There is no universal winner. Choose Baldur’s Gate 3 if you want a Forgotten Realms adventure built on Dungeons & Dragons fifth-edition rules, with cinematic storytelling and companion relationships. Choose Divinity: Original Sin 2 if you prefer elemental tactical combat, room to experiment, or local split-screen co-op. Both support online multiplayer for up to four players, so your preferred rules, story style, co-op setup, and platform are the deciding factors.
At a glance: which game fits your priorities?
| Your priority | Best starting point | Why |
|---|---|---|
| D&D rules and the Forgotten Realms | Baldur’s Gate 3 | It uses fifth-edition D&D rules and takes place in the Forgotten Realms. Larian’s official game page describes its setting and systems. |
| Cinematic storytelling and companion relationships | Baldur’s Gate 3 | Larian highlights cinematic narrative, choices, Origin heroes, and companions. The official page outlines those features. |
| Elemental tactical interactions and experimentation | Divinity: Original Sin 2 | Its combat emphasizes elemental combinations and height advantages, with more than 200 skills across 12 schools, according to Bandai Namco’s feature page. |
| Local split-screen co-op | Divinity: Original Sin 2, after checking your platform | Bandai Namco explicitly lists local split-screen alongside online multiplayer. Check the publisher’s edition information and your store listing. |
| Online co-op | Either | Both games’ official descriptions support online multiplayer for up to four players. Check the platform-specific requirements before playing. |
| A particular console or edition | Check the exact edition and regional listing | Availability and upgrade entitlements vary by platform and region; a general comparison cannot confirm what is currently sold or included where you live. |
How the rules change combat
Baldur’s Gate 3: a D&D fifth-edition framework
Baldur’s Gate 3 translates D&D fifth-edition rules into turn-based video-game combat. Character choices draw on familiar D&D structures: Larian lists 11 races, 12 classes, and 46 subclasses on its official game page. Those counts describe the available options; they do not establish that one game has deeper or better combat.
The game is set in the Forgotten Realms and follows a story involving a mind flayer parasite. Larian emphasizes player choices and a cinematic narrative, making this the clearer fit if you want the game’s tactical decisions tied to a D&D-style character and story framework. Its support FAQ confirms that it uses fifth-edition rules and is a new story that can be enjoyed without having played Baldur’s Gate or Baldur’s Gate II: Larian’s Baldur’s Gate 3 FAQ.
Divinity: Original Sin 2: elemental interactions and a distinct skill system
Divinity: Original Sin 2 uses its own combat and character-building systems rather than D&D rules. Bandai Namco describes turn-based battles built around elemental combinations and height, plus more than 200 skills across 12 skill schools. These systems make it the natural starting point if you like testing how battlefield elements and abilities interact.
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#1 Best Overall
- Online multiplayer for up to four players - allows you to combine your forces in combat, and split your party to follow your own quests and agendas. Concoct the perfect plan together… or introduce an element of chaos when your friends least expect it
- Origin Character - offer a hand-crafted experience, each with their own unique traits, agenda, and outlook on the world. Their stories intersect with the entire narrative, and your choices will determine whether those stories end in redemption, salvation, domination, or many other outcomes
- Evolved turn-based combat - based on the D&D 5e ruleset. Team-based initiative, advantage & disadvantage, and roll modifiers join combat cameras, expanded environmental interactions, and a new fluidity in combat that rewards strategy and foresight
- Define the future of the Forgotten Realms - through your choices, and the roll of the dice. No matter who you play, or what you roll, the world and its inhabitants will react to your story
- Player-initiated turn-based mode - allows you to pause the world around you at any time even outside of combat. Whether you see an opportunity for a tactical advantage before combat begins, want to pull off a heist with pin-point precision, or need to escape a fiendish trap. Split your party, prepare ambushes, sneak in the darkness -- create your own luck!
Its setting is Rivellon. The publisher describes six Origin characters, each with a background and quest, as well as the option to create a character and explore broadly. See Bandai Namco’s Divinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition page for its stated features.
Story, characters, and presentation
Both games offer authored worlds and characters, but they foreground them differently. Baldur’s Gate 3 is the pick if you want a cinematic presentation and companion-focused relationships in the Forgotten Realms. Divinity: Original Sin 2 offers six Origin characters with their own backgrounds and quests in Rivellon, alongside player-created characters.
Rank #2
- Reactive Turn-based Combat: Craft unique builds for your Expeditioners that fit your playstyle via gear, stats, skills, and &character synergies
- Dodge, parry, and counter in real time, chain combos by mastering attack rhythms, and target enemy weak points using a free aim system
- With only one year left to live, join Gustave, Maelle, & fellow Expeditioners as they embark on a desperate quest to break Paintress’ cycle of death
- Explore an enchanting realm populated by adversaries; Wander through breathtaking landscapes, from Island of Visages to the Forgotten Battlefield
- Experience the debut game from Sandfall Interactive, fully realized in Unreal Engine 5 with stunning graphics and a heartbreaking soundtrack
These are differences in emphasis, not a reliable ranking of which story is better written. The available official feature descriptions establish settings and story features, but do not provide a measured comparison of writing quality, typical playtime, or replayability.
Co-op: online play and local split-screen
Both games support online multiplayer for up to four players. Divinity: Original Sin 2 has the clearest documented advantage for couch play: Bandai Namco explicitly lists local split-screen co-op as well as online multiplayer. Larian’s support information describes split-screen on PC for Baldur’s Gate 3; do not assume local co-op works the same way on every platform. Confirm the current platform-specific details before buying for a group.
Rank #3
- Exclusive Deluxe Edition Content: Includes a physical copy of Baldur's Gate 3 for PS5, along with bonus digital and physical items such as a soundtrack, art book, map, and exclusive in-game items like skins, weapons, or cosmetics.
- Big Box Packaging: Comes in a premium, collector's edition box with unique artwork, making it a standout addition to any gaming collection.
- Enhanced for PS5: Fully optimized for PlayStation 5, featuring faster load times, stunning 4K visuals, and immersive DualSense controller integration for haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.
- EU Region Version: Specifically designed for the European market, ensuring compatibility with PS5 consoles in the EU region. Includes multi-language support for a wider audience.
- Collector's Item: A must-have for fans of the Baldur's Gate series or RPG enthusiasts, offering both gameplay and collectible value with its high-quality physical and digital extras.
Platform availability and editions
For Divinity: Original Sin 2, Larian’s official history records upgraded Definitive Edition releases for Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 on December 15, 2025. It describes a free upgrade for owners of the previous-generation version. Check the store for your region and platform to confirm the offer and eligibility: Larian’s official news and history.
For either game, check the live store listing for the edition you intend to buy. Platform availability, regional sales, and upgrade terms can change, and historical release dates in support materials are not a substitute for a current listing.
Rank #4
- Day 1 Edition includes the Base Game Disc, Steelbook, and World Map.
- Make The Story Your Own - Experience and shape the plot the way you want. Embark on the quest to save your family, or swear revenge on your sire and destroy everyone standing in your way. Discover ancient secrets lurking in the valley. Rush in head first or risk taking time to prepare. Go alone or search for friends and forge unlikely alliances.
- Day And Night - Experience two different gameplay loops, offering distinct abilities to choose from, mysteries to uncover, and varying ways to achieve your goals. Experiment with different approaches and discover how the world reacts to your actions.
- Every Action Matters - Every action - and inaction - shapes the world around you. Your family’s days are numbered, and every time you take on a quest, time moves forward, compelling you closer to the end. Choose carefully whom to help and whom to leave behind. You will not have time for everyone. The world waits for no one. And neither does the villain.
Which one should you buy?
- Pick Baldur’s Gate 3 for fifth-edition D&D, the Forgotten Realms, cinematic storytelling, and a focus on companions.
- Pick Divinity: Original Sin 2 for elemental combat, experimentation with its own skill system, or documented local split-screen co-op.
- If online co-op is your main requirement, either game supports up to four players online; verify the requirements for your platform.
- If platform or edition is the deciding factor, compare the current regional store listings rather than relying on older release information.
Older comparisons need context. For example, PC Gamer’s February 27, 2020 article drew on demo sessions and predates the full release of Baldur’s Gate 3, so it can provide design-lineage context but not a verdict on both completed games: PC Gamer’s 2020 comparison.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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- 1205504
- High-quality material
- Durable
- robustness
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