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. 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
  2. drewhoover
    May 19, 2015
    0
    Not ready for release. Everything about this game is great except for the astonishing number of bugs. I get an average of 2-4 CTDs (Crash to Desktop) per hour. Also there are a lot of minor bugs in the UI and regular gameplay, but the result of seeing all of these little things (and a few rather large things) go wrong really hamstrings what would otherwise be a spectacular gamingNot ready for release. Everything about this game is great except for the astonishing number of bugs. I get an average of 2-4 CTDs (Crash to Desktop) per hour. Also there are a lot of minor bugs in the UI and regular gameplay, but the result of seeing all of these little things (and a few rather large things) go wrong really hamstrings what would otherwise be a spectacular gaming experience. Art direction, writing, sound design, combat mechanics, overall mood and story coherence are unprecedentedly good. Better than Dragon Age, TES, etc. I came to this game from Arcanum, and playing PoE (when it isn't crashing/freezing/bugging out) is like a perfect realization of everything that Arcanum wanted to be. Obsidian, call me when you've put reasonable effort into making it stable.… Expand
  3. DeusXCom
    May 18, 2015
    10
    Pillars of Eternity aka Baldur's Gate 3 aka Infinity Engine games nostalgia strikes back in 2015.... I LOVE IT!

    I'm very glad games like this can still be made today, IE games are among my favourite games of all-time, so I had extremely high hopes for this title and I'm so happy to say my expectations were fully satisfied. Obsidian did not disappoint. It's almost on the level of IE    Pillars of Eternity aka Baldur's Gate 3 aka Infinity Engine games nostalgia strikes back in 2015.... I LOVE IT!

    I'm very glad games like this can still be made today, IE games are among my favourite games of all-time, so I had extremely high hopes for this title and I'm so happy to say my expectations were fully satisfied. Obsidian did not disappoint. It's almost on the level of IE legends and in some areas it goes even further. All the worries about Unity engine and problems I had with Wasteland 2 such as ugly visuals, clunky UI and bugs are a non-issue here, just the opposite, PoE is visually absolutely beautiful and UI is smooth and perfectly functional. There were some glitches at release, but I was smart to wait a few weeks for first patches to come out and I'm glad I did, because as a result I didn't encounter any serious bugs and I could enjoy the game 100%.

    The locations and environments are so gorgeous, you just want to live in this world and explore every inch of it. Right form the character creation, this is a gaming dream, all the different classes to play, talents and spells to choose from, engaging quests to do with tons of difficult choices to make, all the interesting characters and companions you meet on your travels. The sheer amount of content here is just mind-blowing. Tons of amazing loot, lots of unique weapons with their own background stories, extensive bestiary full of various monsters to fight in the tactical combat system that you can pause and micromanage to your leisure, but you're not force to waste your time in turn-base system, so if you're powerful enough, you can just roll and decimate. Welcome addition in the form of little playable book stories with hand drawn visuals and descriptions that you can interact with depending on your stats or available items. For a new world, there is also an impressive lore, histories, stories and all the gods you can read about in books. Stronghold you can claim and take care of and upgrade with majestic mega dungeon under it, which will satisfy every dungeon crawler's wildest dream or even a cute pet system, I could go on, I just love this game so much and I enjoyed every minute of my adventure, and oh boy, there were plenty of minutes to enjoy, my first playthrough took 120+ hours!!!

    Yes, nothing is perfect and there are few shortcomings such as so-so main story that doesn't really grab you and lacks the sense of urgency that you have to keep going. Level cap that I reached in Act2 about halfway through the game is extra annoying, making the second part of the game useless in terms of progress as exp rewards are way too high and the balance is totally off when you can reach the max limit so soon even with 6 member party. Companion AI is basically non-existent and pathfinding is abysmal. Music is pretty bland and forgettable, not reaching the quality of IE legends in the slightest. Voice acting, while good when present, is very sparse and it can be distracting when one line of dialog is voice acted and the next one isn't. And the lack of co-op multiplayer which was always one of the highlights in IE games for me is also disappointing. But none of this really ruins your overall experience and hopefully all these problems will be addressed in potential sequels.

    Pillars of Eternity might not be ranked high up there among the all-time legends, but it's definitely one of the best games I have played in recent years. A shining gem in the current gaming scene and one of the best cRPG's overall. Thanks to Obsidian for creating this and let's hope for more and even better in the future. 10/10    … Expand
  4. 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.
  5. 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
  6. Eibon
    May 13, 2015
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is good, yet the scenery is only a bit of meh. Such powerful concept could be used to:

    1. Use watcher's souls-manipulation skills to gain unique skills from consuming souls of villains.
    2. Create some kind of additional reality where souls dwell and where watcher can peek through walls and other obstacles and force other people do something you need. Imagine some prison escape using this tech.
    3. Ability to awaken souls of companions/npcs to grant them some unique abilities(even non-combat). Would be nice to awaken a legendary smith's soul to forge you some OMG weapon, no?
    4. Infuse your equipment with souls to avoid casual and boring "+1/+2" 100500 armors and weapons.
    5. Transfer souls of your powerful allies from the old times into some hollowed bodies to get some unique help and dialogs in final battle.
    6. Absorb the souls from soul-harvesting towers for yourself to confront gods and other higher beings.
    etc... etc...

    But all we got is a - "Chase some evil guy who is just a servant for some evil god while doing some casual quests like - kill that guy, bring that scroll, save those guys, etc...". Obsidian, really? That's all?    … Expand
  7. Alexlee
    May 11, 2015
    9
    30 hours of playing with a superbly frustrating moment fighting the final boss and the Adra dragon, test of patience, and uncountable moment of awesomeness. this game is just plain good.
  8. 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
  9. Glaciergreen
    May 10, 2015
    9
    I´ve played (and enjoyed) Dragon Age Origins and was looking for a modern replacement that features a deep story, a complex stat/abilities system and some tactical combat gameplay. I came across PoE and after reading some reviews and critics i´ve decided to buy and play it. Long story short: The best role play game i´ve played in years! In terms of playability, story and complexity farI´ve played (and enjoyed) Dragon Age Origins and was looking for a modern replacement that features a deep story, a complex stat/abilities system and some tactical combat gameplay. I came across PoE and after reading some reviews and critics i´ve decided to buy and play it. Long story short: The best role play game i´ve played in years! In terms of playability, story and complexity far better than Dragon Age Inquisition.
    It´s loosely based on the old infinity engine games (Baldurs Gate etc.) but features updated graphics including 3D toons, lovely rendered backgrounds and stunning magical effects.
    The story got me involved right after apprx. 20 minutes of gameplay.
    All talents/skills are not only used in combat, but in actual roleplay events (e.g. trying to climb a wall, either use your athletics if high enough, or use your mechanics skill and a rope, or ... etc.).
    You´ll need some time to fully understand the system behind combat and character development, but it´s within the boundaries of what you´ll expect from a modern RPG.
    Anyways, my conclusion: If you enjoyed the rpg system behind DA:O, if you played Baldurs Gate, Neverwinter Nights etc. and if you look for a dark-ish, grim story that forces you to make many grey zone decisions, Pillars of Eternity is your game. Go, buy it, you´ll thank me later!
    Visuals/Graphics: 9/10 (overall very good, could use a little more zoom in)
    Story/Quests: 10/10 (could easily be made into a hollywood fantasy movie)
    Playability/HUD: 9/10 (semi-intuitive, needs some diggin, tho)
    Current game version is 1.05 and many bugs have been fixed,
    for everything else (e.g. better localization) there´s the mod nexus.
    Really, buy this game! ;-)    … Expand
  10. chenwfng
    May 10, 2015
    10
    This game is one of the best RPGs I have ever played. I have been disappointed with the RPGs of late (Dragon Age Inquisition, etc) with it's lacking in content, gameplay and storyline. I proudly say this game is the sh*t! It has everything I wanted in an RPG! Lots of customization, upgrade your stronghold, hire guards, hire new adventurers, talk to everyone, kill everyone, lock up peopleThis game is one of the best RPGs I have ever played. I have been disappointed with the RPGs of late (Dragon Age Inquisition, etc) with it's lacking in content, gameplay and storyline. I proudly say this game is the sh*t! It has everything I wanted in an RPG! Lots of customization, upgrade your stronghold, hire guards, hire new adventurers, talk to everyone, kill everyone, lock up people you want to lock up, etc. The moral choices of this game really makes it the best thing I want in a game. It offers replayability, I can play as the good guy and then on my next playthrough i can play as the bad guy and etc. Definitely a must play, must have game if you're a big fan of RPG. I have not played Baldur's Gate prior to this game and might just get it. 100/10… Expand
  11. Poddmeister
    May 9, 2015
    10
    Being an old-school gamer growing up with games like Planescape:Torment, Baldurs gate and Daggerfall this game really takes me back to those days when I was truly exited to sit down and play for a few hours.

    Wonderful story, gorgeous areas, nice plot twists and really fun gameplay and combat. This is the game I have been waiting for for the better part of 20 years. Best game since    Being an old-school gamer growing up with games like Planescape:Torment, Baldurs gate and Daggerfall this game really takes me back to those days when I was truly exited to sit down and play for a few hours.

    Wonderful story, gorgeous areas, nice plot twists and really fun gameplay and combat.

    This is the game I have been waiting for for the better part of 20 years. Best game since Planescape:Torment with much better combat.

    I can't recommend this game enough. If you like a dialog-heavy, story-driven CRPG with exciting combat you owe yourself to try this game.

    10/10 and i would give it a 12 if I could!    … Expand
  12. TGMode
    May 9, 2015
    10
    I have been playing games since the early 80s. Initially in the arcade behind a taxi rank then on the first consoles long before Xbox and Nintendo. I have played PC games as long as there have been PCs and in all that time there haven't been many games that can touch this. Youtube and Google can tell you all about the game, gameplay etc but I can tell you that this is a brilliant game madeI have been playing games since the early 80s. Initially in the arcade behind a taxi rank then on the first consoles long before Xbox and Nintendo. I have played PC games as long as there have been PCs and in all that time there haven't been many games that can touch this. Youtube and Google can tell you all about the game, gameplay etc but I can tell you that this is a brilliant game made by people who have played the best games and taking the best bits and making this gem!
    Giving a game a score of 10 means I can't see how it could be better. For me this is a 10. Brilliant!    … Expand
  13. ireviewthings1
    May 8, 2015
    10
    Finally a game that I can name in the same breath as Shadows of Amn. Obsidian has taken the things we are acustomed to as RPGamers and mixed them with own ideas and nostalgia. Eora is an equally beautiful and troubled place with deep and rich lore. Very refreshing after the eye rolling plagiarism that is the Dragon Age universe.

    As a word of advice though: this game is not for every    Finally a game that I can name in the same breath as Shadows of Amn. Obsidian has taken the things we are acustomed to as RPGamers and mixed them with own ideas and nostalgia. Eora is an equally beautiful and troubled place with deep and rich lore. Very refreshing after the eye rolling plagiarism that is the Dragon Age universe.

    As a word of advice though: this game is not for every one. And thank Obsidian for it!
    Combat can be very challenging and character outfitting has a lot of hidden depth to it.
    But most importantly: there are a lot of things going on in Pillars of Eternity. I would advise you not play, read or watch any other story-heavy things while you are playing PoE.

    A eagerly awaited masterpiece and a great move against the oversimplification of certain genres in gaming in the last 10 years.    … Expand
  14. AceroSolo
    May 5, 2015
    10
    Simply the best RPG since Baldur’s Gate. It has the same feeling of the Infinity Engine games, but it is not only nostalgia, the current multiplatform way to make "RPGs in 1st person" may be useful to Action-RPGs (I still prefer isometric view like Torchlight or Grim Dawn), but for RPGs isometric view is irreplaceable, as real board games. Also Obsidian was able to made whatever theySimply the best RPG since Baldur’s Gate. It has the same feeling of the Infinity Engine games, but it is not only nostalgia, the current multiplatform way to make "RPGs in 1st person" may be useful to Action-RPGs (I still prefer isometric view like Torchlight or Grim Dawn), but for RPGs isometric view is irreplaceable, as real board games. Also Obsidian was able to made whatever they wanted thanks the independence of a publisher: an isometric game with handmade backgrounds, lovely fantasy soundtracks, a deep way to develop our character since stats to the background through dialogue, is simply mindblowing. This game will be a reference for the next generations like Baldur's Gate was since 1988, a real must have.… Expand
  15. 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
  16. beldurax
    May 4, 2015
    6
    Obsidian's homage to Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, and all of the other Infinity Engine titles comes across as a bland romp across a bland world. The lore is overdone and soulless in and of itself. The fact that Obsidian chose to litter immersion-breaking NPC's and tombstones throughout the game, knocks at least two points off the rating of this game to begin with. Not the big dealObsidian's homage to Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, and all of the other Infinity Engine titles comes across as a bland romp across a bland world. The lore is overdone and soulless in and of itself. The fact that Obsidian chose to litter immersion-breaking NPC's and tombstones throughout the game, knocks at least two points off the rating of this game to begin with. Not the big deal everybody is making it out to be.… Expand
  17. Iskhiaro
    May 1, 2015
    10
    I backed this on kickstarter and had high hopes as I approved of the ideas and design decisions made by Obsidian. They really did deliver on all my expectations. The first true gaming kickstarter success story. Other kickstarted games have been good, some have approached greatness, but this is the first to reach it. Game of the Year 2015!
  18. aceofspace
    Apr 30, 2015
    9
    So let's break this down and then get into the game a bit.

    Story (plot & writing): 10 Graphics: 10 Art: 10 Characters: 10 Mechanics: 10 Bugs: 3 Save integrity (due to bugs): 2 So yeah, it's beautiful, it's profound, it's balanced, it's fun. This is the kind of RPG I've been missing since Baldur's Gate 1/2 and Neverwinter Nights. The only thing that comes close in this genre is    So let's break this down and then get into the game a bit.

    Story (plot & writing): 10
    Graphics: 10
    Art: 10
    Characters: 10
    Mechanics: 10
    Bugs: 3
    Save integrity (due to bugs): 2

    So yeah, it's beautiful, it's profound, it's balanced, it's fun. This is the kind of RPG I've been missing since Baldur's Gate 1/2 and Neverwinter Nights. The only thing that comes close in this genre is Divinity: Original Sin, which is a totally different beast with a totally different feel. I absolutely love Pillars of Eternity, and rank it among my favorites of all time. No doubt.

    Problem: bugs. So many bugs. I don't have any crashes, or disappearing characters, but these things are happening to people everywhere. My bugs are nearly game-breaking, all the same: constant save state overwrite issues. Oh, didn't finish that dungeon before skipping out via the easy-to-access master staircase? Sorry bro, start over! Total reset! Only now you can't use the main door! Wanted to get some bounties in those zones you beat at level 3? Sorry bro, start over! Fog of war, enemies, loot, unique items: all reset. Absolutely decimates immersion. On the other hand, hey free gameplay hours, so I guess that's a good thing.

    Go for it, get this game, as no doubt it'll all be patched and Obsidian will make amends for their (legendary) lack of QA process. It's an unbelievably fun homage to all that came before.    … Expand
  19. 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.
  20. Rilke21
    Apr 28, 2015
    10
    I never really got into Baldur's gate. I came to it late, and the game was too dated for me to really sink my teeth into it. After finishing my first Pillars of Eternity run (clocking in at a whopping 65 hours!) I'm excited to revisit the old classics.

    This game is exceptional. The attention to detail is pretty much unprecedented. The story is compelling, the characters are interesting,    I never really got into Baldur's gate. I came to it late, and the game was too dated for me to really sink my teeth into it. After finishing my first Pillars of Eternity run (clocking in at a whopping 65 hours!) I'm excited to revisit the old classics.

    This game is exceptional. The attention to detail is pretty much unprecedented. The story is compelling, the characters are interesting, the writing is (mostly) excellent and combat is a fun challenge.

    The challenge with this game is this: it isn't flashy. There is plenty of text to read. Combat is hard and the learning curve is high. In other words, you need to accept a much slower pace then in most games. You need to let your imagination take over for what other games accomplish with flashy cinematics and motion capture.

    This is a game to be imagined as much as played, and that is by no means a bad thing. But, if you aren't willing to settle into the slower pace, you will probably think of this game as a waste of money. You've been warned.

    For those who give this game a chance, it is an experience you will remember!

    PS: At first I was overwhelmed by the walls of seemingly pointless text from the Gold Names NPCs...and then I realized this was the backer developed content, and I could ignore it entirely! The pace of the game picked up considerably :)    … Expand
  21. Obsidianman
    Apr 28, 2015
    10
    Awesome story and characters. Fantastic playable tactical combat.
    Baldurs Gate is back in every point and from any point of view.
    This game feels so good at all stages - well done and thumbs up!
  22. Eldryr
    Apr 28, 2015
    10
    Wow, wow and wow, what a great game! There is really nothing more to say. Play it - love it and play it again. :)
    One of the games I can highly recommand - epic!
  23. Maneinarr
    Apr 27, 2015
    10
    Absolute must try game if your into tactical rpg games. This is the darker, better overall version of Divinity Original Sin. I see a lot of misplaced nostalgia actually in both of the games, and putting overdramatic feelings aside, both games are fantastic. The only issue here is people tend to favor Divinity because it took advantage of timing, for it was released before pillars ofAbsolute must try game if your into tactical rpg games. This is the darker, better overall version of Divinity Original Sin. I see a lot of misplaced nostalgia actually in both of the games, and putting overdramatic feelings aside, both games are fantastic. The only issue here is people tend to favor Divinity because it took advantage of timing, for it was released before pillars of eternity (aka baldurs gate 3) and got to the gamers before, but in comparison it's lacking depth.

    Why I'm mentioning Divinity? they're very similar, yet they have substantial differences, but for the purpose of comparison, here it goes:

    Pillars of eternity vs Divinity: OS:

    Graphics: DOS
    PoE: 9/10, DOS 10/10. They're similar and both are isometric looking, and although the art itself is inferior in Divinity, the world seems more interactive than Pillars, hence, this one goes to Divinity.

    Sound: Draw
    You'll feel very inmersed in combat/adventure with both of them which is fricking important for any decent gamer out there!

    Story: PoE
    PoE (8/10), DOS (5/10). This is where Divinity takes a MAYOR hit in the nuts. You get a linear experience through the game, with a couple of boring missions/side quests (with the "do them in perfect order or you will get punished" mechanic), with boring characters and dull storytelling. At least it's not dumb, but it's very "basic", basically :). PoE is totally interesting and storytelling is wonderful, but the only real interactions you'll have will be with your preset partners (more on that later), in the end it also suffers from some characterisation to make it more vivid.

    Rpg elements: PoE
    PoE (10/10), DOS (9/10)
    Very close to each other. The thing is that PoE gets creative in the way you get experience, while DOS gets stingy with exp to make you suffer more every battle, which in the ends slows down gameplay. In terms of character customization both are very deep, but once again PoE takes it further because of how many different characteristics and combinations are posible.

    Combat: DOS
    PoE (7/10) DOS (9/10)
    PoE is good, but magic is way to basic to even count. It all goes down to cutting, blunting and piercing. Magics cost way too much to be enjoyable. DOS not only makes magic users powerful (they actually are overpowered, that's why it get's a 9... balance, people!) but also makes environment critical. From a tactical point, it's refreshing to see your mage not only putting a zombie on fire, but litting 30 mts around it on flames from a poison cloud explosion! talk about special effects! but is not only eye candy, it can seriously turn the battle one side or the other. Definitely a worthy mechanic to keep for the future, game designers!

    Adventure: PoE
    PoE (9/10) , DOS (5/10)
    Interaction, exploring, sneaking, and triggered events are overall better done in PoE. You will feel excited while exploring a new area and also thrilled with excitement, while in DOS you will be desperate to finish it or get in a fight soon to avoid dying of the boring monotony.

    Interfase: PoE
    PoE (7/10), DOS (5/10). More polished basically, also everything is easier to understand. You can check the monsters you have slain in your enciclopedia to develop better strategies next time you face them... you even have your own notepad for personal notes. DOS is very lacky in this department.

    *Items: DOS
    POE (5/10), DOS (7/10), Both are waaay to simple, but POE is just lazy. Fine, exceptional and elite (or somethingl like that) and some elemental properties and another minuscule crap... and that's it?! wtf?!. At least in DOS you have some variety... but just some... not that much to be noteworthy (at least not in comparison to dragon age and full plated dragon armors and that sort of badass gear we ALL want in our team)

    In the end it goes like: awesome fights, and more eye candy effects, plus better loot... go DOS
    very good (not awesome) fights, darker deeper story, adventure thrill, hardcore rpg gaming, ... go POE.

    To me POE wins actually, but it's your call. Hope it helps... phew, that was a lot!    … Expand
  24. FlorianGh
    Apr 27, 2015
    10
    Just finished it after 77 hours. Loving it to death :) Interesting to see that we can still have great written story this days : the story about gods and reincarnation it's pretty mature subject. I hope the little bugs I have seen will be fixed soon and I can't wait to play an expansion and a sequel. I think it's better then BG1 but not 2 and the fact that it's not D&D makes me love itJust finished it after 77 hours. Loving it to death :) Interesting to see that we can still have great written story this days : the story about gods and reincarnation it's pretty mature subject. I hope the little bugs I have seen will be fixed soon and I can't wait to play an expansion and a sequel. I think it's better then BG1 but not 2 and the fact that it's not D&D makes me love it even more. I hope they will implement more options for party AI and random enounters. Arcanum still remains the best RPG for me but I'm happy to see new lore. The graphics in this game is amazing! I don't understand people that says it's mediocre because I understand how much work the put in and it shows : every weapon is made with detail and care, the background , 3D models and lightning looks amazing. Another great thing it's the option to increase the size of the text : I played it at 130% because it has a lot of text and it's really great to not have to stare at the monitor or TV in order to read it with ease. Recently found out that we have no low INT dialogue. I miss that..… Expand
  25. Notger
    Apr 27, 2015
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is absolutely awesome ... not so much for its quite often a bit repetitive combat mechanics or its sometimes harsh difficulty spikes (Vithraak stun-lock mob ftw) but for the superb story with lots of interesting story-elements and even philosophically interesting choices. I loved the companion quest for Grieving Mother ... excellently written and kept me thinking about my choices for quite a while. Same for the main quest at a certain, point but I don't want to spoil that.

    TL;DR: Game mechanics sometimes a bit repetitive, but storytelling is awesome!    … Expand
  26. 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.
  27. obscurus166
    Apr 26, 2015
    9
    The last time I felt this compelled by the narrative of a game was Dragon Age: Origin. However, by looking backwards to Planescape: Torment and Baldur's Gate, rather than sideways to console optimisation, Obsidian have managed to avoid may of the mistakes fallen into by EA/BioWare and really let the player get involved in the epic, metaphysical story of the game. I was hooked fromThe last time I felt this compelled by the narrative of a game was Dragon Age: Origin. However, by looking backwards to Planescape: Torment and Baldur's Gate, rather than sideways to console optimisation, Obsidian have managed to avoid may of the mistakes fallen into by EA/BioWare and really let the player get involved in the epic, metaphysical story of the game. I was hooked from beginning to end and I'm sorry that I've finished it.

    That having been said, PoE is not, by any stretch of the imagination, perfect. The AI - particularly of companion characters - can be infuriating at times, as they stagger blindly into walls and fail to avoid running into one another during combat. There are too many mage spells which are simply too risky to use to get much of a look-in. And there are some rather peculiar decisions which have been taken with regards to equipment and inventory: for example, the idea that helmets add nothing to damage reduction seems inexplicable, and the fact that they can't be player-enchanted also seems odd.

    Despite these gripes, I can't help but feel that PoE is one of the most engaging games I've played in a very long time. The environments are interesting; the quests are (usually) well written and engaging and most of the player-characters offer a solid narrative reason, other than their (often frankly useless) stats for taking them along for an adventure.

    The game also plays well, with the pause and click tactical combat being smoothed over by a reasonably efficient, expanding spell-and-talent icon menu. In stark contract to the BioWare games, you can select what your character is actually going to say, and, if you would like to know more, there's a function in the options menu whereby you can see the traits which each dialogue option typifies.

    I hope that Obsidian make another game in this setting, and soon.    … Expand
  28. Lvce
    Apr 25, 2015
    10
    Great..Everything, from the combat mechanics to the dialogues it is so inspired that doesn't only looks like BG3, but will feel like too. It is you playing a 15y old game updated in every aspect that is NOT a Hd remastered version. The lore it is monumental and pleasant during it's read-only unveiling. That's a job well done
  29. mothballs
    Apr 24, 2015
    2
    My experience of the game is so at odds with popular opinion that I am writing a review on this site for the first time ever.

    Somewhere out there on the internet are a set of composite images featuring the blended, averaged faces of thousands of different humans, male and female. Unsurprisingly, the composite faces are extremely plain and forgettable - placid eyes, neutral semi-smile,    My experience of the game is so at odds with popular opinion that I am writing a review on this site for the first time ever.

    Somewhere out there on the internet are a set of composite images featuring the blended, averaged faces of thousands of different humans, male and female. Unsurprisingly, the composite faces are extremely plain and forgettable - placid eyes, neutral semi-smile, medium-brown unblemished skin.

    The writers appropriated and reused many stock fantasy tropes in creating the world for this game, but they didn't do it in piecemeal fashion - a daub of Tolkien here, a splash of Forgotten Realms there. Instead, it feels like they grabbed every fantasy setting they could get their mitts on, crammed them into a Blendomatic, and hit Frappe. The result is sort of like those composite photos. Everything's been so averaged and smoothed over that you can't even recognize the specific source material any more. All you can tell is that you're in a fantasy setting. That's it. You can tell because there are tall people and short people, and a lot of them have names you've never heard before, and some of the people have swords and shields and others of them cast sparks out of their fingers sometimes.

    There are a lot of words in this game. A lot of lore, a lot of history, a lot of dialogue. Reading is great! I love reading, generally. But reading in this game is like reading the ingredients list on a packet of saltines, or like reading a patent for a new kind of chewing gum wrapper, because the source material is just as bland. I've played for over 20 hours (trying to squeeze my money's worth of fun out of this particular stone) and not once did an element of the world strike me as interesting; not once did I want to explore any more of the dialogue or of the in-game texts than I had to. Compare this to a game like PS:T where I was hooked from the moment I woke up on a cold slab in a transdimensional mortuary and a floating, foulmouthed skull started gabbing at me and I stayed hooked until the credits rolled (and I've played that game again, quite recently, and it's still as compelling as the first time I played it).

    It was said in another review that the game feels like it was made by people who hate the genre and hate its fans. I have to concur. They say never to attribute to malice what can be explained by incompetence, but I feel the blandness of this game goes far beyond anything anybody could come up with on accident - it genuinely feels orchestrated, premeditated. A bunch of **** in a board room somewhere drummed their fingers together like Mr. Burns, cackled a dry, rasping, collective cackle and set themselves to the business of creating the biggest **** you" of a fantasy setting that the genre has ever seen.

    There are negative things to be said about the combat, the music, some other miscellaneous gameplay and HUD elements... but why bother? The soul of the game is missing: who cares if the body is flawed as well?

    The only positive thing to say about it is that the prerendered backgrounds are very pretty. I think that's about it, and it's actually amusing that most of the positive reviews start out by warning people who want sexy graphics to seek out a different game. In reality, the graphics are the only thing PoE has going for it.    … Expand
  30. softpsyche
    Apr 22, 2015
    10
    Great game, ignore bad reviews - unless you are an impatient millenial brat who cannot bother to read a game wiki or are too lazy/dumb to understand game mechanics without them being spoon fed to you. At first the game is frustrating because the combat system is not standard rpg and their is a learning curve. However, once you start to piece it together the game gets better and better. IfGreat game, ignore bad reviews - unless you are an impatient millenial brat who cannot bother to read a game wiki or are too lazy/dumb to understand game mechanics without them being spoon fed to you. At first the game is frustrating because the combat system is not standard rpg and their is a learning curve. However, once you start to piece it together the game gets better and better. If you invest in this game and give it some love it will give you love back. In this regard - it is EXACTLY what you would want to recapture the old school magic. I did not give it a clean 10 because I do believe it could have received a bit more polish and mainly because the old school 'pause to play' combat system just seems dated nowadays. They could have added some character AIs like baldurs eventually did but I think something even better should have been created. The chanter is a really great character and I think they need to develop more solutions like that so combat can roll fluidly if they are going to leave it 'real time'. Or they could have simply switched it to a turn based system (like divinity orginal sin) but this would definitely have violated the whole 'Baldurs' gate successor mantra.

    UPDATE: I had reviewed this at a 9 but made it a 10 after i saw how much content is in the game. there is a HUGE amount of content and as such it deserves a solid10.    … 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.
    Read full review
  2. LevelUp
    May 25, 2015
    93
    Pillars of Eternity stands on its own merits without resorting to nostalgia too much. Truly a CRPG masterpiece, the game offers old school, real-time strategic combat, and a vivid world to explore. Not only do you get an overall well-made experience, but also a challenge you haven't seen since the 90's.
    Read full review
  3. Games Master UK
    May 24, 2015
    82
    A sprawling game in a familiar setting, and a clever tune-up for the cRPG. Just what the backers hoped for. [June 2015, p.74]
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