Pillars of Eternity Reviews
Pillars of Eternity is a rare game that delivers exactly what it promises, all of which are things that gamers frequently ask for: legitimately mature narrative, deep tactical combat, and a genuine challenge free of artificial difficulty. Obsidian claimed the game would relive a classic era, but it didn't stop there. By casting off the restrictions of its inspirations' Dungeons & Dragons-rooted mechanics (and a lot of standard role-playing tropes with them) and building such an intriguing world, Obsidian has made one of the most refined and original RPGs in years.
Pillars of Eternity takes some of the best aspects of the Infinity Engine RPGs of yesteryear and hammers them into an impressive game that feels slick and intuitive even by modern standards.
Overall the game is really fun and you can expect to lose yourself in it for hours on end. As I said above the combat may draw some players away because of how tactical it is as opposed to a hack and slash game, but I didn't have a problem with it. This Kickstarter project is one that paid off!
It may seem like I am being too harsh on Pillars of Eternity, but in truth the game is one of the better Kickstarter titles to be released, and gives a lot of independent and even some AAA titles a run for their money.
I enjoyed my time with Pillars of Eternity and think it provides a good example of the type of RPG not seen much in recent years, but it’s not going to convince those who were never attracted by similarly styled titles in the past.
A well-made, fascinating role-playing game with a lot of heart.
Still, it's in the smallest moments where Pillars is most fascinating. Stories of dead gods resurrected, of divine plagues and magical obelisks jutting from the earth like broken bones, are the easy stories for fantasy games to tell. It's in the simple stories where they often falter. Pillars Of Eternity deserves credit not just for telling those stories but telling them well.
In keeping so close to the Baldur's Gate/Infinity Engine template, Pillars of Eternity can't help but inherit a few old flaws, and it would have been nice to see a bit more personality of its own shine through its carefully traditional design and shell. That said, what most stands out is just how well it manages to modernise the experience of playing those games and stand apart from them as an epic adventure in its own right. It's an RPG with design firmly rooted in nostalgia, but one that absolutely doesn't rely on it to be enjoyable today. Instead, it's both a great reminder of why those games worked so well, and a brand new adventure well worth the hours upon hours (upon hours upon hours) that it takes to pick away at its secrets and its world.
Obsidian has a reputation for crafting fantastic RPGs, and deservedly so. Pillars of Eternity is, as far as I'm concerned, Obsidian at its best ever.
