Baldur's Gate 3 vs Divinity Original Sin 2: Play Them Both, But Start Here

I played DOS2 first, back in 2018. It wrecked me — Fort Joy alone took 15 hours and I died to crocodiles more times than I'm willing to admit. Then I put 400 hours into BG3 when it launched. Then I went back and replayed DOS2 to see how it held up.

They're both masterpieces. They're both Larian Studios. They're both turn-based CRPGs. And they are completely different games in ways that matter.

Here's the honest comparison, from someone who's played both to death.

30-Second Verdict

| What Matters | BG3 | DOS2 | |-------------|:--:|:--:| | Best storytelling | ✅ | — | | Best combat | — | ✅ | | Best for beginners | ✅ | — | | Best replay value | — | ✅ | | Best production values | ✅ | — |

Short version: BG3 if you want Hollywood-level cinematics and don't mind some dice-roll randomness. DOS2 if you want deeper tactical combat and a darker, more philosophical story. Play both eventually — the question is which one first.

The Combat: This Is Where They're Most Different

BG3: Dice Rolls and Probability

BG3 runs on D&D 5th Edition rules. Every attack, every spell, every skill check is a d20 roll plus modifiers. Your 95% hit chance can still miss. Your 5% critical hit chance can still proc. The randomness creates moments — some glorious, some infuriating.

I remember fighting the Hag in Act 1 with my entire party at single-digit HP. My Paladin's turn. 45% hit chance on a Divine Smite that would either kill her or leave me dead on her next turn. Natural 20. Critical hit. Double Smite dice. She exploded. My roommate heard me yell from across the apartment.

Those moments don't happen in DOS2. Everything is deterministic.

The action economy is clean: Action (attack/cast/dash) + Bonus Action (jump/shove/potion) + Movement. Concentration means only one big spell at a time. It's elegant and easy to learn.

DOS2: No Luck, All Strategy

DOS2 has no hit chance. Your attacks always land. The entire combat system is built around a Physical Armor / Magic Armor dual-layer defense:

  • Physical Armor blocks physical CC (knockdown, cripple, disarm)
  • Magic Armor blocks magical CC (frozen, stunned, petrified)
  • Strip the armor → chain-CC the enemy → they never get a turn

The elemental interaction system is what makes DOS2 combat special. Water + Lightning = AoE stun. Poison + Fire = explosion. Blood + Lightning = persistent damage field. You can turn the entire battlefield into a death trap with the right spell combos.

I had a fight in DOS2 where I teleported an enemy into a pool of oil, set it on fire, rained on it (creating steam), then electrified the steam cloud. The enemy took five different damage types in one turn and never got to act. That's the kind of creative freedom DOS2 gives you that BG3 doesn't.

| Combat Element | BG3 | DOS2 | |---------------|-----|------| | Hit detection | d20 random | Always hits | | Defense | Armor Class (AC) | Physical/Magic Armor | | Action resource | Action + Bonus Action | Action Points (4-6) | | CC resistance | Saving throws | Immune while armored | | Terrain use | Limited (shove, grease) | Extreme (elemental combos) | | Balance | Wide class gaps | Breaks down late-game |

The honest take: BG3 combat feels more grounded and tense — every roll matters. DOS2 combat feels more like a chess match — you're solving puzzles, not gambling. I prefer DOS2's combat for pure tactical depth, but BG3's randomness creates better stories.

Story: Blockbuster vs Page-Turner

BG3 Is a $150 Million Movie

The production values are ridiculous. Full mocap on every dialogue scene. Micro-expressions. Depth of field. 174 hours of voiced dialogue — more than all eight seasons of Game of Thrones. When Shadowheart makes a dry joke and smirks, you see it. When Astarion has a vulnerable moment, his face tells you everything before his voice does.

The story is classic epic fantasy: mind flayers, elder brains, save the world. It's well-executed, well-paced, and respects player choice — your decisions in Act 1 genuinely affect who lives and dies in Act 3.

But the main plot isn't the most interesting part. The companions are. Shadowheart's crisis of faith, Astarion's trauma, Karlach's tragic countdown — these character arcs hit harder than the main story ever does.

DOS2 Is a Novel That Makes You Think

DOS2 looks like a 2017 isometric game. No cinematic camera. No facial animation. Just good writing and a lot of text.

And the writing is better than BG3's. Tighter. Darker. More thematically coherent. The entire story orbits around one question: "If you were chosen by the gods, what would you do with that power?" Every origin character has a personal answer. Fane's storyline — a scholar from a dead civilization trying to understand what happened to his people — is one of the best narratives in any RPG, period.

DOS2's moral choices aren't "good vs evil." Every option has a cost. Every faction has a point. The ending left me staring at the credits screen for ten minutes not because it was epic, but because it was heavy.

If you want the best story: DOS2 for writing depth, BG3 for emotional delivery. They're aiming for different things and they both hit their target.

Character Building: Classes vs No Classes

BG3: D&D Classes + Wild Multiclassing

12 base classes, 46 subclasses, and you can multiclass up to three classes together. The build variety is the game's greatest strength. A Paladin 2 / Warlock 5 / Sorcerer 5 "Sorcadin" can output 200+ damage in one turn because it cleverly stacks mechanics across three classes.

But you're bound by class rules. A Fighter can't suddenly dip into fire magic without multiclassing. Your race matters for dialogue — Drow get unique goblin interactions, Githyanki get massive Lae'zel-related content, Dragonborn get almost nothing (sorry).

DOS2: Build Whatever You Want

No classes at all. You invest points into combat skills (Warfare, Scoundrel, Pyro, Hydro, etc.) and civil skills (Sneaking, Thievery, Bartering) however you want. A warrior with a giant sword who also throws fireballs? Go ahead. A sneaky archer who summons creatures and heals? That's fine too.

The freedom is intoxicating, but it's also overwhelming. Without class guardrails it's easy to spread points too thin and end up with a character who's mediocre at everything. I did this on my first run and had to restart at Fort Joy.

Beginner-Friendliness

BG3: The Accessible One

The tutorial gradually teaches D&D basics. The UI is clean with clear tooltips. You can respec for 200 gold. Four difficulty options including Explorer mode. BG3 is the most accessible CRPG ever made.

But D&D 5E rules still take time to learn. Spell save DCs, concentration, advantage/disadvantage math — these aren't intuitive to non-tabletop players. Expect the first 10 hours to involve a lot of googling.

DOS2: Brutal Opening

Fort Joy (Act 1) is one of the hardest opening areas in any RPG. Scarce gear, tough encounters, no hand-holding. You will die. You will restart. You will watch build guide videos.

But once you understand the armor system, combat clicks. Element interactions are intuitive — water conducts electricity, fire burns oil. If you have basic physics intuition you'll figure out most combos on your own.

My recommendation: BG3 on Balanced for CRPG beginners. DOS2 after you've finished BG3 and want something harder.

Six Dimensions Compared

Mod Support

BG3 has official mod tools (launched Sept 2024) through mod.io but no Steam Workshop. DOS2 has mature Steam Workshop support with hundreds of polished custom campaigns. DOS2's Game Master Mode lets you build custom D&D-style campaigns from scratch — BG3 doesn't have anything like it.

DOS2 wins on mods, and it's not close.

Multiplayer

Both support 4-player co-op. BG3 co-op feels like a real D&D session — each player controls their character, dialogue voting, you can betray party decisions. DOS2 co-op is more chaotic — four players can be in four different parts of the map doing completely different things.

One annoying thing about BG3 multiplayer: only the host's save retains progression. DOS2 gives every player an independent save file. If your BG3 co-op partner ghosts you, all your shared progress is stuck on their computer.

Replay Value

BG3: 12 classes × 46 subclasses × multiclass combos, plus the Dark Urge origin for a completely different narrative path. Most players do 2-3 runs.

DOS2: 6 origin characters, each with a unique personal story. The dual-protagonist dialogue system creates interactions you'll never see in a single playthrough. No class restrictions means every run plays differently. Most players do 3-5 runs.

DOS2 edges ahead. Its character-specific storylines make each playthrough feel like a fundamentally different game.

Music

BG3: Borislav Slavov's orchestral score. "Down By The River" lives in my head rent-free. Combat music gets your blood pumping.

DOS2: Kirill Pokrovsky's score is more introspective with exotic instrumentation. Lohse's personal quest — the "Sing for Me" scene — is the most emotionally devastating moment in either game. No contest.

Difficulty Curve

BG3 follows standard RPG progression: fragile early game (a goblin in Act 1 can one-shot you), massive power spike at level 5 (Extra Attack / Fireball), gradually easier as builds come online. DOS2 is brutal at the start (Fort Joy), peaks in tactical complexity during the mid-game, and breaks down late-game when certain builds get access to Green Tea (infinite AP) and the combat system stops functioning.

Bugs and Polish

BG3 launched rough — Act 3 had heavy FPS drops and quest logic bugs. Patch 7 has resolved 99% of issues but some minor jank remains. DOS2 Definitive Edition is rock solid — no known major bugs after years of patches.

Decision Tree: Which Should You Play First?

  • Never played a CRPG? → BG3 on Explorer difficulty
  • D&D player who wants that tabletop feel? → BG3
  • Tactics fan who loves deep combat systems? → DOS2
  • Want the best story you'll think about for weeks? → DOS2
  • Want to be emotionally destroyed by companions? → BG3
  • On a tight budget? → DOS2 (frequently $15 on sale)
  • Just want "the best game"? → Both. BG3 first, then DOS2.

FAQ

How big is the graphical gap?

Massive. BG3 is full AAA 2023-quality 3D with cinematic camera work. DOS2 is a 2017 isometric game. That said, DOS2's art direction is stunning and holds up — the gap is production scale, not artistic merit.

Do I need to play DOS1?

No. DOS1 and DOS2 are set a thousand years apart with different characters. DOS2 is standalone.

How long does each take?

BG3: 70-100 hours main story, 150-200 completionist. DOS2: 60-80 hours main, 120-150 completionist.

Which has better companions?

BG3 companions (Shadowheart, Astarion, Karlach) feel more "present" because of the cinematic presentation. DOS2 companions (Fane, Lohse, Sebille) have deeper writing. Fane and Lohse's personal storylines beat any BG3 companion in terms of writing — but Shadowheart and Astarion have more complete, emotionally delivered character arcs. Pick your poison.

If I already own BG3, should I buy DOS2?

If BG3 made you fall in love with CRPGs — yes, absolutely. DOS2 isn't a downgrade. It's a different masterpiece built on a completely different design philosophy. Many veterans actually prefer DOS2's combat.

You can't go wrong here. These are two of the best RPGs ever made from the same studio, representing two different eras of Larian's evolution. BG3 proved CRPGs can be mainstream blockbusters. DOS2 proved an indie studio could create a genre-defining work through sheer design brilliance.

Play both. Start with whichever one sounds more like your thing. If you're new to BG3 specifically, our beginner's guide to classes and builds will save you from the four-restart loop I went through.

Last updated: July 23, 2026. BG3 Patch 7 and DOS2 Definitive Edition.