Originally Posted by Saito Hikari
DOS2 had an illusion of an open world, but it really wasn't. There's a reason why there's a recommended level map for the entire Reaper's Coast. The worst part is, not only did it suffer from stat bloat, but it also had a hidden level-based damage formula. I believe it was something like -20% damage inflicted for every level you were below an enemy target, and +20% damage inflicted for every level you were above them. Could be 25% or 15% instead, but the game doesn't tell you this, yet it's extremely obvious there's something there.

BG3 is honestly far closer to being open world than DOS2 ever was.

My experience with DOS2 was exactly this. I had to do very specific content and ONLY that content at certain levels. There might as well been a mmo-like glowing path, leading me to where I could actually go and where I wasn't supposed to go. it was bizarre. I'm sure an expert with the system can bypass it, but for a new player, i felt very constricted.