Pillars of Eternity Review (PC)

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.

Overall 9/10

Baldur's Gate 2: Enhanced Edition Review (PC)

The Baldur’s Gate series has long held the position of being among the best RPG’s of all time. The depth of tactics and customisation of character are often considered unparalleled and the worlds which they allow players to explore are both breath-taking in scale and rich with detail and magic. But it’s been a long time since the game first released and we decided to take a look at the enhanced edition of the second game to see if it still holds the same wonder so many years on.

Following on directly from the events of the first game, you awaken in a cage with little memory of what has happened. You’re soon sprung by a party member and reunited with Minsc and Boo (the killer hamster) and a collection of other characters from the first game. From then on it’s time to escape and uncover your fate. We don’t want to give much away but your quest will take you to dark dungeons, have you deal with sly dragons and mages and clash with some of toughest monsters in the Dungeons and Dragons bestiary. It’s both a long and difficult journey, but always a rewarding and engaging one.

The first thing to say is that the rule set still holds strong. Dungeons and Dragons has a pretty solid system underpinning its world and everything works properly here. It can be frustrating to repeatedly fail something on the role of a dice but then that’s what quick saves are for. It’s also a system still used in many an RPG today and we don’t see that changing any time soon. Everything from detecting traps to combat and healing is dealt with via virtual dice rolls and once you get used to it you’ll be carefully balancing the strengths and weaknesses of your party with ease.

The game takes the traditional RPG approach of being viewed from a semi top down/isometric perspective. Nothing much has changed here, with the enhanced graphics adding a layer of extra clarity but little else. You can zoom in and out and rotate to get a better view of things and anyone familiar with games like Fallout will be right at home here. There’s a new wide screen option to make things better on modern displays as well.

Aside from a nominal graphical brush up there have been other additions made to the game. First of all you now get everything with the incredibly challenging expansion ‘Throne of Baal’ now packed in. There are also new companions to meet and use with new areas relating to them to explore. Throw the super challenging ‘Black Pits 2’ as well and you’ve got a big game complimented by a sizable amount of new content. This certainly isn’t something that’s only going to last a few days.

There are a few things with the game we would like to have seen dealt with though. The original game came with a manual the size of War and Peace and within it pretty much every spell and weapon was explained. The digital version doesn’t have this (Obviously), and you have to right click on things to see their full description. A simple overlay of text while you hold the mouse over items and icons and a quicker way of seeing the effects changing armour and weapons have would have been really useful and acted to streamline the experience. 

A better way of collecting gold and gear from fallen enemies could also have been implemented as individually clicking on fifteen goblins and clicking on fifteen lots of gold, weapons and whatever else they are carry does become irritating and modern day gamers really aren’t ready for this. When you compare this to something like Diablo 3 is shows just how far back some of the mechanics are. 

The last grumble is characters dying. It’s become a pretty much accepted concept now that unless the main hero dies then party members are simply knocked out until the end of the battle. Not here, when they die they turn to bones and drop all their gear. Not an issue if you have a rod of resurrection but they are hard to find and players can find themselves simply overwhelmed early on if they aren’t careful. Losing a character early removes chunks of the game as well so we would have at least liked the option to stop this.

However, any faults are minor irritations in the scheme of things. Once you get to grips with the pace and way you need to approach the game this is still one of the most rewarding adventures to undertake. There really is little else like it and nothing else we have come across is quite as epic or grand in both its ambition and the journey the player undertakes. For Dungeons and Dragons and PC RPG fans this is as good as it gets and you should dive in without hesitation.

Overall 9/10