RPGWatch - Pillars of Eternity Review

[wolfing]

I don't think act 3 was bad per se, it's just that I reached act 3 at level 11, and reached 12 just a bit after that, so I just ignored side quests and just wanted to reach the end. The game should have benefited a lot if it had reduced XP gain from 'alternate' means (endless dungeon, bounties, trap disarming, etc).
I also didn't like the stat system. but I didn't necessarily dislike that only the PC can interact in the dialogues, after all, with a full party system, that would mean that I would always be able to pick the best choice if it looked at all the party members stats.
But I do agree with the score, the game is really great overall, I would score it 4.5 out of 5.

 

[Archangel]

I don't think act 3 was bad per se, it's just that I reached act 3 at level 11, and reached 12 just a bit after that, so I just ignored side quests and just wanted to reach the end. The game should have benefited a lot if it had reduced XP gain from 'alternate' means (endless dungeon, bounties, trap disarming, etc).
I also didn't like the stat system. but I didn't necessarily dislike that only the PC can interact in the dialogues, after all, with a full party system, that would mean that I would always be able to pick the best choice if it looked at all the party members stats.
But I do agree with the score, the game is really great overall, I would score it 4.5 out of 5.

Twin Elms has some of the best quests in the game. Defiance Bay has some shades of grey quests but in the end you could clearly choose the good guy approach in most of them (or a lawful one at least). But Twin Elms, oh boy... their culture is completely different. Being a "good guy" means you need to slaughter whole clans to uphold that and not in a you are defending yourself vs bandits or criminals kind.
Also one of them offers a awesome stealth approach.

 

[Ransom]

Good review. I agree with most of it. Especially with the part about Act 3 and that the game becomes tiresome at the end.

 

[Turjan]

They didn't set out to emulate AD&D but 4th edition D&D (Sawyer considers that the best D&D version). But they did even that badly.

However, this easily explains the lack of differentiation between classes. In D&D4, the difference between a mage and a fighter consisted mostly of window dressing, except the few elements tied to the base role.

 

[crpgnut]

I'm hoping Obsidian gives Pillars the Fallout New Vegas treatment, with several DLC and expansions. Right now, there is way too much unavoidable combat for a game that doesn't give combat XP. By unavoidable, I mean, if you want the loot you have to kill the protectors. Crafting is also pretty hit and miss, where you go through most of the game before being able to craft any of the higher level recipes. The game seems unfinished, so I hope they finish it with patches, DLC and expansions. I plan on waiting to finish/replay it once a year or so has gone by.

This is just my tastes though. Party-based RTwP is not my favorite way to play a game. I prefer single player, first person or party first person. I find those more immersive. I only finished IWD of the Infinity Engine games. I find the companions of PoE shallow compared to Boone, Veronica, Cass and the gang.

 

[joxer]

I'm hoping Obsidian gives Pillars the Fallout New Vegas treatment, with several DLC and expansions.

One expansion is planned.
More than that, god, please, no.

 

[ChaosTheory]

How do I know when I'm in "Act 2"? Does it actually say you're in Act 2, or is it a hindsight "that must have been the start of Act 2" thing?

I'm 80 hours in and just left the main city for the first time to actually do some more main plot stuff… Just met Grieving Mother last night, actually. (80!)

 

[rjshae]

I say this, because while they DO seem rich and diverse, they're not really. Once you delve deeper, you'll find your decisions have less impact than it would seem at first glance - and skills are less useful than they appear to be.

By the mid-point of the game, I'd pretty much given up on having most party members focus on particular skills and just decided to max out the Stealth. At least that one seemed tactically useful. I suppose it's good to have one high Athletics and one high Mechanics character.

How do I know when I'm in "Act 2"? Does it actually say you're in Act 2, or is it a hindsight "that must have been the start of Act 2" thing?

I'm 80 hours in and just left the main city for the first time to actually do some more main plot stuff… Just met Grieving Mother last night, actually. (80!)

It'll become pretty obvious.

 

[Toff]

Thanks for the review Mr Corwin Yarwood (which is a fantastic rpg name).

I felt it was a good objective review.

 

[Warmark]

Thank you very much for this review. After reading it, I guess it is wise to wait a bit longer to play this game. Act 3 seems a letdown after reading this review. Hoping for a cap limit increase or XP decrease mode.

Also I'm using the IE Mod for the game which has the Nerfed XP Table option by Pacman7654 (slows level advancement roughly in half) and that's working well for me.

BTW really good review Corwin.

 

[Arkadia7]

Excellent review. For someone who has not played this, you gave me a very clear rundown of both strengths and weaknesses of the game. I also think your tastes are similar to mine, which helps to get a clear picture, because the annoyances you covered in the game mechanics would also be irritating to me as well, but I suspect they would be even more of an issue to me.

I also thought there were some very interesting comments on this thread by several different RPG watch members — re: analysis of the game, and enjoyed reading them for their insights.

 

[Kordanor]

Twin Elms has some of the best quests in the game.

I just arrived in Galawain's Maw and without spoilering it I'd say that this one is the worst quest I have seen so far, as it appears very artificial.

Right now, there is way too much unavoidable combat for a game that doesn't give combat XP

You could say that there is too much combat per se. But I don't think the XP has much relevance there. In over 80% of the combats you actually gain some xp because you don't have 100% of every single enemytype in the battle. There are only very few opportunities in the game to throw yourself into fights where you don't actually get some xp progress. And most of these 20% are then contained in an optional dungeon.


I also don't think the combat is as bad and messy. It is far from being perfect. And it might be that I have a different perception than most as I play everything on highest difficulty. But I found most of the combat more enjoyable than in Wasteland 2, which had horrible mechanics, than in the third part of MMX as you steamrolled everything, and than in Divinity: OS, which had a good system but was ridiculously easy all the way through, except of a hand full of fights near the beginning of the game.

And it surprises me to say that as I am very vocal about disliking RTwP.

Imho the game is at least on par with Divinity: OS and WL2, and I'd give it a 5/5 stars.
4/5 seem a little harsh as the game doesn't have big flaws. But the flaws it has are so apparent as they were kinda promoted as unique features before (like the freedom in the stat system and skills, scripted interactions…) But I wouldn't "punish" the rating itself for being falsely promoted.

 

[crpgnut]

If a dungeon has loot, it isn't optional

 

[HiddenX]

@Couch

have we the definition of a RPGWatch 4 star rating somewhere - I can't find it.

 

[Archangel]

How do I know when I'm in "Act 2"? Does it actually say you're in Act 2, or is it a hindsight "that must have been the start of Act 2" thing?

I'm 80 hours in and just left the main city for the first time to actually do some more main plot stuff… Just met Grieving Mother last night, actually. (80!)

As soon as you enter Defiance Bay for first time you are in Act 2.

 

[Archangel]

I just arrived in Galawain's Maw and without spoilering it I'd say that this one is the worst quest I have seen so far, as it appears very artificial.

I said some of the best ones, not all the best ones.

 

[Bedwyr]

Their decision to limit XP for combat is a brilliant one and handled. . . not with aplomb, but reasonably well. I would have made the XP curve asymptotic so that you never reach 0 XP, but it becomes clear that you're not going to get much marginal gain from each additional fight.

The idea behind this mechanic is something that I can see pushing the art forward. With the right story supporting it, the idea that combat and fighting is a burden and something you get better at because you have to is an attractive one. If standard RPG combat is one way and Torment's "talk your way out of everything" is a second way, this could be developed into a new third way of handling external/physical conflict that I don't really recall seeing before, at least not in a stats heavy RPG. You're not avoiding fights; in fact you're still confronted with them. But the old game-centric incentive of regarding opponents as meat-bag pinatas filled with XP candy melts away as it becomes a duty to be undertaken. Maybe a skill you gain and practice because you might need that skill down the line.

It does need some work, but I really like the core concept and would look forward to the idea being molded further.

 

[HiddenX]

The Codex still hates us - news at 11

 

[Nephologist]

The Codex still hates us - news at 11

Do they actually like anything though?

 

[HiddenX]

Do they actually like anything though?

Yes - they like Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura (but not the combat) and Knights of the Chalice (but not the developer)