![]() ![]() The interface is neat and concise, laying out your tactical options in a clear and easily accessible way. Knowing exactly how long your buffs or penalties will last to the second, rather than in vague and abstract ‘turns’, makes a huge difference. It definitely takes a little getting used to – there’s some reworked terminology that even those used to the familiar D&D setup will have to wrap their heads around – but once it clicks it really works. Rather than a clunky pen and paper adaptation, Pillars’ system introduces more manageable concepts like per encounter abilities, real-timed duration effects, and a far more intuitive set of core statistics that won’t gut your character if you make a non-traditional choice (Obsidian likes to use the example of bumping up the Might stat for a brawny, powerful wizard, rather than sinking points in the more traditional Intellect stat). These are all smart changes, and they make adventuring remarkably smooth and hassle-free.Ĭombat benefits greatly from a rules system designed specifically for a video game. Loot is blessedly free of fiddly inventory management, with anything that isn’t a direct-use item or a wearable bit of gear going straight to your bottomless ‘Stash’, which can be accessed at any time while out in the field. Alternatively, a half-speed option gives you more time to think in combat. A fast travel speed has been added to make crossing huge areas you’ve already explored less tedious. Obsidian haven’t merely recreated systems, they’ve gone in under the hood to improve everything that was frustrating about the isometric CRPG, and enhance everything that already worked well. That’s not the only thing that’s been improved from the games that inspired Pillars of Eternity. Fighters, the vanilla choice for most newcomers to this kind of game, are no longer the sword-swinging training dummies they were in the Baldur’s Gate series, and instead pack a handful of abilities that allow them to lock down enemies, knock them prone, or charge into the fray to get up close and personal with an enemy as quickly as possible. Mechanics like this showcase Obsidian’s more creative system designs, but in truth each class has a bunch of really cool abilities that makes them feel powerful in their own right. This battle is really dragon on, isn't it guys?. You can even name your favourite tracks, marching around the fantasy landscape summoning up storms with your voice like a kind of medieval Tom Jones. Build up enough of these phrases and you can release a powerful spell, summoning skeletons or blasting enemies with thunder. They can create songs out of various magical phrases, generating buffs and beneficial effects as they sing. ![]() The latter possess some of the most interesting mechanics in the game. Classes range from your familiar fighters and barbarians (good at hitting stuff in the face with bits of metal), to wizards and priests (spell-flingers), and more esoteric classes like ciphers and chanters. I’m aching to do so.Ĭharacter creation is robust enough that I spent hours choosing my character’s race and finer background details. The visual design, down to the weapon and armour models, is cohesive and beautiful. Each new map you encounter is another treat to be savoured as you slowly strip away the fog of war. I’m gushing, I know, but for all the high-tech wizardry of modern RPG engines, there’s something magical about the painterly style of Pillars. Deer skitter away as your party heads deeper into the woods, bursting into a clearing where a group of Glanfathan hunters wait with axes and bows drawn. Waterfalls roar past ancient, moss-covered ruins, sun twinkling on the rushing river below. ![]() Those ultra-crisp painted backgrounds are so sharp and detailed you could almost sink into them, each map sketched with painstaking detail and care. I barely had the time for one playthrough for this review, but I’m itching to start over with a new character and make some different choices to see how the story shifts.Ī quick word on the art style this game is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever played. There’s an excellent villain (though he’s not the cackling, moustache-twirling sort, has his own motivations and is all the more effective for it), plenty of neat twists in the tale, and lots of opportunities for the player to impact proceedings. The plot itself takes a little while to get going, but once the rousing second act climax plays out it builds up to a fascinating, absorbing conclusion. Here's my brave troupe of adventurers, fresh back from kicking a dragon in the fruits ![]()
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