The first game had you investigating a murder, which admittedly isn’t a cheery premise, but the sequel outright starts you off in a concentration camp. That’s fairly appropriate as a tonal microcosm, because Divinity: Original Sin 2’s opening act (which is basically what you get in Early Access right now) is pretty bleak.

But these were brief departures from the cavalcade of animal woe. Sure, there was an arrogant crab in there too, and a rat who seemed obsessed with hearing about my incredible adventures. In this Early Access build I’ve used my Doctor Doolittle powers to inform an estranged dog couple that they’ll never be together, told a different dog its master will never wake up, and watched an adorable bear cub crying over the corpse of his dead mother. Pet Pal is back in Divinity: Original Sin 2, but so far it seems to mostly open the door to animal misery.

‘Importance’ is relative I suppose, but I’m not sure how anybody could’ve truly experienced Rivellon without getting burglary tips from rats and setting up cats on hot dates.

Everybody who played and enjoyed the first Divinity: Original Sin will remember the importance of the Pet Pal talent.

Divinity original sin 2 pet pal