Pillars of Eternity: The White March - Part 2

 PC
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 166 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 118 out of 166
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 166
  3. Negative: 30 out of 166

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  1. AwesomeButton01
    Apr 28, 2016
    10
    Worth your money a couple of times over, and at least as many playthroughs, TWM2 is a vast improvement in quality to the base game, in every aspect. I even enjoyed it more than TWM which was already very, very good.

    One way you can tell you are playing a quality game is when you see the developers being "generous" with content - giving you custom-made mechanics and content to play    Worth your money a couple of times over, and at least as many playthroughs, TWM2 is a vast improvement in quality to the base game, in every aspect. I even enjoyed it more than TWM which was already very, very good.

    One way you can tell you are playing a quality game is when you see the developers being "generous" with content - giving you custom-made mechanics and content to play around with, which can't be easily reused somewhere else. In my book, this is always a good sign for the attention to detail and the resources a development team was able to spare.

    The most prominent example of this is how, early in TWM2, depending on the way you handle a certain quest, you may get the ability to call long-range artillery on targets, and potentially make your life easier later on. I think it was great how this was woven into the main quest and the ability was not simply thrown at the player with some "magic" explanation, but also the fact that it was optional.

    Another improvement in TWM2 is the increased amount of meaningful reactivity, which provides a lot of opportunities for role-playing, for playing out both minor and major quests differently, and adds replay value. Even quests that are part of the main TWM2 story can be solved in radically different ways, depending on player choice. This is a huge thing for me, as influencing the main plot is something rarely seen in RPGs in general, so I really appreciated being given multiple approaches to solving problems which affected the story, even if just on the TWM2 level.

    And it's not just the main quest either - the player can influence the outcome and resolution of smaller quests - what's the future of Stalwart's economy going to be, it's trade relationship with Defiance Bay, the fate of a miner accused of murder, there are too many such things to list everything.

    If reactivity is one thing that stands out when describing TWM2, I think "variance" and "hand-crafted" are the other major descriptors. On every level, the game left me with the feeling I'm playing the kind of hand-crafted adventure, which I hoped PoE would have been at release. Nothing feels arbitrary, nothing feels like "filler". There is meaning to pretty much every combat encounter, and you can see someone made a deliberate decision how many enemies to put there, what type, what class, etc.

    Talking about "hand-crafted", the number of scripted interactions, and their complexity have both been increased, and they feel better than ever. The designers seem to have sensed one of the complaints I personally had regarding scripted encounters, and the text now gives the player hints of what skill/attribute will be tested before he or she has to choose a character to preform an action.

    The same feeling of increased developer attention to detail that is evident in the quest and encounter design, is prevalent in the area design as well. I found it a nice change that, in contrast to the base game, it was fairly difficult to predict the layout of any area without actually exploring it - designing more unpredictable areas is a lesson that the PoE team has apparently mastered by now, and to see what I mean it's enough to compare any of the new dungeons to something seen in the base game, like the temple of Eothas or the Sanitarium for example. And once again - area design keeps offering the player multiple approaches towards the quest objective, and this principle meshes perfectly with the overall increase in interactivity to quests and main plot.

    The final thing that left me positively impressed, and which totally won me over, was the plot and story, which makes sense because you can't experience them fully before you complete the expansion. Even early in TWM2 I spotted what I thought were improvements to the quality of writing, small things like for example a letter the player could find amid an enemy camp, which gives details on the everyday life and concerns of characters and provokes the player to see the other side as more than just "enemies".

    TWM2's plot presents a healthy chunk of lore to the player, but in total contrast to the loredumps of the base game, this time new information is presented much more subtly, much more painless and through varied ("variance" again) channels - dialogue, reading of journals/notes, overheard dialogues between other characters, and even some riddle solving. The plot managed to surprise me, which felt great, and for a player invested in the setting of PoE and the history of its world, touched on questions which will feel larger than the plot and the game itself. And again, it offered interactivity and consequences up to the very end.

    I guess that if you've gone far enough in PoE and TWM to consider buying TWM2, you are already at least ok with PoE's gameplay, and want to know if TWM2 is worth it. My conclusion is that TWM2 offers the best parts of PoE content and will easily exceed your expectations

    P.S. I invite you to also check out my TWM and PoE reviews :)    … Expand
  2. Jackitus
    Feb 28, 2016
    10
    White March Part 2 is excellent, simply put. The story/atmosphere are really on point for this one. The only criticisms that can be leveled against it are length and linearity, it's a bit short (and by that I mean still longer than a modern AAA shooter's main campaign) and it's a bit less about exploring open maps.

    By the way, what another reviewer pointed out is correct, the user score    White March Part 2 is excellent, simply put. The story/atmosphere are really on point for this one. The only criticisms that can be leveled against it are length and linearity, it's a bit short (and by that I mean still longer than a modern AAA shooter's main campaign) and it's a bit less about exploring open maps.

    By the way, what another reviewer pointed out is correct, the user score was sitting pretty at 9.5+ consistently then over night dropped to around where it is now. Very suspicious, no? Play this expansion for yourself, and see if it deserves a red review, let alone 24 of them...    … Expand
  3. Mygaffer
    Feb 23, 2016
    10
    I really like PoE when it launched, a great throw back to genre no longer being serviced like it once was. With the second part of The White March and the 3.0 update I really LOVE Pillars, it has a ton of content now, it is very polished and balanced, it is an amazing game and I recommend all gamers to try it. Also with the user score keep in mind someone went through and review bombed it,I really like PoE when it launched, a great throw back to genre no longer being serviced like it once was. With the second part of The White March and the 3.0 update I really LOVE Pillars, it has a ton of content now, it is very polished and balanced, it is an amazing game and I recommend all gamers to try it. Also with the user score keep in mind someone went through and review bombed it, before that happened it was at a 9.6.

    Buy this game, buy the expansions, play them, love them, and then back Pillars of Eternity 2 whenever they announce that project.    … Expand
  4. FiascoP
    Feb 22, 2016
    10
    Excellent.
    Comes with a complete revision (balance) of the core game; we can say it is now an "Enhanced Edition".
    Inevitable bugs contained within will certainly be dealt with as it was the case with previous updates/game rules tweakings. It has come a long way, and the game is now very, very, very enjoyable. This is the good direction for cRPGs to go, and I am thankful for this gem.    Excellent.
    Comes with a complete revision (balance) of the core game; we can say it is now an "Enhanced Edition".
    Inevitable bugs contained within will certainly be dealt with as it was the case with previous updates/game rules tweakings.

    It has come a long way, and the game is now very, very, very enjoyable.
    This is the good direction for cRPGs to go, and I am thankful for this gem.
    Two thumbs up!    … Expand
  5. Drihter
    Mar 2, 2016
    10
    DON'T BELIEVE USER SCORE !!!
    Pillars Of Eternity [including two expansions] is excellent game, one of the best cRPGs of all time.Obsidian please don't stop, you are my saviours, because i play only this type of games.The White March part II brings new companion [Barbarian], new fantastic locations, good story and atmosphere and more great improvements with latest 3.0 update.
    BUY THIS GAME !!!
  6. kozzy420
    Feb 19, 2016
    10
    This is how you do an expansion pack for a great rpg. Obsidian has done some of the best expansion packs and DLC in the past (Mask Of The Betrayer, Old World Blues,etc..), so this doesn't come as a huge surprise. Good writing, nice new areas, nice improvements, etc.. If you liked Pillars of Eternity, go pick up this and the first part of the expansion packs. You won't be disapointed!
  7. ShinsFortress
    Oct 12, 2016
    3
    The game itself was fine, and is the second best of it's ilk to come along since all those old Infinity Engine games. Visually I liked it, sound was fine and the party system was fine. Quests and story? Fine. What's wrong with it?

    Minus a few points for very poor encounter design & planning in certain locations. Minus a zillion points for there *still* being serious bugs (e.g.    The game itself was fine, and is the second best of it's ilk to come along since all those old Infinity Engine games. Visually I liked it, sound was fine and the party system was fine. Quests and story? Fine. What's wrong with it?

    Minus a few points for very poor encounter design & planning in certain locations.
    Minus a zillion points for there *still* being serious bugs (e.g. entire character inventory disappears).    … Expand
  8. night4
    Jul 2, 2016
    8
    Better than the first half, that's for sure.

    The new soulbound weapon you can get early on is absurdly ridiculous for casters, far surpassing the accuracy you'd have on any other weapon ever. I guess that's a good thing though, especially for wizards.
  9. ExpertPL
    Nov 12, 2016
    7
    Don't get me wrong, this is very good expansion, but considering that developers splited it up in 2 parts and sold both at full price I have to give it a lower score.
  10. the_sextein
    Jun 14, 2019
    10
    The pacing of the game is fitting for a story climax. The graphics are great, the gameplay continues to expand in terms of depth.
  11. moonlight_shado
    Jun 12, 2016
    9
    I love the whole White March expansion. It gives the outstanding atmosphere i didn't feel since Icewind Dale. I like White March more than the base game tbh ;) I would give it a 10 but i think it should come out as a whole expansion, not split into two parts which was confusing in terms of story.
  12. SkySlam
    Oct 23, 2016
    10
    A magnificent conclusion to the first chapter of the series. The developers have learned from their mistakes and have improved greatly coming from the vanilla version. If you even remotely liked the base game, you will love the expansions.
  13. Geralt123
    Dec 29, 2020
    9
    Excellent sequel to White March 1 with more Maps. Quest and Bounties. As in WM1, the overall quality is even better than the main game! 10-20 hrs

Awards & Rankings

87
#87 Best PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. DarkStation
    May 19, 2016
    60
    Make no mistake, if you enjoyed what you have played so far of Pillars of Eternity, then it will be worthwhile for you to finish off the saga by playing this expansion pack. It is more of what you loved in your previous experience with this game. With that said, you might be surprised by how much that disappoints you, or how just plain tired you are of it.
    Read full review
  2. CD-Action
    May 1, 2016
    85
    Offers more of what worked well in Pillars and provides a satisfying ending to the adventure. [04/2016, p.44]
  3. Pelit (Finland)
    Mar 31, 2016
    70
    The first part of White March was better but it is an excellent DLC as a whole. Next time fewer fights and more companion quests, please. [March 2016]
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