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
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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.
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  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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