Pillars of Eternity Review

Every once in a while, a title bursts on to the gaming scene with such tumultuous individuality and swagger that it redefines its genre. Doom brought 3D geometry to first person shooters, The Elder Scrolls: Arena took scale to the next level, and The Sims made mundane living an adventure. Pillars of Eternity neither breaks molds nor challenges expectations, but I am somehow drawn to call it a classic. Playing it is a retread of so many familiar paths from Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale, but at the same time it has just enough identity of its own to differentiate itself.

Pillars of Eternity begins as many classic RPGs do: the player is unceremoniously tossed into a life changing situation without a clue, being left to their own devices as they unravel the mysteries and pitfalls therein. I'm not talking about the epic fantasy plot, but character creation. The fascinating and mechanically complex rules that govern Pillars of Eternity aren't quite as confusing as the Death Saves and THACOs of AD&D, but are still difficult to comprehend. Even someone who is well versed in the classic Infinity Engine RPGs that inspired this title will have to search through pages of tooltips to fully understand the stats that comprise a solid character. Thankfully, there is an easy mode for those who don't want to worry about creating optimized characters.

Conversely, gamers who enjoy intricate RPG systems will be delighted by the eleven classes and the myriad backgrounds and professions that influence their stats. These kinds of players will likely get the most out of the game, as even a single class has diversity to how it can be built and played. I personally spent a great deal of time tweaking, testing, and perfecting my character. Getting the stat and ability spread on my psychic warrior just right was immensely satisfying, especially because it was so noticeable in combat - but more on that later. Once the trials of character creation are dealt with, the freshly minted adventurer embarks on a memorable, if familiar, journey.

The plot of Pillars of Eternity is nothing new. The player is thrust into a richly detailed fantasy world, filled with unpronounceable names and ancient nations, as a hero who has been blessed with special powers that are both rare and terrifying. Though it treads close to the sincerest form of flattery, Obsidian keeps the story and setting fresh with delicious details. The scars of a religious war that ended in pogroms and a horrifying curse, out of the ordinary gender dynamics, and fascinating books and bestiary entries provide a bevvy of history that, while thoroughly fantastical, reads naturally. Dialogue, too, is written in a manner that is impressively believable. Most characters speak like one might expect them to—they stumble over their feelings, need to take time to process, and sometimes launch into rants about their passions. Little quirks like those go a great way toward making the cast more than just quest vomiting window dressing or stat blocks to be thrown into the fray. Not that combat isn't entertaining: on the contrary, it's a tactical playground.

With a roster of traditional companions picked up during the plot and the option to hire on custom-built adventurers, battle is an exercise in diversity and adaptation. Some encounters are on the easy side and others are difficult enough to warrant temporary avoidance, but most fights in Pillars of Eternity are a gleeful exercise in play by play strategy. Spells and abilities are only usable in combat for the most part, which means that "pre-gaming" your party with buffs isn't possible, and being economical with time is paramount. Pausing to command one's team and then watching the spells, arrows, and blood fly in real time never gets old when there are so many ways to combine classes and abilities. Sometimes I like to open a fight with long term buffs and debuffs, others I plunge right in with the heavy hitters, and occasionally I stealthily set up risky flanking maneuvers. Combat in Pillars of Eternity is a great dance of trial and error that capitalizes on the strengths of the classic pause-and-go real time strategy that it owes its heritage to. However, there is a price for remaining so close to the titles that inspired it.

As I said before, Pillars of Eternity is nothing new. From the interface, to the combat, to the voice that reminds you to gather your party before venturing forth, the echoes of the past are ever present. Many of the shortcomings of the Infinity Engine have managed to transplant themselves; such as inexplicable pathfinding, unit selection issues, and the soundtrack failing to loop or update. The bugs are so disturbingly familiar that I half suspect that Obsidian put them in on purpose to create a comprehensively nostalgic experience. While some of these callbacks to a bygone age of RPGs are quaint, even the most benign contribute to a feeling of déjà vu. Graphics and audio are eerily similar, save for their smoother implementation with modern technology. For all its refinements and clever tweaks, Pillars of Eternity shall forever be an update. Pillars are perhaps the best metaphor when describing this game. Like great shaped marble, it towers above the foundation from whence it came, but is ultimately shackled to it.

But don't let my flowery language fool you into thinking that this is a bad game, or even an average game (or that I am actually eloquent). Pillars of Eternity is a blast to play and its story a joy to experience.