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. TanSula
    May 14, 2018
    9
    Для меня в РПГ главное сюжет и интересные квесты, а тут в этим всё в порядке. А вот к боёвке и другим техническим аспектам есть вопросы.
  2. JavierTaco
    Jan 17, 2018
    9
    This game is excellent. It is my first tabletop RPG, and it got me interested in this style of game. It does practically everything right. I love the music, I love the combat, I love the characters, I love the choices you can make, and I love the presentation. Also, it has that classic Obsidian Entertainment feel to it, so expect tons of dark humor.
  3. ChosenUndead99
    Apr 29, 2018
    9
    An extremely fun RPG that you will easily be able to tell is very similar to games such as Baldur's Gate. There are lots of quests to be found and exploring is always rewarding!
  4. Solarka
    Jul 19, 2019
    9
    This was my first isometric RPG of that kind. If I didn't play this game, I wouldn't be able to experience Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment.
    Pillars of Eternity is accessible to modern players - it is simpler, more forgiving to newbies, doesn't seem as alien as Baldur's Gate for someone who didn't play game older than 2010. However, it gives you the same feeling the classic games    This was my first isometric RPG of that kind. If I didn't play this game, I wouldn't be able to experience Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment.
    Pillars of Eternity is accessible to modern players - it is simpler, more forgiving to newbies, doesn't seem as alien as Baldur's Gate for someone who didn't play game older than 2010. However, it gives you the same feeling the classic games gave. No other modern game, not even the genius Divinity games, can do that.
    The only problems of the game are probably the weird armor system, a weird health system (not such a problem, just weird), you don't make as much choices as you could (nonetheless, there are choices, and powerful ones). The plot and general writing are great. Combat is probably the best thing you saw in the genre (turn-based Divinity combat doesn't count). Locations are interesting to explore, NPCs are fun to talk to, enemies are fun to beat up. Plus you have a personal fortress you can build.
    All in all, it is a definite must-play for both people who love classic PRGs, and for those who just want to get into them.    … Expand
  5. Shmelke
    Jun 15, 2019
    9
    Best Baldurs Gate clone in recent years. Second only to first Dragon Age. Both in my opinion are better than the original. Great fun that lasts for many hours.
  6. Gorlumov
    Feb 8, 2021
    9
    Настоящее возвращение в мир классических изометрических CRPG! Хорошо знакомые любителям такой классики как Baldur's Gate и Icewind Dale стилистика и интерфейс. Но самое главное потрясающий загадочный мир полный мистики и тайн, уводящих в глубь мироздания этой вселенной.Настоящее возвращение в мир классических изометрических CRPG! Хорошо знакомые любителям такой классики как Baldur's Gate и Icewind Dale стилистика и интерфейс. Но самое главное потрясающий загадочный мир полный мистики и тайн, уводящих в глубь мироздания этой вселенной.
  7. Filmanwalt
    Apr 16, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a top classic RPG with modern techniques combined.

    Story

    The Story is very interesting and has a dark tone in it. Its well written and the dialogues are just beautiful made. With that comes a very good score in the background.

    Gameplay

    Its a classic RPG but it has some clever modern mechanics. First of the Partymember system and Skillsystem is very well made. Only the crafting part wasnt my favourite. Besides that the game gives you an own fortress, where you can do quests or decide about proposals off supplicants. The degree of difficulty is very challenging and you have to think about the fights.

    Graphics/Bugs

    Graphics are good but could be better and I had some glitches or little bugs here in there, just save the game often.

    Summary

    Modern classic RPG with a beautiful story and writing 9/10.    … Expand
  8. Prometheus1241
    Jan 19, 2020
    9
    Pillars of Eternity( i will call it just POE) is the second game of "returned classic"( the first one was Divinity: Original Sin). POE brings back everything we liked in CRPG- good plot, party managing, interesting side quests and more. But yet, i can't recommend this game to anyone. Firstly, it is very hard for the newcomers to get along with the CRPG( i recommend to start from DivinityPillars of Eternity( i will call it just POE) is the second game of "returned classic"( the first one was Divinity: Original Sin). POE brings back everything we liked in CRPG- good plot, party managing, interesting side quests and more. But yet, i can't recommend this game to anyone. Firstly, it is very hard for the newcomers to get along with the CRPG( i recommend to start from Divinity or Dragon Age) and secondly, it is consisted of way to much texts, which somebody mind find boring. But if you are not afraid of big amount of word and have played some CRPGs, POE is your choice.… Expand
  9. WeNeedAliens
    Jul 19, 2020
    9
    A very solid RPG. Had a lot of fun with it, would recommend to anyone that enjoys these type of games.
  10. apokalipto
    Aug 23, 2023
    9
    Very good game. I enjoyed playing this game a lot. I strongly recommend this.
  11. ylnylmn
    Nov 12, 2021
    9
    It took me 98 hours to finish the game. What an adventure it was. An awesome story. Each character has their own story and they are very good. Although it doesn't impress me as much as Baldur's Gate, it's just as good a game. The world is wide and there are many things to do. Side quests, dungeons are nice. You have your own stronghold and it added fun to the game. I did all bounty quests.It took me 98 hours to finish the game. What an adventure it was. An awesome story. Each character has their own story and they are very good. Although it doesn't impress me as much as Baldur's Gate, it's just as good a game. The world is wide and there are many things to do. Side quests, dungeons are nice. You have your own stronghold and it added fun to the game. I did all bounty quests. The variety of items is nice, the abilities we use are many. In some battles, we may need to play more strategically, which makes the game more enjoyable. Except for the final boss and the Endless Path Boss, the gameplay wasn't difficult. Of course, I finished it on normal difficulty. But if you are confident in yourself, I say play harder. It will be more enjoyable. It was a great game in general, and so was the music. I definitely recommend.… Expand
  12. Tomplexthis
    Jul 7, 2022
    9
    A generally flawless RPG game that has more depth than any single bethesda garbage you will ever chew up and spit back out. Mods keep those games alive, but Pillars of Eternity, stands on its own two feet. especially if you like Baldurs Gate, or any other CRPG, this is pretty much the best one ive played
  13. Onemoreartem
    Nov 14, 2022
    9
    Первая CRPG, которую я прошел до конца залпом и не снижая сложность под финал.
  14. TianLong1
    Mar 31, 2023
    9
    My first time playing a Baldur's gate-like game, and it made me fall in love with the genre, making me hungry for more games like this. Lots of customization and the possibility to create your own characters to join your party. Great RPG game.
  15. Magical_Viktor
    Apr 30, 2023
    9
    Существуют просто Зло и Большое Зло, а за ними обоими в тени прячется Очень Большое Зло. Очень Большое Зло, Геральт, это такое, которого ты и представить себе не можешь, даже если думаешь, будто уже ничто не в состоянии тебя удивить. И знаешь, Геральт, порой бывает так, что Очень Большое Зло схватит тебя за горло и скажет: «Выбирай, братец, либо я, либо то, которое чуточку поменьше»Существуют просто Зло и Большое Зло, а за ними обоими в тени прячется Очень Большое Зло. Очень Большое Зло, Геральт, это такое, которого ты и представить себе не можешь, даже если думаешь, будто уже ничто не в состоянии тебя удивить. И знаешь, Геральт, порой бывает так, что Очень Большое Зло схватит тебя за горло и скажет: «Выбирай, братец, либо я, либо то, которое чуточку поменьше»
  16. Keron_Heruman
    Aug 24, 2023
    9
    New world, new lore, new game mechanics... with all the essence of the Baldur's gate saga. Very well rounded cRPG plenty of options with a deep history and an immense quantity of (very well written) text. Some punctual strange decisions, as some illogical relation attributes/abilities or the stronghold management, impede the 10/10
  17. TheMitherer
    Aug 18, 2015
    8
    A very good game but not an outstanding one. Of course, every true rpg made these days is measured against the BG series (and quite rightly so) and it is perhaps unrealistic to expect any new game to have the same impact. Anyway, this game does a lot of things very well - character creation is great and there are some interesting classes to investigate. Joinable NPCs are good although aA very good game but not an outstanding one. Of course, every true rpg made these days is measured against the BG series (and quite rightly so) and it is perhaps unrealistic to expect any new game to have the same impact. Anyway, this game does a lot of things very well - character creation is great and there are some interesting classes to investigate. Joinable NPCs are good although a rogue would have been nice, game play is generally excellent. I cannot say that I found the powerful weapons and armour to be particularly inspiring but there are some other items that are, well, overpowered to say the least. The loot system is a bit quirky and one extremely useful item hasn't shown up in any of my 6 games so far. Spells are good but there are too many damp squibs in there (and some spells are just too good not to spam). The story is more than adequate and extremely well written in places.
    Overall, very playable (and replayable) and an enjoyable experience. Hopefully they can improve upon it with another effort.    … Expand
  18. Nemo888
    Feb 27, 2019
    8
    Update, They finally fixed it so I came back to give it that 8.
    .I would give this game a solid 8 if it was close to finished. As it is I got 75% through before my save games were too corrupted to play. Comparing it to Baldur's Gate it is not as good. The graphics are better than BG of course, but everything else seems unfinished. The story is good, but secondary characters and plots are    Update, They finally fixed it so I came back to give it that 8.
    .I would give this game a solid 8 if it was close to finished. As it is I got 75% through before my save games were too corrupted to play. Comparing it to Baldur's Gate it is not as good. The graphics are better than BG of course, but everything else seems unfinished. The story is good, but secondary characters and plots are not finished. Voice overs are incomplete. There are not enough variety of weapons and armour. Wizards are crap and have horrible spells. There is no character AI so you have to micromanage six characters. They even deliberately waste your time by only letting you rest 4 times before you have to return to a town an buy more supplies. Padding a mediocre unfinished game. That says it all. This is not a quality crafted game. It's greedy devs trying to cash in on nostalgia.    … Expand
  19. mech
    Apr 9, 2015
    8
    This is a pretty impressive game, but it is far from perfect. There are plenty of reviews covering the good parts, so I'll just focus on what I didn't like. My problems with this game are:

    - Most of the side quests are boring, inconsequential fetch/find quests. This was very disappointing, as I think side quests are what makes or breaks an RPG game. Party characters and factions are    This is a pretty impressive game, but it is far from perfect. There are plenty of reviews covering the good parts, so I'll just focus on what I didn't like. My problems with this game are:

    - Most of the side quests are boring, inconsequential fetch/find quests. This was very disappointing, as I think side quests are what makes or breaks an RPG game. Party characters and factions are bland and I didn't really care which one I was doing quests for so long as I maximized the rewards. Party dialogues/development are not even a shadow of KotoR (or Dragon Age: Origins as a more recent example).

    - The game is very combat heavy, so much that it often feels like a bit more sophisticated version of Diablo (the "mega dungeon" under the keep IS essentially Diablo 1). By the end of the game I was quite tired of combat because every fight involves TONS of repetitive micromanagement (casting the same buffs with the priest character over and over, ensuring that the wizards spams spells with no downtime, making sure to use the "per encounter" abilities as much as possible). I seriously wish half of them were auto-cast, or that the game had some sort of AI editor (like "tactics" in DA:O). Additionally the game limits the times you can rest without going back to town to 2 on hard difficulty, which serves no purpose other than to make you sit through up to 10 loading screens just to make the trip to re-supply and back to the dungeon.

    - Later into the game the creatures suddenly all start having "mind control" spells that you can't defend against until VERY late into the game (I think you can actually finish it without even getting to that level). They will mostly target your ranged/caster characters, and they will switch their weapons to melee for some stupid reason. Your other characters will immediately happily start attacking the controlled character unless you explicitly tell them not to. Now imagine how it feels doing the "don't attack him" / "switch back to proper weapon" EVERY BLOODY TIME that they cast the mind control spell.

    - Pathfinding is pretty broken in combat, characters will get stuck running into walls or another characters. It seems like most of the time they will only try to use the direct route even if it is impassable, ignoring a longer route that exists and that has to be programmed manually through shift-clicking.

    TL,DR: too few interesting side quests, bland characters, too much repetitive fighting with annoying (borderline broken) AI.    … Expand
  20. Magnethead
    Aug 22, 2016
    8
    Pillars of Eternity helps bring back the group-based, tactical RPG as we knew it in the glory days of Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights and similar games. It does so unapologetically and accurately while also bringing enough new ideas to the table to make the game more than pure nostalgia for nostalgia's sake. The underlying story and fantasy world are meticulously crafted, innovative andPillars of Eternity helps bring back the group-based, tactical RPG as we knew it in the glory days of Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights and similar games. It does so unapologetically and accurately while also bringing enough new ideas to the table to make the game more than pure nostalgia for nostalgia's sake. The underlying story and fantasy world are meticulously crafted, innovative and well written. Overall, the game is hugely successful though there still are minor issues that could be improved.

    PoE doesn't rely on the old D&D rules, they have their own, new RPG rule set that does use classes, spells, resting and the typical party roles we're used to (tank, healer, crowd control, damage) but otherwise has its own ideas of stat-interaction and a few new class ideas. The overall concepts will be recognizable to seasoned RPG veterans while still presenting new challenges to adapt to.

    The story is a major selling point of PoE. The writing is solid, the story deep and the character (especially the eight NPCs) are very well crafted. There's a great deal of freedom in regards to how you approach different quests and even characters in the game, you have almost unconstrained freedom to murder and pillage almost any character in the game, if you so choose, for example. A criticism here could be that perhaps the story doesn't escalate tension particularly well so that when the game ends, it doesn't feel so much like a strong climax as simply a steady unraveling of an intricate plot. The game behaves mostly like the final fight is a formality and the actually interesting question isn't if you win, but what you do after you win. This can make the game seem slightly less memorable than perhaps it should be.

    Arguably, there are some issues with balance that should be addressed too. Between DPS and non-DPS classes, the game becomes very fixed in its roles. Tanks find it hard dealing meaningful damage but retain the ability to tie down enemies through the game's 'engagement' system. This system simply means that if you run away from a character engaging you, that character damages you for free - however since tanks don't do meaningful damage, the AI could actually just run right past them with great advantage. It doesn't do that, luckily, but this lopsidedness arguably makes the game system feel a bit artificial at times. The spell system could also use a bit of rebalancing, certain spells serve no clear purpose in the game as you don't really have the time or the situations where they need to be cast. In most situations, dealing damage outweighs more complicated options. This said, the system actually works really well, it has genuinely intuitive ideas and I hope they continue to work on it.

    All in all, PoE is a successful RPG game and follows Divinity Original Sin in reviving this wonderful genre. The crowd-funding concept definitely worked in this instance. I hope Obsidian stick to this project and release a sequel soon, they needs only address a few issues that exist still in PoE and build on the promising world behind the game.    … Expand
  21. Ignatius_Reilly
    Feb 23, 2016
    8
    This is a sort of re-review, somewhat after the fact. I originally gave the game a 10, which was probably premature, like most reviews on this site. While I like all the modern updates, and find the game overall very satisfying in terms of combat, exploration, and characters, the game is bogged down by a serious lack of editing.

    It's not that I don't like reading or reams of text (I    This is a sort of re-review, somewhat after the fact. I originally gave the game a 10, which was probably premature, like most reviews on this site. While I like all the modern updates, and find the game overall very satisfying in terms of combat, exploration, and characters, the game is bogged down by a serious lack of editing.

    It's not that I don't like reading or reams of text (I just recently finished a 500 page novel in a few days) but I feel that a lot of dialogue is repetitious, often consisting of a character telling you the same thing in many different ways. For example, when you meet a character named Maerwald, he goes through so many throwaway lines that don't tell you anything concrete other than to reiterate he is crazy, which after a point you're like, "I GET IT!" Too many characters do this!

    The writing isn't bad, it's just a lot of it could be cut without taking anything away from the game. This is my biggest hurdle with fully immersing myself, knowing that in playing I'll have a long-drawn out dialogue to get through. A lot of it is all info-dumpy, and so not as compelling as it could be. The worst offender being the two women at Twin Elms, Oh God, which is presented as an egregious information dump.

    I had hoped for writing more like New Vegas, which, while wordy, has a lot of instances for player agency, so you're able to stay involved even through long conversations.
    Of course, I could skip all the dialogue, but I feel that removes from the enjoyment, I want to know the story, and get into the characters, but the writers use so many words to say so little! Argh!    … Expand
  22. 123456
    May 4, 2015
    8
    Bit apprehensive of this game after playing Divinity and hoping for a Baldur's Gate spiritual successor. However, I have been pleasantly surprised by how close it is to those Infinity Engine (IE) games.

    Graphic wise the map renders are consistently beautiful. The 3D sprites look great, there are plenty of varieties in races, hair, skin colour, and features. The UI is clear and    Bit apprehensive of this game after playing Divinity and hoping for a Baldur's Gate spiritual successor. However, I have been pleasantly surprised by how close it is to those Infinity Engine (IE) games.

    Graphic wise the map renders are consistently beautiful. The 3D sprites look great, there are plenty of varieties in races, hair, skin colour, and features. The UI is clear and customizable, with improvements over IE such as fast and slow modes and zooming.

    The music is as good as the IE games which is impressive. The voice acting is very good, scattered between the most important characters, with about 90% of the lines being spoken.

    The gameplay is a little bit hit and miss. It's worth reading a guide to how the combat works before starting as it can take a little getting used to. Because the game uses a different rule set to IE games (which used Dungeons and Dragons) the stats and items are different. This is the most disappointing part of the game thus far - the items are generally boring and your ranged damage characters are better off wearing no armor/normal clothes because they can attack faster without the armor penalty and rarely get hit. Items with the same stats also do not stack, meaning if two items buff your might, only the larger buff will count.

    I have tried the crafting/enchanting system somewhat, and it is quite easy to use but somewhat confusing. I have picked up a large number of potions and food but have not had the need to use either.

    The storyline is good, sometimes confusing, sometimes rambling. There is a lot of text to read which I'm sure some people will love, but I think it could have been cut down a bit.

    Great game, updating the IE style for the modern era. Good story and gameplay, combat system and items a little hit and miss (pun not intended), graphics and sound are spot on. Only an 8/10 because it is a homage to the past and it is just missing a real "wow" factor to take it above and beyond the classics.    … Expand
  23. Soujirop
    Nov 9, 2015
    8
    This is a very good RPG, sure, it hooks and I enjoyed it despite the huge amount of dialogue that sometimes is out of place or ridiculously redundant and tiresome. Now, is the game in the same level as Baldur's Gate? Not even close... But anyway, I thank Obsidian for reviving the genre.
  24. 21-5-73
    Mar 26, 2015
    8
    NO QTE events.
    Bland graphics.
    Great party companions.
    Story driven game.
    Tactical pause combat.
    CCRPG at its purest.

    Wasn't for the occasional #%$! fetch quest, where Dragon Age Inquisition is South pole, PoE is North pole. 'nuff said.
  25. Xenofex
    Jan 30, 2016
    8
    This game does feel like the return of Baldur's Gate. The story is great so far and the game system is worth your time to study. The graphics is also great, which is a huge improvement over Baldur's Gate series.

    However considering it was released 201x decade, I do expect and prefer something even better, like what I found in The Witcher 3: great story with astonishing graphics and    This game does feel like the return of Baldur's Gate. The story is great so far and the game system is worth your time to study. The graphics is also great, which is a huge improvement over Baldur's Gate series.

    However considering it was released 201x decade, I do expect and prefer something even better, like what I found in The Witcher 3: great story with astonishing graphics and action, where not only you can read but also you can witness that fantastic world.

    And for the system, I feel it could be better: maybe just a better guidance for the new players. In Baldur's Gate, people love the complexity of the system because it's an experience that can be carried over with you here and there. The system of Pillars of Eternity feels a lot like D&D. Probably it's on purpose to create the old feeling with out patent issues.

    On the other hand, Dragon Age took another path. In DA:O the system was not simple, but not working very well, at least in my opinion. Not too many builds for a class, and the tank-nuker-healer triangle just feels tedious and unrealistic. In DA2 the system was simplified and in DA:I it was polished over DA2. I kind of like what they did in DA:I for the balance between simplicity and flexibility. Complex combat system is for a lot of builds. And if the developer is not able to make a lot of sensible builds, why not leaving the system simple? There a tons of elements to improve to improve the overall experience for a cRPG.    … Expand
  26. Tubey
    Apr 5, 2015
    8
    It hurts to not give this a perfect score, because so many parts of the game deserve it, but there are a few faults that prevent it from reaching such heights.

    I'll get the good out of the way first - it is a masterpiece of storytelling and perfectly drags in the player to the narrative and atmosphere and doesn't let go. It's pretty linear stuff - like being on rails but having a lot of    It hurts to not give this a perfect score, because so many parts of the game deserve it, but there are a few faults that prevent it from reaching such heights.

    I'll get the good out of the way first - it is a masterpiece of storytelling and perfectly drags in the player to the narrative and atmosphere and doesn't let go. It's pretty linear stuff - like being on rails but having a lot of interesting scenery that you can reach out and touch - but the linearity doesn't get in the way of the core gameplay; there's an incredible amount of fun to be had here if you take it for what it is. Whilst not next-gen super resolution graphics, it never needed that - the art style is direct from the Infinite engine RPGs and is crisp, clear and spot on. The world works, and this game is in many respects a masterpiece that not only is a homage to Baldur's Gate and Planescape Torment, in many ways it surpasses them.

    Now the not so good - it has a fair amount of bugs. Fairly game breaking ones too where you can lose hours of gameplay if not careful. That's the least concerning minus point to the game though as they will be patched and fixed. The main problems are twofold - combat, and the constant feeling that this game stretched its budget to the maximum, exposing very frayed edges.

    Combat is a mess, really. It's a frantic key smasher in the hope you get the end result. This can be forgiven as it was also a fault of Baldur's Gate, but you'd have hoped they could have improved upon it. But the rough edges... this is what constantly draws me out of enjoying this game as the masterpiece it otherwise is. Narration is good, but low budget. Voice acting is below par, again reflecting the limited budget. There are certain sections of the game that take giant leaps from one part of the game to the next with only a slideshow narrative to explain it, almost like they run out of time and budget to include it in the game.

    The reason I'm focussing so hard on these issues is because I REALLY wanted to score this a 10, but I have to justify why I can't. That said, this is a must buy for most people who enjoy RPGs, but you just get the feeling that if a AAA company plowed money behind the guys behind this and really let them off the leash, we could get one of the greatest games ever made. As it is, this is "only" one of the best games of the year and the best isometric RPG made in the last decade.

    Buy it, basically.    … Expand
  27. ZaPaAl
    May 13, 2015
    8
    It's a long game, but be prepared for spending hours looking at the loading screen. Even with a SSD. Every map change brings it up, and most maps aren't big at all. It looks good, the 2D scenery is nicely done. I liked playing it most of the time, but the story ... honestly, it couldn't motivate me beyond the first stages. Same for the followers, or your keep. Some side quests are nice,It's a long game, but be prepared for spending hours looking at the loading screen. Even with a SSD. Every map change brings it up, and most maps aren't big at all. It looks good, the 2D scenery is nicely done. I liked playing it most of the time, but the story ... honestly, it couldn't motivate me beyond the first stages. Same for the followers, or your keep. Some side quests are nice, but for me the game was more about exploring, strategic fighting, getting better equipment and skills. Not overly difficult on the highest normal mode difficulty setting, with one exception, completely of the charts. It has far too much to read. I gave up on the books, they don't matter at all. Same for the backers characters, standing around, some have interesting little stories, but they really aren't part of the game. It was ok, but finally, I'm glad it's over. Getting IE Mod is probably a must.… Expand
  28. DAutry
    May 14, 2015
    8
    Update (rating upgrade from 3 to 8): As of update 1.05 the game is playable and I recommend it if you are an old school fan of Baldur's Gate, NWN, etc.
  29. theirrelephants
    May 20, 2020
    8
    Great RPG but combat started being a boring drag when I was over halfway done with the game. Glad it had a 'story mode' (even though I make fun of them) because I was sick of dealing with random mob of fish people # 531 where I knew I was never going to lose but boy it was going to take half an hour to clear them out of cave # 13.

    Weird how they gave one of the dragons autism though.
  30. suneater
    Oct 25, 2015
    8
    Pillars of Eternity is a good CRPG that feels held back by a bland story and combat that gets easier and tactically simplier as the game progresses. There is plenty of content to explore (including a personal castle to upgrade and a deep dungeon to explore for fancy loot, room for actual roleplaying with extensive dialogue options, and unique classes that alone are enough to make me wantPillars of Eternity is a good CRPG that feels held back by a bland story and combat that gets easier and tactically simplier as the game progresses. There is plenty of content to explore (including a personal castle to upgrade and a deep dungeon to explore for fancy loot, room for actual roleplaying with extensive dialogue options, and unique classes that alone are enough to make me want to replay the game) but the majority of it is too similar to previous games in the genre to really stand out on its own. While I love Obsidian, this repurposing of old ideas and design choices just doesn't feel like the dream project it was supposed to be.

    PoE gives you plenty of important decisions to make and lets you know every chance it can that these decisions matter. However, one very important sequence of events near the halfway point in the game in particular stood out in breaking that illusion. At one point you reach a crossroads between two factions, one of which you previously sided with. Various speech options let you continue to side with them or roleplay other options. However, the Big Bad shows his face and spits on your decisions, making your previous questing and choices moot. It is very frustrating to play through because you're just stuck there watching it play out with no input on what is happening, only to suffer the consequences later. Something more cryptic happening off-screen during these events would've been better writing and would've had the same effect without being so frustrating to play through.

    The end boss also feels very contrived and added for the sake of having a last boss for a video game. Most of the game you're chasing him and always 2 steps behind him and yet in this last bastion he decides to face you face-to-face. I feel like he was supposed to be an Irenecus clone but he comes off feeling whiny and shoehorned. I would've really preferred pushing him and the "twist" leading up to the final area into a sequel or expansion because it really detracts from the rest of the game.

    While I enjoyed my time with PoE, I find it hard to recommend. Overall, it felt quite bland and dry compared to CRPGs of old with only the few unique classes and the deep character interactions really standing out to me. If you've played CRPGs before and are on the fence about this, try a pillar of the genre such as Baldur's Gate 2 or Icewind Dale before dropping cash on this.    … Expand
  31. brindle88
    Aug 9, 2015
    8
    I previously reviewed this game low, I think because I was frustrated that the rules and mechanics differed from baldurs gate 2 lol. Having replayed this game and after getting used to the rules and mechanics I am loving it. I would have rated this game a 9 or even a 10 but I didn't because you can tell it has been made on a reduced budget; script cards instead of cinematics, reducedI previously reviewed this game low, I think because I was frustrated that the rules and mechanics differed from baldurs gate 2 lol. Having replayed this game and after getting used to the rules and mechanics I am loving it. I would have rated this game a 9 or even a 10 but I didn't because you can tell it has been made on a reduced budget; script cards instead of cinematics, reduced audio and voiceovers, relatively few areas to explore, lore no where near the level as bg2 and they could have added more hidden areas, items ect...

    I can only prey they make POE2 with a big proper budget. Well done obsidian.    … Expand
  32. Nimbus1701
    Mar 22, 2019
    8
    Good game. Especially enjoyable if you are a fan of Baldur's Gate (and the like). Good artwork, music and writing. Treats the player with a level of respect, and expect you to apply intelligence in return.
  33. 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
  34. Doc_Hopwood
    Apr 6, 2015
    8
    Did you like Baldurs Gate? Go ahead and get Pillars of Eternity. That simple. It's fun, it's easy to get into, it's sufficiently deep to avoid that console RPG feel... it's PC gaming.

    Graphics are adequate. Pretty large skill trees. Combat stays fresh. I had a couple sound and graphic glitches but I'm not going to be the guy that gives the game a hit for what is likely my tech specs    Did you like Baldurs Gate? Go ahead and get Pillars of Eternity. That simple. It's fun, it's easy to get into, it's sufficiently deep to avoid that console RPG feel... it's PC gaming.

    Graphics are adequate. Pretty large skill trees. Combat stays fresh.
    I had a couple sound and graphic glitches but I'm not going to be the guy that gives the game a hit for what is likely my tech specs fault.

    If I was going to knock it on anything it'd be the typical RPG lore that feels like a social statement similar to a George Romero movie or D&D game sometimes but that's a personal gripe that likely will have little to no impact on most people's experience with the game.

    RPG fans shouldn't hesitate.    … Expand
  35. Barnews
    Jun 18, 2017
    8
    It was fun. I really enjoyed Pillars of Eternity but i am also upset a little, because it miss many things that made legendary Baldurs Gate 2 so good. Dont get me wrong. PoE is good game but it is still steps behind BG2. Not in every aspect of game. Some things are better in PoE, but overally there are still a lot of things to be improved.

    PROS - Almost all things in game are good or    It was fun. I really enjoyed Pillars of Eternity but i am also upset a little, because it miss many things that made legendary Baldurs Gate 2 so good. Dont get me wrong. PoE is good game but it is still steps behind BG2. Not in every aspect of game. Some things are better in PoE, but overally there are still a lot of things to be improved.

    PROS
    - Almost all things in game are good or at least mediocre.
    - Graphics are OK. Developers did good job to bring you same old BG2 feel in modern coat.
    - Sounds are mediocre not bad but nothing that will excite you enough.
    - User interface, journal, inventory, world map, character sheet, etc... everything is good with place for improvements. Game tries to provide you with plenty of informations about almost everything, but there are still a lot of basic game machanics that you need to find on internet.
    - Quests have more results, You make a lot of decisions during you gameplay and it does matter. Overally I had very good feelings about this part of game. There are a lot of ways how to solve conversations and various events. Your reputation is based on your conversation and quest decisions.
    - Items, Armors, Weapons, etc..., are good. Weapons have different damage types and armors have different damage reductions.
    - Very nice ending where the game tell you what happend with towns, villages, party members, factions after your victory.

    CONS
    - Stealth system is not as good as i would like it to be. You can sneak around to know where your enemies are and what are they numbers but that all. No sneak attacks no quiet situation solve.
    - Combat system is flat and very straightforward here. In BG2 you had a lot of different ways how to solve different situations. Here it is too, but poorly executed. Is there a room full of fireball traps but no one to detect it and disable it? No problem just cast cast protecting spells on our warrior and let him to trigger it all without harm. In BG2 yes. But not in PoE you cannot cast defensive spells when out of combat :-D.
    - There are a lot of spells for same thing. Its sad because in BG2 were a lot of spells too, but for different situations with various combat changing effects. You will find it here too but very rarely. Here you are just casting some spells on some enemies and in most situations it doesnt matter what spells on what enemies :-D.
    - Although items, armors and weapons are good, their special magical properties are not as interesting and cool as they could be. You can even enchant your items with another stuff you found on your adventures which is nice addition but its same like with spells. A lot of varios magical properties with same effect. It almost doesnt matter what magical properties your items have.
    - No multiplayer. I was shocked when me and my friend bought game expecting to play together (in BG1 and BG2 more than 15 years old game it was possible) So we were forced to play it solo.
    - End game comes quickly. One time you think you are in half of game and several hours later you stand before main boss. And when you defeat him, the game ends (Very nice ending). But you cannot continue in your gameplay. Every unfinished business is lost without warning. And thats very sad because i think it could be done better.
    - Combat pace is very quick by default and it was necessary for me to play in slow combat all the time. The combat and spell effects are also very chaotic and it took some time until i got used to it.

    8 / 10 is maximum i give to PoE. Developers tried hard and did very good job. In some aspects they overcame BG2 but in others they failed.    … Expand
  36. 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.
  37. RMDsilva
    May 7, 2016
    8
    great story, great old school RPG that is dark and full of choices.
    very addictive, clocked some 100h just running back and forth.
    bad points: a bit slow and combat isn't GREAT (hard to feel tactics are that rewarding over spamming paralysis and so on)
  38. gloriouspotato
    Feb 13, 2017
    8
    PROS:
    + Good storytelling and writing, with well developed companions and quests.
    + Nice exploration of certain themes such as the role of gods in society, the burden of memory, and of conflicts (both real and personal) arising from faith. + Some nice orchestral soundtracks. + Attributes and skill choices play a significant role, not only in combat, but also in what choices are    PROS:
    + Good storytelling and writing, with well developed companions and quests.
    + Nice exploration of certain themes such as the role of gods in society, the burden of memory, and of conflicts (both real and personal) arising from faith.
    + Some nice orchestral soundtracks.
    + Attributes and skill choices play a significant role, not only in combat, but also in what choices are available to you within dialogues, giving a plethora of role-playing options.
    + Overall, the combat offers a fun and challenging tactical experience that requires synergy between abilities and appropriate positioning in battle.

    CONS:
    - Some combat encounters have lots of visual clutter and obstruction, making it hard to see what's happening on screen.
    - Mediocre framerates in certain areas, even on specs well exceeding the recommended spec.
    - Frequent and relatively long loading screens.
    - XP distribution is a bit skewed, making it very easy to reach the level cap.    … Expand
  39. MR67
    Feb 15, 2016
    8
    An enjoyable CRPG that can honestly be called a true RPG in the vein of Baldur's Gate, Planescape or Icewind Dale and not yet another console-crowd-pleasing faux RPG mishmash of MMO and FPS. It's really refreshing to see a proper CRPG up there in the PC sales charts again. If you enjoyed the Infinity Engine based games like the Baldur's Gate series then it's 99.9% certain you'll enjoy thisAn enjoyable CRPG that can honestly be called a true RPG in the vein of Baldur's Gate, Planescape or Icewind Dale and not yet another console-crowd-pleasing faux RPG mishmash of MMO and FPS. It's really refreshing to see a proper CRPG up there in the PC sales charts again. If you enjoyed the Infinity Engine based games like the Baldur's Gate series then it's 99.9% certain you'll enjoy this one.

    Pros:
    6 person party with full management of characters and all their gear? Check.
    Traditional dungeon exploration with the party having to sneak around and watch out for genuinely lethal traps? Check.
    Interesting companions and party banter? Check.
    Additional party hirelings you can create yourself? Check.
    Your own stronghold? Check.
    Nice in-game options like trial of iron mode (one saved game only which is deleted upon party death) or expert mode (all in-game feedback disabled)? Check.

    Cons:
    - In-game Kickstarter backer content - as ShinsFortress mentioned below, backer content gets foisted upon you in the game and it does break immersion a little, even if you choose to completely ignore it. Almost half the NPCs standing around in any given town or tavern are backer creations who serve absolutely no purpose in the game other than to relate a completely meaningless short story to you if you click on them. And then there are the numerous gravestones scattered around the game with real-world backer names on them.
    - Graphics and voice acting could be better, though this is a minor gripe as the game is a Kickstarter funded game that delivers a lot of quality and gameplay considering it was produced using probably less than 10% of the budget of certain other games in this 'genre'. Voices occasionally don't speak their lines or start midway through the text paragraph currently displayed on the screen.
    - Lack of balance between some classes. The chanter has to be hands down the worst class in the game while the druid seems a bit overpowered.
    - Combat would have been better if it had been turn based. It can be a bit overwhelming to keep track of things when your party is fighting many opponents at the same time and your party members can hit the turf before you know it.
    - AI and pathfinding not the greatest. Can sometimes be a chore trying to move your squishier party members away from the front of combat while moving your tanks forward as they have this wonderful knack of trying their utmost to run into one another instead of around one another. Archers can sometimes just toodle off completely by themselves if they can't get at their target and may end up just wandering into a second group of monsters far away from the rest of the party.
    - Selling lots of loot in your stash can be a pain in the butt as you have to individually click on each item to sell it. An adjustable "sell all" option would have been nice.
    - No romance options in the game. Collapse    … Expand
  40. 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
  41. DukeBalek
    Jan 7, 2018
    8
    A very good game if you like this type of rpg. for me it is better than the divinity original sins series, the world where you evolve is better done and the music ( really awesome) is perfect. Nonetheless it's true, the fights are better in DOS (it's the main value of the game imo), and they are too confusing and often unreadable in PoE (speed issue), but the game have a spirit and a moodA very good game if you like this type of rpg. for me it is better than the divinity original sins series, the world where you evolve is better done and the music ( really awesome) is perfect. Nonetheless it's true, the fights are better in DOS (it's the main value of the game imo), and they are too confusing and often unreadable in PoE (speed issue), but the game have a spirit and a mood far more immersive, and i prefer that. If you are a rpg fan, you loved the baldur's gate series, you have to do it (with the two add-ons if possible)… Expand
  42. clinton56
    Mar 26, 2015
    8
    I rarely write reviews but if you are a fan of Baldurs Gate,Planescape etc then this game will take you to a place that makes you smile.I just hope this game does well maybe we can get more like it in the future
  43. dohgeh
    Apr 9, 2015
    8
    A good game that will definitively remind you of the classic, nostalgic, Balders Gate days. Pillars of Eternity is one of the best examples of perfect story telling. It's almost like reading a fantastic book, it immerses you into the book making you want more. A chunk of the game is reading a book. When events happen it sometimes shows no gameplay, but rather has awesome sound effects andA good game that will definitively remind you of the classic, nostalgic, Balders Gate days. Pillars of Eternity is one of the best examples of perfect story telling. It's almost like reading a fantastic book, it immerses you into the book making you want more. A chunk of the game is reading a book. When events happen it sometimes shows no gameplay, but rather has awesome sound effects and great writing. The story is pretty good, I haven't noticed any plot holes or anything around that nature, but it doesn't take the time to avoid the cliches that everybody just has to use. Example: Let's go hunt for no reason to show you how to play the game. Ahh!!! Ambush!!! Quick, kill em'! That was tough, let's go back to our camp. OH MY GOD! It's the all mighty bandit leader tough dude! Sweet talk him to let our camp leader go, or stomp his ace! See what I mean, it's annoying, but definitely not horrible. The combat I must say is pretty boring until later on. No real strategy towards it, besides having to slightly think where you want to put your players. Overall, it is a good game that needs to be played by fans of games like Wasteland 2 or Balders Gate.… Expand
  44. frank2046
    Jan 18, 2019
    8
    really appreciate all the effort went into the world building (mainly the polytheism deities.) Very rich dialogues, an overwhelming number of spells. However, I don't appreciate the choices where you feel like you're missing something no matter what decision you make, and some of the quests are too covert to complete without relying on a guide.
  45. Smilingcookie
    Apr 29, 2015
    8
    It's ok, but not great. For me it's a lot less inspiring than Wasteland 2. Certainly not on par with Baldur's Gate 1 & 2. Still an enjoyable crpg. Some of the new classes like the chanter are actually fun to play with and give a fresh taste to the game. Story and setting didn't grasp me so much. It seemed like an uninspired crossover between Planescape torment and dark souls. 7,5/10.
  46. 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.
  47. Derpmeowslurp
    Apr 26, 2015
    8
    It's a mediocre game, that could have been great but failed to tickle my pickle in all the right ways.

    If i could turn back tiiime. If i could fiiind a waay e.

    cant touch this, na nana nananannaanan cant touch this.
  48. Cleglaw
    Sep 22, 2015
    8
    it gets boring after a while. spamming same battle startegy takes away the fun.

    BUT for first 80hourish gameplay, i really enjoyed it, it seemed like one of the best games i have ever played in last 10 years.

    final score: 8.

    sorry, but i dont even want to buy expension cause the core mechanics already bored me, i dont crave for more spamming.
  49. EviltoastSA
    Oct 5, 2015
    8
    Really looked forward to this release. I played all those infinity engine RPG's back in the day, they were my favourite games at the time. And i must say i wasn't disappointed. It has to be said though that this game was specifically made for fans of the previously mentioned games. In other words fans of complex tactical party/team based rpgs will dig this. The graphics were perfect forReally looked forward to this release. I played all those infinity engine RPG's back in the day, they were my favourite games at the time. And i must say i wasn't disappointed. It has to be said though that this game was specifically made for fans of the previously mentioned games. In other words fans of complex tactical party/team based rpgs will dig this. The graphics were perfect for this genre, the music and ambiance was also awesome albeit a bit too similar like the infinity engine games but no biggy tho. The story i really liked and the quest structure was decent too (cant remember too many fetch quests although there were simple "go kill this guy come back tasks"). The gameplay was great too although DND purists wont be too impressed with the depth it still delivers with good tactical combat and complex mechanics true to the original infinity engine games' approach.

    I can nitpick a few things tho, most noticeable is the length of the game. It felt rather short and the end felt abrupt in a way. Played around 50 hours and did virtually everything possible. And compared to the older games its very short but in modern times i guess 50 hours is par. In terms of mechanics Its complex and has room to experiment and enjoys various builds and classes but compared to AD&D it just feels a bit sparse and marginally lacking still decent though. All in all a very good game and might not be for everyone but truly delivers for its target market.    … Expand
  50. Alaska_Wolf
    Jan 26, 2017
    8
    Pillars of Eternity is a solid, well crafted game. I really enjoyed it tremendously on my first play-through which I played on Path of the Damned. The storyline was fairly good, albeit not extremely well written. The White Marches DLC was also pretty good, but actually take place PRIOR to the endgame and can't be completed after the endgame without reloading a prior endgame save orPillars of Eternity is a solid, well crafted game. I really enjoyed it tremendously on my first play-through which I played on Path of the Damned. The storyline was fairly good, albeit not extremely well written. The White Marches DLC was also pretty good, but actually take place PRIOR to the endgame and can't be completed after the endgame without reloading a prior endgame save or restarting. The inclusion of the DLC into the middle of the game honestly didn't make a lot of sense to me. While some of the Companion quests were a bit hard to trigger or resolve, they were decent enough.

    Overall its a very good and faithful representation of a dying genre that I loved during their heyday. But perhaps my biggest criticism of the game is that I found it to have little replay value. My second playthrough feels rather dull and lackluster, and truthfully I'm having trouble finishing it. This time I'm playing with Custom NPCs that are far stronger the the weak game Companions, but the NPC interactions and storylines just aren't there for me. I have say Grieving Mother and Eder "Can I pet that?" were absolutely my favorite Companions; most of the others just didn't do much for me.

    If you're looking for another Witcher 3, this is not it. It is however a very good game in the classic style and I'm very definitely looking forward to the just announced Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire!    … Expand
  51. akshaysk
    Aug 10, 2016
    8
    This game is a great callback to the old Infinity Engine RPGs. The powerful factions, each tinged with grey; the stories of betrayal and greed and the dynamic party, filled with personalities that react to everything around them. The game does have flaws (such as pathfinding issues and slightly tedious inventory system) , but overall it is a wonderful throwback and I enjoyed each minute ofThis game is a great callback to the old Infinity Engine RPGs. The powerful factions, each tinged with grey; the stories of betrayal and greed and the dynamic party, filled with personalities that react to everything around them. The game does have flaws (such as pathfinding issues and slightly tedious inventory system) , but overall it is a wonderful throwback and I enjoyed each minute of the 73 hours I spent with the game. When I revisit it (hopefully with all the expansions), I think I will feel as delighted as I did the first time.

    Because, PoE has an enduring quality. I could come back to it (and indeed, I did) after a few days of not thinking about it at all and find myself as immersed as I was when I left. Few other games (I would dare to say any work of fiction) have this quality. Brilliant job overall. Obsidian, my hat's off.    … Expand
  52. Arroyo_man
    Sep 7, 2016
    8
    i've change my mind after some time, thinking this game is better, gave a credit for another go and enjoyed more this time, 8/10 far superior rpg than witcher 3 for example.
  53. vdanja
    Apr 14, 2020
    8
    Although I've started to play with it in 2017, finished in 2020, spent 50 hours, although I won the game before I could complete some major quests. I cannot say, it is absolutely my game, but I still loved it. I will definitely try out Winter's March I, II and POEII. I wonder if there is any relationship to our history (e.g. from multi-gods to single-god or no-god?). Loved the graphics too.
  54. DreamEaglr
    Mar 1, 2017
    8
    Люди хотели классическую RPG наподобие Fallout и Baldur's Gate. Они ее получили, но только лишь от части. Что сразу бросается в глаза, дак это великолепный арт-дизайн, 2д задники с персонажами, сделанными в 3д - идеальное решение для изометрических игр. И в первые 10-15 часов действительно может сложиться впечатление, что это наследник тех самых RPG 90х годов, но чем дольше играешь, темЛюди хотели классическую RPG наподобие Fallout и Baldur's Gate. Они ее получили, но только лишь от части. Что сразу бросается в глаза, дак это великолепный арт-дизайн, 2д задники с персонажами, сделанными в 3д - идеальное решение для изометрических игр. И в первые 10-15 часов действительно может сложиться впечатление, что это наследник тех самых RPG 90х годов, но чем дольше играешь, тем больше понимаешь, что: в игре ужасный баланс, на 3 уровне сложности довольно просто играть, боевка начинает очень быстро надоедать, слишком много текста и диалогов, если в той же Planescape Torment ты на этом не заостряешь внимания, ибо там практически все диалоги были написаны отлично и их было интересно читать, то тут с этом большие проблемы. Короткий сюжет и типичные для Обсидианов баги.
    Много раздражающих моментов компенсируются ощущением, что это та самая игра из 90х со своими недостатками и достоинствами.    … Expand
  55. skdursh
    Jun 28, 2020
    8
    Do you like Infinity Engine games? Do you miss the golden era of CRPGs? Then buy this. 8.5/10 game that carries the torch and proudly pays homage to some of the greatest games ever made.
  56. RagingPoet
    Nov 2, 2017
    8
    Pillars of Eternity is amazing but a bit too long in my opinion.
    Difficulty drops significantly in the second half of the game, so you might wanna switch to a higher difficulty level when it happens if you are playing on normal/hard.
  57. evesea
    May 17, 2018
    8
    TL;DR A solid game - needs work. (PoE2 is that improvement)

    I absolutely love the setting & the story (after reading lore for a couple hours). The problem is accessibility, the writing is FAR more pretentious than it needs be, which causes more eyerolls than engagement - and the combat isn't exactly intuitive. Chances are half the game will be trying to like it, and the other half    TL;DR A solid game - needs work. (PoE2 is that improvement)

    I absolutely love the setting & the story (after reading lore for a couple hours). The problem is accessibility, the writing is FAR more pretentious than it needs be, which causes more eyerolls than engagement - and the combat isn't exactly intuitive.

    Chances are half the game will be trying to like it, and the other half will be actually liking it. My second run through I absolutely adored the game. So I'd cautiously recommend it to any RPG fan, and any isometric fan is bound to find it worth their time.    … Expand
  58. Stryker_777
    Sep 11, 2020
    8
    This game is quite underrated. For someone like me who can't stand modern games for how linear and easy they are, Pillars of Eternity is highly relieving and satisfying because it is built on an old-school formula that made games deeper and more open-ended. I especially like to customize my party with custom portraits and unique characters that I designed. So in a way, I get to participateThis game is quite underrated. For someone like me who can't stand modern games for how linear and easy they are, Pillars of Eternity is highly relieving and satisfying because it is built on an old-school formula that made games deeper and more open-ended. I especially like to customize my party with custom portraits and unique characters that I designed. So in a way, I get to participate in the storytelling.
    The combat is much better than Baldur's Gate IMO. On Path of the Damned it is challenging enough without being frustrating. There are myriad ways to solve battles and the creativity strategizing in combat is one of the richest aspects of the game. They've done it well.
    I wish there were more types of enemies, some of them are reused too much. There's weird moments like looting an item that you can't equip because it went straight into your stash, but you can't access your stash until you campfire. So basically it prevents you from equipping an item you just found! That is a totally unnecessary mechanic.
    The itemization is fine to me. Some people complained about it but I don't see a problem. There are enough unique items and finds along the way. The loot is similar to Baldur's Gate, it 's somewhat sparse and not the main focus of the game. This ain't Diablo. You can also upgrade any of your favorite items so none of them become obselete, which adds a nice element of gear customization that didn't exist in Baldur's Gate.
    The game doesn't constantly reward you, sometimes you'll just waste your time or do a dungeon only to discover a very mediocre item in the end. Unlike modern games it doesn't pander, there is no such thing as an "Achievement" (which I've always thought were pointless) and it won't string you long with shiny rewards. You have to roleplay a lot and become immersed, and what did it for me was having my own unique 6-character party and imagining their personalities as I went along. The stronghold also adds to the roleplaying giving your character a home in the world and getting to roleplay as a Lord sitting in his throne, hearing petitioners and while the events are inconsequential, it still adds a lot of roleplaying & immersion.
    The setting is unique and really has its own flavor, it is somewhat reminiscent of Planescape: Torment. Some have called it trite but I disagree, it is perfectly dark for me and while I never read any of the in-game books or know much about the overall lore, I still enjoy what I've absorbed as I played through.
    This is the ultimate evolution of Baldur's Gate, a highly refined game and a true RPG so don't listen to the critics and give it an honest attempt! You might fall in love.    … Expand
  59. Geralt123
    Dec 29, 2020
    8
    I enjoyed this game overall. I would say it is a solid 8/10. I enjoyed it, but sometimes it was a bit boring with all the political stuff going on.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Compared to other games I would say: Divinity 2 > POE > Patfhinder: Kingmaker    … Expand
  60. laertan
    Feb 5, 2020
    8
    Awesome game with deep story, great dialogues, interesting companions (Devil of Caroc is best of them) with huge personal quests, management of the keep, enormous amount of content. Battles are a little bit too hard for my taste.
  61. bucefalo33
    Jul 2, 2020
    8
    My rating:
    Sound 8/10
    Graphic* 9/10
    Gameplay 9/10
    Replay value 7/10
    Story 8/10

    Total 8/10**

    * Graphic rating has to be contextualized for the year of the release.
    ** Total is a weighted average rounded up where the weight for every element is:
    Sound 1
    Graphic 2
    Gameplay 3
    Replay Value 1
    Story 3
  62. Bioreactor1987
    Oct 19, 2021
    8
    Вроде ничего так, но на середине задолбала.
    Много спорных моментов, да и количество мобов на кв.м. раздражает.
  63. Odal
    Jan 4, 2022
    8
    I think it was a great game in many aspects. I really loved the atmosphere especially, like the endless path with it's music and mystery (even though you thought it would never end).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    +
    Music
    Setting
    Mainstory
    World
    The idea of castle building

    -
    Too few good characters
    Combat
    Castle building not having any impact    … Expand
  64. JasonBaro
    Jul 25, 2022
    8
    Love the game and the gameplay, graphics and story. It is a bit difficult when you start, if you don't know the RPG system from before. Once you break the code, you can create some epic characters that will be almost invincible (paired with the right team-mates).
  65. Hyperfailure
    Apr 29, 2023
    8
    A well made tRPG with a gripping story and characters (most anyway). Combat felt fair and interesting, character classes well balanced and certain builds kicking arse hard.
  66. Pmstz
    Jan 25, 2023
    8
    Just an excellent RPG video game.
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
  67. JonnyBigBoss
    Mar 27, 2015
    7
    As someone with little to no cRPG experience I felt I should make the jump with this game. Lesson learned. I got very little from my experience. Though, if you know you're a fan of cRPGs, especially Baldur's Gate, I suspect that you'll love it.
  68. Phintias
    Apr 11, 2015
    7
    I could blithe on about my history with Baldur's Gate 1&2, Icewind Dale, etc... but this isn't about them and really comparing a game today to a classic game, which was a part of my youth isn't really fair anyway; good memories are hard to beat. And that is how I am judging Pillars. Do I get that, "this will leave a good memory" vibe. If i'm honest, I knew this answer pretty fast andI could blithe on about my history with Baldur's Gate 1&2, Icewind Dale, etc... but this isn't about them and really comparing a game today to a classic game, which was a part of my youth isn't really fair anyway; good memories are hard to beat. And that is how I am judging Pillars. Do I get that, "this will leave a good memory" vibe. If i'm honest, I knew this answer pretty fast and it's no. But it does have most of the components for it.

    Pillars is a fun game; I'm enjoying myself and having fun playing. But what holds the score down for me is the writing. The story line is pretty good, and the quest lines are ok, but it feels more often than not, they used writers who went out of their way to create a civilization and it's cultures with very little knowledge how these things work. The history, the various dialects, the ways of life, all seem so forced. All the user created mods can't fix this fundamental flaw. And then there is the user created "back stories" and epitaphs. Most of them needed an editors hand to help clean up their story, and it doesn't seem this happened. The idea is great, in my opinion. But the application should have been vetted more thoroughly. And the books, with history and lore in them, are bad. I want to read them, and do, but it hurts every-time.

    Additionally, I don't think it's worth the 45 on up, US dollars. But money is a fluid thing, and if you have means to spend that kind of money without worry, then your thoughts will be different. So this is more personal opinion. Still...

    Ok, that out of the way, Pillars is still a lot of fun. The game play is quite fun, and I like the combat system a lot. It requires you play your game based on your party. It also gives you enough choices when leveling up to make a character feel somewhat unique. You also get some unique options how to respond depending on your class, build, and choices you've previously made in the game. To me, that's awesome.

    Overall, this is really fun for me. The writing hurts, but it's not horrible. Probably not nearly as-bad-as I make it seem. That said, it does affect immersion in my opinion and lasting appeal. Still, the game play, battles, interactions, ambiance, etc... all more than make up for it. If you like a good D&D style turn-based game, I would be surprised if you didn't enjoy this. There is so much that is fun and enjoyable. If you're a reader, or lover of a good back-story, you may have issues but reading so many other reviews, I think the majority found the writing just fine. So take my criticism with a grain a salt, I suppose.

    Either way, if you do get it, I hope you find it worth the time and money spent. I know I am.

    Happy gaming.    … Expand
  69. 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
  70. Kelu
    May 20, 2015
    7
    A very good quality product of crowdfunding isn't something you see every day, but this it. Delivered what it promised, perhaps even surpassed the expectations. In the first act of the game, that is, after that the game goes downhill and ends prematurely in an anticlimactic 'poof' of a rushed, pathetic boss fight.
    Would be 10/10 if the game managed to keep up the quality it shows in the    A very good quality product of crowdfunding isn't something you see every day, but this it. Delivered what it promised, perhaps even surpassed the expectations. In the first act of the game, that is, after that the game goes downhill and ends prematurely in an anticlimactic 'poof' of a rushed, pathetic boss fight.
    Would be 10/10 if the game managed to keep up the quality it shows in the beginning throughout the experience.    … Expand
  71. Avadon
    Mar 26, 2015
    7
    As a 32 year old guy who grew up playing the Infinity Engine RPG's, I was really looking forward to this. It is a love letter to a type of game that I had missed. Or at least thought I had missed.

    PoE is full of flaws, just like the older games. The limited budget is constantly obvious. Most of the dialogue is not voice acted, and the different locations are tied together by "story    As a 32 year old guy who grew up playing the Infinity Engine RPG's, I was really looking forward to this. It is a love letter to a type of game that I had missed. Or at least thought I had missed.

    PoE is full of flaws, just like the older games. The limited budget is constantly obvious. Most of the dialogue is not voice acted, and the different locations are tied together by "story cards" that narrate the cool things that happened in the meantime, rather than cutscenes that show them. I wasn't surprised, I expected that much.

    So, is the story any good? The characters? The lore? The answer in my opinion is that they are... adequate. The story has enough to keep the player going, but is not nearly as epic as Baldur's Gate 2. The characters are ok, they have backstories and everything, but they never transcend the norm to become truly special and memorable. There is no Morte or Ignus here. The lore tries to offer a lot, but without the rich established DnD background to back it up, it often devolves into a confusing mess.

    The combat feels fine at the start, but as the game progresses, the amount of micromanagement that is required to not die becomes quite ridiculous, even on medium difficulty. Icewind Dale did a great job of streamlining that combat system and making it feel more impactful, but PoE throws most of that work out the window and obfuscates the combat through hidden rolls and mechanics that I think most players won't have the patience to fully research.

    It is obvious that Obsidian tried their absolute best with the means they had. PoE is a beautiful game, and also a surprisingly polished game. A lot of planning, a lot of writing, a lot of drawing and countless sleepless nights went into this game. That much is clear. It's a shame that their best is not enough to deliver something truly spectacular, something that you can't wait to come home from work to play.

    If you want to call it "Baldur's Gate 3", be my guest. There it is. Baldur's Gate 3. Warts and all. It's good. But it's not great.    … Expand
  72. 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.
  73. adff500
    Jun 18, 2015
    7
    + + + Pros + + +
    1. Very long campaign with plenty of maps and side quests.
    2. Nice graphics,great level design and amazing soundtrack. 3. Smooth gameplay,interesting characters,writing and dialogues with lots of choices. - - - Cons - - - 1. Plenty of unnecessary loading times (even when you are on the same map). 2. No voiced dialogues (text only). 3. The combat rules,casting and    + + + Pros + + +
    1. Very long campaign with plenty of maps and side quests.
    2. Nice graphics,great level design and amazing soundtrack.
    3. Smooth gameplay,interesting characters,writing and dialogues with lots of choices.

    - - - Cons - - -
    1. Plenty of unnecessary loading times (even when you are on the same map).
    2. No voiced dialogues (text only).
    3. The combat rules,casting and survival handicaps the player greatly (and the A.I. is one of the worst I´ve seen in a while).

    Classic RPG with modern graphics and some annoying old-school and technical flaws. Overall an enjoyable experience.    … Expand
  74. dinin70
    Aug 3, 2015
    7
    Don't look at people saying the combat is boring or the game is buggy. Those are people playing on a Commodore 64 and that unfortunately don't have any finger on their hands.

    The combat is good, the graphics are great, the gameplay is very intuitive. I really enjoyed playing it, however I can barely recommend it. You are looking for an old style RPG, ok go for it. You are looking for    Don't look at people saying the combat is boring or the game is buggy. Those are people playing on a Commodore 64 and that unfortunately don't have any finger on their hands.

    The combat is good, the graphics are great, the gameplay is very intuitive. I really enjoyed playing it, however I can barely recommend it.

    You are looking for an old style RPG, ok go for it. You are looking for a new Baldur's Gate? Nope...

    I don't think that I enjoyed BG because I was a teenager and now I grew old, the game is just not playing in same league.

    - Epicness of BG2 - Forget it. Are you saving the universe, thanks God no. However, are you following such an interesting story as to replace the Lord of Murder himself? No... Or are you seeking who you are and are throwed in a story you don't know where it will end (PST)? Not really... The story is just average.

    - Variety of BG2 or even Icewind Dale - Forget it. In those games you were exploring so many places, each of them being extremely different than the previous. Here... No, the World map is just too small... The cities are empties and few things to do. You are in the capital, you feel alone. In BG2, only in Amn (representing a very small part of the game) you had so many quests to do, so many things to make. Every neightboorhood had plenty of zones, plenty of people to speak to...If you were playing a fighter you could your castle, and it was feeling alive. Here in PoR, you are in your castle, stupidly you think that as you are upgrading it people will come, you'll see farmers, bartenders, a court... No... There's just no one throughout the entire game... Feels extremely empty on that side.

    Apart from that the game as serious other flaws of which the MOST AWFUL one: loading time... This is just horrible... You cannot camp as many times as you want. Which is a good idea in theory, but practically you just want to quit the game... "Ok, limited camp supplies, I have to watch out, play strategically, cannot screw up". Good, but... You can play as good as you want, your mage-retarded psycho elf is tired after having done 300 meters... So, you are in the Endless Paths, 3 screens away from the surface. 3 loading screens. Then walk up to the tavern, enter the tavern, loading screen. Walk on the first floor, loading screen. Sleep, go away and again 5 other loading screens to go onto battle... Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeesus...

    So all in all... The game is good, and any people who like occidental RPG will like it and should go for it, but it's not even 50% as good as Baldur's Gate or IceWind Dale. In every point it's just below...    … Expand
  75. Mandulum
    Oct 13, 2016
    7
    Five Word Review: Modern RPG, classic look/feel.
    Favorite Thing: An epic adventure with plenty to see and do.
    Least Favorite Thing: Really dislike the progression system. Levels are few and far apart and you don't feel much more powerful with each advancement.

    Playtime: 80h (includes White March I & II)
    Enjoyment: 7/10
    Recommendation: Yeah, if you have copious amounts of time to spare.
  76. Klewer
    Sep 19, 2017
    7
    Having played BG 1 & 2 and enjoying them, I found this a little more of a struggle to get in to. While overall it is very similar in many mechanics I could not get in to the overall story and found it a drag after 20 hours of gameplay.
    Fans of Baldurs Gate style games will definitely enjoy this, if you after more of a Diablo type experience maybe stay away.
  77. 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
  78. owen445x
    Apr 6, 2015
    7
    I'm digging it so far, I just have 7 hours under my belt, but I am liking the graphics ad the story so far.

    Combat is fluid and fun, a little clunky with path finding or guys not attacking when something is smashing their faces in. Level design so far is really good and I am a big fan of the infinity engine from baldurs gate and icewind dale series. Having a hard time with certain    I'm digging it so far, I just have 7 hours under my belt, but I am liking the graphics ad the story so far.

    Combat is fluid and fun, a little clunky with path finding or guys not attacking when something is smashing their faces in.

    Level design so far is really good and I am a big fan of the infinity engine from baldurs gate and icewind dale series.

    Having a hard time with certain classes though, like having a cleric with me in the middle of my group. I send in my warriors first to get initial agro, then they just switch to my cleric and literally rape him... over.. and over again.. I just got to the point of replacing him with another warrior.    … Expand
  79. TimW001
    Apr 10, 2017
    7
    It's pretty good. It has some really cool stuff about it, great graphics and great ability of story telling. But at the same time it's very much how you expect it to play. If you've played any of the original Fallout games or Baldur's Gate or even shades of Diablo II.
    So it is a good game, but that's all I would say on it, that's it's good. Worth a purchase in a sale.
  80. PowerGamer
    Jul 3, 2016
    7
    At first I really liked the game. A lot of variety in character choices, etc.
    At lot of fun at first but frankly the game just gets monotonous.
    The game doesn't scale well, and you will hit the level cap before the end of the 2nd act (out of three). The whole thing get monotonous. It's the same thing over and over, and over again. I would play the game for a while and fall asleep.    At first I really liked the game. A lot of variety in character choices, etc.
    At lot of fun at first but frankly the game just gets monotonous.

    The game doesn't scale well, and you will hit the level cap before the end of the 2nd act (out of three).
    The whole thing get monotonous. It's the same thing over and over, and over again.
    I would play the game for a while and fall asleep.

    I feel now it was a mistake to get the expansion. If it were not for the expansion I probably would have made it to the 3rd act.

    For some reason most game developers, who's ever in charge, seem to think well if I don't put 100+ hours of play in a game people will complain that it's too short.
    It's as if every new movie had to be six hours long. Most people couldn't sit through it and with this game like most it's just too drawn out.

    I even used Cheat Engine hacks to supercharge my characters to roll through the battles thinking I would make it through the 3rd to finish the game.
    To boring, couldn't do it even then.

    The game is fun for a while, but take my advise and don't bother getting the expansion unless you finished the game and really want to add many hours of the same thing..    … Expand
  81. curzon_dax
    Apr 5, 2015
    7
    The game started on Kickstarter which explains why it's overrated. I find the interface cumbersome. And generally the whole interface lacking.........
  82. 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
  83. blade01
    May 21, 2015
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. If you think Baldurs Gate is today a 10/10 stop reading because Pillars of Eternity is a 10/10 for you too.If you think Baldrus Gate is still a great Game but you think in 2015 that formula needs improvements read my review.I compare Pillars to Baldurs Gate 1 and2 , its really close and that game is the spritual predecessor.Before i go into detail i think i should mention that i think a game in 2015 need more then just what Pillars delivers.

    Visuals:Its ok.Visuals are not that important to me.The backrounds are hand-drawn as far as i know, you can see that.Some backrounds are really nice, others not so much.Its a mixed bag.What i miss is more variety.Most maps are pretty generic i think.I miss lightning effects that impresses me, but thats because of the engine they use.Its an enhanced version of the old engine that runs Baldurs Gate.And its ok, the game is not bad looking.The artdesign is something that i dont like.The armors for example, even the "special" ones dont look that impressive.There is nothing special.

    Sound:I miss great music.There is SOME music but its not really special.Thats a little moodkiller for me.The voiceacting is for the most part ok.Not everything is great, some characters are not that good.
    What i really dislike is that sometimes one part of a discussion is voiced, others not.That happens often in the conversations with your partymembers.That is distracting and disrupts the flow of the conversation.
    What i miss too are sounds when you fight.Music is playing, fine, but what about some weapon-sounds?
    Like in KOTOR?In KOTOR you have sounds when weapons are used, you even see little flashes.Here?Nothing!

    Gameplay:I think the gamplay is a mixed bag too.There are some great ideas.For example that the game explanis in a text what happens and you can choose with a click what you want to do.That is really fun and you need to pay attention and sometimes you need to know the abilitys of your partymemebers.Unfortunately this feature is rarely used and sometimes the best choice is so bluntly presented that its is boring.A giant letdown is the combatengine.In combat the pathfining AI is terrbile.In houses and dungeons you will get stuck.Even when there is enough space to go your companions will just stand there and watch.This can kill off your entire party.That is something the game inherritted from BG and that in 2015!!!For that, ill substract 1 point from the endscore.What is a letdown too is the character development.Its to simple.You can choose some paths but i tried different stuff with the adventureers you can hire.Most skills are too weak.I chose my rogue so that she crits nearly with EVERY strike, 2 weaponstyle with sabers.At the end of the game, she was maxed out and 85% of her hits were crits while she killed more enemys then the entire party without her together.I think i broke the combatsystem with my build because even on higher dificulty the game was far too easy.When i read some reviews and hear about "challenging combats" i can just laugh, im sorry.Its unbalanced as hell and if you understand how the engine works that can be work in your favour.A problem i see is the selection of possible companions.The cast is uninteresting at best, there is no real dynamic in the group.They wont leave you, they wont turn against you.No love interest, i miss that when i think back to BG2!There are other not so great points, ill not go into detail, most of them are just minor points.

    Summary:I played BG1 weeks prior to the release, so i can compare pretty good.Pillars is on par with BG1.Weak points and strong points are nearly the same.In the end, BG1 is a better game for me.The cast of possible companions is more interesting, the mainstory is more interesting and there is even some dynamic when you are good and some members of your group are evil for example.Where is all that in Pillars??Baldurs Gate 2 is a 10/10 for me, even today.BG1 is a 8/10 for me, cause that game is missing some of the great parts from BG2.Pillars is weaker when it comes to story, even the sound is weaker, so its a 7/10 for me.That makes it a good to great game.Something for comparison:The highest score i ever gave was a 8/10 for last years surprise "This war of mine".Maybe Pillars 2 will be better.....    … Expand
  84. everin
    Oct 2, 2015
    7
    Tier 2
    + Interesting story and side characters, a lot of nice expository details
    + A pretty world with a lot of spectacular details and environments
    ? Pacing of the story is a bit slow and all over the place
    - Combat feels messy and unrefined, real-time gameplay is very chaotic
    - Character items and models are visually unimpressive and immersion breaking
  85. Greywolf2001ca
    Dec 11, 2015
    7
    Good game, but I really hate those stupid pseudo real-time turn-based combat crap. Makes the game look really dumb. Aside from combat, which you cannot avoid at all in the game, you have a good story. It does not seem that your choices matters in the game. I've done like 25% of the game, and my choices have made no difference and had no impact on the story.

    There are some nice and    Good game, but I really hate those stupid pseudo real-time turn-based combat crap. Makes the game look really dumb. Aside from combat, which you cannot avoid at all in the game, you have a good story. It does not seem that your choices matters in the game. I've done like 25% of the game, and my choices have made no difference and had no impact on the story.

    There are some nice and unusual options in the options menu of this game. You can actually hide metagaming information, which increases replayability... well, it would increase it alot if the choices you take would change the story like in Age of Decadence, which is a much better game overall, especially in the storyline department (you live according to your choices. Went through half the game without fighting a thing, just talking, plotting and manipulating people into doing things for me.)

    Pillars of Eternity is not really worth the price tag it currently has, but it's worth paying 20-25$ though. More if combat was better.    … Expand
  86. FirestormZero
    Apr 10, 2015
    7
    As a longtime fan of CRPGs, JRPGs, and with hundreds of hours of Fallout 1, 2, Baldur's Gate, etc, I came to this game with very high expectations and perhaps they were a bit too high. While this is definitely a good game, there are aspects which hold it back from being great.

    First, the art assets and graphics. They are very inconsistent in quality and I feel like the early design    As a longtime fan of CRPGs, JRPGs, and with hundreds of hours of Fallout 1, 2, Baldur's Gate, etc, I came to this game with very high expectations and perhaps they were a bit too high. While this is definitely a good game, there are aspects which hold it back from being great.

    First, the art assets and graphics. They are very inconsistent in quality and I feel like the early design choice to go with a Semi-Realism art style really hurt the game. I think it would have been a better use of their resources to stylize it, as style can make low graphics much more appealing. Most of the characters look similar to Taric from League of Legends. While he's fabulous, he's also a bit blocky. Since the first thing we are thrown into is the character creator, it also puts a bit too much emphasis on one of the poorer parts of the game. That said, the team is very imaginative with area designs. If you want some very cool places to explore, they are here, there are many of them.

    The lore and history are a strong point. Many people have low standards when it comes to these things and confuse shallow/broad/vague lore with deep lore. A lot of love was given to story telling and history and it pays off in a big way. A minor gripe is that you can take certain actions in the game and their consequences are ignored. For example, within the first 15 minutes of the game, you get the option to throw your weapon in a text choice. However, even if you make that choice, you will still have your weapon.

    The actual game-play feels fairly unimpressive, clunky, and not intuitive. Most of the time I was playing I thought-- there has to be a way to make this more satisfying. The class designs are also a bit stacked-- some classes are absolute monsters, others feel entirely unimpressive even in the area they are supposed to be good at. The stat system is extremely weird, with a stat like Might that improves spellpower and physical weapon power.

    Strategy feels a bit limited since the ideal setup seems to be 2 strong front line people who tank, then 4 damage dealers. I don't think anything else would really work that well. The blunderbuss is also perhaps a bit too powerful.

    There's loads of bugs but I don't really mind that, since I've played CRPGs that are basically made of bugs. It comes with the territory.

    Overall, the gameplay is the weakest element when it should be the strongest. The art could be better-- it feels like so little progress was made since Arcanum. However, if you want a long and enjoyable game and are willing to learn the systems in place, and you can look past the graphics, it's a great experience.    … Expand
  87. justanhonestguy
    Aug 8, 2015
    7
    Not that good for me. Loved BG1, BG2, and the Icewind series. This game is extremely faithful to the old iso rpg's, and I suspect that that's part of the problem in my case. It's so faithful to them, it's like a reapeat of your favorite tv show. Not bad, but not as good as the first broadcast. Really solid programming and wonderful efforts on all technical fronts, but these don'tNot that good for me. Loved BG1, BG2, and the Icewind series. This game is extremely faithful to the old iso rpg's, and I suspect that that's part of the problem in my case. It's so faithful to them, it's like a reapeat of your favorite tv show. Not bad, but not as good as the first broadcast. Really solid programming and wonderful efforts on all technical fronts, but these don't contribute to the magic as much. as they did in the old days. It was all new in the old days, and BG! was wayy ahead of the competition. I don't think that you could reasonably expect BG1 to thrill you these days either, so maybe absolute fidelity to the "old school" systems is not such a great thing after all.Technically, everything is as good or better than BG1 or BG2, but the fun factor isn't there for me as much. I think if you haven't ever played a top-down CRPG before, this might prove to be a unique and challenging game, but in my case right from the start I felt that I was going over old ground again. Way back when, BG1 was my introduction to CRPG's, and I flat out loved it., so much so that I actually ditched work over it and used it as the benchmark to compare rpg's to it for years. But that was 17 years ago, and things have changed. This isn't a new idea anymore, no new ground is broken in the game, and it all feels really "used" somehow. Nowhere is that feeling more apparent than in the overly used cookie cutter combat music and sounds. Each new combat starts with what seems to be the exact same sound bytes and effects, regardless of the monster or actor being challenged. This is the single biggest technical gaffe in my opinion, but it's not a show-stopper by any means. I feel that technically the game is very good to excellent, but that isn't what makes a game fun as we all know. I think that it meets the bar set by BG1, but that is old and somewhat tired standard. Things change and the idea of a good game must change also. Kudos to the developers for the excellent job, but sadly, for me, the magic just isn't there. I'm going to 7 out of 10 for respectable design and programming, excellent art and mechanics, but the 3 missing points are for the "fun factor". Not much innovation here, feels like an expansion to BG1 would , and in 2015, it's somewhat anachronistic. Also, I totally agree with dinin70 and his description of the loading screen runaround. You ARE at all times at least 5 or 6 loading screens away from getting any movement done, and it takes away from the fun factor IMMENSELY when you have to go to a certain town or area from a distant one. I would have shaved 10 hours from my over 120 hour total if I could just have avoided all the loading time. Not so much fun. I may sound like I'm saying this isn't a good or great game and I don't want to take away from the great work the devs have done, but it is what it is. If i could go into the high 70's i would, but somehow I just didn't experience the BG magic this time around. It IS very much an experience that feels a little too nostalgic. Like they say, "you can never go home again". I feel that this is a deeply admirable, capable, and polished effort to recreate the magic of the originals, but because we HAVE been here before, it's never as good the second time around. First timers may have a completely different experience, so i would tend to recommend this game highly to newcomers to the genre. Veterans, not so much.… Expand
  88. Hack
    Jan 15, 2018
    7
    An enjoyable story in a wondrous land that's spoiled by engine choice and technical problems. Pillars uses the Unity engine which is known for having performance issues and it's no different here, during combat the frame rate swings wildly on hardware that far exceeds the recommended specifications, beyond that the game also suffers with a tremendous amount of load screens which are alsoAn enjoyable story in a wondrous land that's spoiled by engine choice and technical problems. Pillars uses the Unity engine which is known for having performance issues and it's no different here, during combat the frame rate swings wildly on hardware that far exceeds the recommended specifications, beyond that the game also suffers with a tremendous amount of load screens which are also quite long even on a SSD. There's even a delay before you can loot after a fight, everything in Pillars just feels a bit clunky and it all comes down to picking Unity for this project.

    The highlight of the game is the story and voice acting which is absolutely top notch, it's just a shame only about 50% of the dialog is actually voiced which results in a ton of reading which did get a little overwhelming at times. Where the game collapses is the gameplay, the combat is unsatisfying and quite awkward, with really awful pathing issues that prevent your party from attacking.

    Overall the game was good but let down by technical problems and a fairly janky combat system, if you're a fan of RPGs of this type I'm sure you'll enjoy Pillars, I did but I was left a little disappointed.    … Expand
  89. marc5477
    May 31, 2015
    7
    If I had 2 words to describe this game it would be "Repetitive micro-management..." or is that three word? How about 2 words and a hyphen...

    EDIT 5/30/15: This game has gotten extremely monotonous and boring. I jumped straight into the hardest difficulty and once I understood the system it became extremely boring. Every battle is exactly the same and there are so many useless trash mobs    If I had 2 words to describe this game it would be "Repetitive micro-management..." or is that three word? How about 2 words and a hyphen...

    EDIT 5/30/15: This game has gotten extremely monotonous and boring. I jumped straight into the hardest difficulty and once I understood the system it became extremely boring. Every battle is exactly the same and there are so many useless trash mobs to kill that it really does get old very fast. by the time I hit level 8, all battles became trivial because all you need to do to win is have 2 tanks and they can hold anything back forever. Then its a matter of whittling the enemy down. I restarted and tried playing as a rogue and tried to play with no tanks but it turns out that without tanks the game is basically impossible. So you are stuck with either boredom or impossible (requiring cheese strategies to win). I deducted 1 point and I stopped playing the game. I did not finish it but I might come back to it some other day.

    I have to admit that this is a good (above average) game; and this is coming from someone who absolutely hates Obsidian (their lazy backsides mucked up some of my favorites like KotOR II and especially NWN2). The story is fine, and characters are ok and gameplay is above average however it really gets dragged down by lack of companion AI. I really got tired of casting the same thing over and over and over in every single encounter and the short timers on skills and spells make it that much worse. They really needed to implement some better automation to take care of repetitive tasks.

    I did not like the itemization in this game... gear in this game is unbelievably boring. I can tell that they wanted to maintain a tight grip on game difficulty but seriously... its a single player game... what is the point? They keep wasting time re-balancing classes and spells in patches as if there were some sort of competition to be had when there is not... They should spend that time to add more items, spells, skills and feats to the game to give it more flavor and add fun to the game.

    The game is satisfactory in difficulty. I played it out of the gate on "Path of the Damned" and was happy to see that the game actually managed to kill me a few times while I learned the ropes. The bad news is that it seems that on that difficulty, you pretty much have to resort to cheap tricks to get through the 1st 4-5 levels depending on what class you pick at the start. This does not bother me very much because I enjoy the progression from being weak to becoming something that no longer needs to resort to cheap tactics but clearly the beginning of the game needed better balancing. I assume on "normal," this game is a cake walk.

    The game tries a few odd gameplay methods such as doing away with healing hit points and making it so that you can only heal endurance (fatigue) during combat. Endurance essentially becomes a second form of "hit points" and you can use spells to replenish it during fights but you dont die entirely unless your hit points go to 0. When endurance hits 0 you simply get knocked out but if your party wins, you will get back up, recover your endurance, and carry on with however many hit points you had left. You can only recover hit points by resting outside of combat. It sounds more complicated than it really is and frankly, it is just a convolution of the original system we are all used to and I dont think it adds much to the game (it also cheapens the value of hit points significantly).

    The one thing I dont like is how easy it is to reduce endurance even on tank built characters since many spells and abilities target it directly though other resistance (like reflex and such). I've frequently see my warriors knocked out while still having more than 90% of their hit points in tact... its a bit silly when you see that happen and it completely negates the value of hit points.

    There are other nagging issues like the need to walk around a lot due to lack of camping supplies (you have to return to town to rest instead) and other minor things but overall id say this is a good game. Characters are well written although not much humor in this game. Story progression is good. I wish they spent more time on the keep but it was not bad either. A solid above average 7 (recall average is 5 on these online sites due to how the statics play out with more people voting).    … Expand
  90. Ydun79
    Feb 11, 2019
    7
    I tried to play this game twice. Twice around thirty hours of playtime. Just can't sink my teeth into it though I'm an avid rpg gamer. It just never gets online for me, never really gives me the feeling that those characters are mine, doesn't suck me into the story. No doubt I will try again in some years.
  91. KAtallah
    Apr 5, 2015
    7
    IE Game #6. Remove the passage of time from the equation and this game will feel as if it was made by Black Isle, and released just after Icewind Dale 2. It's *that* faithful of a successor. It has many of the things that we loved about the BG games, the IWD's, and even Planescape Torment. You can totally control a party of up to 6. The class, race, spell, ability, buildIE Game #6. Remove the passage of time from the equation and this game will feel as if it was made by Black Isle, and released just after Icewind Dale 2. It's *that* faithful of a successor. It has many of the things that we loved about the BG games, the IWD's, and even Planescape Torment. You can totally control a party of up to 6. The class, race, spell, ability, build choices/combinations are almost as vast as they were in Baldurs Gate. The dungeons drip with atmosphere. Many of the quests are quite good. Level advancement is old-school slow, rewarding and allows you to choose how you advance your build in a way I haven't seen in any RPG in a really *really* long time. The UI is slick and intuitive - gloriously designed for PC. The bestiary is suitably large and varied. The attention to detail *everywhere* is unmatched..

    It's just a flat out solid game.

    ...With a few glaring flaws (at least in light of the very games the Kickstarter pitch name-dropped and claimed to take cues from).

    --Loot itemization is bland. and soulless. And unmemorable. Remember when your party found The Wolf Talismen in Icewind Dale? or Carsomyr in BG2? Or Bassilus's Hammer in Bg1? Yeah. That doesn't happen in this game. The labor of love simply isn't there with the magic loot.

    -Combat is dull. I get what they were trying to do by eliminating the ability to pre-buff, and incorporating an engagement mechanic, as designing spell and ability durations to last 2 or 3 seconds. But it just doesn't fit. The IE games weren't action RPGs. But this game tries to be.

    -I don't have much to say about the story, because I didn't understand it. I'm sure it was excellent (this is an Obsidian game we're discussing), but the way the game dumps its lore on you, and the overly cryptic delivery of its narrative resulted in me not understanding what's going on, and consequently not caring about it.

    -The pacing. Ok this is the reason I'm giving PoE a 7 instead of a 9 or 10. The pacing in this game was terribly amateurish. You're either tirelessly engaging in combat every time you take a step, or else exploring whole districts of a city without engaging in any combat whatsoever. There's no in between. The plot delivery is, again, also wonkily passed (is that a word?) There's no slow dip to the lore and plot (like there was in the BG games and in Planescape torment). Instead, It's dumped on you at an incomprehensible rate....and then it's not. There's no in between.

    Overall though, this is a *good* game. And a long one. (took me 100 hours to complete). Probably the best game Obsidian's ever made. I'll take another!    … Expand
  92. Idiota150
    Jun 19, 2015
    7
    I like it, but there are so many flaws. The one thing that keeps me playing it, is the story/stories, even if it can become very confusing at times. I feel combat has been ruined by confusing terminology, math, and mechanics. Too much magic which you never can use, too few meaningful weapons/armour upgrades. Many things in the game prove to be practically meaningless, but then there areI like it, but there are so many flaws. The one thing that keeps me playing it, is the story/stories, even if it can become very confusing at times. I feel combat has been ruined by confusing terminology, math, and mechanics. Too much magic which you never can use, too few meaningful weapons/armour upgrades. Many things in the game prove to be practically meaningless, but then there are some things you can miss which makes it very difficult. This game could have been so much better, so it's clearly not a 10.… Expand
  93. 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
  94. ArchonSaar
    Apr 9, 2015
    7
    After just finishing this game I am giving it a solid 7/10 - which means it's a good title, there's just some areas where it falls a bit flat.

    Strong points: - Great atmosphere, immersive world. - Overall good quests - Most companions have an interesting background and personality Weak points: - UI is not on par with 2015. While this is a revive of the genre, it doesn't have    After just finishing this game I am giving it a solid 7/10 - which means it's a good title, there's just some areas where it falls a bit flat.

    Strong points:

    - Great atmosphere, immersive world.
    - Overall good quests
    - Most companions have an interesting background and personality

    Weak points:

    - UI is not on par with 2015. While this is a revive of the genre, it doesn't have to bring back the frustration of the 1990-s UI! Also it loves to bug a lot (for example you equip an item that grants you a spell, but you don't see it in your bar until you reload)
    - Stealth options are minimal and bland. Yes, you find the odd hidden object or door, but too rare. Most of the time you use stealth mode only to detect traps, which in itself doesn't make much sense - traps should be detected by a high PER char regardless.
    - Due to the isometric view, the combat can get difficult when you can't see your guys because of a tree/rock/ruin in front of them.
    - While the story is interesting in act 1 and 2, it really falls flat in act 3 - I personally was disappointed and kindof rushed the end just to get over with it.
    - The stronghold ends up being just a Copper Sink, with no other real influence over the world or quests or anything meaningful.
    - Lackluster Skill System - out of the already few options (5!), only 3 make any real difference.
    - Cosmetic dialogue choices - even though there are many skill checks, few of them alter the outcome in any way. What's even more disturbing is that only your main character's stats matter towards these skill checks, which doesn't make much sense in a party based game...    … Expand
  95. TPETb
    May 11, 2015
    7
    Let's face it, we were expecting so much more from this game. Unless this was so long awaited dearest child of Obsidian, the successor of BG, this game would easily worth 10, not question about it. If it wasn't...

    The game would always give me this feeling "oh, this was such a great idea but they just ruined it halfway": + new IP, new world, new races, so much to explore! - main    Let's face it, we were expecting so much more from this game. Unless this was so long awaited dearest child of Obsidian, the successor of BG, this game would easily worth 10, not question about it. If it wasn't...

    The game would always give me this feeling "oh, this was such a great idea but they just ruined it halfway":

    + new IP, new world, new races, so much to explore!
    - main story line is so abstract from the world — it could just happen in any other world without any changes
    - to feel and live this world, you are to read the books and companion quests give very small glimpse on the world, otherwise world doesn't unfold, no immersion
    - the whole world is like a dull countryside. where are immense cities? where are wizard academies and stuff? where is something magical, charming, fairy, inspiring?
    - the story... well I must admit that unfurls the right way, I was "guessing", imaging and "inventing" how it should end till the last scene. and this last scene was nowhere near my expectations.

    + weapons are quite realistic: there weapon types and there multiple levels of quality
    - there is nothing really special about any weapon type
    - some weapons are just crappy in every situation, others are good in all situations. doesn't matter too much if you fight a goo or a skeleton, your choice stays the same. you are a fan of dual-dagger slinky shady rogue? tada, daggers do no damage in this game no matter what!
    - artefacts are a complete bummer. almost all of them are sold by merchants in towns... unique artefacts are sold by generic merchants, Karl!!! more on it, there is almost no way you acquire an artefact out of a boss/location/quest, you generally buy them. and almost all of them are rubbish. there's maybe 2-3 artefacts in the game that actually a bit better then normal items

    + new deep mechanics, health/endurance mechanism is damn awesome! I mean it!
    - while races carry new names, acute observant will easily find matches with canonical races
    - non-restricted class choice is somewhat ridiculous from lore perspective. tanking elf monk? fragile Aumaua (half-orc) druid? sensitive dwarf cipher? oh come on, this is crippled.
    - intellect allows barbarian to make wider swipes... might improves spell damage... facepalm
    - race choice makes no difference with it's +2 to attributes comparing to 75 attribute points to distribute without progressing "price"
    - there should be more spells!

    + many checks against attribute/skill/race in dialogues
    - totally no impact. doesn't affect the story, doesn't allow to avoid bloodshed (except for 2 or 3 minor occasions), doesn't change anything but the text of next phrase by NPC
    - party member skills do not help. my party with 12 lore skill mage couldn't read a simplistic writing that required 4 lore because my main character had no lore leveled
    - dialogues are reduced to meaningless chatter and some checks vs skill/attr. no branches and varying outcomes. you don't need to think what you are saying, pick random options and you end up with totally same story/behaviour/attitude
    + punishment for not having skill for party members
    - in practice this only relates to athletics and worst thing you may face out of it is like 6% damage reduction till next rest

    + there were such nice stretch goals: stronghold, 2nd big city, crafting...
    - stronghold is nothing but cosmetics. no noticeable bonuses
    - crafting is something you will use once or twice during whole game
    - 2nd big city... there is actually no even single big city to be honest.

    Looks like I can continue all night. And it's so sad that the game "encourages" so much whimper and complains.

    Main positive thing: it looks like there will be PoE 2 and it will actually become a master piece. After all, BG 1 was nothing close to BG 2.    … Expand
  96. philb74
    May 29, 2015
    7
    I am a huge fan of Baldur's Gate and other D&D games so was excited when I heard this was coming out. There are some things that are great about this game and some things that are not so great.

    First up is character creation and this is done well. Different races have different strengths and different classes need points put into different stats as expected. The gameplay has    I am a huge fan of Baldur's Gate and other D&D games so was excited when I heard this was coming out. There are some things that are great about this game and some things that are not so great.

    First up is character creation and this is done well. Different races have different strengths and different classes need points put into different stats as expected.

    The gameplay has moved on a lot from the original D & D games and I think it works well. You will get a different experience tactically playing as a druid compared to a mage. I played this through as a mage, druid, rogue, cipher and warrior. All great fun especially the cipher and the mage. The ranger is dissapointing and I haven't tried the monk. The priest class isn't that exciting either.

    Most of the experience in the game comes from doing the quests, and it is therefore strongly recommended to do as many side quests as possible. You have to do the quests to level up. There is plenty of interesting loot to collect and I strongly recommend doing all the dungeon levels under your keep as well as all the bounties if you want the best loot.

    I would have given this game a 10 except for two things. The NPC's are not great companions and the main story is a massive let down. I was particularly annoyed at the story for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it was somewhat inconsistent and contradictory, and secondly, it reeked of an agenda.

    I'm not going to spoil the plot for anyone who hasn't played the game, but the ending seems to go against the experience of much of what you had to do in the game. I also think a lot of games are strongly but subtly pushing various political, anti religion messages through their games. Constant references to inquisitions etc. Can we have some games that are just fun and don't try to influence our thinking either way please?    … Expand
  97. Artur_
    Dec 6, 2015
    7
    It is a good alternative to so called "AAA games", worth 70 hours of playing. Freedom of team buiding, comfortable equipment management, good crafting, reasonable battle running. Nice 2D graphic, sound, isometric perspective and a very stable game. Story is ok, although I didn't feel involved, so minus 2 points - it is RPG game after all. Third point deduction for one insta-kill beast.It is a good alternative to so called "AAA games", worth 70 hours of playing. Freedom of team buiding, comfortable equipment management, good crafting, reasonable battle running. Nice 2D graphic, sound, isometric perspective and a very stable game. Story is ok, although I didn't feel involved, so minus 2 points - it is RPG game after all. Third point deduction for one insta-kill beast. Overall - play and have fun ;-)… Expand
  98. reavor
    Oct 9, 2015
    7
    A solid attempt to revitalize the genre of pause and play RPGs, but with a lot of strange mechanics regarding resting etc. The world in general felt kind of lackluster, less bright colors, and without some of the humor permeating the BG games. But the effort to make something original and craft a story trying to tackle some deeper questions is appreciated.
  99. Wineneeder
    Sep 2, 2022
    7
    I like it, an Infinity Engine type game updated. The combat is good and the mechanics make sense (a nice change from third edition's THAC0, and other quirks). The paintings and art and design is alright, but the character models aren't great. Jagged, boring, lower quality, even too much so for a PC game from 2015.

    There's also way too much pointless writing... I know some of it is    I like it, an Infinity Engine type game updated. The combat is good and the mechanics make sense (a nice change from third edition's THAC0, and other quirks). The paintings and art and design is alright, but the character models aren't great. Jagged, boring, lower quality, even too much so for a PC game from 2015.

    There's also way too much pointless writing... I know some of it is optional backer reward stuff, but it makes my eyes cross where other RPGs don't. Walls of text, and there's some weird desync in how text is formatted and how the spoken lines come out. I'm not sure I can describe this at the moment, I'll come back when I've finished the game.

    Anyway, I'm not very engaged in the story, but not dead bored and lacking direction, like in Baldur's Gate post mines. The world isn't exactly to my tastes, a bit high fantasy generica, with the big crystals, etc... it's hard for me to be engaged in that kind of setting, if I'm not actively roleplaying. I'm not immersed. A more involved story and mechanics that tie into it might have helped, but perhaps there's time, I'm not very far.

    On the flip side, you couldn't pull me away from Disco Elysium. Anyway, I'll come back to this and surely rewrite it when I'm done.    … Expand
  100. Wrathzo
    Mar 21, 2022
    7
    Pillars of Eternity is a role-playing video game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Paradox Interactive. The game is a spiritual successor to the Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale series, along with Planescape: Torment. Obsidian started a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for it in September 2012. The game uses the Unity engine. The game takes place in the fantasy worldPillars of Eternity is a role-playing video game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Paradox Interactive. The game is a spiritual successor to the Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale series, along with Planescape: Torment. Obsidian started a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for it in September 2012. The game uses the Unity engine. The game takes place in the fantasy world of Eora, mainly inside the nation of Dyrwood. The infants in the Dyrwood are plagued by a recent phenomenon in which they become "hollowborn" upon birth, meaning they are born with no soul. During the beginning of the game, the protagonist experiences an awakening of power due to a disastrous supernatural event, discovering they are a "Watcher": a person who can see past lives and interact with souls. The objective of the game is to find out what caused their awakening and how to solve the hollowborn problem.… Expand
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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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