Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Definitive Edition

 PlayStation 4
Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Definitive Edition Image
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
5.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 50 Ratings

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  • Summary: Pathfinder: Kingmaker is the first single-player isometric CRPG set in the world of a top-selling D&D type role-playing game by Paizo. Being a tribute to such classics as Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights, it brings back memories of beloved gameplay mechanics and embarks the player on aPathfinder: Kingmaker is the first single-player isometric CRPG set in the world of a top-selling D&D type role-playing game by Paizo. Being a tribute to such classics as Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights, it brings back memories of beloved gameplay mechanics and embarks the player on a hand-crafted, story-driven adventure. Become introduced to the rich universe of Pathfinder as a newcomer or explore famous locations familiar to any fan of the original tabletop game. Walk your path through the legendary Stolen Lands and meet iconic characters, ready to accompany you on your arduous journey. Gather the perfect party, dive into a great variety of dungeons, and defeat some of the deadliest creatures this world has ever seen. Witness how your decisions affect the environment and the people inhabiting it.

    Establish your kingdom to bring peace, hope, and prosperity to the land or take everything for yourself and drive it into darkness. The choice is only yours!

    THE MAJOR FEATURES:

    COMPANION FOCUSED STORY
    Experience the adventure alongside living and breathing companions, each with deep stories and decisions of their own. Love them, adore them or hate them for who they are.

    CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
    Customize your character and companions with a multitude of options available in Pathfinder to make the perfect party capable of overcoming insurmountable challenges.

    KINGDOM
    Establish your kingdom in Stolen Lands, claim new territories, and build towns and cities. Be a wise ruler or a heavy-handed tyrant.    … Expand
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. Digitally Downloaded
    Sep 2, 2020
    90
    I hope this is just the start for Pathfinder in video games, and I like the future that Kingmaker promises. It's a major time commitment, sure, but Pathfinder: Kingmaker has the kind of narrative arc and development that perfectly captures the essence of playing a tabletop RPG, only in digital form. That's something that I haven't really felt since the era of Baldur's Gate itself and for that I really appreciated what the developers have achieved her.
  2. Impulsegamer
    Aug 24, 2020
    80
    If you’re looking for an engaging tabletop RPG experience on the PlayStation 4, then Pathfinder: Kingmaker Definitive Edition is indeed that game with intuitive turn-based mechanics in a classic archetype setting. Definitely great value for money, especially in a world where we need to stay home at the moment due to COVID-19.
  3. COGconnected
    Sep 8, 2020
    80
    Controls and obnoxious voice acting aside, Pathfinder delivers exactly what it promises and does so very well. I can’t knock a game for not being something I usually play when it does what it sets out to do it so effectively. From the character creation, to the battle system, to the governing system, Pathfinder is incredibly in-depth. It’s very effectively realized and will steal whole hours of your day before you know it. If you miss the height of tabletops and CRPG’s and you love to fiddle with every nuance and detail in your gameplay, then Pathfinder: Kingmaker is definitely the game for you.
  4. Meristation
    Sep 29, 2020
    75
    A good rol game with lots of customisation options and hours of adventures.
  5. TheSixthAxis
    Sep 21, 2020
    70
    Pathfinder: Kingmaker is a phenomenal game with hundreds of hours of deep CRPG and kingdom management gameplay, but at the time of review it's hampered by bugs that impact how you can enjoy the game, and with reports of progression halting issues and save file corruption. Our advice would be to wait for the bugs to be patched, but ready yourself for a serious commitment to this vast CRPG.
  6. Screen Rant
    Aug 19, 2020
    70
    Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Definitive Edition is the perfect game for those stuck at home needing something to fill their time. There is so much to do and explore that players will be able to spend hundreds of hours in the game and still not see everything that it has to offer. The bugs are the only major issue, and those will likely be addressed by the developer shortly. Despite the glitches, Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Definitive Edition is still one of the best tabletop-inspired RPGs in recent memory, and will captivate veterans of the genre for hours on end.
  7. GameMAG
    Oct 24, 2020
    50
    If you were looking forward to dive deep into Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Definitive Edition on consoles, you probably should change your plans. At least for the time being, while the devs are trying to fix their game. Meanwhile, if you still crave that classic role-playing experience, just get yourself Pillars of Eternity or Divinity: Original Sin.

See all 17 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 34
  3. Negative: 16 out of 34
  1. Torreyes
    Aug 27, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. OMG This game is fabulous!!! Been waiting almost 20 years for a game like this !!! Absolutely overwhelming in every aspect !! If you like RPGS and games like Divinity 2 , with an amazing story and awesome combat etc. You must get this game. Takes a few days to learn and understand, it's not easy but so rewarding and i can't give it 11 out of 10 otherwise i would. Love this game… Expand
  2. GCassels
    Aug 20, 2020
    8
    A bit dated visually but compelling story and universe. Learning the controls is a bit of a curve but there is some solid fun to be had here.A bit dated visually but compelling story and universe. Learning the controls is a bit of a curve but there is some solid fun to be had here. A must own while we impatiently wait for Baldur's Gate 3.… Expand
  4. TheWaffle
    Mar 14, 2021
    7
    It's an enjoyable RPG experience, but unfortunately the joy of the table-top doesn't translate very well into a computer game. The real-timeIt's an enjoyable RPG experience, but unfortunately the joy of the table-top doesn't translate very well into a computer game. The real-time and free movement systems are a jarring break from the tactical combat of the TTRPG. Melee fighters cram into combat and fights are over in a blink. The turn-based option is better for tough fights, while real-time can be used to steam-roll easier battles.

    The real problem with this game is that it has abandoned most of the role-play of Pathfinder and funneled everything into combat. There are very few opportunities to solve problems or win a fight using outside-the-box thinking. It's hard to lay an ambush or traps, and thus-far the diplomatic options are limited. At 12-hours in, I can count on one hand the number of meaningful dialogue choices that I've made. And the game relishes its random encounters, even loading you into a new map just to battle 2 goblins.

    This game also, isn't very friendly to newbies. Unless you've played the table-top version, a lot of the mechanics are going to be a mystery unless you read every little highlight that pops up. Except for my table-top experience, I wouldn't have known about the flanking bonus and the shooting into melee penalties. There's no tutorial or visual prompt for those things.

    The game also suffers from the lack of a game master. On the table top, the GM can hand-wave away some annoying problems "I'm not going to make you roll 20 times, you eventually make it out of the spider's web", but on the PC the computer freezes your character in place with their -8 DEX penalty and forces you to wait for that character to roll a 20 to get out.

    The visual bugs are the strangest problem, since they should have been so foreseeable. But instead, large portions of the isometric maps are hidden behind walls, while you're funneled along narrow cave passages. And enemies in encounters will spawn into the black fog on the edge of the map. They really should have put more thought into the map design to avoid these issues.

    Pathfinder: Kingmaker is a decent time-waster for fans of Pathfinder lore and gameplay, but it fails to replicate the tabletop experience or to improve upon the core system. Divinity OS I and II leave this game in the dust.    … Expand
  5. Drkyjo
    Aug 31, 2020
    5
    I'd really love to give this game a 8 or better. Unfortunately there are a ton of bugs and issues where the game crashes. When it's working asI'd really love to give this game a 8 or better. Unfortunately there are a ton of bugs and issues where the game crashes. When it's working as it's supposed to though, this game is amazing. Plays like a TTRPG and has great depth to the story and character creation.… Expand
  6. Steyraus
    Jan 30, 2021
    3
    I really enjoyed the first few hours until I came across swarms . I've tried everything on them fire bombs acid bombs area of attack effects .I really enjoyed the first few hours until I came across swarms . I've tried everything on them fire bombs acid bombs area of attack effects . They don't die....
    Apart from that the whole interface is clumsy and cumbersome , just playing the games is an excersise in paitience. All your party member have the same superwahmen story. They were to amazing and underappreciated in their home towns, so they left to find where people realised they were amazing. I really tried with this hgamecause the first hour was great. But their is glitched anf bugs on top off everything, some this game gets deleted.    … Expand
  7. RatchetClank111
    Jan 1, 2022
    2
    This game just simply does not capture what makes DND/Pathfinder and RPG great.... it's like just keep rolling a one. This game is a fail. AThis game just simply does not capture what makes DND/Pathfinder and RPG great.... it's like just keep rolling a one. This game is a fail. A game should not make you want to play another similar type of game like divinity original sin2, and that's what happened to me after just playing for a few hours

    Failures
    -Clunky controls and combat
    -Way too many menus and selections, shouldn't have to navigate so many screens
    -Sound effects during combat are almost nonexistent.
    -Travel is just watching a figure/piece move on a map
    - WAY over reliant on random encounters. I don't mind it once in awhile, but this game acts like that is needed to drive the story
    - Game has no clear progression of enemy difficultly, I should not finish one fight with ease, then all of a sudden like next to it is an UNDEFEATABLE enemy, that's just not even logical and terrible balance. This was the final straw for me quitting the game.
    -lengthy load times'bugs

    Like I get what the developers were trying to do with this game, but it just completely missed my expectations. Very disappointed as I was hoping this game would be the next lengthy game I would be playing, instead, i'm replaying other games. The game just isn't fun.    … Expand
  8. Sakamabolz
    Nov 18, 2021
    0
    This game is hardly playable due to horrible level design. I tried to play on normal and I do have a lot of tactical rpg experience. Still IThis game is hardly playable due to horrible level design. I tried to play on normal and I do have a lot of tactical rpg experience. Still I found myself in a dungeon with exit locked behind me, no way to rest, spent spells and potions. If the games goal is to entertain than this one fails miserably. I am not against challenge as I did Wastelands 3 on insane and Xcom 2 on Ironman difficulties, but this game bad design and unneeded complexity is too much.… Expand

See all 34 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

81
#81 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2020