There was a time not so very long ago when the Dungeons and
Dragons RPG games where among the key reasons that gamers turned to the PC. Of
a stupidly high standard, engaging and massive in size it simply wasn’t
possible to get the same experience on a console. Games like Baldur’s Gate and
never Winter Nights let gamers into a world rich in lore and adventure and as
such most have a huge following even now. We’ve had a few enhanced editions of
older games but Pillars of Eternity is the first new game in the genre to come
out in a while.
Pillars of Eternity is certainly a spiritual successor to
the best in the genre and anyone familiar with the style of those games will
know what to expect here. You view the game from a sort of isometric/top down
view and click around rather lovely looking enclosed maps to move your
adventurers around. The presentation is very close to other games of this type
in terms of display with the only real changes being to stream line the system
so that things like spells and weapons are easier to sort out and use.
Of course, this isn’t a game in the Dungeons and Dragons
universe so there is a fair amount of things to get used to. There are unfamiliar
races and classes and we spent quite a long time having to read through the
descriptions of things before finally settling on which type of character to
build. To start with we did feel a bit lost but then that has to expected when a
game of this size basically builds a new set races, classes and the general
lore of the land.
Luckily, the combat works much the same as before and if you’ve
played any other Obsidian games then you’ll know what to expect. Its turn based
with time freezing when you first encounter enemies so that you can set up your
initial strikes. Each character has any special commands, spells or alternative
equipment displayed above their portrait on the main screen and getting them to
do something requires a mouse click and then another click where you want them
to execute it. If everything is getting too hectic you can also pause the combat
by pressing the space button. When your character performs an action you then
have to wait for a bar to run down before they will then perform the next.
The visual design of the game is strong and helps to draw
you into the world. New areas cry out to be explored fully and there are lots
of hidden treasures to be found so it keeps things interesting. There are also
suitably epic and brooding musical scores to accompany the visuals which set
the scene excellently. The addition of some colour blind options is also a very
welcome sight as the initial set up of friend and foe is that of red and green.
Clicking the colour blind options changes friendly targets to blue which will
at least help some people. Changing the shapes around friend and foe would have
made things evens clearer but it is a least a solid first step to accessibility.
The story itself is suitably epic (and slightly familiar) as
well. We’ve certainly scene a main character in these types of games before who
suffers from strange visions. That said the games plot is so dense and there is
so much else to see and do along the way that something somewhere was always likely
to seem a little familiar. Indeed, sub quests will fill up your journal like no tomorrow
and there’s also a stronghold and crafting to get involved with.
We won’t even pretend to say that we have managed to
complete everything the game has to offer but what we can say with confidence
is that it has kept us interested for hours on end and it is highly likely that
we will. In a game of this size that is the real trick as there has got to be
about fifty hours of game in here at a conservative estimate and when to take
into account trying out different classes you are going to be reaching into the
hundreds.
Overall, Pillars of Eternity is a triumphant return to the
genre. It’s filled with moments of wonder and sends you on an adventure more
epic than pretty much anything else we’ve seen over the last ten years. There’s
so much detail in the world that you can’t help to be drawn in and there’s some
much flexibility in how to play that it really allows you to try and adventure
in the way you want to. The writing and voice acting is also excellent. If you’ve
been looking for a truly epic adventure then this is the game for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment