Difficulty

Unravel the mysteries of Divinity: Original Sin 2's difficulty settings. Master Classic, Explorer, Story, Tactician, and Honour modes with our expert guide.

Alright, let's talk about how tough you want your journey through Divinity: Original Sin 2 to be. The game actually gives you a good range of options, letting you tailor the experience from a breezy stroll to a nail-biting challenge. You've got your standard modes, plus a couple of special ones that really shake things up.

Here's the breakdown of what each mode offers:

• Classic Mode: This is your baseline, the default experience. No special buffs for you, no nerfs for the bad guys. It's the standard adventure as the developers intended.

• Explorer Mode: Feeling a bit overwhelmed or just want to focus on the story? Explorer Mode is your friend. It gives your allies a significant boost (+50% Vitality, +50% Damage, +30% Armour, and better hit/dodge chances) while dialing back the enemies (-20% Vitality, -30% Damage, -30% Armour, and worse hit chances). It's a much more forgiving playthrough.
• Story Mode: If Explorer Mode still feels a little too spicy, Story Mode cranks the dial even further. Your allies get a massive buff (+100% Vitality, +100% Damage, +50% Armour, and improved hit/dodge), and enemies are significantly weakened (-40% Vitality, -50% Damage, -50% Armour, and worse hit chances). Plus, you get the handy ability to resurrect fallen allies with full health, making those tough fights much more manageable.
• Tactician Mode: Ready to test your mettle? Tactician Mode is where things get serious. Enemies become much stronger (+50% Vitality, +50% Damage, +2% Damage per level, +50% Armour, +1.5% Armour Growth per level, +35% Magic Armour, +1.5% Magic Armour Growth per level, and a +10% chance to hit). On top of that, merchants will charge you more for their wares, so every Gold counts.
• Honour Mode: This is the ultimate challenge, often chosen alongside Tactician Mode. Honour Mode throws a brutal restriction at you: you only get one save file. If your entire party wipes out, that's it – your run is over, and you have to start from scratch. While you can technically back up your save file before a tough encounter, the game autosaves after any party member death, making it incredibly risky. It's for those who crave the ultimate test of skill and nerve.