If Fallen Heroes follows the same formula, it’s going to be a game defined by lurching shifts in fortune and last-minute surprises-as gripping and dramatic as it is daft. Yes, a burning pit might be a disaster right now-but it’s just one blessing away from tickling at the victims caught in its blaze with healing flame.īy stripping away the dialogue, dungeon-delving and cheese-trading of the campaigns, Arena mode presents Divinity combat in its undiluted form and reveals its central characteristic: volatility. The skill is in weathering the turbulence long enough to reverse a dire situation. It’s the principles of Worms applied to RPG combat-an everchanging map where not even the ground you stand on is a given. It’s not unusual to see every hero on the field simultaneously sprout wings for a turn, allowing them to flap safely over pools of bubbling acid, before Sudden Death reduces their health to almost nothing. The other highlight from last year’s revamp are mutators - dramatic changes that momentarily influence the entire arena. A rogue might be terminally exposed when they leave cover, but if their backstab cuts a VIP’s health in half, the trade-off might be worth it. That unit becomes your queen, and the other fighters your pawns. Nowhere is that more true than in Kill the King, an option Larian added last year which designates a character on each team as a VIP. In Arena, you’re encouraged to sacrifice the pieces on your board if doing so enables eventual victory. In this contextless skirmish, the only fight that matters is the current one, and you get to throw everything at it.īy the same token, you don’t need to save your heroes for another day either. But taking them away from the wider concerns of the campaign frees you from worrying about whether or not to save your knockdown arrow for the next battle. These systems aren’t exclusive to competitive multiplayer. It’s experimental and irresponsible, like the work of early physicians and alchemists, and the results can be explosive. The experienced spellcaster looks out over the battlefield and sees reactions waiting to happen-barrels filled with oil, begging for a fireball, and clouds of steam ripe for electrification. It’s also the ideal environment in which to muck about with Original Sin’s elemental combat, which has always felt part magic, part science. While a character maintains their Armour they cannot be affected by Status Effects, which is important because.

Physical Damage is prevented by Physical Armour and Earth, Poison, Fire, Water and Air Damage are prevented by Magic Armour. The Arena is an advanced level teacher, covering the kind of combos that don’t come up in Larian’s tutorials. Divinity Original Sin 2 features an Armour system where damage is split into two types: Physical and Magical. Erratic Wisp, for instance, can teleport the archer Ryker randomly every time he gets hit - perfect for providing distance from the big blokes with swords.

It’s a little like looking up a recommended deck in Hearthstone once you see those abilities together, their complementary possibilities become clear.

Which mode divinity original sin 2