Pillars of Eternity - Another Preview Roundup

Couchpotato

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Pillars of Eternity once again had a bunch of sites release more previews based on the games demo. So as usual here they are in another roundup. Enjoy everyone.

Gamespot

The demo came to a close, but not before the three-person adventuring party navigated an eerie temple, where black oozes, spiderlings, and a floor tile puzzle provided the biggest obstacles, while a choir chanted in the background and French horns called out their fanfares. The adventurers emerged into the Ruins of Cilant Lis, where they were greeted by a giant whirring magical device and the guardians protecting it. The game's title appeared on screen, leaving me to wonder if Pillars of Eternity will refresh role-playing traditions or simply replicate them--and whether pure replication is anything to scoff at, given the legacy of Baldur's Gate and its ilk. Nevertheless, I have faith not just in the strength of the Infinity Engine template, but in Obsidian's ability to use that template to craft a journey worth taking.
IGN

After spending some time with Pillars of Eternity, I love how it manages to tap into the nostalgia of old-school CRPGs with its numerous options and deep customization, while also bringing the genre into the 21st century with more dynamic environments, beautiful graphics, and faster combat. Pillars of Eternity promises to have something for everyone, and so far I’m confident Obsidian can deliver on that promise.
Gamesradar

Everything about Pillars of Eternity seems to be hitting on the classic experience you would expect from an isometric view-RPG from the late '90s. There is an extensive character customization system that allows you to choose from races such as the traditional elf, dwarf, and human variety, but there is also a cone-headed race called the Godlike and several others unique to Pillars that change things up a bit. You'll gather loot, outfit your party with abilities and gear, and battle enemies using the game's active combat system.
The Sixth Axis

Going off the game’s initial pitch on Kickstarter, of revisiting the popular classic RPGs of the Infinity Engine, what Pillars of Eternity has actually come to be surpasses what I would have expected. It’s instead aiming for an expansive richness and depth to practically every facet of the game, whether it’s the new fantasy setting and time period or the breadth of playable possibilities which the character creation tools can create.
And as a bonus thanks to Vurt we have a new video from Giant Bomb.

Your favorite muscle wizards, Brad and Rorie, want to know if they can turn off their cloaks. Not that they ever would.
More information.
 
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That vid... I certainly got that Infinity Engine-game vibe!

Slowly getting excited for this one...
 
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That vid… I certainly got that Infinity Engine-game vibe!

Slowly getting excited for this one…

This is actually a pretty big deal. It's the first time the general public are getting a look at real game play. I'm liking it a lot, although I can already see how people will say it won't live up to the hype.

It's going to be difficult to best Baldur's Gate. BG has such an amazing story/plot, that it's going to be next to impossible to beat. Even to this day, I get goose bumps hearing the beginning of either BG or BG 2 theme song.

I bet it wouldn't take too long before someone mods Project Eternity to remake BG or BG2…
 
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After seeing the demo I really can't wait for this to be released. If I take my sweet time with WL2 I should be finished with it shortly before PoE is out.

Hopefully it will be friendly to low end systems lest I am forced to upgrade.
 
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One thing that really stood out to me is the wooden animations.I really hope they add in some dodge or weapon blocks into the fighting as its just characters whacking at each other till one drops.I did see a flinch by one enemy so I have hope.Clanging two swords together with tiny sparks is what I wanna see and even if the animations have to get cut short or only played at certain times it would help to make the nostalgic isometric game style fit better into the next gen era....IMO
 
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I don't have much time so I just quickly flicked through it. It definitely has Obsidians own charm… I'm not sure why but can't say I'm too excited, more like I'm interested. Still, really wish it will be out soon, all this wait is making me grumpy :p
 
One thing that really stood out to me is the wooden animations.I really hope they add in some dodge or weapon blocks into the fighting as its just characters whacking at each other till one drops.I did see a flinch by one enemy so I have hope.Clanging two swords together with tiny sparks is what I wanna see and even if the animations have to get cut short or only played at certain times it would help to make the nostalgic isometric game style fit better into the next gen era….IMO

Good point. I remember being quite impressed with how "interactive" the combat animations were in KOTOR. It seemed like combatants really were reacting to each other's attacks instead of just bashing away at each other like it appears here.

Also, I didn't finish the video but it really just seemed to be clicking at an enemy then waiting for combat to finish. Where are the active skills?
 
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In the first movie they released a year ago or so, looked really great, the trees and grass was moving in the wind, now it's all static except some leaves falling from the trees :/

but moving grass wasn't a stretch goal :D
 
In the first movie they released a year ago or so, looked really great, the trees and grass was moving in the wind, now it's all static except some leaves falling from the trees :/

leave it to Vurt to notice the game flora :biggrin:
 
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It's going to be difficult to best Baldur's Gate. BG has such an amazing story/plot, that it's going to be next to impossible to beat. Even to this day, I get goose bumps hearing the beginning of either BG or BG 2 theme song.

Agreed. Not as much BG, but BG2 definitely... the pinnacle of IE games, that one.

but moving grass wasn't a stretch goal :D

Hehehe. :)
 
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One major flaw that jumped out at me from the video is for some reason they are having a persistent "fog of war", so for the majority of the game play, it looks like the party is playing in a tunnel or something. Very strange. The fog of war darkness should dissipate permanently after exploring the area like in the classic infinity games, not hang around all the time.
 
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Nah, joxer specializes in respawns :lol:
 
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One major flaw that jumped out at me from the video is for some reason they are having a persistent "fog of war", so for the majority of the game play, it looks like the party is playing in a tunnel or something. Very strange. The fog of war darkness should dissipate permanently after exploring the area like in the classic infinity games, not hang around all the time.

In IE games, most of the time the party had an area covered (and certainly in linear dungeons), all monsters were dead. In PoE you'll often have the option to sneak past encounters (and still get XP/ loot). I think it's well and sound then if areas keep their "wild and dangerous" status. :)
 
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