew no iron shortage again.

 

[Taruranto]

I know it's not the focus of this thread, but how does BG2 compare to BG1. I liked BG1, but after 30hrs I stopped right when I got to Baldurs Gate. Found the actual story content to be weak and bland.

Click to shrink...

It's nothing like BG1, you can skip directly to 2 since it directly adresses your complaints.

 

[Riskbreaker]

Baldur's Gate is the better game and rpg.

Turn based combat in CRPGs is just too damn slow.

Baldur's had better content, better writing, and the better story.

Divinity needs to do something about the fields they create because every battle devolves into lighting everything on fire.

 

[SofNascimento]

I only played DOS2 and loved, should I give a try to BG2?

Click to shrink...

If you have any remote interest in CRPGs, the answer is yes. If you don't, the answer is also yes.

 

[Adnor]

BG2 was my childhood.

 

[Charred Knight]

I played Divinity : Original Sins, and after 10 hours and getting stuck fighting crabs, I got bored of a system that seemed to want me to light everything on fire, since the magic arrows the game told me to craft didnt seem to work. Also my two characters had a relationship that reminded me of my divorced grandparents.

So yeah I cant imagine that Baldur's gate is that bad even though I have only played the two Diablo clones for the PS2.

 

[SofNascimento]

I played Divinity : Original Sins, and after 10 hours and getting stuck fighting crabs, I got bored of a system that seemed to want me to light everything on fire, since the magic arrows the game told me to craft didnt seem to work. Also my two characters had a relationship that reminded me of my divorced grandparents.

So yeah I cant imagine that Baldur's gate is that bad even though I have only played the two Diablo clones for the PS2.

Click to shrink...

The intro for Original Sin 1 is very weak. You have a very small dungeon and they are basically locked inside a city until you do a very long quest that is all about talking to people here and there and there and here. But when the game opens up and gets excellent quickly and I think the combat is great. But the second Divinity is better in every way, including the intro which is extremely strong.

 

[ANDS]

I at first did not like the "pen and paper" real-time pause of BG/PoE but honestly have grown to find it a lot more strategic (and chaotic) than D:OS2. However, D:OS2 just has the thrill of the puzzle to it's combat which I also enjoy. I go back and forth on which I find more satisfying (there is something about holding choke points with your Paladin that I miss in D:OS).

Playing BG3, I am kind of sad that with the massive kick up in graphical fidelity, that we aren't able to recreate some of those hectic fights and wish Larian had tried to get out of their comfortable design space.

 

[McScroggz]

Which is better - Planescape: Torment or Disco Elysium? The older a game is, the more difficult it is to compare it to contemporary games. All of the rough edges and dated game design weren't an issue 15-20 years ago, but it's glaring now.

Baldur's Gate II is my favorite game of all time. It's marriage of story, characters and gameplay was truly special in its day. It's the writing that really makes me remember that game more than anything.

In Divinity: Original Sin 2 it's the opposite. The writing is pretty good, but it all just feels like an excuse to get into fights. And the combat is really great. I love how interactive and puzzly the fights feel like. However, I must say there is something that always feels off - and I think to me when you combine the very short length of spell/ability effects with the relatively low number of actions per turn, I feel more restricted than I would like. It's as if there's always one missing action point or the effects of something needs to last one more turn if I want to really take advantage. I'm sure it's on purpose, but if that one thing was changed (and balanced of course) I might actually consider choosing D:OSII.

Plus when a game has the flexibility to case a priest spell to "buff" an enemy's magic armor that already has 100% magic immunity so now I can use my mages to attack it...that's pretty neat.

 

[SofNascimento]

Which is better - Planescape: Torment or Disco Elysium? The older a game is, the more difficult it is to compare it to contemporary games. All of the rough edges and dated game design weren't an issue 15-20 years ago, but it's glaring now.

Baldur's Gate II is my favorite game of all time. It's marriage of story, characters and gameplay was truly special in its day. It's the writing that really makes me remember that game more than anything.

In Divinity: Original Sin 2 it's the opposite. The writing is pretty good, but it all just feels like an excuse to get into fights. And the combat is really great. I love how interactive and puzzly the fights feel like. However, I must say there is something that always feels off - and I think to me when you combine the very short length of spell/ability effects with the relatively low number of actions per turn, I feel more restricted than I would like. It's as if there's always one missing action point or the effects of something needs to last one more turn if I want to really take advantage. I'm sure it's on purpose, but if that one thing was changed (and balanced of course) I might actually consider choosing D:OSII.

Plus when a game has the flexibility to case a priest spell to "buff" an enemy's magic armor that already has 100% magic immunity so now I can use my mages to attack it...that's pretty neat.

Click to shrink...

Not necessarily. In quite depends on the genre, but more importantly, there are certain things that are timeless, which can make the comparison more viable. When we think aspects like the level and world design, story, characters, pacing, itemization, quests... those things are very easy to compare. And that's why I think BG2 is still the CRPG king, no other game can match it in all those aspects. Not in a relative manner, but in an absolute one. It's not, for example, that BG2 dugeons were good for a game from the 2000s. They are good with today's standard. Because the principles that dictate what a good dungeon should be are the same.

 

[Darkmaigle]

BG2 is superior

 

[Rytheran]

I started playing D:OS2 for the first time recently and I really disliked the armor system. Also the origin characters. The D&D system in BG2 is definitely convoluted crap, but it gets my vote easily.

 

[Kenai]

BG2 has DOS2 beat by most metrics, but I vastly prefer DOS2's combat and that's a pretty huge part of the game (plus DOS2's other stuff isn't bad, just not as good).

 

[Faiyaz]

Divinity Original Sin 2 is just too fucking good, especially the combat system.

 

[DanteMenethil]

It's too bad Pathfinder: Kingmaker is never given a seat at the table in these discussions. I think it's one of the best CRPGs ever made. Baldur's Gate 2 is an excellent game, but it's not untouchable. I mean, it's based on 2nd edition which knocks it down quite a few pegs for anyone who is looking for satisfying combat encounters.

Click to shrink...

I'm playing through kingmaker and its so good. The only crpg I've played with an actual fleshed out camping/resting mechanic

 

[DJ_Lae]

Baldur's Gate 2 without any hesitation at all.

Sure, the combat is more interesting in Divinity Original Sin 2...but that's about it. Everything outside of that combat feels like an excuse. Though to be fair, the characters and story are a step up from the first game, which was...rough.

 

[Forsaken82]

D:OS2 is IMO the superior game primarily because I just was not a fan of the D&D ruleset. BG2 succeeds on story and characters, but the moment to moment gameplay and action isn't nearly as exciting.

And I am paying close attention to BG3 to see how the current ruleset plays with the systems in place.

 

[N.47H.4N]

If you have any remote interest in CRPGs, the answer is yes. If you don't, the answer is also yes.

Click to shrink...

lol yeah, I think so, I am hyped for BG3.

 

[sredgrin]

When it comes to moment to moment gameplay, it's hard to top Divinity. Not only in combat but just general quest design, which Bioware was never very good at

BG2 when it came out though vs Divinity when it came out, I'd probably give it to BG2 for the story.

 

[Deleted member 49611]

really can't stand the divinity games. baldurs gate is far superior. and you can see my dilemma. love baldur's gate but baldur's gate 3 is made by larian...lol. it's meant to be baldur's gate but looks like original sin 3. i'm sure it ain't but just the fact it looks like it could be is making me hesitate! i'd have bought into early access but i'll wait for now. my awful experience with the original sin games has just put me off that whole look and feel that Baldur's Gate shares with the original sin games.

 

[Raigor]

Story and writing -> BG2

Gameplay -> DOS 2

Also, Fane and Ifan >