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. Korax
    Apr 4, 2015
    7
    As everybody who marks this lower than an 8, I feel I must justify my taste - I grew up on Infinity Engine cRPGs. All of them, from the first Baldur's Gate to Icewind Dale 2. Hell, just last year I re-played a heavily modded Baldur's Gate 1 TuTu and BG2 and I loved every second of it. I'm also a huge fan of Obsidian. So, when I got this game and "New Game", I was a giddy as a kid in aAs everybody who marks this lower than an 8, I feel I must justify my taste - I grew up on Infinity Engine cRPGs. All of them, from the first Baldur's Gate to Icewind Dale 2. Hell, just last year I re-played a heavily modded Baldur's Gate 1 TuTu and BG2 and I loved every second of it. I'm also a huge fan of Obsidian. So, when I got this game and "New Game", I was a giddy as a kid in a candy store. After years of waiting, I'll finally see two of my favorite things in gaming make a tag-team comeback.

    As it turns out, my enthusiasm didn't last long. The very first dialogue in the game is almost a case study in how not to begin your 60-hour epic that requires nerve and commitment from a very specific player-base. You are immediately bombarded with custom-made fantasy geographical, historical and societal terms that make almost every wall of text a humorless front-loaded slog to read through. A big part of why a classic fantasy setting is so ubiquitous is that familiarity which allows us to immerse ourselves into a new setting with ease. Unfortunately, Obsidian has mashed together a relatively straight-up port of D&D, full of dwarves, elves, sword and sorcery, with a high-fantasy Tolkien-esque attempt to reinvent the wheel in every regard - a new continent! New languages! New histories! New races (if you can count Avatar's Na'vi as new)! New terms for everything - Legacy! Skean! Hollowborn! Woedica! Watcher! Engwithans! Galawain! None of it is too hard to digest, mind you, but when taken in its totality, the game's constant attempts to flesh out its daunting backstory and terminology, rather than its characters and plot kills any immediacy in the game. At about the 30-hour mark, I stopped, read the journal, reviewed everything I learned and realized that I had only the faintest idea why I was on the quest, what my character's motivation was or why I had just tracked half-way across the continent. And that feeling kept coming back, catapulting me out of the experience and making every other new wall of text feel like a history class I walked in on by accident. The story itself, which I won't spoil, is serviceable, but one that I won't remember in T-minus one week. The villain, in particular, is not memorable, only made slightly more interesting through his connection with the player. Planescape, Mask of the Betrayer or Baldur's Gate, this ain't.

    What about the gameplay? It's quite good - the combat is fluid and tactical, with huge replay value. Every class has its own dynamic and the fact that at any point in the game you can create your own party in an inn leads to the fact that no two play-throughs will be the same. I personally rolled with two custom made characters and had a blast. I have two gripes with the combat though - there are no experience points per kill (only per bestiary entry), making it hard to motivate yourself to kill your 300th troll that day. The level of micromanagement is high, and the number of encounters is enormous. If Baldur's Gate 2 had this many fights per square meter, you'd barely be able to leave the first dungeon! It doesn't help that very few encounters can be done on auto-pilot, meaning that you'll have to think about every fight, with no experience rewards and mostly junk loot.

    The art direction in the game is stunning. Incredible detail has been paid to every cobble-stone and bush. You can look for hours and hardly ever notice "assets" being used - only details on beautiful, painstakingly drawn objects and backgrounds. The music is...fine. Nothing to write home about. Same goes for the voice-acting, as rare as it crops up.

    In the end, it was the combat, variety and presentation that made me last through till the end, weirdly enough. The two elements that I routinely praise in Obsidian games - character and story, turned quickly into obstacles to my enjoyment, rather than center-pieces. I finished the game's campaign more out of a sense of obligation and an appreciation for a well-crafted game than a feeling of intrigue or immersion. I can recommend it and Obsidian deserves your support, but I cannot shake the feeling that I lost more time with Pillars, than I got back in true enjoyment.    … Expand
  2. Khitchary
    Apr 3, 2015
    5
    This makes me sad. The difficulty curve in this game is broken. The combat gets so boring. My first 10-15 hours in the game led me to giving it a 9/10. Now that I have played a bit more I have to change it to a 5. It is mediocre at best. BG2 and IWD2 are where its at sadly.
  3. boomba66
    Apr 3, 2015
    10
    A tactical, crpg that has you exploring every inch of every map. While it does not have the deep rich history of the forgotten realms to give you those moments of running into characters you have read about for years, it makes up for it in the world building it does on its own. It plays very much like the old infinity games with a few noticeable differences.

    Pro's 1. Great NPC's to tag    A tactical, crpg that has you exploring every inch of every map. While it does not have the deep rich history of the forgotten realms to give you those moments of running into characters you have read about for years, it makes up for it in the world building it does on its own. It plays very much like the old infinity games with a few noticeable differences.

    Pro's
    1. Great NPC's to tag along with you.
    2. Great Story and Character progression
    3. Interesting progression system for gear and skills with a bit of a learning curve.
    4. Really cool story.
    5. Take the NPC's or create your own party feature. This could make re-plays much more viable.
    6. Really great new classes, Cipher and chanter are really neat classes with brand new(overpowered) abilities.

    Cons
    1. Few annoying bugs still
    2. No multiplayer
    3. Stat system is a little weird(tank with a 6 strength)
    4. No Multi-Classing    … Expand
  4. MikeLane
    Apr 3, 2015
    10
    I don't give a lot of tens - this is a ten. Classic isomorphic RPG with excellent writing, suitably tough combat, detailed storyline and the joyous immersion of Planescape:Torment, Baldur's Gate and the very best of the golden age of RPGs. If you ever enjoyed an Infinity Engine game, you will love this.
  5. divine1976
    Apr 3, 2015
    10
    Only Kick-starter I backed because I'm a fan of Obsidians games and was not disappointed!

    Can only echo previous reviews: Fantastic writing with choice, customisation and a great tactical old school feel.

    If you like old school RPG's like Baldur's Gate, Torment etc, you are probably already playing, but if not, GO AND BUY IT!
  6. genukz
    Apr 3, 2015
    3
    I feel like this game makes more disconcerting then fun generally, thus to me it became rly bo-o-ring in first 2 hours of play, however I've been fascinated with nostalgic impulses at first. Foes are stupid, combat is poorly controlled due to micro-management inside party, there is no real leveling but the player is compulsory has to run through the errands even if they aren't thatI feel like this game makes more disconcerting then fun generally, thus to me it became rly bo-o-ring in first 2 hours of play, however I've been fascinated with nostalgic impulses at first. Foes are stupid, combat is poorly controlled due to micro-management inside party, there is no real leveling but the player is compulsory has to run through the errands even if they aren't that generic... It lack a very Spirit that Baldur's Gate still has. How on the earth You could be able to break into the hireling creation? If this is ever possible to predict everything from totally strange person you just met at some forsaken tavern?… Expand
  7. Wulfburk
    Apr 3, 2015
    10
    Best RPG of Obsidian.

    The company has always been shadowed by Bioware and Bethesda, KOTOR 2 to KOTOR 1, NWN2 to NWN1 and New Vegas to Fallout 3 (even though New Vegas is much better than F3) Pillars of Eternity changed the tide. Ever since Mass Effect 2, Bioware has made 4 games, and all 4 of them were utter crap. The atmosphere and the universe, as well as the immersion, of Pillars    Best RPG of Obsidian.

    The company has always been shadowed by Bioware and Bethesda, KOTOR 2 to KOTOR 1, NWN2 to NWN1 and New Vegas to Fallout 3 (even though New Vegas is much better than F3)

    Pillars of Eternity changed the tide. Ever since Mass Effect 2, Bioware has made 4 games, and all 4 of them were utter crap. The atmosphere and the universe, as well as the immersion, of Pillars of Eternity are great and puts Dragon Age to shame.

    The campaign is so great and the universe feels like its been there for a long time, it feels very stabilished. Though different types of games, i felt the same thing when i was playing Mass Effect 1 for the first time. The story unveiling throughout your playthrough improves the game by a lot and you feel very connected to the world and to the plot.    … Expand
  8. Gamernerd
    Apr 3, 2015
    0
    I wanted to like this so much, but the story feels bland and regurgitated. It may have been low budget? but the voice acting is terrible unfortunately. It is completely buggy in it's current state and normally I would be able to let it slide but just adds to the whole unpolished/bland/lacking-pride-in-their-work feeling

    and then the drama of changing a harmless memorial that a backer    I wanted to like this so much, but the story feels bland and regurgitated. It may have been low budget? but the voice acting is terrible unfortunately. It is completely buggy in it's current state and normally I would be able to let it slide but just adds to the whole unpolished/bland/lacking-pride-in-their-work feeling

    and then the drama of changing a harmless memorial that a backer paid 500$ for due to an unruly mobbing of people who didn't back the game but saw something they could get offended for and spazzed out.

    I loved you obsidian :( but this isn't baldur's gate or even in the same tier as it.    … Expand
  9. iamthespark
    Apr 3, 2015
    6
    19 Hours in.

    The good: Character Creator: The level of detail when it comes to choosing race, class, background and social status is outstanding. I enjoyed the creation of my unique character (and others) very much. Animations: There is a lot of detail when watching the characters fight, I really enjoy that. Story: Even after 19 hours in, the story has not yet fully unfolded,    19 Hours in.

    The good:

    Character Creator: The level of detail when it comes to choosing race, class, background and social status is outstanding. I enjoyed the creation of my unique character (and others) very much.

    Animations: There is a lot of detail when watching the characters fight, I really enjoy that.

    Story: Even after 19 hours in, the story has not yet fully unfolded, so I can't comment on it, other than its slow and steady.

    Inventory: The party chest is very helpful and the loot variety is good. Crafting is fun too -- I'm a sucker for finding all the ingredients and seeing what they can make.

    Voice Acting: I am very glad it exists at least; reading walls of text was something I was afraid of doing in this game, and thankfully the gist of the dialogue is voiced.

    Difficulty: The game really wants the player to be careful with each battle; resting is very important, so you'll find yourself camping and buying camping supplies quite often. On Normal, I found this game difficult, only because I'm used to blasting through levels and dungeons with other games.

    Levelling: So much fun! The abilities add strategic value!

    The bad:

    Lack of engaging companions: Hard to say because I only picked up my second companion and I am at the start of the game. The NPC companions don't have much to say yet.

    Lack of Romance: This is a big one for me; travelling around the big world with no romantic interaction is boring. For me the concept of romance has become a core desire in epic RPGs. Playing for 100 hours without it has become tedious.

    Battle after Battle: Expect tons of battles, all the time. Apparently no one just lets you go by and all the animals are out to get you. This also becomes tedious after awhile.    … Expand
  10. 74Dolamite
    Apr 3, 2015
    10
    This game is absolutely amazing, if you loved old school Baldurs you can't go wrong... A rich story full of funny and witty companions and great combat you will not be disappointed. The combat is very fun & challenging and forces you to use your brain...This brings back memories of Baldurs Gate, Icewind Dale and Neverwinter Nights but updated for today's consumption.

    Well Done Obsidian    This game is absolutely amazing, if you loved old school Baldurs you can't go wrong... A rich story full of funny and witty companions and great combat you will not be disappointed. The combat is very fun & challenging and forces you to use your brain...This brings back memories of Baldurs Gate, Icewind Dale and Neverwinter Nights but updated for today's consumption.

    Well Done Obsidian Entertainment masterfully done.    … Expand
  11. Xharlie
    Apr 3, 2015
    4
    My friends and I were gathered around a table, dice at hand. Our dungeon master gave the following advice: "Unless you are excellent at accents, talk normally." In Pillars of Eternity, every voice actor and every script writer could benefit from that advice. All of them sound like Americans trying too hard to force a "cool", nonchalant or wise accent and they all fail miserably. Even theMy friends and I were gathered around a table, dice at hand. Our dungeon master gave the following advice: "Unless you are excellent at accents, talk normally." In Pillars of Eternity, every voice actor and every script writer could benefit from that advice. All of them sound like Americans trying too hard to force a "cool", nonchalant or wise accent and they all fail miserably. Even the written text reads like it was carefully sculpted to give this very impression. The resulting level of immersion is nil and the story falls flat.

    The level of immersion remains bland, throughout, and there are frequent moments that break immersion entirely. Some conversation branches are voiced for one paragraph, not voiced for the next paragraph and then voiced again. All of the voiced sections are read immediately, regardless of the unspoken descriptions that appear in the same paragraph, forcing you to read the paragraph twice or out of order. The narrator is the weakest voice actor of the cast and you are often dropped onto a screen featuring nothing but a sketch and some text that this narrator proceeds to read.

    The game-play offered is also very unsatisfying. The old Infinity Engine games worked because of a simple principle: your party was truly powerful if you were truly cunning. Even if the odds were stacked against you, you could still win by careful planing and preparation, positioning and a bit of luck.

    In Pillars of Eternity, this is not the case. Min-maxing, use of dump-stats and certain party recipes will give you a stupidly over-powered party but, if you don't exploit these, you're actually very very weak and there isn't much you can do about it. You can't prepare for a battle because you can't buff your party outside of combat so reconnaissance is useless. The dungeon design does not really lend itself to ambushes and the like and positioning during the battle seems to have little effect. Even magic is rather unhelpful because nearly every spell is area-of-effect and nearly all of those inflict friendly fire. (In Bladur's Gate, a the perfect spell at the opportune moment could give you a victory in the face of certain failure and the satisfaction that brought was immense!)

    Nearly every encounter follows the same formula: line up your party, send in the tank to "draw" the mobs (being exceptionally careful not to draw more than one encounter-group because there's no way you can handle two at once if you aren't a munchkin), retreat, engage, fire a few uninspiring spells, watch and see.

    Stealth is not only useless, it is also incredibly annoying: you have to put your entire party into stealth-mode to detect traps and you have to do that in every room with containers in it.

    Lastly, be aware that the game has shipped with several disastrous bugs that will ruin your experience if you don't wait for them to be fixed. Even if you do play it, don't play it now!    … Expand
  12. UnorusJanco
    Apr 3, 2015
    6
    This is not a bad CRPG, and is certainly better than Dragon Age. It has very good graphics, good sound and music, good controls and feels very polished... But it lacks originality, immersion, interactivity, or even fun. There is little player agency and few tactical options, and its boring plot and characters don't help either.
    It just fails at what I like about role-playing games, even    This is not a bad CRPG, and is certainly better than Dragon Age. It has very good graphics, good sound and music, good controls and feels very polished... But it lacks originality, immersion, interactivity, or even fun. There is little player agency and few tactical options, and its boring plot and characters don't help either.
    It just fails at what I like about role-playing games, even if as a game it's rather good..    … Expand
  13. decumos
    Apr 3, 2015
    10
    Obsidians, gods of RPGs, return with their new masterpiece! Yes! This is how its done!
    Even small side-quests are well-developed and, more importantly, there are ALWAYS a choice and a controversy. For example, a spirit tell me... scratch that, SHOWS me a vision how he got killed by his friend, stabbed in his back. I decide what a nasty friend was that and that he needs some manners taught    Obsidians, gods of RPGs, return with their new masterpiece! Yes! This is how its done!
    Even small side-quests are well-developed and, more importantly, there are ALWAYS a choice and a controversy. For example, a spirit tell me... scratch that, SHOWS me a vision how he got killed by his friend, stabbed in his back. I decide what a nasty friend was that and that he needs some manners taught into him. So I go to the town and find his friend. However, it turns out that this friend did this because that guy was a cruel dick and was constantly beating his wife.
    Another example: I come to a mill and find that local miller is being harrassed by thugs. Like a good hero, I promise the miller to stop those thugs. I go to the local tavern where thugs are currently reside. But it turns out that those thugs are farmers, and that miller is a douche and a bourgeois scum who buys their wheat at lowest possible price and sells bread at the highest. However, the miller retorts that he sets honest prices, and even gives the bread away for free to those who really needs it.
    And so on and so forth. This is how it SUPPOSED to be in RPGs. I'm so sick of quests like "go bring 50 elfroots" in Dragon Ages, Skyrims and similar games.    … Expand
  14. Akraven
    Apr 3, 2015
    5
    the story is good , characters are good but the overwhelming information is killing me ! English is not mt native language i must say . the fighting system so boring , the wizard and druid and monks have tone of skills that i never used ! it is not a bad game but not so great !
  15. Amfibios
    Apr 2, 2015
    10
    guys this is the real deal! i haven't played a more perfect rpg in years! playing it feels like i'm a kid again where i'd start playing a game and then i'd be so excited and into it that i'd be looking forward to keep playing with every chance i get!
    you may have to neglect your responsibilities if u start playing this, u've been warned!
    i never thought someone would step up nowadays    guys this is the real deal! i haven't played a more perfect rpg in years! playing it feels like i'm a kid again where i'd start playing a game and then i'd be so excited and into it that i'd be looking forward to keep playing with every chance i get!
    you may have to neglect your responsibilities if u start playing this, u've been warned!

    i never thought someone would step up nowadays and make a real old school rpg masterpiece like this, i thought i was doomed to be playing only dragon age-y rpgs from now on.    … Expand
  16. Suzay
    Apr 2, 2015
    8
    A really fun old school RPG. Deserves all the praise it gets. Engagning while super fun gameplaywise. The tactical combat system in particular deserves some very special praise. All in all, awesome.
  17. sodamonster
    Apr 2, 2015
    10
    There are dozens of individual positives about this game that I could go on for hours about, but I'll just boil it down to the top three.

    1) The writing. I can't imagine how long it took them to write such superb dialogue for all that thousands of characters. Never once did I come across a line that I thought was cheesy or out of place. 2) The customization. Your character can be    There are dozens of individual positives about this game that I could go on for hours about, but I'll just boil it down to the top three.

    1) The writing. I can't imagine how long it took them to write such superb dialogue for all that thousands of characters. Never once did I come across a line that I thought was cheesy or out of place.

    2) The customization. Your character can be anyone. With the dynamic character creation system, and how your character progresses with every increase in level, it's amazing how much replay-ability this game has. Add in the disposition and reputations systems, there are complex algorithms at work, changing how every NPC in the game responds to you based on every decision you make. Simply elegant.

    3) The difficulty. Even on normal, on my first time through the game, there are certain fights that take every ounce of strategy and planning that I could muster. Some took several tries. None of these fights are based on luck, which is something I enjoy. It's all about skill. If you can plan and control an encounter, you will come out on top.

    In summary, this game is amazing. Play it now.    … Expand
  18. schmunzel
    Apr 2, 2015
    10
    I am an old timer in cRPGs. I played them all (nearly) and there are few games I loved as much as BG 1 + 2 and PST. I was (!) a huge Bioware fan and I bought every Game of them blindly (well up until DA 3 anyway).
    One of the most important things about Computer Games nowadays is, that they (usually) are not very complex, albeit the presentation is getting better.
    Truthfully POE in my    I am an old timer in cRPGs. I played them all (nearly) and there are few games I loved as much as BG 1 + 2 and PST. I was (!) a huge Bioware fan and I bought every Game of them blindly (well up until DA 3 anyway).
    One of the most important things about Computer Games nowadays is, that they (usually) are not very complex, albeit the presentation is getting better.
    Truthfully POE in my view is a masterpiece. It is very different to BG in a lot of ways (different setting, different ruleset, some aspects of character classes markedly simpler than the D&D rule set), but so far it compares very favourably.
    It is very similar to the BG series in a lot of other ways.
    So far, the strongest pro for me definetively is the story telling. While you can have split opinions about the different rule set ( and a few of the concessions they made to modern gaming habits) I have to say that POEs story, the writing and the world building are absolute top. The world is absolutely believable, lovingly wrought with love for detail, and the companions (anybody remember Kreia?) are among the best I have seen. While they don't surpass PST they very very nearly reached it.
    Brilliant!    … Expand
  19. masc
    Apr 2, 2015
    0
    This game has more bugs one can encounter within the first hour of gameplay than a Chernobyl rat has finger on its hands. And yes, that's why I give this piece of a quality nightmare zero points, because the game is unplayable as of now.

    It is unplayable for me because when I take the time to play something I want to have fun and want to relax and not worry every second about if my    This game has more bugs one can encounter within the first hour of gameplay than a Chernobyl rat has finger on its hands. And yes, that's why I give this piece of a quality nightmare zero points, because the game is unplayable as of now.

    It is unplayable for me because when I take the time to play something I want to have fun and want to relax and not worry every second about if my characters might have stumbled across a debuff bug that kills their racial or class abilities or a buff bug that doubles my weapons properties every time I encounter it. And these are only two examples of dozens of nasty things that can happen to your character. I do not understand how this game could have passed Obsidians quality assurance other than them having none.    … Expand
  20. Dyalad
    Apr 2, 2015
    9
    The game captures the essence of Inifinity Engines games very well.

    The pre-rendered maps with the 3D characters are combined really well, and the graphics look great. The music is, without a doubt, inspired by Baldur's Gate. The story is good, but if one hasn't read the game's lore before playing, it can be difficult sometimes to understand what's going on. A lot of weird words and    The game captures the essence of Inifinity Engines games very well.

    The pre-rendered maps with the 3D characters are combined really well, and the graphics look great. The music is, without a doubt, inspired by Baldur's Gate.

    The story is good, but if one hasn't read the game's lore before playing, it can be difficult sometimes to understand what's going on. A lot of weird words and terms are used in the game to make it sound exotic. IE: a biawac is some kind of soul storm. They do have a dictionary that covers some of the words used in conversations, but not all of them are in there. I think that Dragon Age and Forgotten Realm based games (Neverwinter, Baldur's Gate) are a bit more friendly when it comes to introducing new players to their setting.

    The combat system is interesting. It uses two health systems - HP and Endurance. Both Endurance and HP depletes during a fight, but Endurance regenerates at the end of a fight. HP does not. Depending on your character's class, your HP is can be between 2 and 5 times your total endurance. Essentially, this system allows you to be able to run several encounters without needing to rest after each one. While it's not perfect, it is a big improvement from Baldur's Gate in which you could technically rest after each encounter.

    The game does a good job at displaying consequences to your choices. You can meet NPCs you've saved/spared elsewhere in the game, certain dialogues will be available to you depending on the reputations you've built for yourself.    … Expand
  21. lifeofbrian
    Apr 2, 2015
    9
    This game is amazing.

    Pros - Rich music - Great atmosphere - Lots of dialogue options - Factions (so that you can never do every quest in one playthrough) - Multiple endings for many quests. - Highly replayable - Many different classes to choose from, and a lot of variety for how you can build any given class. - Good writing - Good voice acting (largely) - Interesting    This game is amazing.

    Pros

    - Rich music
    - Great atmosphere
    - Lots of dialogue options
    - Factions (so that you can never do every quest in one playthrough)
    - Multiple endings for many quests.
    - Highly replayable
    - Many different classes to choose from, and a lot of variety for how you can build any given class.
    - Good writing
    - Good voice acting (largely)
    - Interesting companions.

    Cons

    - You have to take your stronghold before you can get 1/2 of the companions.
    - There are only 8 companions (Baldur's Gate 2 had 17 companions)
    - The game forces you to take the stronghold (this is an immersion breaker for people who don't want to be tied down)
    - You can't cast buff spells before battle, but you can cast offensive combat spells and healing spells. This is dumb and breaks immersion. Given that resting (and therefore your ability to cast spells) is supposed to be limited by your access to camping supplies I fail to see why people shouldn't be able to pre-buff, especially given that the game already lets you cast spells outside of combat.
    - Still is buggy. I've had annoying sound issues on occasion.
    - Different priests lack variation regarding spells. A priest of Skaen casts the exact same spells as a priest of any of the other gods. At least Baldur's Gate 2 had a small amount of variety when it came to cleric kits and combat.

    Its definitely not a perfect game, and there are some areas (like companion access) where it should have learned lessons from Baldur's Gate. I'd probably give it an 8.6/10, which rounded makes it a 9/10. Given the total lack of games like it in the last decade its still a welcome addition all the same.    … Expand
  22. qnoppers
    Apr 2, 2015
    10
    I was a backer for this game on Kickstarter, and have very much been looking forward to it. I have played roughly 30 hours of this game since its release, and I do not regret so much as a single second, even though my thesis should technically have been handed in a couple of days ago (those guys at university are not the boss of me).

    I come from the old school infinity engine RPGs, and    I was a backer for this game on Kickstarter, and have very much been looking forward to it. I have played roughly 30 hours of this game since its release, and I do not regret so much as a single second, even though my thesis should technically have been handed in a couple of days ago (those guys at university are not the boss of me).

    I come from the old school infinity engine RPGs, and I regard Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment as the pinnacle(s) of computer roleplaying games, the first with an edge in terms of combat and the latter unrivalled in lore and storytelling. This game combines them. Sure the combat is a bit clunky (like it was back then), but I far prefer the clunky emphasis on strategy and positioning to the button mashing of some newer RPGs (like DA2 and 3, which are terrible games partly because of it, and the Witcher 2, which is a great game in spite of it). The new types of classes also work very well, and definitely add to the gameplay.

    POE does not have the well known epic lore of Forgotten Realms, and I was afraid this would be an issue for me, but so far the world seems well constructed, credible and feels consistent.

    The NPCs are a selling point for this game. They do not feel generic NPCs, but like actual companions, they have their own reasons for following you, and the characters have stories that you can delve into if you care for it.

    If there is one thing I do consider sub-par, it would be the voice acting. It is not terrible, it is just not as good as that of David Warner or Jim Cummings. I saw a guy giving this game a score of 3 solely based on bad voice acting and him preferring European accents over American. That is completely undeserved; the voice acting is mediocre at worst and definitely not reason enough for bashing this game. It is a shame though, as the writing is really good.

    All fans of the old infinity engine games need should play this game. I give it my warm recommendation and I am looking forward to replaying it again and again. Also my expectations for Tides of Numenera have increased greatly because of it.    … Expand
  23. Hety
    Apr 2, 2015
    9
    Well... it was worth waiting for this masterpiece. I funded PoE on kickstarter and its one of those titles that delivered. But lets get to the point:

    The good: 1. Story is good, so far it kept me on the edge and i even missed a few sidequests coz i wanted to progress faster, which rarely happens. 2. Characters are mostly good. Interactions and banters are there and they make sense. I    Well... it was worth waiting for this masterpiece. I funded PoE on kickstarter and its one of those titles that delivered. But lets get to the point:

    The good:
    1. Story is good, so far it kept me on the edge and i even missed a few sidequests coz i wanted to progress faster, which rarely happens.
    2. Characters are mostly good. Interactions and banters are there and they make sense. I strongly suggest to play this game on normal or hard first, so you can beat it with NPC's in party.
    3. The World. Should have been number 1 i guess, but still. Its deep, its huge and i'm reading the books that are lying around. Havent done that since BG i guess.
    4. Backgrounds are gorgeous. The IE style thingies look like paintings and still have the 3D look to them. Its not for everyone, but i just love it.
    5. Choices. Its no long the question of doing the quests in the diplomatic way and then killing everyone for the experience bonus. Nah, you can safely go the pacifistic route and wont miss much in terms of gear and nothing in terms of experience. My inner munchkin cried over this one, but its all for the good as i see now.
    6. Roleplaying is quite deep, we have consequences to our actions. At the same time there is freedom of choice. Actually you can just kill everyone if you want to and progress through the game normally. How about that?
    7. Tactical combat is there and its good. Not superb, but good.'llt touch it in the ugly part :)
    8. Almost all classes play differently, which is a huge leap if we compare PoE to BG1/2.

    The bad:
    1. Still minmaxers paradise, sadly. Obsidian tried to disconnect base stats from physical attributes, but due to system quirks and the way how combat works maxing 2 or 3 of them works best. Hope mods will fix that.
    2. Bugs. They will be fixed by Obsidian and modders, but they are there.

    The ugly:
    1. Drastic changes to combat systems that people either love or hate. Engagement for example (which can be disabled altogether by mods, YAY)/
    2. Class balance is so-so. Some of them just don't work like we hope they will. More of a perception problem than bad game design.
    3. Music is OK at best. Its fine, it has the mood, but nothing major.    … Expand
  24. CashGrabs
    Apr 2, 2015
    0
    Are you old school maniac like I am ? Do you know the feeling of playing one of these superb rpgs for the first time ? Every fight fresh and unique. New quests, lands, interesting stuff.

    All of it ruined by bugs. Yet again. Kick starter or not they just sell broken products. The game in it's current state IS NOT PLAYABLE. I am half way through the game on the hardest possible mode and    Are you old school maniac like I am ? Do you know the feeling of playing one of these superb rpgs for the first time ? Every fight fresh and unique. New quests, lands, interesting stuff.

    All of it ruined by bugs. Yet again. Kick starter or not they just sell broken products. The game in it's current state IS NOT PLAYABLE. I am half way through the game on the hardest possible mode and the game is still too easy. Guess what ? There is a bug that gives your party extra stats so my tank is invincible. I feel cheated. I paid 40 Euro for this experience and guess what ? It's broken.

    There is that cool castle also with a quest in it. Too bad you will have to skip it because once you get in you can't get out :) When did you save last ? oh 4h ago. Well sorry We at obsidian entertainment got your cash already SO WE DON'T GIVE A FLYING ***

    Another one: if you double click on an item to equip it your character will PERMANENTLY lose all bonus stats.

    THIS IS BORDER LINE RIDICULOUS.

    DON'T RUIN THE EXPERIENCE FOR YOURSELF. THERE IS ONLY 1 FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH AN RPG LIKE THIS AND IT'S GONE FOR ME. BEFORE THE TIME THEY FIX ALL THE ISSUES IT WILL BE AVAILABLE HALF PRICE SO DON'T PAY FULL NOW TO WORK FOR THEIR FREE TESTING.    … Expand
  25. Zarunil
    Apr 2, 2015
    10
    The best thing to happen to the cRPG genre since Baldur's Gate 2. Beautifully hand-drawn backgrounds, interesting characters with great voice acting, a nice new twist on the classic D&D ruleset, an interesting storyline and much more.
  26. Samaray
    Apr 1, 2015
    10
    Such a fantastic game! Yes maybe the graphics could have been better and annoyances here and there do not make it a flawless game. However, considering the fact that they made this game without a publisher and trying something that has not been done for many years and meeting the expectations of the backers that wanted this game is pretty impressive. I can't wait to see how good it turnsSuch a fantastic game! Yes maybe the graphics could have been better and annoyances here and there do not make it a flawless game. However, considering the fact that they made this game without a publisher and trying something that has not been done for many years and meeting the expectations of the backers that wanted this game is pretty impressive. I can't wait to see how good it turns out if they decide to make POE into a franchise. It is safe to say then that Pillars of Eternity 2 will be just as good as Baldur's gate 2 if they put the same effort.… Expand
  27. Speedball
    Apr 1, 2015
    10
    Overall a game the delivers on all the Kickstarter promises and stands out as an exceptional cRPG, especially in comparison to genre that lauds things like DA:I as RPG of the year. The variety of backgrounds, classes, and cultures provides ample space for writing your own story (unhampered by preset PCs or full voice acting). I recommend this game without reservation for anyone wanting aOverall a game the delivers on all the Kickstarter promises and stands out as an exceptional cRPG, especially in comparison to genre that lauds things like DA:I as RPG of the year. The variety of backgrounds, classes, and cultures provides ample space for writing your own story (unhampered by preset PCs or full voice acting). I recommend this game without reservation for anyone wanting a deep narrative and mechanically nuanced role playing game.… Expand
  28. RaZeLSKi
    Apr 1, 2015
    10
    I have played Baldurs Gate many times, even Enhanced Editions, I just love that games. What I did not realise was that I will be playing Baldurs Gate on steroids soon enough. Obsidian took what was great in it, enhanced everything else and Pillars of Eternity was born. Beautiful locations, great story and mechanics. When bard first join my team I thought it would be a mage with differentI have played Baldurs Gate many times, even Enhanced Editions, I just love that games. What I did not realise was that I will be playing Baldurs Gate on steroids soon enough. Obsidian took what was great in it, enhanced everything else and Pillars of Eternity was born. Beautiful locations, great story and mechanics. When bard first join my team I thought it would be a mage with different spells. But no, each class has unique mechanics and it makes the game even greater. Each level and there are 12 makes a difference, and experience is made such way, that on hard you have more epic battles without exping to fast.

    It is a must for each RPG fan, but remember it is a real RPG. It is hard, but gives much satisfaction, you need to read a lot and will not suit everyone. So think about it before you will buy it. For me it is worth every cent I gave for it. And I wait for more.    … Expand
  29. ErobererZim
    Apr 1, 2015
    4
    Unfortunataly just an average game, a Baldurs Gate "light".

    I played Baldurs Gate back then, I loved the Forgotten Realm-Setting and the aD&D-Ruleset. PoE won't give you that. Obsidian created a new fanatsy-universe with its own rules and gamemechanics. PoE is Baldurs Gate's son, who did everything to fallow his fathers footsteps to make him proud, but simply hadn't the talent to begin    Unfortunataly just an average game, a Baldurs Gate "light".

    I played Baldurs Gate back then, I loved the Forgotten Realm-Setting and the aD&D-Ruleset. PoE won't give you that. Obsidian created a new fanatsy-universe with its own rules and gamemechanics. PoE is Baldurs Gate's son, who did everything to fallow his fathers footsteps to make him proud, but simply hadn't the talent to begin with to become what he was.

    Pros:
    -Overall good art design
    -Kinda good music
    -The story seems to be okey so far
    -Very aesthetic UI
    -You can only rest a couple of times in the wilds

    Con:
    -Tons of gamebraking bugs
    -German localization is a MESS. You have grammatical mistakes and misspellings in almost every single dialogue. Feels like they partly used a auto translater for this game, I'm serious right now. Or someone translated it who's motherlanguage isn't german
    -Therefore you are kinda forced to play in english
    -New Fantasy Universe with a lot of creepy races you don't give a **** about (no orcs, gnomes halfelves and so on, but some fishman and ... ratpeople? Or what are these little freeks supposed to look like? Also you can play as a alien in the game, called godlikes)
    -Only 8 (boring) follower to can recruit. All I encountered so far seem to be dull and boring, I don't really care about them. You can ask them tons of questions about their past, but other then that they don't seem to have much dialogues.
    -NO ROMANCES. You lazy asses. Sorry
    -Dialogues are strange, you can search in someones soul for information about is life he had before, which is A LOT of text, that doesn't have to to anything with the plot in the slightest. It's so interesting like reading a book in Baldurs Gate.

    -You have also a bazillion gestures and discriptions about what's your counterpart look like in the dialogues, or what he's doing at the moment, like:

    John walkes down the street, he scratches his kin. Then he notices you: "Oh hello there", he says.

    And **** like that, which is really annoying and uninteresting to read.

    Well, thats good enough for so far I suppose. It's a kinda good game, especially for 26€ you can't do anything wrong. But don't expect a second Baldurs Gate experiance. This game won't give you that.    … Expand
  30. kofelovr
    Apr 1, 2015
    1
    It's an okay game, but not a spiritual successor to the IE games. Really disappointed, but life moves on. Getting ready to start another replay of Baldur's Gate to satisfy the itch.
  31. giskarduk
    Apr 1, 2015
    7
    What we have here is a graphic novel with interactive areas and a bolted on RPG system, leveling seems to take place once every blue moon and I have found characters with a 7 in lore could not use scrolls that needed 2 in lore, so the RPG side is simply not working.

    It relies heavily on text based story telling to create game play, combat, exploration, all seem secondary to this one    What we have here is a graphic novel with interactive areas and a bolted on RPG system, leveling seems to take place once every blue moon and I have found characters with a 7 in lore could not use scrolls that needed 2 in lore, so the RPG side is simply not working.

    It relies heavily on text based story telling to create game play, combat, exploration, all seem secondary to this one part of the games design. Unfortunately the story just is not that interesting, I have put books down that have been more interesting than this.

    If you check the steam stats and achievements for the game, you will notice a trend, most of the advanced features of the game are not getting used, most folk use the creator an adventurer feature, only 25% have actually finished act 1. This should tell you a lot.

    It actually reminds me of a computerised version of the old paper and pen RPGs where the dungeon keeper tells you what you are looking at. Trouble is, this is computer game where we can see what we are looking at and half the time it does not match the text.

    I have seen this compared to Baldurs gate a lot, honestly, it is not Baldurs gate, its not even in the same league as Baldurs gate but the game does have its charms if you sit back and treat it like an interactive book with pretty average if long winded story line.

    If I was to give it a score it would be 7 out of 10. Worth owning but not for £35. I would say pick this up when the price hits £22 which is closer to its truth worth.

    I would ask obsidian one question though, where did the $4 Million dollars from kickstarter go because this game is not worth $4.

    Worth buying but wait for the sales.    … Expand
  32. gaargod
    Apr 1, 2015
    9
    For a huge fan of BG series, this game was an absolute joy to play. The only thing which I didn't like is that if you do as many side quests as possible you reach the experience cap way too soon. I reached the level cap before even starting any quests in Twin Elms and then I was a bit frustrated because there was very little sense of progression. It would be great if the level cap wasFor a huge fan of BG series, this game was an absolute joy to play. The only thing which I didn't like is that if you do as many side quests as possible you reach the experience cap way too soon. I reached the level cap before even starting any quests in Twin Elms and then I was a bit frustrated because there was very little sense of progression. It would be great if the level cap was raised or if all experience rewards were scaled down so that the level cap would be reached much closer to the end of the game.… Expand
  33. ProstoTelo
    Apr 1, 2015
    10
    W A R N I N G This game DOES NOT include: - Quicktime events. - Climbing towers. - Poor writing. - Plastic drama. - Tacked-on multiplayer. - Social features. - Microtransactions. - Delusions of being an MMO. - Sesquipedalophobia. - Contempt for its own audience. - Scenes added for the trailer's sake. - Hollywood envy. - Obsessive excessism. - "Press X for Awesome!" - Skyrim's approach toW A R N I N G This game DOES NOT include: - Quicktime events. - Climbing towers. - Poor writing. - Plastic drama. - Tacked-on multiplayer. - Social features. - Microtransactions. - Delusions of being an MMO. - Sesquipedalophobia. - Contempt for its own audience. - Scenes added for the trailer's sake. - Hollywood envy. - Obsessive excessism. - "Press X for Awesome!" - Skyrim's approach to map markers. - Ubisoft's approach to optimization. - Game-breaking DRM. - Spyware. - Malware. - Mass Effect 3's ending (or so I hope).

    (from gog by koobare)    … Expand
  34. WaytoomanyUIDs
    Apr 1, 2015
    7
    Is this game as good as it's proponents say it is? No, despite superficial similarities it isnit the second coming of Baldur's Gate.

    Is it a bad game? No, despite mechanical peculiarities and Obsidian's obligatory bugs, its actually good fun. Not great fun, it's a little too grindy for that IMO, but it has an interesting if clichéd world and story, and some solidly written NPC's, as you    Is this game as good as it's proponents say it is? No, despite superficial similarities it isnit the second coming of Baldur's Gate.

    Is it a bad game? No, despite mechanical peculiarities and Obsidian's obligatory bugs, its actually good fun. Not great fun, it's a little too grindy for that IMO, but it has an interesting if clichéd world and story, and some solidly written NPC's, as you would expect from an Obsidian game.

    Not a great game but a good one, well worth picking up ones the obligatory Obsidian bugs are ironed out.    … Expand
  35. shandu22
    Apr 1, 2015
    10
    After 40 odd hours of play time and extensive experience with the old Iso Infinity Engine games; There was a real hype surrounding this title. Thankfully the wait has not been a dissapointment for me. Since Launch I took the weekend to play through the campaign and currently 40 hours in I have not even scratched the surface yet, so a short experience in gametime is not an issue.
    The story    After 40 odd hours of play time and extensive experience with the old Iso Infinity Engine games; There was a real hype surrounding this title. Thankfully the wait has not been a dissapointment for me. Since Launch I took the weekend to play through the campaign and currently 40 hours in I have not even scratched the surface yet, so a short experience in gametime is not an issue.
    The story is 100% worth experiencing and is pretty close to Planescapes Experience if you enjoyed that classic. The sidequests can be engrossing and feel as detailed as the main campaign at times. Tasks are your fetch/kill/item quests for extra xp, so the three tiers of quest types cover all the usual ground.
    I am loving the companions, Obsidian have always made well written characters. Durance is probably my favourite so far. WHORES!!!
    Combat is fairly clunky but provides a challenge and a lot of patience late in the game on normal to hard difficulty. I played for a good 10 hours or so on hard but switched down to normal to experience the game over the engine issues that need fixing. No doubt various balance patches will come out for this. Obsidian are hardly known for their clean bugless games on launch..historically their QA department are a bunch of clowns, which is a shame considering how good their game design can be.
    I would say the only flaw (albeit a subjective one) is that Obsidian did make some progressive choices with NWN2 with regards to game performance (faster loading or no loading when moving upstairs in a building etc. For some reason they have regressed to having a loading screen for every map change similar to Baldurs and Icewind Dale engines. While I realise this is a nostalgia trip for some, to completley dismiss advances of modern tech to cater to some purists is an oversight in the long term now you're marketing to people beyond the backers.
    Eitherway, I am loving my experience of this game and purposefully have said nothing about the plot.
    Reccomended if you enjoy detailed, lore rich, micromanagement, tabletop inspired, story driven CRPG's    … Expand
  36. janki
    Apr 1, 2015
    10
    They did go above and beyond with this game, there is still room for improvement, but it has already blown away all my expectations. The game is amazing.The thing I like the most are dialogue options, they can vary on your stats, culture, background, skills, reputation! It's amazing!

    This is THE CRPG we have been waiting for!
  37. Shoyras
    Apr 1, 2015
    1
    I Had nerdgasm when I heard about this game on youtube and kickstarter, but now that has to be the biggest disapointment ive gone trought in years. I waited a long long time for this to release ...

    First thing I did when I got the game is quickly attempt a solo game with a wizard. Result : Painfull. Well basicaly dont expect anything like BG or IWD this game want you to make a tank,    I Had nerdgasm when I heard about this game on youtube and kickstarter, but now that has to be the biggest disapointment ive gone trought in years. I waited a long long time for this to release ...

    First thing I did when I got the game is quickly attempt a solo game with a wizard. Result : Painfull.
    Well basicaly dont expect anything like BG or IWD this game want you to make a tank, healer and range dps or w/e. Wizard are weak as ****. Abilities dont depend on main attributes at all, only on level. In fact nothing really depends on attributes beside some extra % of efficency I guess. There is very little strategie in the fights its more like tank and spank. Dont expect to take down a massive group of ennemies with some good wizard's placed spells. Every class should have a main stats that make them more powerfull like sorcerer's wisdom and paladin's charisma ! This is just plain bad I find literaly no logical use to perception and just take it down a max to add up that power stats which basicaly just increase the dmg you deal by 3 % per point ? .. That has nothing to do with D&D.

    Nothing like the real IE D&D games hardcore purist like me love and still play when were bored. This crap is like a dumbed down version of it.    … Expand
  38. bhavv
    Mar 31, 2015
    10
    I have been waiting for a game like this for over 15 years since the greatest RPG games ever made on the Infinity Engine. Pillars of Eternity perfectly captures the legendary strategic pause and play battles from those earlier games, along with fantastic storytelling and a fully immersible game world.

    Regarding a lot of the negative reviews based on the games graphics, its incredibly    I have been waiting for a game like this for over 15 years since the greatest RPG games ever made on the Infinity Engine. Pillars of Eternity perfectly captures the legendary strategic pause and play battles from those earlier games, along with fantastic storytelling and a fully immersible game world.

    Regarding a lot of the negative reviews based on the games graphics, its incredibly ignorant to downvote this game based on its engine when it promised from day one of the kickstarter that it would be a 2D game going back to the Baldurs Gate and Icewind Dale style engine. When other developers release old looking, even 8 bit games like Terraria, Minecraft, Super Meat Bow, Binding of Issac etc etc, the gaming industry and players rave about such graphics being retro and great, yet a game like this that still looks better than a purely flat 8 bit game gets idiots whining that it looks outdated and old.

    People will remain dumb and uneducated, and such people's opinions will continue to stink of ****    … Expand
  39. Amazing
    Mar 31, 2015
    7
    It was great fun until the bugs started coming in one after the other. Stat bug, companions inventory deletion bug, load and save times going from 3 seconds to 40. I really like this game but its doing everything it can to brick my save.
  40. Skulb
    Mar 31, 2015
    7
    This game is good but it is not perfect by any stretch. All the tens are vaguely ridiculous. Since everyone else is comparing Pillars of Eternity to Baldur`s Gate I will as well. There are a couple of glaring weaknesses which should become apparent when one does this to prevent giving a 10. A 10 means a perfect game. PoE is not perfect.

    The single biggest problem with PoE is this: In    This game is good but it is not perfect by any stretch. All the tens are vaguely ridiculous. Since everyone else is comparing Pillars of Eternity to Baldur`s Gate I will as well. There are a couple of glaring weaknesses which should become apparent when one does this to prevent giving a 10. A 10 means a perfect game. PoE is not perfect.

    The single biggest problem with PoE is this: In Baldur`s Gate you had a whopping 25 NPCs scattered around the game you could include in your party. PoE has 8. Not only does it only have 8 of them but there is no rogue and no barbarian. This almost forces you to play as a rogue if you want to avoid eating traps and not being able to unlock things. And you can forget about ever playing a barbarian. I didn`t start as a rogue, not being aware of this lack of companions, and now have an ill-suited priest disarming traps and unlocking chests. To me this is more than enough to drag the score of this game down to an 8 or a 9 all by itself. It is just not good enough and in comparison to Baldur`s Gate, the "spiritual predecessor" to PoE, it is embarrassing. Yes you can make your own party but it will not be interactive or have any stories or side quests. And you could do that in Baldur`s Gate too. Just a loud "where the hell are the NPCS?" from me on this issue. The other big problem with this glaring lack of NPC companions is that it severely reduces the replayability of the game - a huge strength of Baldur`s Gate precisely because it had so many of them. You could start over and over again and never have the same party. You could try gimmick runs and only recruit the mages available or any other sort of wild scheme you could cook up. In PoE you will necessarily always have nearly the same party if you start over because you only have three more than you need to fill the group. I see at most one possible replay of this game for this reason. And it is not good enough. Not good enough at all.
    There are a few other minor annoyances as well, although nothing major. The loading screens are all over the place and last for far too long, whatever the reason is. Exploring towns becomes a huge pain the the butt as a result. "Omigosh I hope there isn`t a second floor! That will mean four loading screens of 30 seconds each and what if there`s not even anything interesting up there?" Five districts in Defiance Bay of this will have anyone staring in dread at any building they see.
    I do miss some of the AD&D stuff, and multiclass/dual class in particular. The combat and class system they have replaced this with is alright though. Some things I like and some I don`t. But that`s probably too subjective and not really something that will be likely reduce most people`s enjoyment of the game, unless they are AD&D fanatics. There is a lack of scripting options for the characters you control though and an abundance of required micromanagement as a result. Some associated annoyances ensue from this because you don`t get any indication of spell range and a few other things. Make a mistake and your caster will barge into melee range and get splattered when he tries to move back out again. And you will make mistakes because you will have to tell your characters what to do in every single fight because of the lack of scripting options.
    The final issue I have with PoE is simply that it is not better than Baldur`s Gate, which was released in 1998. It should be better but it is not. Perhaps it`s just a tall order. BG is a classic that has stood the test of time remarkably well. But it still feels disappointing that PoE falls short of its inspiration, which I think it clearly does. And the conclusion to draw from that is that PoE works fine as a nostalgia trip but not quite as well as a game in its own right. It is still good, don`t get me wrong. But it just shouldn`t be worse than a 17 year old game in the same genre. And it is. And this alone MUST lower the score by at least one point. Baldur`s Gate is a 10. Therefore PoE can not be a 10 because it isn`t as good.

    Other than these points, PoE is a well made and highly enjoyable CRPG with a lot of positive aspects. There are colorful characters (The few you`ll find that is), the graphics are mostly good, although somewhat bland at times. The music, VA and sound effects are for the most part also nice, if not exactly groundbreaking. And of course there is tons of dialogue, a nice story and a compelling game world to explore. There are also some new developments, most notably the stronghold feature, which is interesting without being great.
    In most respects PoE is an enjoyable throwback to the days of the IE engine. But a 10 it is not. If it had a few more NPCs it would probably qualify as an 8. But it doesn`t.
    If you want the cutting edge of this genre go play Divinity: Original Sin. If you fancy a retro romp through the beginnings of it then PoE is for you. But you`re better off playing the original IE games if you haven`t already.    … Expand
  41. SirRobert82
    Mar 31, 2015
    10
    I backed this game, and got exactly what i bargained for. Great job Obsidian! Love the game! Amazing story, great characters, beautiful world and plenty of quest. The combat took a while to get used to, but now i really like it. A+
  42. mbcu
    Mar 31, 2015
    9
    A great game by backers flawed by backers

    First of all as veteran player of Baldur's Gate and Planespace Torment, I welcome the new class and combat system. If you haven't played them then suffice to say that I share the developers' opinion that D&D rules are too rigid. Want to open chests ? Go back to town and get that thief. Why can't my fighter lockpick a chest ? Likewise mages can    A great game by backers flawed by backers

    First of all as veteran player of Baldur's Gate and Planespace Torment, I welcome the new class and combat system. If you haven't played them then suffice to say that I share the developers' opinion that D&D rules are too rigid. Want to open chests ? Go back to town and get that thief. Why can't my fighter lockpick a chest ? Likewise mages can only cast spell, monks can only fight unarmed. In PoE class system still exists but not to limit but to provide a template. You are free to develop your own class which capitalizes on any attribute. So yes, intelligent barbarians exist and they wreak havoc. They can lockpick chests too.
    As for combat if rush and click is what you are used to then you will be wasted in no time. When I started, I suffered many deaths because that's what I did. But I find afterwards that a fight that killed me many times could be won easily by employing my companions and observing my enemies. Take my wizard for example. He used to be standing behind my tank shooting puny pathetic bolts. But I learned that if I bothered to prepare him with the right spells before a fight, I could get him to paralyze the big bad monster leaving a short work for my fighter. This game is pretty challenging and there's little room for error. Fights are sometimes win big or die so preparation is the key.
    I like the graphics although I feel the engine is not running at full speed. The good news is this game is light in term of computing power.
    Voice acting however is a mixed bag. I think they all speak monotonously. There is no more Jon Irenicus for sure, only subpar actors. Writing is uneven. Although the idea is nothing new, it is wrapped in mysteries and shrouds that keep me going for more. My companions however are generic. These guys hardly feel like the work of the creative team that did Baldur's Gate or Torment. In term of their characterization, I think this game is more comparable to Icewind Dale. Also I dislike the use of expletives in this game. For me using curse words like sh*t or fck to paint emotion particularly in a Tolkienesque fantasy setting is lazy writing. I believe I have never heard such words in previous Black Isle games. Still this is probably a biased opinion.
    What really annoys me is the "backers' shrines": plaques, monuments showing the names of Kickstarter VIP backers and their weird quotes. It really ruins the atmosphere to find a plaque saying "greetings from Hong Kong" while crawling in a dungeon. Of course you can just ignore them.    … Expand
  43. Gileq
    Mar 31, 2015
    10
    At least. Game where players are treated with respect, not as idiots, like in most AAA games. Decent difficulty level, where scaling up is benefitial.
  44. Drihter
    Mar 31, 2015
    10
    I can hardly wait for the night ! This game can't be played during the day !!! Great atmosphere, excellently written story, nice tactical combat gameplay, character customization and beautiful graphics. For me best RPG since Baldur' s Gate 2 !!! 10/10
  45. ArminW
    Mar 31, 2015
    10
    I backed this on Kickstarter for much more than I ever paid for a game before. I desperately wanted this game to happen and thus had absurdly high expectations. Now, after more than 60 hours into the game (within 5 days ant NOT quitting my day job yet...) I can sincerely say: PoE managed to surpass them all.
    So, I'm, giving a 10 for the first time, not because I want this game to be rated    I backed this on Kickstarter for much more than I ever paid for a game before. I desperately wanted this game to happen and thus had absurdly high expectations. Now, after more than 60 hours into the game (within 5 days ant NOT quitting my day job yet...) I can sincerely say: PoE managed to surpass them all.
    So, I'm, giving a 10 for the first time, not because I want this game to be rated highly, but because I truly think that this game, and Obsidian for making it this way, deserve it. I can find nothing among it's short list of minor issues that would warrant to take down my score by even 1 point.
    The Art is gorgeous, and proof that well-painted. lovingly detailed backgrounds beat High-Res textures and technical gimmicks every time. It's simply fun to explore every single area, just to revel in all the detail.
    The writing is a class of it's own, with a major wall of text hitting me like in Planescape:Torment days, a ton of well-rounded and interesting characters far off the beaten cliches, a fantastic world and a story that made me cut hazardously short the third night of sleep in a row...
    Nothing is simple, nothing is black-and white, and no one is simply a fantasy troupe repeated the umptieth time. The choice feel like they really have weight, and my character, with abilities, background and reputation, has never mattered so much (except, perhaps, the aforementioned PS:T)
    And the RPG system that obsidian came up with is to date, hands down, the best compromise between pen&paper complexity and cRPG ease-of-use mechanics I've encountered. It offers endless choices, tactics and possibilities and makes for interesting, tough but fair battles. With *meaningful* difficulty settings (not just numbers raised on enemies) to boot.
    Really, for me, this game is close to perfection and I openly admit - this 46 year old fart has turned into an enthusiastic fanboy. 10. Thank you Obsidian.    … Expand
  46. ebo974
    Mar 31, 2015
    10
    A very good game, just like former Black Isle references such BG 1&2... The way to play is old style, probably not suitable for newer players. I'm really happy to see that more and more RPG are like that. The team progression is really cool, and the places to visit are various and classical. Very great work!
  47. SCompadre
    Mar 31, 2015
    10
    Do you need a deep, mature and incredible story? do you like rpg? awesome and complex combat? vasts amounts of choice? look no further, GET. PILLARS. OF. ETERNITY. ASAP.
  48. Messerschmitt
    Mar 31, 2015
    10
    A great game. So far I played for about 10 hours and loved every minute of it. Don't listen to the malcontents! This is how crpg supposed to look like: clever mechanics, deep and interesting lore, mysterious plot, many ways of resolving problems (especially in conversations), great music, graphics and atmosphere. The only flaw is that fights tend to be a bit to chaotic. Anyway the game isA great game. So far I played for about 10 hours and loved every minute of it. Don't listen to the malcontents! This is how crpg supposed to look like: clever mechanics, deep and interesting lore, mysterious plot, many ways of resolving problems (especially in conversations), great music, graphics and atmosphere. The only flaw is that fights tend to be a bit to chaotic. Anyway the game is fantastic and it's worth every penny! Stop reading reviews - buy it!… Expand
  49. SlightlyOP
    Mar 30, 2015
    10
    I don't think I'm all that great with words, but I'll try and describe how I feel about this game nonetheless (because I feel passionate about it). It's been a long time since I've played a game that has pulled me in and made me want to get lost in it's world (examples for me personally being Mass effect, Dragon Age Origins and KotOR). This game has. The writing has been brilliant, andI don't think I'm all that great with words, but I'll try and describe how I feel about this game nonetheless (because I feel passionate about it). It's been a long time since I've played a game that has pulled me in and made me want to get lost in it's world (examples for me personally being Mass effect, Dragon Age Origins and KotOR). This game has. The writing has been brilliant, and coming from someone who enjoys reading a lot, that's pretty cool. The whole soul reading aspect of the game was a surprise to me and being able to read about a bunch of the inhabitants of the world helped bring life to it (I'm still bitter about how lifeless the majority of Dragon Age Inquisition felt). And the companions are a pretty fun unique bunch to go on this journey with. Previously I had never really gone too hardcore when it came to combat in games, but in this game it's sort of required that you be at least a little strategic and it's actually making the game more fun (I restarted my first play through because I felt my character was not optimal). I've never played the old infinity engine games, but after I beat this game a few times I'm definitely going to check them out. To my video gaming brethren, if you enjoy RPG's and/or games with great storytelling and/or games with fun strategic combat, please check this game out.… Expand
  50. fluent
    Mar 30, 2015
    10
    Absolutely amazing. Fans of Baldur's Gate should be as giddy as I am about this one. It's basically Baldur's Gate 2015. Obsidian nailed it. Congrats for creating one of the best RPGs in the last 15 years!
  51. ASTALONTE
    Mar 30, 2015
    9
    It s like a machine time. You will feel as you were 17 years old again.
    Baldurs fan, welcome home.

    It is like a geme from a old time. It doesn't take you hand, you have to seek the goal for yourself.
    Buy it!
  52. fazi
    Mar 30, 2015
    5
    Finished game in 30h done almost all quests, my thoughts
    First 2h I where just WOW ater next 4h its great! and after 12h till the end I was mehhh.
    What I don't like - no romances :( - plot holes - level 12 cap (wtf got this level after 16h and still lot of ex got waste) - not many places to go or revisit - very long load times (small houses load like 1-2m... ) - items are not sum    Finished game in 30h done almost all quests, my thoughts
    First 2h I where just WOW ater next 4h its great! and after 12h till the end I was mehhh.
    What I don't like
    - no romances :(
    - plot holes
    - level 12 cap (wtf got this level after 16h and still lot of ex got waste)
    - not many places to go or revisit
    - very long load times (small houses load like 1-2m... )
    - items are not sum up to stats but only talking higher value
    - no EPIC items
    - fortress management sucks and is boring after 2-3h times, what you build don't do much diffrence, no epic fights/defences etc
    - bugggggggsssss (meh)
    - average story (little like planescape torment or bg1 but not so epic)
    - boring fight music (its like 3 or 4 music loops )
    - transaction not finished
    - stealth and search mode connected (search mode should be based on perception in "normal mode")
    - hardcore, almost impossible "Adra Dragon" ;)

    I played bg trilogy where you have multiple fortress depending on your class, v.long story, plot twists, romances, GREAT party members, epic items, epic ending I can go on and on.... and I will always compare games to BG and Planescape . PoE feels like Bg1 its ok but, what people done in year 2000 you what similar or more.    … Expand
  53. sclark13
    Mar 30, 2015
    6
    So I enjoyed the game, but I found it just as tedious to play through as the old infinity engine games. I did not enjoy micromanaging 6 party members through each and every battle. I've been spoiled by the functional AI of games like Dragon's Dogma, where I don't have to babysit each and every action, and I could just tell the AI what personality it should follow.

    Now I really enjoy    So I enjoyed the game, but I found it just as tedious to play through as the old infinity engine games. I did not enjoy micromanaging 6 party members through each and every battle. I've been spoiled by the functional AI of games like Dragon's Dogma, where I don't have to babysit each and every action, and I could just tell the AI what personality it should follow.

    Now I really enjoy D&D; I play it every week, but I also don't use more than 1 or two characters in a session for the same reasons. If PoE had integrated co-op to help with the micro-management, I think I might have managed to enjoy the game. It is just too much effort to juggle 6 character actions and still be an effective adventuring party.    … Expand
  54. Gnostic85
    Mar 30, 2015
    10
    W A R N I N G This game don't have:
    Quick-time events.
    Movie Like Cut Scenes. Lousy Story. Forced multi-player. Play vs friends Online to unlock X. Social features. Micro transactions. Contempt for its own walking wallet, err I mean customers. Press X to let the game play for you. Left Click until enemies die. AI companions that you cannot control and do stupid things    W A R N I N G This game don't have:
    Quick-time events.
    Movie Like Cut Scenes.
    Lousy Story.
    Forced multi-player.
    Play vs friends Online to unlock X.
    Social features.
    Micro transactions.
    Contempt for its own walking wallet, err I mean customers.
    Press X to let the game play for you.
    Left Click until enemies die.
    AI companions that you cannot control and do stupid things
    Consideration to make it boring so you can eat / sleep.
    Always Online DRM.
    Spy-ware.    … Expand
  55. Goalseeker
    Mar 30, 2015
    10
    Finally a RPG game like Baldurs gate. I have been playing for a while and the gameplay is just amazing and the opportunities endless :-) Love the game!
  56. Esett
    Mar 30, 2015
    10
    Pillars of eternity is a masterpiece. An amazing game filled with beautiful graphics, great writing and awesome music. But the greatest aspect of the game is its game play. It is challenging, quick and deliberate. It is filled with all the pleasures and complexities of turn based D&D combat while at the same time it is refreshing, new and believe it or not logical. You will rarely seePillars of eternity is a masterpiece. An amazing game filled with beautiful graphics, great writing and awesome music. But the greatest aspect of the game is its game play. It is challenging, quick and deliberate. It is filled with all the pleasures and complexities of turn based D&D combat while at the same time it is refreshing, new and believe it or not logical. You will rarely see point blank misses in this game.

    The story is very well told, the characters are interesting, and the choices are there for you to make. You also have a metric ton of options to tweak the experience how you see fit.

    Overall it is a triumph, a masterpiece, living proof that given the right developer Kickstarter can bring quality new franchises to the audience who loves it most. Even if you never loved the original Baldur's Gate, or the other Infinity Engine games, you owe it to yourself as a gamer to try to grasp what it is that fascinates so many people. 10/10.    … Expand
  57. pgorny
    Mar 30, 2015
    10
    I've played many many games in my life, but finished only about 15... 7 of them were in some way related to the Black Isle Studios or Interplay. Now these guys - as Obsidian - publish Pillars of Eternity. Bought it on day one (unfortunately I didn't know about the game during Kickstarter).

    What happened? I got totally immersed, soaked by the game! It's so engaging in terms of the    I've played many many games in my life, but finished only about 15... 7 of them were in some way related to the Black Isle Studios or Interplay. Now these guys - as Obsidian - publish Pillars of Eternity. Bought it on day one (unfortunately I didn't know about the game during Kickstarter).

    What happened?

    I got totally immersed, soaked by the game! It's so engaging in terms of the story, I love reading all those descriptions of people, their stories, behaviours etc. I also enjoy the fight, but I don't press for it too much - yes you have such an option!

    Obsidian - this is really good work. Congratulations! And thank you!    … Expand
  58. charlfourie
    Mar 30, 2015
    10
    Not only is this a successor to other Infinity Engine games but it the most fun I've had playing one to date. Sitting at 15 hours to far and can't wait to play more.

    Graphics are rich and atmospheric, Sound is wonderful and voiced beautifully, the Combat is brutal and requires a fine hand and then there is the story, words can not describe how rich the world is.

    Buy it now!
  59. BoredGamer42
    Mar 29, 2015
    3
    The story is cookie cutter and trite. A son of the Lord of Murder you are not.

    Your main character's a Watcher. You have no strong feelings about this. Your companions are dull, and generally unlikable. The effects of your choices are as profound as the Mass Effect 3 endings. The music sucks (not completely awful, but not stirring in any way). The predominant social model    The story is cookie cutter and trite. A son of the Lord of Murder you are not.

    Your main character's a Watcher. You have no strong feelings about this.

    Your companions are dull, and generally unlikable.

    The effects of your choices are as profound as the Mass Effect 3 endings.

    The music sucks (not completely awful, but not stirring in any way).

    The predominant social model in evidence is amazon lesbian (which could be so, so sexy, but plays out as women having facial hair and deep voices).

    They included a knockoff miniature giant space hamster, but not the lunatic who made it interesting.

    Screw this game.    … Expand
  60. metamorfoso
    Mar 29, 2015
    10
    This is a phenomenal game. The setting is rich and detailed, the writing is, for the most part, eloquent without being overly purple, the design is solid, and it is all presented in exquisite visual and aural style. Moreover, it's a vindication of Obsidian as a development studio, as well as of the crowdfunding business model for niche gaming.

    A complete and well deserved business,    This is a phenomenal game. The setting is rich and detailed, the writing is, for the most part, eloquent without being overly purple, the design is solid, and it is all presented in exquisite visual and aural style. Moreover, it's a vindication of Obsidian as a development studio, as well as of the crowdfunding business model for niche gaming.

    A complete and well deserved business, technical, and artistic triumph for Obsidian. Bravo.    … Expand
  61. DarkInside
    Mar 29, 2015
    10
    The best RPG since Planescape Torment and Baldurs Gate 2. Great experience and an awesome story.
    this game is better than Divinity Original SIN and Wasteland 2. Great, I need more.
  62. JRRN
    Mar 29, 2015
    0
    Spiritual successor, my ass. The IE games never enforced an mmo tank/healer/dps mechanic. You could play with 5 wizards or 5 fighters or 5 clerics or 5 thieves. For some reason Obsidian decided to base a game on the most reviled version of D&D ever. I know 4e has its fans, but in a few years it will be dedicated to the dust bin next to Highlander 2. Too bad, really. POE could haveSpiritual successor, my ass. The IE games never enforced an mmo tank/healer/dps mechanic. You could play with 5 wizards or 5 fighters or 5 clerics or 5 thieves. For some reason Obsidian decided to base a game on the most reviled version of D&D ever. I know 4e has its fans, but in a few years it will be dedicated to the dust bin next to Highlander 2. Too bad, really. POE could have been a great game. It looks fantastic, and the story is adequate, but it's ruined by ****ty mechanics. Maybe someone will make a D&D mod for it, until then, It isn't worth playing. All this game does is make me appreciate the IE games that much more.… Expand
  63. ra_hammerhead
    Mar 29, 2015
    10
    Awesome BG2 and Planescape successor. I really like Russian translation (this is that rarest case when I do play not in the original) and all the lore in the game. Story and quests are interesting as well. What is defferent from BG is this game is really pleasant to read. It is like a book. Combat and character interaction are on very good level. I play it on Path of the Damned difficultyAwesome BG2 and Planescape successor. I really like Russian translation (this is that rarest case when I do play not in the original) and all the lore in the game. Story and quests are interesting as well. What is defferent from BG is this game is really pleasant to read. It is like a book. Combat and character interaction are on very good level. I play it on Path of the Damned difficulty and this is awesome. So many challenges and thoughts needs to be made to approach almost 50-80% of the battles.

    This game worth its time and money. And of course it has amazingly beautiful environment and atmosphere!    … Expand
  64. whatever523
    Mar 29, 2015
    8
    This game is great in so many ways, but the lacking party AI kills it.

    I don't want to manually have to cast every spell over and over again. There should be some kind of automation like there was in BG2.

    Until this is implemented, PoE doesn't come close to the old BG games.
  65. Type4101
    Mar 29, 2015
    9
    An epic RPG in the Baldur's Gate style, by the folks who brought us Baldur's gate! This is a deep, immersive, stat-driven, party-based RPG. RPGs have mostly been abandoned by developers in favor of hyped up, overpriced, unfinished, micro-transaction and DLC based crap. Pillars of Eternity is the opposite of that. It is a full game at a fair price. These developers are fantastic, andAn epic RPG in the Baldur's Gate style, by the folks who brought us Baldur's gate! This is a deep, immersive, stat-driven, party-based RPG. RPGs have mostly been abandoned by developers in favor of hyped up, overpriced, unfinished, micro-transaction and DLC based crap. Pillars of Eternity is the opposite of that. It is a full game at a fair price. These developers are fantastic, and clearly care about the artistic nature of game-making. If Baldur's Gate was a Picasso, then this game (so far...I'm not even near the end yet) is at least a Rembrandt. The real-time/pause combat system isn't my favorite (I prefer the turn-based methods of games like Wasteland 2), and combat frequently devolves into a bunch of exploding colors on the screen that makes it difficult to know what is happening. Still, combat is functional, and not the focus of the game. The focus here is on the detailed world, its broken-willed inhabitants, and a terrible curse that steals the souls from babies. Pillars of Eternity is an awesome RPG that, hopefully, is the start of a great series.… Expand
  66. melrief
    Mar 29, 2015
    10
    Pillars of Ethernity is a masterpiece, a game that shows what developers commitment and crowsourcing love can do. The game is a spiritual successor of Baldur's Gate/Icewind Dale/Planescape: Torment but it also improves most of the aspects, like graphic, sound, the combat system and the character customization. The main difference between those games and PoE is the fact that PoE is not aPillars of Ethernity is a masterpiece, a game that shows what developers commitment and crowsourcing love can do. The game is a spiritual successor of Baldur's Gate/Icewind Dale/Planescape: Torment but it also improves most of the aspects, like graphic, sound, the combat system and the character customization. The main difference between those games and PoE is the fact that PoE is not a D&D game and doesn't use any of the D&D settings. I was a bit worried about this because D&D 2nd edition is very rich and recreating something even similar requires a lot of time, but the PoE team surprised me: the game mechanics are good, sometime even better than old games. The strategy is dominant in every battle and the game is challenging even at lower difficulties. The non-linear progress of the game can be a pain for people used to games with linear progression, but the result is a realistic world in which you must be careful and wise.

    Graphics and sound are amazing. In particular I find the soundtrack inspired and well placed.

    If I have to find a problem in the game, probably I would point out that the story is not completely original; sometimes it resemble a certain game about past lives...but honestly that could be considered a feature of the game, considering that the other game is another masterpiece.

    I recommend this game but not to everybody: the game is challenging, story-driven and sometimes slow, e.g. when reading dialogs. You have to like this kind of games to love this game.    … Expand
  67. Drael
    Mar 29, 2015
    10
    This is a perfect game. The depth the story, the challenge. Like a classic RPG, immersive, rewarding, enjoyable - but better, better story, better graphics, better interface, better mechanics. I would say this is better than baldurs gate, or neverwinter nights. A true modern classic. There are lush beautiful art graphics, the strategic combat is really challenging, the role playing is realThis is a perfect game. The depth the story, the challenge. Like a classic RPG, immersive, rewarding, enjoyable - but better, better story, better graphics, better interface, better mechanics. I would say this is better than baldurs gate, or neverwinter nights. A true modern classic. There are lush beautiful art graphics, the strategic combat is really challenging, the role playing is real choice for impact role playing, and the story is engrossing, and the world large and immersive/compelling. 10/10. Hype meet with reality perfectly.… Expand
  68. tamimh
    Mar 29, 2015
    10
    This game will take you back on a time travel to the good old days of PST, BG, IWD when all the best RPG games ever created. A magnificent atmosphere interesting story and a comfortable engine. good job to all the people in Obsidian. I am glad I'm a backer.
  69. Malach1te
    Mar 29, 2015
    9
    A true RPG. I didn't expect this after the mediocre experience that was Wasteland 2 and other kickstarter projects but i was hooked from the very intro screen. The setting seems cookie cutter D&D at first, but you will soon notice it's so much more and very mature/believable (as is the writing). I especially like its Celtic and Anglo-Saxon tones.
  70. jonnyzero
    Mar 29, 2015
    10
    Pillars of Eternity is nothing short of a masterpiece. Obsidian set out to create a game in the mould of classic RPGs such as Baldur's Gate, but have instead created a game that comfortably sits alongside THE great RPGs. The writing and setting are stunning and the combat is challenging enough to bring you to your knees. It is a "must buy".
  71. Raf
    Mar 29, 2015
    10
    Gra to nie tylko powrót do klasyki - to arcydzieło, przeniesienie klimatu z prawdziwych, papierowych RPG na ekran komputera. Magia wylewa się obrazu i otula, zabiera na wspaniałą przygodę. Wszystko w tej grze jest świetne, trzyma najwyższy poziom. To co powoduje, że ta gra jest bardzo groźnym konkurentem dla potężnej produkcji jaką jest Wiedźmin 3, jest narracja i opisy stworzone dłoniąGra to nie tylko powrót do klasyki - to arcydzieło, przeniesienie klimatu z prawdziwych, papierowych RPG na ekran komputera. Magia wylewa się obrazu i otula, zabiera na wspaniałą przygodę. Wszystko w tej grze jest świetne, trzyma najwyższy poziom. To co powoduje, że ta gra jest bardzo groźnym konkurentem dla potężnej produkcji jaką jest Wiedźmin 3, jest narracja i opisy stworzone dłonią prawdziwego artysty. Ogromna część gry rozgrywa się w naszej wyobraźni budując niezapomniany obraz wydarzeń, które tym samym stają się naszym udziałem niczym w doskonałej książce. To najlepsze cRPG od lat i gra. Planescape Torment (produkcja jakże wybitna) może zejść z piedestału, bo oto jego spuścizna, Pillars of Eternity zasiada na tronie wieszcząc zwycięstwo i będąc hołdem dla swego starszego brata !!!… Expand
  72. BDrago
    Mar 29, 2015
    10
    I have only played for about ten hours, but I can already say that this is an outstanding game. It perfectly captures the feel of the classics, while tweaking the mechanics to make it more intuitive and user friendly. it has pretty much everything I loved about Baldur's Gate without the weaknesses. I was never a big fan of the real time with pause and would have preferred turn-basedI have only played for about ten hours, but I can already say that this is an outstanding game. It perfectly captures the feel of the classics, while tweaking the mechanics to make it more intuitive and user friendly. it has pretty much everything I loved about Baldur's Gate without the weaknesses. I was never a big fan of the real time with pause and would have preferred turn-based combat, but it is very well executed and balanced. Combat can be challenging at times, but never feels unfair (Btw, I'm playing on normal). The engagement rules and the slow motion mode are a great addition to this kind of combat. Most potions and many abilities can only be used while in combat, making the usual cheap trick of buff stacking shortly before an engagement impossible.
    All things considered the gameplay is top notch, with a character system that offers a lot of flexibility for your player character's backstory and specialization. Your race, culture, class (and sub class, there are several different Paladin orders, some of them definitely not the stereotypical good kind), stats and reputation often give you alternative dialogue options which can lead to different approaches and outcomes.
    Reputation is more than just good/evil. Instead you can earn a reputation for being honest, greedy, diplomatic, aggressive, benevolent, cruel etc, and most dialogues give you options to that effect. I have also had at least one encounter where choosing the diplomatic option backfired and I was attacked. Some people just can't see reason.
    Anyway, that's what an RPG is supposed to do: it gives the possibility to really play a role and define who you are.
    The graphics are probably a bit too old school for some people, and I often wish it was in 3d. Combat often makes me wish that I could rotate the camera and zoom in some more, especially during bigger fights. It is reasonably pretty and serviceable for the most part, but I see it as a (not very significant) weak point.
    But Avellone and his team have proven that even in the 21st century a well written game doesn't need cinematic cutscenes, body language, facial expressions and extensive voice acting to tell a story. Those things are helpful to enhance good writing, as classic PC RPGs and console game of the 8 - 32 bit era show, they are not necessary. They also can not make up for ocassional bouts of terrible writing (like pretty much all of Iron Bull's dialogue in DA: I).
    It is the writing that matters, and on this front the game far outclasses every single other game I have ever played. Although I haven't met all recruitable characters yet, those I have met are very intriguing. Do yourself a favor and speak to Durance about the region and history when you meet him. My jaw figuratively dropped to the keyboard when the crazy bastard started talking about the war. It is sometimes a bit heavy on the exposition and treats the pc as an ignorant foreigner to the world That can be forgiven, considering the fact that I'm playing a freed slave from another country, but it's still not the most elegant way to build a world.

    All the flaws are tiny, and while they make the game fall a bit (just a bit) short of perfection, it is still closer to a 10 than a 9. This is a masterpiece. It may be Obsidian's best game yet, it may be the best RPG that has ever been made. It is definitely the best RPG (and maybe the best game) for over a decade. It is not an unofficial Baldur's Gate sequel in 2015. It is better than that. A great game in its own right with an added nostalgia bonus for those old enough to remember the classics.    … Expand
  73. Ayreos
    Mar 29, 2015
    6
    The game is a faithful follow-up to the spirit of the classic Infinity Engine games. It improves a few things and makes a few things worse(which is debatable), but it *is* a faithful throwback to an older model of cRPGs without unbearable defects. For some people that is enough. For me, though, the actual lack of improvement, progress or especially, the failure to become the pinnacle ofThe game is a faithful follow-up to the spirit of the classic Infinity Engine games. It improves a few things and makes a few things worse(which is debatable), but it *is* a faithful throwback to an older model of cRPGs without unbearable defects. For some people that is enough. For me, though, the actual lack of improvement, progress or especially, the failure to become the pinnacle of the genre is pretty damning for this game. What happened to game journalism? A mediocre Infinity Engine game is now rated on par with classics on Metacritic. It does not even approach Planescape Torment, and it only teases the heights of Baldur's Gate 2. Walls of pretty decent writing at every turn do not make up for the non-existent party AI, or the lack of direction. The plot can be literally summed with "I see dead people...", which goes far beyond cliche in 2015.
    When the first Baldur's Gate was released, it was a pleasant trip. The second was more of a roller coaster. Pillars of Eternity is something like the former. It can serve as a somewhat bland introduction to the genre, but it should not become its apex. I cannot rate it higher because BG1 does that already, and it does it perhaps slightly better. The modern engine and revamped graphics alone are not worth the price, or the hype.    … Expand
  74. Resinh
    Mar 29, 2015
    1
    Had to restart my game twice because I accidentally double clicked a weapon in my inventory and it broke the game. I hope the devs fix it.

    Rumor has it that it cant be fixed
  75. Fuz
    Mar 29, 2015
    9
    Basically, Baldur's Gate 3.
    Pillars of Eternity is a fantastic CRPG with a lively world, tons of stories, deep lore, amazing characters and great writing. The gameplay is very old-school, in a positive way, with a real time tactical combat that you can pause to issue orders to your party characters at any time. The interactions with NPCs are made with a classic multiple choice, influenced    Basically, Baldur's Gate 3.
    Pillars of Eternity is a fantastic CRPG with a lively world, tons of stories, deep lore, amazing characters and great writing. The gameplay is very old-school, in a positive way, with a real time tactical combat that you can pause to issue orders to your party characters at any time. The interactions with NPCs are made with a classic multiple choice, influenced by your skills and knowledge. And your choices in dialogues do matter.
    Extremly immersive, it's easy to lose track of the time playing it.
    Fantastic game, recommended to every RPG fan.    … Expand
  76. Freesoul
    Mar 28, 2015
    10
    The game we've been waiting for more than a decade !!! and so far it looks like a masterpiece,
    Oldschool gameplay with nowaday tech :)
    Thank you Obsidian !!!
  77. Sjalka
    Mar 28, 2015
    8
    Pillars of Eternity is a good looking game for the classic party based RPG player. It is a little more casual than the recent comparable title (Divinity - Original Sin) - but shares the 3d iso top down look along with a nice character development system.

    Recent games that might compare to it is Divinity - Original Sin as well as Blackguards 2 ( i am not aware of other western party    Pillars of Eternity is a good looking game for the classic party based RPG player. It is a little more casual than the recent comparable title (Divinity - Original Sin) - but shares the 3d iso top down look along with a nice character development system.

    Recent games that might compare to it is Divinity - Original Sin as well as Blackguards 2 ( i am not aware of other western party based RPGs of recent times )

    While Blackguards 2 rather tells a more or less interactive story by stringing tactical combats together, Divinity Original Sin is much more similar.

    In terms of scale Divinity offers a much smaller world with slightly less diversity, only a mini-party system but a much richer combat and enviromental system. Pillars of Eternity is closer to Baldurs gate - which offers a larger world (although not every area is really large ) - but much more casual combat with a large party system.

    The characters are nicely done (art-style and lore about them) and you do care for them. The choices of difficulties is very nice - from casual players that can get far in the game without having had too much experience with such games up to hardcore RPGers that seek a challenge (although the challenge is only based on monster numbers and their stats )

    The story is - nothing new; but then - not even Baldurs Gate 2 had a really new story. It is almost always a variation of "the chosen one" of sorts, - sometimes the tragic one, sometimes the heroic one. Where Baldurs Gate 2 scores much higher is in immersing the player in the world.

    Despite the ( from todays standards - and it wasn t exactly looking amazing when it was released ) low technical capability of BG2 - it managed to draw the player into a vivid world up to the point where you spent hours doing side-quests ... genuinly forgetting your main-quest because some sidequests were so rich and complex - not to mention epic.
    Pillars of Eternity does not quite manage that much - but tries hard at least.

    From a technical point of view - the game runs surprisingly bad. While it looks good enough - the world is not rendered in such a rich detail that it justifies the specs it needs.

    Since - like many those party based-RPGs are centered around combat ... i wish to mention that since BG1 days (cannot speak for the days before, because i never played an older RPG than BG1) - the AI has not really evolved much - if at all.
    The NPCs are stupid (which does not mean they are push-overs) and behave about as clever as NPCs of similar games from 20 years ago. They show no regard for their life, do not exploit the enviroment or make smart use of their skills ( like trying to time their aoe attacks to gain a maximum benefit from their skills ) - but since i have not seen any game achiving a satisfying result in terms of AI, i can only guess that the AI has not made any significant advances at all the past decades.

    to conclude

    This is a very nice game, it is a game i would describe as "solid" - and a safe buy for RPG players. It will challenge and entertain for a good time - but it does not reach the top of the genre.    … Expand
  78. Joote
    Mar 28, 2015
    10
    Yes, this game is worth a 10. No protest vote, no bull. It is simply worth a 10, and that's before patch's or expansions/dlc.
    POE, take's me back to the golden days, when games were golden. Truly fantastic game on all accounts.
  79. Gishnak
    Mar 28, 2015
    10
    The first RPG in a long time that really works in all senses. There are a few bugs out there, but I've not encountered any yet and I'm sure these will be patched shortly.
  80. cicimbus
    Mar 28, 2015
    9
    Perfect, I really pleasantly surprised, super graphics, playing super, super environment ... control.. so this is a little worse, perhaps will be tunes in the next update ... 9/10 because you can NOT have love(wife) !
  81. Kapilux
    Mar 28, 2015
    1
    A terrible game with horrible combat and lackluster writing. POE is fundamentally flawed at its core, this game would be bad even if it used D&D rules. The only truly good thing in the game are the pre-rendered backgrounds (which are stunningly beautiful), but everything else is either bad, boring or terrible. The combat is awful, exploration is unrewarding, the RPG ruleset is uninspiredA terrible game with horrible combat and lackluster writing. POE is fundamentally flawed at its core, this game would be bad even if it used D&D rules. The only truly good thing in the game are the pre-rendered backgrounds (which are stunningly beautiful), but everything else is either bad, boring or terrible. The combat is awful, exploration is unrewarding, the RPG ruleset is uninspired and even the music is annoying.

    It is hard to believe, but PoE feels like it was made by people who absolutely despise the Infinity Engine games. Baldur's Gate fans, look elsewhere, this is not the game we have been waiting for all these years.    … Expand
  82. Emphatic
    Mar 28, 2015
    10
    Having been a huge fan of the Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale series I can tell you that this is everything it promised to be any more, A true shining gem, if you like Isometric games, you will love it, if like love beautifully crafted stories, you will love it. if you are yearning for an unforgettable RPG experience that hasn't been seen in over a decade, look no further, this game deserveHaving been a huge fan of the Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale series I can tell you that this is everything it promised to be any more, A true shining gem, if you like Isometric games, you will love it, if like love beautifully crafted stories, you will love it. if you are yearning for an unforgettable RPG experience that hasn't been seen in over a decade, look no further, this game deserve all the praise it gets and then some.… Expand
  83. Indissentient
    Mar 28, 2015
    6
    + Story seemed to be good
    + Characters are fairly interesting
    - Combat is extremely poor - Visuals are terrible - Interface is inconvenient and ugly Overall, it feels like the game wants to feel old for no reason whatsoever, and that developers didn't learn anything in last 20 years. Yes, the game lacks a lot of annoying cliches of newer RPGs, but it also lacks their improvements    + Story seemed to be good
    + Characters are fairly interesting

    - Combat is extremely poor
    - Visuals are terrible
    - Interface is inconvenient and ugly

    Overall, it feels like the game wants to feel old for no reason whatsoever, and that developers didn't learn anything in last 20 years. Yes, the game lacks a lot of annoying cliches of newer RPGs, but it also lacks their improvements over old ones.    … Expand
  84. Vidicus
    Mar 28, 2015
    9
    A true throwback to the glory days of RPGs. If you were a fan of Baldur's Gate or Plantscape Torment, you owe it to yourself to try Pillars of Eternity. There really is no major flaws with the game, it has the bases covered from the ground up as a near perfect 3D isometric view turn based RPG. Do not miss out, this is worthy of opening your wallet for.
  85. mr_cipriani
    Mar 28, 2015
    10
    Thought I've become jaded about games, this one proved me differently. Finally having that same 'feel' I had 15 years ago playing old Infinity Engine games. Thank you Obsidian (and Paradox).
  86. exotikras
    Mar 28, 2015
    8
    When I saw first trailer I thought WOW, like everyone else I think, but now when I can see real graphic on my own PC, it's really disappointing. Textures are very poor, especially if you zoom in a little bit. Characters levitating on the ground and so on.... But that would not be a big problem if not dialogues. Yes I now it's old school RPG and that's the way it should be, but honestly,When I saw first trailer I thought WOW, like everyone else I think, but now when I can see real graphic on my own PC, it's really disappointing. Textures are very poor, especially if you zoom in a little bit. Characters levitating on the ground and so on.... But that would not be a big problem if not dialogues. Yes I now it's old school RPG and that's the way it should be, but honestly, sometimes it looks like there is too much of useless text, I started to skipping half of it. So I'm not saying that PoE is bad game, it's good, but just I'm disappointed with it a bit...… Expand
  87. shelter
    Mar 28, 2015
    9
    Hats off to Paradox Interactive yet again for a solid game release.
    And congratulations to Obsidian for making a great game.

    However it's a bit too linear in terms of loot and stuff, at least from what I've seen.
    Other than that, it's been very fun to play so far and I really like the art style.
  88. Exeunt
    Mar 28, 2015
    9
    It really is Baldur's Gate 3. They took out a lot of the stuff that was annoying too. No Minsk (yet).

    But the handpainted backgrounds are gorgeous, the story as far as I am in it is compelling and the combat is challenging.What wore could you want?
  89. Thombie
    Mar 28, 2015
    6
    I've not completed the game but I've played enough to give it a fair non-spoiler review. The story is above average, the graphics is easily below average but all in all good enough to tell a compelling story. People who generally like these kinds of games will most likely love this one, as it's a very good RPG.

    Now, over to more concerning stuff. The combat system, class system and    I've not completed the game but I've played enough to give it a fair non-spoiler review. The story is above average, the graphics is easily below average but all in all good enough to tell a compelling story. People who generally like these kinds of games will most likely love this one, as it's a very good RPG.

    Now, over to more concerning stuff. The combat system, class system and attribute balance is among the weakest I've ever come across in a RPG ever. The classes themselves are interesting enough but it seems kind of moot to specialize your character in any way since the difference is so small that it doesn't matter in the end. I actually wonder why they bothered having the attribute system at all. Skills and abilities on the other hand does make a difference but it's kind of stupid and very rigid.

    Overall the game is above average and gets a well deserved 6 from me.    … Expand
  90. campbfh
    Mar 28, 2015
    1
    Antiquated graphics. Quirky combat interface with no AI. Interesting lore & story line. Feel like I wasted $44 to purchase this on Steam. Would have expected more. If you are in this for the Lore, then you'll love it. If playability, user interface, and game experience are important, then I'd pass.
  91. axan22
    Mar 28, 2015
    10
    Well I'm gonna make a big statement and say that I prefer this game to Baldurs Gate 1, (not 2 yet maybe by the end) but there is something to do on every map and its not so punishing at the start on certain classes, the story is awesome and really like the companions i've met so far.
  92. darsat
    Mar 28, 2015
    10
    So far so good, nothing crappy going on. Graphics are good. Combat system is nice. The game has an initial challenge. I really was worried about prepurchesing this game (from past experiences with other companies) haven't had any regrets so far. So far lovin it! (3hrs)
  93. Grumppi
    Mar 28, 2015
    10
    I love this game. The gameplay, pacing, open-world feel, writing, characters, animation, etc. are all excellent. Make no mistake though, nostalgia carries this into the upper stratosphere for me when it comes to dishing out a number rating. Do yourself a favor, if you haven't played the old infinity engine games, but love Western-style RPG's like DA:Origins, get started on building someI love this game. The gameplay, pacing, open-world feel, writing, characters, animation, etc. are all excellent. Make no mistake though, nostalgia carries this into the upper stratosphere for me when it comes to dishing out a number rating. Do yourself a favor, if you haven't played the old infinity engine games, but love Western-style RPG's like DA:Origins, get started on building some nostalgia of your own by playing Pillars of Eternity, and loving every minute of it.… Expand
  94. JohnChildermass
    Mar 28, 2015
    10
    It's really the reincarnation of Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale: It looks like BG, it feels like BG and I just wanted to play another hour and a few quests later half of the night was gone.
    Its strengths are clearly the story, the writing, the graphic design (if you like it, what I do) and the character system.
    I experienced few Bugs (one game breaking with the ranger companion) and the    It's really the reincarnation of Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale: It looks like BG, it feels like BG and I just wanted to play another hour and a few quests later half of the night was gone.
    Its strengths are clearly the story, the writing, the graphic design (if you like it, what I do) and the character system.
    I experienced few Bugs (one game breaking with the ranger companion) and the path finding is in great need of improvement - but I'm sure this will be handled with a patch soon.
    I absolutely do not regret backing it on kickstarter.    … Expand
  95. Lazarusdeath
    Mar 28, 2015
    10
    Absolutely EXACTLY what I wanted. Best RPG since Skyrim. Incrediby fun and rewarding, amazing story, beautiful graphics, enjoyable strategic combat, addictive loot hunting, rewarding exploration, awesome dungeons with puzzles and valid ways to solve situations without combat, deep lore with books to read, mini stories in dungeons via letters and journals etc. In other words, everythingAbsolutely EXACTLY what I wanted. Best RPG since Skyrim. Incrediby fun and rewarding, amazing story, beautiful graphics, enjoyable strategic combat, addictive loot hunting, rewarding exploration, awesome dungeons with puzzles and valid ways to solve situations without combat, deep lore with books to read, mini stories in dungeons via letters and journals etc. In other words, everything that makes RPG's immersive and enjoyable is present here. HIGHLY recommended for any RPG lover.… Expand
  96. Galaad97
    Mar 28, 2015
    10
    Any sane(or not) fan of the baldur's gate, planescape, IWD series of the past ought to give this one a try. It is deep, lengthy and has so much content that you can delve into this world for very many hours :). The presentation is polished and it is simply a great and fun RPG :)
  97. Maquiame
    Mar 28, 2015
    9
    The best game of this type hands down aside from Planescape: Torment. I enjoy this title and its fantastic setting even more than Baldur's Gate 2. And much love for the Vailians! People of color with a great role in the world!
  98. Lomaxnoah
    Mar 28, 2015
    10
    Best rpg for a loooong time, actually one of the few i can really call a RPG nowdays. 10/10 no doubt about it. It is really as close to BG as it gets, if you like this kind of game. Go play it now
  99. cdcondrici
    Mar 28, 2015
    10
    This is my first review for Metacritic so i am extra happy to be able to review probably the biggest comeback in gaming history for my debut. And what a comeback it is! all the magic ingredients the ones that made games like Baldur's Gate and Planescape : Torment and KOTOR unforgettable experiences and instant classics are mixed together again this time in a shiny new cauldron andThis is my first review for Metacritic so i am extra happy to be able to review probably the biggest comeback in gaming history for my debut. And what a comeback it is! all the magic ingredients the ones that made games like Baldur's Gate and Planescape : Torment and KOTOR unforgettable experiences and instant classics are mixed together again this time in a shiny new cauldron and bottled in amazingly crafted bottles. Don't listen to the people who think this game is only for wRPGs aficionados and dice rollers experts. This is mainly a wonderful adventure game and a personal journey through an amazing world. I love the new mechanics the game feels like a perfect combo between old school D&D and the modern times Role Play sophistication. nothing feels so far much different than Baldur's Gate and this is a fantastic feature considering that the system developed by Obsidian is so fresh. the graphics are absolutely gorgeous and the story so far, as expected, is to say the least engrossing. Also it's amazing how smooth the game runs on any average specs. so to conclude the game is definitely a must buy and must have for everyone who even remotely (still) enjoys playing PC games. is a labor of love and restored my (lost) faith in the future of gaming in general and RPG in special. Fantastic work Obsidian. can't wait for the new Planescape!!… Expand
  100. His_Majesty
    Mar 28, 2015
    10
    Last year we got Divinity: Original Sin, Wasteland 2, Shadowrun: Dragonfall and Lords of Xulima. The cRPG renaissance seems well underway and Pillars of Eternity continues that trend.
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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

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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.
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  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]
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