Pillars of Eternity

 PC
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2683 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,104 out of 2683
  2. Mixed: 308 out of 2683
  3. Negative: 271 out of 2683
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  1. Keron_Heruman
    Aug 24, 2023
    9
    New world, new lore, new game mechanics... with all the essence of the Baldur's gate saga. Very well rounded cRPG plenty of options with a deep history and an immense quantity of (very well written) text. Some punctual strange decisions, as some illogical relation attributes/abilities or the stronghold management, impede the 10/10
  2. apokalipto
    Aug 23, 2023
    9
    Very good game. I enjoyed playing this game a lot. I strongly recommend this.
  3. gracjanski
    Aug 16, 2023
    10
    Many good improvements to the already great Baldurs Gate & Co. gameplay. So yes, here you can build up many characters, not just one and yes, it is complex :) Finally the inventory is big enough and the graphic looks well. Only the manual should have been bigger (definitive edition)
    The story is good, especially there are a lot of details to discover, for example the story of the world.    Many good improvements to the already great Baldurs Gate & Co. gameplay. So yes, here you can build up many characters, not just one and yes, it is complex :) Finally the inventory is big enough and the graphic looks well. Only the manual should have been bigger (definitive edition)
    The story is good, especially there are a lot of details to discover, for example the story of the world. Sound/Music are perfect.

    But there should be less text to read. And some cinematics to improve the presentation of the story could be great also.    … Expand
  4. bigbigtimeboy
    Jul 18, 2023
    10
    These guys had a VISION. Awesome birds eye isometric RPG - cool story in a world rich with lore and side quests - all kinds of NPCs to interact with and impact your decisions/endings. Great character customization, some crafting and base building tossed in. And the UI for the combat/spell system is super easy to learn. Just the right amount of depth!! I played The White March pt 1 andThese guys had a VISION. Awesome birds eye isometric RPG - cool story in a world rich with lore and side quests - all kinds of NPCs to interact with and impact your decisions/endings. Great character customization, some crafting and base building tossed in. And the UI for the combat/spell system is super easy to learn. Just the right amount of depth!! I played The White March pt 1 and 2 (both add-ons) and they really added to the storyline.… Expand
  5. Magical_Viktor
    Apr 30, 2023
    9
    Существуют просто Зло и Большое Зло, а за ними обоими в тени прячется Очень Большое Зло. Очень Большое Зло, Геральт, это такое, которого ты и представить себе не можешь, даже если думаешь, будто уже ничто не в состоянии тебя удивить. И знаешь, Геральт, порой бывает так, что Очень Большое Зло схватит тебя за горло и скажет: «Выбирай, братец, либо я, либо то, которое чуточку поменьше»Существуют просто Зло и Большое Зло, а за ними обоими в тени прячется Очень Большое Зло. Очень Большое Зло, Геральт, это такое, которого ты и представить себе не можешь, даже если думаешь, будто уже ничто не в состоянии тебя удивить. И знаешь, Геральт, порой бывает так, что Очень Большое Зло схватит тебя за горло и скажет: «Выбирай, братец, либо я, либо то, которое чуточку поменьше»
  6. Hyperfailure
    Apr 29, 2023
    8
    A well made tRPG with a gripping story and characters (most anyway). Combat felt fair and interesting, character classes well balanced and certain builds kicking arse hard.
  7. TianLong1
    Mar 31, 2023
    9
    My first time playing a Baldur's gate-like game, and it made me fall in love with the genre, making me hungry for more games like this. Lots of customization and the possibility to create your own characters to join your party. Great RPG game.
  8. Pmstz
    Jan 25, 2023
    8
    Just an excellent RPG video game.
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
  9. Elkedacion
    Nov 22, 2022
    9
    Za mne skvělé RPG. Taková klasika.
    Navic se dá do hry stáhnout čeština.
    STEAM + GoG verze - 9/10
    EPIC-Store verze - 1/10 ODPAD!
    Důvod je ten, že Epic úmyslně poškodil soubory hry, aby nemohly být použity modifikace a čeština.
  10. Onemoreartem
    Nov 14, 2022
    9
    Первая CRPG, которую я прошел до конца залпом и не снижая сложность под финал.
  11. DankNemes
    Jul 25, 2022
    10
    I've read the story of the game in Blood, Sweat and Pixels (great book that you should definitely read) and it shows that the hard work that the developers went through with crafting this game has paid off, good game.
  12. JasonBaro
    Jul 25, 2022
    8
    Love the game and the gameplay, graphics and story. It is a bit difficult when you start, if you don't know the RPG system from before. Once you break the code, you can create some epic characters that will be almost invincible (paired with the right team-mates).
  13. Tomplexthis
    Jul 7, 2022
    9
    A generally flawless RPG game that has more depth than any single bethesda garbage you will ever chew up and spit back out. Mods keep those games alive, but Pillars of Eternity, stands on its own two feet. especially if you like Baldurs Gate, or any other CRPG, this is pretty much the best one ive played
  14. RedDragonSchool
    Apr 9, 2022
    10
    Pillars of Eternity is a rightful successor of Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale series, with fantastic nostalgy vibes (and with some less fantastic oversized lore dumps but that's totally forgivable, considering the overall high quality and amount of quality content in the game). The music - absolutely beautiful - is a perfect marriage of Icewind Dale and Baldur's Gate themes.
  15. Odal
    Jan 4, 2022
    8
    I think it was a great game in many aspects. I really loved the atmosphere especially, like the endless path with it's music and mystery (even though you thought it would never end).

    The idea with the castle was really fun. But sadly it falls short since it didn't really matter how much you built. So why build at all? It could have been a really fun aspect of the game though with    I think it was a great game in many aspects. I really loved the atmosphere especially, like the endless path with it's music and mystery (even though you thought it would never end).

    The idea with the castle was really fun. But sadly it falls short since it didn't really matter how much you built. So why build at all? It could have been a really fun aspect of the game though with improvments.

    The story and setting was also intriguing to me. However, the first part was better than the second part of the game. A few characters were really good, I liked Kana, Eder and Aloth for example. But generally I do think the game would have needed more interesting characters to choose from. The sidequests were really good sometimes, to take an example I stumbled upon a dungeon and there I found a temple with worshippers of revenge in the name of Skaen. Very unexpected and cool.

    The area where the game really falls short to me and made me not want to play it was the combat. The live-combat mess was just pure annoyance to me, not fun. Usually lacked tactics as well. Either you completely stomped the enemy and then it didn't matter much what you did, or you got stomped yourself and then it felt the same. I much prefer the Divinity way of doing things with turn based combat. Yes I know, you can turn it on, but a game which is not made for it in the first place is just not as good in turn based as Divinity for example.

    Personally I do not like that you cannot turn the camera as well, it gives you less freedom. I know this mimics the games of old, like Baldur's gate. But it's more annoying than adding anything to the gameplay.

    Pillars of Eternity 1 was a lot better than Deadfire, in my opinion at least.. especially when it comes to setting and story. But also the whole aesthetics of Deadfire with African italians in European clothes with weird accents just felt off to me.

    Anyway. It's worth 7.5 or 8/10. Worth playing once at least, for sure.. for any RPG fan.

    +
    Music
    Setting
    Mainstory
    World
    The idea of castle building

    -
    Too few good characters
    Combat
    Castle building not having any impact    … Expand
  16. ylnylmn
    Nov 12, 2021
    9
    It took me 98 hours to finish the game. What an adventure it was. An awesome story. Each character has their own story and they are very good. Although it doesn't impress me as much as Baldur's Gate, it's just as good a game. The world is wide and there are many things to do. Side quests, dungeons are nice. You have your own stronghold and it added fun to the game. I did all bounty quests.It took me 98 hours to finish the game. What an adventure it was. An awesome story. Each character has their own story and they are very good. Although it doesn't impress me as much as Baldur's Gate, it's just as good a game. The world is wide and there are many things to do. Side quests, dungeons are nice. You have your own stronghold and it added fun to the game. I did all bounty quests. The variety of items is nice, the abilities we use are many. In some battles, we may need to play more strategically, which makes the game more enjoyable. Except for the final boss and the Endless Path Boss, the gameplay wasn't difficult. Of course, I finished it on normal difficulty. But if you are confident in yourself, I say play harder. It will be more enjoyable. It was a great game in general, and so was the music. I definitely recommend.… Expand
  17. Bioreactor1987
    Oct 19, 2021
    8
    Вроде ничего так, но на середине задолбала.
    Много спорных моментов, да и количество мобов на кв.м. раздражает.
  18. RafaelgFaria
    Sep 23, 2021
    10
    It's a great game, with so many contents, a rich story, and a beautiful world. It's a dense game in terms of dialogue and quests, so, the lovers of an enjoyable reading will enjoy the game and its contents.
  19. IloveCookies
    Sep 6, 2021
    10
    One of my favourite games! Especially with the White March DLC. Love the characters, especially Aloth, Eder and Kana. So happy I backed it on Kickstarter.
  20. seriousboris
    Aug 13, 2021
    10
    One of the greatest rpg's of all time! Honestly, every rpg lover must play this if he didnt yet!
  21. jani7
    Jul 20, 2021
    10
    This is how RPG should look like. After 5 years still the top! Many studios could learn from this one how to make a storylines and whole living world. Good job guys!
  22. razorwind
    Mar 29, 2021
    10
    I'd say it's too difficult for the casual player, but the writing is unparalleled. Josh Sawyer is a legend of storytelling, and it shows. The plot is rich with nuance, detail, horror, and grief - but not without a faint ray of hope. I hope this genre will become more popular in the future, and Obisidan will continue to make games like this one.
  23. Gorlumov
    Feb 8, 2021
    9
    Настоящее возвращение в мир классических изометрических CRPG! Хорошо знакомые любителям такой классики как Baldur's Gate и Icewind Dale стилистика и интерфейс. Но самое главное потрясающий загадочный мир полный мистики и тайн, уводящих в глубь мироздания этой вселенной.Настоящее возвращение в мир классических изометрических CRPG! Хорошо знакомые любителям такой классики как Baldur's Gate и Icewind Dale стилистика и интерфейс. Но самое главное потрясающий загадочный мир полный мистики и тайн, уводящих в глубь мироздания этой вселенной.
  24. Geralt123
    Dec 29, 2020
    8
    I enjoyed this game overall. I would say it is a solid 8/10. I enjoyed it, but sometimes it was a bit boring with all the political stuff going on.

    This game is very long if you do all the quests and DLCs (about 200 hours). The first 10-20 hours (until you get to the big hub city) are a bit boring but once you reach this city, your questlog will explode and you will fight a lot! So    I enjoyed this game overall. I would say it is a solid 8/10. I enjoyed it, but sometimes it was a bit boring with all the political stuff going on.

    This game is very long if you do all the quests and DLCs (about 200 hours).

    The first 10-20 hours (until you get to the big hub city) are a bit boring but once you reach this city, your questlog will explode and you will fight a lot! So have a little patience.

    Pros
    -------------------
    - Dark setting felt good to me, also the cozy atmosphere with the old houses and the bonfires
    - Dialogues are good
    - Complex, deep story
    - Good interaction of companions
    - Combat ist so much fun with many different spells as a Wizard
    - Graphics are made with love and attention to detail
    - Likeable companions in party
    - Complex biographies of companions, complex personalities
    - Day and Night cycle

    Neutral
    -------------------
    - Story is a bit boring at times with all the gods and animancer stuff. There is very much political and religious stuff going on.
    - The reading is a bit dry sometimes

    Cons
    -------------------
    - Loading screens every time you enter a house, enter a map or go to another floor in a dungeon. This is the worst part of the game!
    - Combat has some smaller problems like pathfinding problems and no transparency in fights what is actually going on. But it's not that bad.
    - Not all dialogues are voiced. For example, the first two lines might be voiced and the next lines not. Only mainstory voiced.
    - Insane amount of reading (soul texts etc.)
    - Per Rest system for Wizard spells: Your spells are not refilled per fight but per rest. Bad thing about this is that you can only rest with Camping Supplies of which you can carry only 4. But for many dungeons, you will need more than 4.
    So you will be using your Camping stuff in the Dungeon and then travel back to the inn in order to rest. This can be very annoying.

    I would recommend this on sale for max. 10 Euros / Dollars.

    Compared to other games I would say: Divinity 2 > POE > Patfhinder: Kingmaker    … Expand
  25. CaptainChaos
    Oct 18, 2020
    9
    If you miss the old Baldurs Gate, I find this game to be substantially the same more or less, in many ways except for the "city management." Great very old school mechanics, wonderful rich lore, decent writing, very little voice acting but it's excellent. I am only in Chapter 1 but apparently have 120 hours (on hard difficulty) so no complaints at all really.

    Combat sometimes is both    If you miss the old Baldurs Gate, I find this game to be substantially the same more or less, in many ways except for the "city management." Great very old school mechanics, wonderful rich lore, decent writing, very little voice acting but it's excellent. I am only in Chapter 1 but apparently have 120 hours (on hard difficulty) so no complaints at all really.

    Combat sometimes is both too hard and way too easy on Normal, so I'm not sure what to say. I suspect when I'm in areas I belong with the correct party, pausing every 2 seconds and well rested, it goes to the way easier side. When I'm not (I went too far into the keep for my level but I didn't know that) it was difficult even untenable. I wish there was some way to gauge this or maybe I just haven't figured it out.

    The resting system is very old school, and I thought I would really miss that, but I have to say, all it does is force me to go all the way home instead. They fix this with camping supplies which are ... cheap or expensive depending on how you spend your coin on other things, but you can only carry a limited supply I don't understand the point of that. I think better would be to significantly (1) increase the price of camping supplies (2) take the limit off (3) making resting elsewhere more risky to go back or something or expensive. Despite all this blah blah it's really not a big deal. Doesn't detract from the game that much, and for 1980s, 1990s fans, may enhance it.

    The Keep ... is ... interesting but I find certain aspects frustrating. I have absolutely no idea how much security I need, or how many if anyone I should hire - they are expensive. Some are very expensive. I prefer the party combat and rpg side, but I don't mind some of the activities and story around the keep. Some people might be very turned off by it though. It does act as a huge money sink though for now.

    (SAVE GAME ORDER) DEVELOPERS: THE ONLY REAL CRITICISM I HAVE, is that the top save game in the list is frequently NOT the most current. You have to painstakingly look through your manual saves, quick saves and auto saves to determine which has the correct time stamp. WHAT? Please fix this. It's awful, and inexcusable 30 years into this.

    Done Well: Combat speed and steal controls. Hot keyed properly you can go in and out of that with ease, managing the whole party or individuals very nicely.

    So far, I totally recommend, particularly for those Jonsing for an old school BG adventure, but keep the comments above in mind.    … Expand
  26. Stryker_777
    Sep 11, 2020
    8
    This game is quite underrated. For someone like me who can't stand modern games for how linear and easy they are, Pillars of Eternity is highly relieving and satisfying because it is built on an old-school formula that made games deeper and more open-ended. I especially like to customize my party with custom portraits and unique characters that I designed. So in a way, I get to participateThis game is quite underrated. For someone like me who can't stand modern games for how linear and easy they are, Pillars of Eternity is highly relieving and satisfying because it is built on an old-school formula that made games deeper and more open-ended. I especially like to customize my party with custom portraits and unique characters that I designed. So in a way, I get to participate in the storytelling.
    The combat is much better than Baldur's Gate IMO. On Path of the Damned it is challenging enough without being frustrating. There are myriad ways to solve battles and the creativity strategizing in combat is one of the richest aspects of the game. They've done it well.
    I wish there were more types of enemies, some of them are reused too much. There's weird moments like looting an item that you can't equip because it went straight into your stash, but you can't access your stash until you campfire. So basically it prevents you from equipping an item you just found! That is a totally unnecessary mechanic.
    The itemization is fine to me. Some people complained about it but I don't see a problem. There are enough unique items and finds along the way. The loot is similar to Baldur's Gate, it 's somewhat sparse and not the main focus of the game. This ain't Diablo. You can also upgrade any of your favorite items so none of them become obselete, which adds a nice element of gear customization that didn't exist in Baldur's Gate.
    The game doesn't constantly reward you, sometimes you'll just waste your time or do a dungeon only to discover a very mediocre item in the end. Unlike modern games it doesn't pander, there is no such thing as an "Achievement" (which I've always thought were pointless) and it won't string you long with shiny rewards. You have to roleplay a lot and become immersed, and what did it for me was having my own unique 6-character party and imagining their personalities as I went along. The stronghold also adds to the roleplaying giving your character a home in the world and getting to roleplay as a Lord sitting in his throne, hearing petitioners and while the events are inconsequential, it still adds a lot of roleplaying & immersion.
    The setting is unique and really has its own flavor, it is somewhat reminiscent of Planescape: Torment. Some have called it trite but I disagree, it is perfectly dark for me and while I never read any of the in-game books or know much about the overall lore, I still enjoy what I've absorbed as I played through.
    This is the ultimate evolution of Baldur's Gate, a highly refined game and a true RPG so don't listen to the critics and give it an honest attempt! You might fall in love.    … Expand
  27. almax
    Jul 19, 2020
    10
    Wonderful classic rpg with interesting story, huge world and enjoyable combat.
    Do not miss it
  28. WeNeedAliens
    Jul 19, 2020
    9
    A very solid RPG. Had a lot of fun with it, would recommend to anyone that enjoys these type of games.
  29. bucefalo33
    Jul 2, 2020
    8
    My rating:
    Sound 8/10
    Graphic* 9/10
    Gameplay 9/10
    Replay value 7/10
    Story 8/10

    Total 8/10**

    * Graphic rating has to be contextualized for the year of the release.
    ** Total is a weighted average rounded up where the weight for every element is:
    Sound 1
    Graphic 2
    Gameplay 3
    Replay Value 1
    Story 3
  30. skdursh
    Jun 28, 2020
    8
    Do you like Infinity Engine games? Do you miss the golden era of CRPGs? Then buy this. 8.5/10 game that carries the torch and proudly pays homage to some of the greatest games ever made.
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Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best PC Game of 2015
7
#7 Most Discussed PC Game of 2015
25
#25 Most Shared PC Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 71 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 70 out of 71
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 71
  3. Negative: 0 out of 71
  1. RPGamer
    Jul 7, 2015
    70
    Pillars is a title that should make old-schoolers happy while still offering a solid core game, story, and a rich setting for new-schoolers.
    Read full review
  2. LevelUp
    May 25, 2015
    93
    Pillars of Eternity stands on its own merits without resorting to nostalgia too much. Truly a CRPG masterpiece, the game offers old school, real-time strategic combat, and a vivid world to explore. Not only do you get an overall well-made experience, but also a challenge you haven't seen since the 90's.
    Read full review
  3. Games Master UK
    May 24, 2015
    82
    A sprawling game in a familiar setting, and a clever tune-up for the cRPG. Just what the backers hoped for. [June 2015, p.74]
See all critic reviews »