I've owned this game for a while and bought it as a part of a Divinity Original Sin Bundle. I've played DOS2 & BG3, loving both games, thus I figured I would give this game a try as well. I regret my 40+ hours. The entire thing, from top to bottom is a slog.

Overall: 5/10 - This is a game that shows its age, with a lackluster plot, uninteresting companions, and certain gameplay choices that mean you spend more time healing outside of combat, than actually being in combat.

Graphics: 8/10 - This is a basic isometric turn based CRPG, you shouldn’t expect much in the way of graphics. The game is almost 10 years old and it shows its age with the bulky, wow-like graphics, but it is a style that works well.

Gameplay: 3/10 - I am a fan of DOS2 and the gameplay loop. Unfortunately, there is a lot of quality of life improvements that are not present here. I spent more time healing outside of combat, than I actually spent inside. The amount of status effects was astounding, where I spent much of my playthrough waiting for any turn. The movement speed of the characters is so slow, that trying to get anywhere is aggravating and the ability to teleport to any shrine isn't explained to you at all; I figured it out by accident. The fact that I am forced to identify 90% of the magical gear I find, means I need to spend so much time, level up resources, or gold just to keep my gear updated.

AI: 6/10 - The NPC’s aren’t absolutely braindead, but they cannot figure out the angle with specified spells when it comes down to it. Not great, but not terrible.

Story: 4/10 - The story is ham-handed, entirely uninspired and failed to hook me at any point. I spent most of Act 2 skipping conversations and not listening to the voice acting at all. It stopped making sense really early and I found myself trying to figure out ‘why do i care?’ other than, they told me to. The Companions are so incredibly uninteresting, that I eventually went Lone Wolf just so I didn’t have to deal with their complaining.

Last Words: This is a game I wished was better but definitely shows its age. It’s good to see the original bones that made games like DOS2 & BG3, but the quality of life issues are an issue. The lack of a decent story makes this impossible to work through. I think you’re good to skip this game.

Classic edition was my first acquaintance with Larian games ...and no< I would not even try to describe the fascination I played through Original Sins 1 and 2. If you haven't had it yet, but like the genre - go for it. If you want to support Larians with you dollar - go for it.

13 hours in, still level 5. peak asf tbh