Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition Reviews
The world is vast and there are a lot of things to do. It can be very overwhelming at the beginning but once you get the hang of it, the game can be very fun and fullfilling. It’s a full-blown old-school RPG so be prepared to do lots of questing and all that. It certainly didn’t get me interested at first but the more I play it, the more I uncovered its many wonders and delights. It’s a game worth taking a second look into so don’t be discouraged or dismiss it the first time you play it. It’s more than it leads on. It’s a great adventure if you invest your time in it.
An epic adventure in absolutely every sense, Pillars of Eternity arrives on PS4 in highly impressive form and confidently stakes its claim as one of the best RPGs of the year.
The excellent music and voice acting, the wonderful writing, and the multitude of ways quests can play out just add up to Pillars being a wonderful RPG to add to the collection. PC players have known this for a while, but console owners can now experience this for themselves.
Pillars of Eternity is a wonderful role-playing game, expertly weaving deep, tactical combat and captivating writing - a combination that will appeal to unabashedly old school gamers, but will also yield abundant rewards for players new to the genre. What Obsidian has crafted here, ostensibly as a love letter to the isometric computer role-playing games of the late '90s, is not merely an exercise in tickling the nostalgia itch of those pining for another Planescape: Torment or Baldur's Gate, but a contemporary to those classics, and one that will surely be held in as high regard in the years to come.
The particle effects for the various spells look great, and heroes are easily identifiable amongst the maelstrom.
Ultimately, Pillars of Eternity is a stellar entry into its genre, but one that won't win over people who are not already fans. It is huge and richly detailed, with more history than some actual periods of real life, and a rare amount of care and attention. It's probably a better experience on a PC, but it's still definitely worth playing on console if it's your only option.
When it comes to writing and storytelling, Pillars of Eternity is a class act. Obsidian had complete freedom to pursue their vision, and it shows in the impressively-constructed world and excellent characterization. Every side-quest, no matter how minor, has at least some significance in the development of the protagonist. Again, it takes time to adjust to the controls, but they work very well. Players can comfortably lean back, relax, and micromanage when necessary. However, the mediocre frame rate and long load times mar the experience. Still, fans of the genre will appreciate this fantastic game.
Obsidian's modern masterpiece is less shiny on console, but still a sprawling RPG worth exploring
Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition is without a doubt a brilliant game that nearly singlehandedly revived a genre that has been replaced in the hearts of many by World of Warcraft, The Witcher, or The Elder Scrolls series. And while those series (and their respective genres) are amazing in their own right, Obsidian's re-imagining of the poorly-aged genre is a must play for any fan of similar games and a great jumping off point for those interested in dabbling in something more complex.
Pillars of Eternity is worth looking into for any RPG fan. The game has a great plot and world to explore, and Obsidian has given players enough options to ensure that anyone can see the end of the story, regardless of skill level.
Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition is a proper send off before Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is released next year.
Pillars of Eternity was certainly crafted with PC in mind, but it's no less an enjoyable experience on console.
All that aside, PoE is an experience I am still working through at the time of this article. It's tough and long, but absolutely rewarding, and it makes it very clear why games in the lineage of the genre — Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, and so on — are still held in such high regard today. Someday I hope to tackle those, but until then, PoE will keep me very busy.