Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

 PC
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 740 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 540 out of 740
  2. Mixed: 102 out of 740
  3. Negative: 98 out of 740
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  1. zexxx
    Aug 28, 2023
    9
    PoE:II is an improvement in everyway over the original and it sets a very high bar for any RPG to try and follow.

    Masterclass in storytelling and character development with every D&D mechanic you can want in such a game. I enjoyed it immensely and it deserves to be in the hall of fame along Baldur's gate 1&2 and their like. Obsedian are masters of their craft. they present a very    PoE:II is an improvement in everyway over the original and it sets a very high bar for any RPG to try and follow.

    Masterclass in storytelling and character development with every D&D mechanic you can want in such a game. I enjoyed it immensely and it deserves to be in the hall of fame along Baldur's gate 1&2 and their like.

    Obsedian are masters of their craft. they present a very compelling world with complex narratives, gods, characters, myths, magic and mystery.

    While in the first game you had a friggin castle to manage, defend and develop here you've got a ship! with a colorful crew too!

    I love the style of writing in this game which makes every character and location feel like they are truly part of the world. it's a brilliant game and I will be singing it's praises for years to come.

    This is the perfect game for RPG lovers and D&D lovers (though that mechanically this isn't D&D but close).

    A Highly recommended game!    … Expand
  2. Keron_Heruman
    Aug 24, 2023
    9
    Very good cRPG, in the line with the previous game but objectively better game. Improves significantly some questions of the gameplay, but his history, although deep and well written, lacks the freshly of the original PoE. The timeline of the quests appears to be chaotic with strange interrelation between main&secondary quests
  3. Tiradentes
    Aug 13, 2023
    9
    200+ hours into the game I can say it's one of the best game I ever-played.
  4. bigbigtimeboy
    Jul 18, 2023
    10
    Continues the story (love the writing) and has same great customization, combat system and sense of humour as POE 1 - and the addition of the "moving base" / ship is fantastic! Haven't finished it yet - but totally loving it!
  5. HydrophobikFish
    Jun 9, 2023
    8
    Huge step up over its predecessor. Interesting concept of a pirate rpg, the story and setting are both very engaging. There are many interesting questions posed to the player, small and large. Combat is fun and did not wear out its welcome. Characters a bit hit or miss but some real stars in there. Soundtrack and presentation appropriately mythic.
  6. NotkerBiloba
    May 4, 2023
    10
    Very entertaining! Some challenging battles, endearing characters -- and some companions and NPCs that made me feel feelings, both good and bad. Not sure if I totally buy the premise, but it's fantasy, I guess. :) Can't wait for the next Kickstarter ...
  7. Alvt
    Mar 5, 2023
    10
    Besides problems witch long loading, pillars of eternity 2 is One the best experience playing classic RPG. The Turn mode works better in this game, the lore is so fantastic, it's One of the most underrated game that I had played.
  8. cezar88augusto
    Dec 9, 2022
    8
    I decided to play it in turn mode. The story of the game initially is cool, but as the game goes on, it gets dense, with many unnecessary characters and dialogues. I managed to finish Pillar of Eternity in 65 hours of gameplay: I completed several side quests and obviously, the main quest.

    It's a good RPG game. The game is open world and there is a navigation system and naval battles    I decided to play it in turn mode. The story of the game initially is cool, but as the game goes on, it gets dense, with many unnecessary characters and dialogues. I managed to finish Pillar of Eternity in 65 hours of gameplay: I completed several side quests and obviously, the main quest.

    It's a good RPG game. The game is open world and there is a navigation system and naval battles different from conventional RPGs.

    I liked the game, but I confess that I expected more since I saw the many positive reviews before playing it. I recommend the game, but it's nothing fantastic.    … Expand
  9. Tomplexthis
    Jul 7, 2022
    8
    This game builds alot upon the first pillars of eternity, but also has a Awful ending, the game in its entirety is pretty amazing, and worth playing, it adds on a lot of new features that are kind of awesome, like the dumb boat, with repetitive fights, or the many islands, with places to see and explore, loved its dlc, for what the game is, i liked it alot, but that ending, sours everyThis game builds alot upon the first pillars of eternity, but also has a Awful ending, the game in its entirety is pretty amazing, and worth playing, it adds on a lot of new features that are kind of awesome, like the dumb boat, with repetitive fights, or the many islands, with places to see and explore, loved its dlc, for what the game is, i liked it alot, but that ending, sours every aspect of playing this.… Expand
  10. Morigames
    May 30, 2022
    9
    Classic. Following the D&D line. A huge LORE with great character involvement. System in the line of old RPGs.
  11. SegeiNowichkov
    May 22, 2022
    9
    Awesome, but I would like to see more visual affects in the future games. For instance, ship's fights could be animated
  12. tontonac
    May 16, 2022
    10
    A masterpiece, made with a lot of love. It is not perfect but is probably the best you can do while staying true to the "classic" CRPG genre (including fixed, but absolutely beautiful backgrounds).
  13. RedDragonSchool
    Apr 10, 2022
    10
    Great game, just like its predecessor PoE1. A must have for RTwP fans. There is one caveat only: it's too easy except the hardest difficulty level, so this will be hopefully addressed in the future.
  14. F1_is_WWE
    Mar 20, 2022
    8
    This is the best CRPG game simply because it has by far the best combat of them all. No longer do you just spam heal and attack like in other games, here you have to actually use your skills and items with different tactics each battle. Muticlassing and leveling characters is fun. I can't go back to any of the older CRPGs after this one, it just blows them out of the water.

    The only    This is the best CRPG game simply because it has by far the best combat of them all. No longer do you just spam heal and attack like in other games, here you have to actually use your skills and items with different tactics each battle. Muticlassing and leveling characters is fun. I can't go back to any of the older CRPGs after this one, it just blows them out of the water.

    The only problems with the game are the boring story and naval battles, but they don't take up too much time.

    Would recommend playing with the Diffuclty Tweaks mod so you don't get overlevelled.    … Expand
  15. Nomac69
    Mar 19, 2022
    10
    Exceptional game and rich world full of nuanced side quests and fulfilling character development.
  16. agekbaten
    Nov 27, 2021
    10
    A huge positive impression. Played 300 hours and did not meet the monotony of them. A very elaborate combat system, masterpiece quests, excellent tracks that are pleasant to listen to separately, well-developed lore, excellent graphics.
    It's surprising that such a small estimate. Of the shortcomings, after an abundance of battles in the game, FPS drops on my rysen 7 2700x and gtx 1070,    A huge positive impression. Played 300 hours and did not meet the monotony of them. A very elaborate combat system, masterpiece quests, excellent tracks that are pleasant to listen to separately, well-developed lore, excellent graphics.
    It's surprising that such a small estimate. Of the shortcomings, after an abundance of battles in the game, FPS drops on my rysen 7 2700x and gtx 1070, after loading from the main menu, everything is fine again.
    Less than 9 out of 10 (due to technical problems) this masterpiece does not deserve, it is a pleasure to pass on high difficulty, since the game has an excellent balance for those who want to understand.
    Sony games (with all due respect) move over and hold the obsidian beer.
    Fine!
    (I put 10 points to increase the overall rating of the game)    … Expand
  17. Akadrud
    Nov 1, 2021
    8
    I have mixed feelings about this game.. though I think it is worth playing, especially for it's beaufitul graphic. I really loved the atmosphere, the game system, the characters and the really impressive scenery, models, lightning and animation, but I feel it lacks in some parts: the story could be better and more involving for the main character but i won't spoil it: the naval system isI have mixed feelings about this game.. though I think it is worth playing, especially for it's beaufitul graphic. I really loved the atmosphere, the game system, the characters and the really impressive scenery, models, lightning and animation, but I feel it lacks in some parts: the story could be better and more involving for the main character but i won't spoil it: the naval system is pretty useless as it doesn't really has an impact on the game and you can basically ignore it. Some story lines also seems to die, and some others you can completely miss because of no hints whatsoever.… Expand
  18. Bioreactor1987
    Oct 19, 2021
    9
    Хороший представитель жанра. Залетела в список любимых игр рядом с ведьмаком и дивинити ос2.
    Возможно, если бы играл через активную паузу зашла бы гораздо хуже, но пошаговый режим кайфовый.
    Взбесил только dlc seeker slayer survivor.    Хороший представитель жанра. Залетела в список любимых игр рядом с ведьмаком и дивинити ос2.
    Возможно, если бы играл через активную паузу зашла бы гораздо хуже, но пошаговый режим кайфовый.
    Взбесил только dlc seeker slayer survivor.
  19. wanderu
    Oct 9, 2021
    9
    Великолепная ролевая игра, далеко шагнувшая вперед после 1 части. Рекомендую к покупке каждому поклоннику партийных РПГ.
  20. BlackWidow
    Jun 28, 2021
    9
    One of the best RPG experiences (at least for me) since titles such as Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights. The original game was trash IMHO, and this was largely due to limited healing options during combat and the poor AI/skill check system. However, the sequel is a super improvement. Obsidian listened to the fans and really outdid themselves. Here's my take on the game...

    THE GOOD    One of the best RPG experiences (at least for me) since titles such as Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights. The original game was trash IMHO, and this was largely due to limited healing options during combat and the poor AI/skill check system. However, the sequel is a super improvement. Obsidian listened to the fans and really outdid themselves. Here's my take on the game...

    THE GOOD

    Great Story
    Nice Graphics
    Superb Voice Acting
    Reputation System
    Joinable Factions
    Real Time or Turn-Based Combat
    Awesome Leveling System
    Tons of Replay Value
    Full Day/Night Cycles
    Great Character Creation/Customization
    Dynamic Weather System
    Memorable Characters
    Great Companions
    Nice Loot/Drop System
    Excellent Combat System
    Pirate Themes With Sea Battles
    Fantastic Exploration

    THE BAD

    DLC Is Mediocre
    Long Load Times

    That's about it. The free DLC (5) are worth it and a must imho, but the paid DLC (4) are not that great, as they only add extra quests to the game, and do not impact the Main Story at all. Surely get them though when on sale, but I wouldn't pay full price. The Pirate themes are awesome. You can get ships, assign crew members, ship upgrades, and can sail anywhere, fighting off pirates and other stuff. So yeah. Super great game that no RPG fan should miss. 9/10. Thanks Obsidian.    … Expand
  21. Eltop
    Jun 6, 2021
    9
    Tolles oldschool rpg. Das Karibik Setting ist erfrischend. Hat mir besser gefallen als der erste Teil. Die Story ist nicht so sperrig und man hat nochmal mehr Möglichkeiten was die Kämpfe angeht. Die Schiffskämpfe haben mir auch gefallen, auch wenn diese textbasiert sind.
  22. Demiurge11
    Feb 25, 2021
    8
    The Good:
    - The game is quite fun.
    - The tactical combat can be quite challenging, and interesting. - There are lots of places to see, characters to talk to, and moral dilemmas to consider. - The epilogue felt like a satisfying accumulation of my decisions along the way. - The story definitely fits well with the Pillars mythology and is a good sequel to the original game. - I got 80    The Good:
    - The game is quite fun.
    - The tactical combat can be quite challenging, and interesting.
    - There are lots of places to see, characters to talk to, and moral dilemmas to consider.
    - The epilogue felt like a satisfying accumulation of my decisions along the way.
    - The story definitely fits well with the Pillars mythology and is a good sequel to the original game.
    - I got 80 hours of fun game play out of the game, and hadn't quite tapped all the game's potential.
    - Worth the money. I'd buy a sequel.

    The Bad:
    - Director Josh Sawyer said that sales of this game were low and he didn't know why. I can explain what the missing "je ne sais quoi" is from my perspective. While the game is fun (as stated above), the story is very fragmented. There are tons of side quests and factions to support, but the main storyline is pretty short and not well-developed at all. The game starts off well, with lots of richness in the story and characters, but that fragments into a ton of little side quests and things to keep you occupied. Don't get me wrong, those things are fun, but they don't add up to a story that feels really satisfying. There are plenty of hack & slash and MMO games that offer tons of diverting side quests. I think people play an Obsidian game for the story. Pillars of Eternity II did not deliver here. The ending is interesting, but getting there felt... meh.

    The Ugly:
    - two of the playable characters are cardboard cutouts--this is apparently due to the game having gotten insufficient funding from backers. Some of the characters are full of personality and have things to say at various points in the game, and have their own personal quest and epilogue, whereas there are a few that say virtually nothing and seem like ghosts. I would have preferred that the cardboard cutouts be removed entirely rather than haunting the game.
    - I didn't really like *any* of the factions presented. They were all unlikable in my opinion. At least, on the bright side, the game-makers gave me the option to go independently.    … Expand
  23. Augment
    Jan 4, 2021
    10
    Shocked at how good this game was, I thought I didn't like CRPG's... I was clearly just choosing the wrong ones. The breadth of class customization can seem a bit daunting, but If you can get over that hump it is a fantastic experience. The world building is exceptionally well done - economics, government, religion, race, npc's just living their lives... it makes DOS2 seem extremelyShocked at how good this game was, I thought I didn't like CRPG's... I was clearly just choosing the wrong ones. The breadth of class customization can seem a bit daunting, but If you can get over that hump it is a fantastic experience. The world building is exceptionally well done - economics, government, religion, race, npc's just living their lives... it makes DOS2 seem extremely amateurish in that regard. Gameplay is fluid, and action is frequent.

    Unfortunate there are so many low votes due to bad optimisation... it quick saves and quick loads better than any game I've played, but going into fresh areas can take quite a while.    … Expand
  24. Oshiri_Maeda
    Oct 31, 2020
    8
    Great game! Too bad I'm not a fan of real-time pause fights. It is playable in turn-based mode, however it is not as polished and doesn't feel as good as something like Divinity Original Sin. You can feel that the game was not planned as turn-based, still alright though. Art and classic setting are superb, dialogs and text quests are pretty well done too. Love the text quests, too badGreat game! Too bad I'm not a fan of real-time pause fights. It is playable in turn-based mode, however it is not as polished and doesn't feel as good as something like Divinity Original Sin. You can feel that the game was not planned as turn-based, still alright though. Art and classic setting are superb, dialogs and text quests are pretty well done too. Love the text quests, too bad there were not very variative and pretty short. My biggest issue, besides the non-native turn-based mode that just lacks some zest, is the myriad little items and abilities, each with miniscule bonuses that just hard to manage and remember. I'd rather have twice or three times less abilities and item effects, but making them more impactful. Just tired of managing all those buttons and tired of keeping so many numbers in my head. and soooo many stats...
    Still, wonderful game, I'm just nitpicking.    … Expand
  25. cruccolo
    Aug 29, 2020
    10
    I believe Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire was not a commercial success because of very poor marketing. I played and loved the first episode in 2016, and I realized a sequel existed only in August 2020, and only because it was mentioned as a positive comparison in another game's review.
    I will give it a 10, despite the very long and unjustified loading times between even small areas. The    I believe Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire was not a commercial success because of very poor marketing. I played and loved the first episode in 2016, and I realized a sequel existed only in August 2020, and only because it was mentioned as a positive comparison in another game's review.
    I will give it a 10, despite the very long and unjustified loading times between even small areas. The gameplay (both real time and turn based) is great, as well as the story, the graphics, the music, the character progression system and the companions (Eder is still the best). I also enjoyed the new naval combat and ship management system, a refreshing evolution of the "player's stronghold" concept. Belfetto! (Almost).    … Expand
  26. bskierys
    Sep 6, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Obsidian has created yet another great RPG. Like it's predecessor, it stands out as an artistic achievement - graphics, music and storytelling were truly amazing. I felt that the studio has listened to their fans and improved many things that were lacking in the first part. I really enjoyed the climate of the Deadfire archipelago, with it's unique factions, tribes, politics and secrets. The story was much more light-hearted and adventurous than the first one, which often felt too mystical and gloomy. New characters, like Xoti, Maya and Serafen, were really likeable - a big improvement since Durance and Grieving Mother... I also liked how the old ones developed. There were many well-written and interesting side quests - something unusual these days, and I loved the plot of the Winter Beast DLC.

    However, from a perspective of a person that enjoys a good adventure & story rather than combat & character management, I found the latter part to be kind of boring and annoying duty. There were way too many people in my group to care about the skill set & equipment of each and every one of them - it would be much better if I could only focus on the Watcher. As a result, I would often find myself skipping the encounters on auto run - luckily, AI in this game is really well-developed. By the end of the game, I was so tired of fighting, that I basically ran through combat focused DLCs, like FS and SSS, on the easiest difficulty level. It was one of the reasons why getting all achievements in this game felt like a hard slog. Another thing that didn't work for me was fleet management - while restoration of Caed Nua was a cool little side task in the first game, I quickly grew tired of commanding my ship and crew. It felt useless since every sea encounter could be resolved very quickly, by fighting on board, Otherwise, I'd be stuck in naval battles that were neither rewarding, nor interesting, just a never-ending turn-based bore that didn't get any better as I improved my ship. Talking about boring things, the game finale wasn't too exciting - I'm aware that it might be because of decisions made, but it was just an hour-long wall of text. Feels like in-game choices and paths didn't get an equal treatment from the creators. Finally, there was something clearly wrong about how the game was optimized. My game was slower and slower with every quest and decision made, which was really weird. When I loaded my saves from the early stage, they were super-smooth, but near the end it would take forever to load a new location (on SSD) and the game looked like a slide-show at times. There were also occasional crashes. I'm not sure why it was like that, but fortunately it didn't stop me from finishing the game.    … Expand
  27. almax
    Jul 19, 2020
    8
    Very good sequel which, unlike other wonderful rpg (e.g.dragon age or fallout 3 ), do not upset the original title transforming it into garbage.
    Only the story is, from my point of view, a little less addictive than the first one but you should not miss it if you liked pillars of eternity
  28. Zerathiel
    Jul 13, 2020
    10
    Apparently a lot of people are giving the games 0 because of Deadfires 'Leftist Agenda'.

    Get laid.

    This is an incredibly rich game with a compelling storyline, interesting characters and relationships and an expansive world with plentiful lore. Voice acting is incredible. Lots of options to play classes and characters as you wish. A true soul successor to the old 90's isometric RPG's.
  29. 2Puyo
    Jul 6, 2020
    9
    Deadfiire archipelago is such a new mood compared to POE1 and old Baldur's Gate games. It is a fun game that got me hooked to finish it 4 times(Noob numbers) with different endings. My only problem with he story is it was too big. I prefer a small but important story that will echo as time goes by throughout Eora. Ekera?
  30. EvgeniLinuxUser
    Jun 21, 2020
    10
    The best isometric RPG ever! I see some places where the gameplay could be improved (for example make sea exploration like in Sunless Sea or tactical pause like in Tower of Time or bigger size of location like in Divinity: Original sin) but all together looks flawless.
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Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best PC Game of 2018
22
#22 Most Discussed PC Game of 2018
10
#10 Most Shared PC Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 71 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 68 out of 71
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 71
  3. Negative: 0 out of 71
  1. RPGamer
    May 7, 2019
    70
    Those with an appreciation for the tabletop games and classic PC games this pays homage to will likely have an enjoyable experience. The learning curve is a bit steep, the seas may get choppy, and the deck can get rather slippery, but with some patience and perseverance, even the greenest sailor can go from lowly deckhand to decorated captain.
    Read full review
  2. Game Debate
    Oct 22, 2018
    95
    With DLC called 'The Deck of Many Things' and rules system that very closely mirrors the fundamentals of D&D right down to individual spells, it's sort of a crying shame that the powers that control licensing on both sides were unable to consummate this obvious marriage. Pillars of Eternity, for me, is the best D&D series there never was.
    Read full review
  3. Gamers Heroes
    Sep 4, 2018
    80
    Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is not for everyone. The web of intertwining features and mechanics are as deep as they are complicated, but for those looking for more from their RPGs – more character, more wonder, more life – Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is a fantastic homage to the true roots of the RPG genre.
    Read full review
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