Pillars of Eternity: Retrospective Review

[@Noxicusz]

I just wish Obsidian makes a PoE 3 after Avowed.

[@changsiah2]

pillars of Eternity 3 if Avowed does well ( considering Avowed it's going to be basically Obsidian take on Skyrim even though they're now basically best buds with bethesda now after Microsoft bought zenimax)

[@grimmpickins2559]

They were also disappointed that Deadfire didn't sell better, nor Tyranny. I like both, to varying degrees, but there was something about the original PoE that really sticks with me. I thought avowed was actually going to share world-space with the PoE games... that may have changed.

[@Socomnick]

I think part of the lack of sales were due to it not being set in a Pathfinder or d&d world.

[@kovmenius]

@@grimmpickins2559 Avowed is set in PoE world

[@jakobfel2]

@@Socomnick I don't think that's what caused its low sales. The problem is that these games are niche, even for RPG fans nowadays, as RPGs have mostly moved to action-oriented RPG gameplay or open world RPG gameplay (usually a combo of both). I love and tend to prefer that approach but I still find the classic isometric, party-driven RPG formula to have such immense charm and fun factor. This is especially true for Obsidian's take on this form of RPG, as PoE and Tyranny have proven.

[@ignifero]

As a funny fact: both Aloth and Eder are voiced by Matt Mercer, the GM of Critical Role.

[@tedik737]

Holy shit! I juuuust discovered Critical Role and spent half a day watching them. I felt sudden urge to play some RPG and decided to play this. I've just met both Aloth and Eder and took a break to watch this video and saw your comment. Thats awesome.

[@ignifero]

@@tedik737 hahah yeah. I love those characters and this game so much ^^

[@jurandspychow3766]

What are you buyin

[@Arcukah-eq4tz]

I believe a few of critical roll voice party members i thing counting matt i think there are 4cor 5 of them

[@hostidz]

I never thought real time with pause would appeal to me... until Pillars came and changed everything. The Visuals, the writing, the world ... This is my Baldurs Gate 1. The story, oh my god I was hooked! WAIT, WHAT? YOU DIDN"T LIKE DURANCE?! oh my goodness

[@thepancakemann]

Passed on Pillars 1 and 2 despite being a massive Obsidian fan for no other reason than they came out at the wrong time in my life. I've come to understand in my years of living that Josh Sawyer can do no wrong. edit: But Obsidian definitely needs to figure out an inventory system that doesn't suck ass.

[@grimmpickins2559]

The first time I dropped into PoE, I felt overwhelmed by lore and world building... and I walked away for a bit probably after the beginning of Act 2. I'm a lifelong tabletop and CRPG player, and at 47... it's been a few decades. When I came back to PoE, it was completely the opposite - I had remembered enough of the first go around to really embrace the lore. And I think the game holds up to repeated playing because of that beautifully crafted environment. This is one of the best reviews I've seen of the game - it's honest, critical, yet still points to it's unique place. It is easily one of my 5 favorite CRPGs. Also, Durance grows on you - because he's abrasive and complicated, his story wraps up with panache. Thanks. I'm subscribed now.

[@gravitysiave9944]

Lol I did the same thing, only I was drinking. Was playing Warzone all night with friends and having a good time. They all went to bed but I wanted something more, a game I could relax with. First 20 minutes I'm squinting at the TV all cross eyed " _No F'n way i can read all this!_ " lol

[@grimmpickins2559]

I didn't say I wasn't drinking... LOL... either time ;) It isn't often nowadays when a game really info-dumps you so hard... And that is where it really shares kindred spirit with Baldur's Gate 1 and, especially, 2. The worldbuilding is definitely on point, just... a lot. I'm a chef by day (night?) so I often get games I think, "This will be a good chillout and kill monsters RPG for late nights." I also refuse to play any Infinity Engine style of game on anything less than 'Core' or 'Hard', or whatever variation of that. Did not make a successful first run, I got my ass wiped out repeatedly in that first castle run...

[@MikaelaCaliber]

This game introduced me to Obsidians's game design and writing. Excelent game, one of the best experiences I had in a game.

[@mtndill]

My first CRPG. Now playing PoE II and I think they’re my favourite games ever.

[@Jack91790]

Do you have any interest in Avowed based on your experience with those games?

[@leramar]

I also found the exposition dumps to be a bit tedious and confusing early on. Everyone talked about all of these locations, historical events, wars, factions and gods as if your character already knew about them. It took a while for what was going on to really fall into place. Still enjoyed it overall though. Playing through the sequel now.

[@MCxGingerstein]

1.

[@robf5230]

Purchased this because of your review. Same with Shadow Gambit, Underrail, and probably a few more before the Steam Winter Sale is over. Thank you for exposing us to so many gems from the past and present.

[@merciful_poseidon]

Your channel is the entire reason for my revitalized love of crpg’s. Since following, I’ve picked up PoE 1&2, Divinity 2, Baldur’s Gate 1-3, Icewind Dale & Planescape…loving all that I’ve touched so far, even with more complicated controls and a THAC0 system. Keep up the awesomeness 🎉

[@JcHellspawn]

This was my my first isometric crpg (i specified isometric because i'm not sure some of the games i have played can be considered a crpg). But not because i'm young and wasn't around when most of the classics came out, but because i was mostly a console player back then. But i fell in love with this game and its sequel, and it introduced me to a genre i never even knew existed until like a year and a half ago. Now i'm playing the original baldurs gate, i have played divinity original sin 1 and 2, planescape torment, pathfinder kingmaker, neverwinter nights 2 and i just want to keep playing more and more. This game has a special place in my heart.

[@felipec.santos4370]

I got completely blown away by this game back then and it's still one of my favourite rpgs ever!

[@travissmith9894]

Subscribed! Awesome stuff! Pillars was actually my first ever CRPG (I played through Kotor 1 & 2 as a kid but I dont really count those), I picked it up on a whim, it took forever to click for me but once it did I was OBSESSED! After beating the first game I immediately backed PoE 2 on kickstarter. Since then I've played almost every relevant Crpg (even the older D&D BG games which hold up pretty well if you can get past some of the jank). Great to see someone covering these games so in depth! I know it's going to be a lot different but I cant wait for Avowed. I also hope we at least get to explore some of the Dyrwood in Avowed because I love that setting so much.

[@grimmpickins2559]

If you want the jank in the BG series gone, get into modding the games - it isn't that hard and it is EXTREMELY addictive. That series became my all time favorite because I could modify the game so fully. Really, in many ways, it is the godfather of modern game modding - it really created a subculture of amateur programmers in its own way.

[@wesrulesflooring]

I’m playing Poe again for the 4th time on my switch. This game keeps me coming back. I really love it.

[@skodedickinson6544]

I love this game for its adult story and adult lore. Some of the quests are really dark, some of the dialogue is crude, some characters are unapologetically offensive. The writers had a story to tell and got to tell it their own way without pandering to mass market. It's why also some of its party members are the most memorable to me in any video game - especially how often they wind each other up. You've got a masochist monk, serial killer golem, upper class mate with a foul mouthed alternative female personality, a priest who is straight up an asshole (he's awesome) and a horny druid. It's unmatched in any game I've played since. Books which are grimdark are BOOMING, there is an audience for dark gritty storytelling laced with humour. Obsidian need to keep leaning on this type of storytelling - they're prob among the best storytellers in video games.

[@samueltheprideofafrikarobi9319]

I wanted to love this game a lot more than I did. The story, the world building and the characters were all top notch. The combat system was sufficiently nostalgic and intuitive once you learned its quarks. The companions were mostly all memorable. And Caed Nua, your ability to expand it, your role you take there as a Lord and the quest concerning it's lower depths was all MIND BLOWING. But DAMN the load times and crashes on consoles (I'm a PS4 player) nearly destroyed all of the title's good faith. It was, quite literally, the strength of the story alone that forced me through it. I'm a hardcore RPG'er. When I fall in love with an expansive title, I implant myself and my OCD nature totally in its world and the more of a life I can live there the better. Given that I LOVE to organize my home bases, it was...a struggle when it came to going to my personal quarters to organize and store my items and my companions items. To go from the world, to the castle, to the living quarters, to the second floor of the living quarters and back again was to endure a gauntlet of 8 or more loading screens which were all oppressively long. And the more you did in the game, the more unstable its architecture became and the more it would crash; often DURING said screens. It got to the point where it would take me upwards of 30 minutes to make a round and I was forced to abandon that aspect of my preferred method of gameplay. It was a distressing. And what made it worse was that even after all of the patching by the devs, this was never fixed for console players. The overall story and gameplay of PoE was good enough to me as a package that I purchased PoE2: Deadfire at release and it's currently on my backlog. I only hope that when I get around to playing it (likely after I finish Torment: Tides of Numenera and Divinity: Original Sin II), that it doesn't suffer from the same fatal flaw.

[@mtae5]

Yea PoE2 has load screens everywhere. Really sucks.

[@jfdiseg]

I got if for free on Epic Games, now I'm addicted to it. What a great experience. Sometimes the options on the dialogues spoil things that our character can't possibly now at that moment, which ends up breaking the immersion. For example, first time at Dyrford Village I went to the Inn and when I talked to the bartender I got the option to ask about the problem with the pigs, which I didn't know anything about. I wish this didn't happen. I had the same experience in other obsidian games but this time felt more noticeable. You start to see the pattern in the dialogues and it's kind of frustrating sometimes. Besides these small details, this game is really addictive once you understand the different classes. Being able to change the difficulty at any given moment is also really useful.

[@UnlimitedBlakeWorks]

Didn't know avowed was set here, thank goodness, i think an established world will help it along

[@Warrandpeace]

I actually thought divinity original sin 2 was much harder to adapt to in terms of classes and rpg mechanics. That game literally does not tell you that mixing a party between magic and physical damage is not good. It also does not tell you about lots of intricacies between different perks and abilities you can get.

[@molliethomas2585]

I remember not liking Grieving Mother all that much, but Hiravius was the shit. I absolutely loved him and wished he'd shown up sooner.

[@molliethomas2585]

@@kronozord8346 Ikr😂

[@travissmith9894]

Haha for me it was the opposite. I liked Grieving Mother because her story is really interesting, and her class is cool. To be fair though I didnt spend nearly enough time with Hiravis and Sangi ( though I read her backstory novella). Hiravis kinda reminded me of a fuzzy gollum

[@dudeguybro]

Ciphers are the shiznit, though. I actually didn't like her during my first playthrough because I didn't know how to use Ciphers. Try having her in the party again. Good times!

[@mancamiatipoola]

You can get Greiving Mother in act 2 AFTER Dyrford becomes an accessible location on the map. You have to play a bit of the story to get that event to happen. But it is well worth it because i absolutely loved the cypher abilities. A great combo of caster, archer and debuffer pretty unique to this game. I love it when RPGs invent interesting new classes. In my second play i will definitely rush to get her as early as possible simply because i never liked the elf mage. He was scrawny and weak and always died first, while GM has held her own even against two enemies at times. Hard to learn to combo her skills, but when you do, the cypher becomes THE caster class in this game. Also i instantly loved Hiravis because he turned into a BEAST and mauled people while also being the best healer in the game. It is a shame you get a healer so late in the campaign, but in my first play i picked a paladin and that was a good choice which i never regretted.

[@01What10]

CRPGs have been my favorite genre since the early 90s, and they still are today. I can't get enough of them, and I am so thankful developers are still making them and innovating. More recent like the POE series, Tyranny, Underrail, Divinity Original Sin series, Torment: Tides of Numenera, Wasteland 2 and 3, Atom RPG, Encased, I feel spoiled these days. There was a long time when there weren't a lot of games like this being made. I really hope Obsidian will end up making a POE 3. At the same time, I am looking forward to Avowed, as I love the POE world and lore. It is a good time to be a CRPG fan, that much is certain.

[@JeremyRichard82]

Back in 2019 I beat this on Path of the Damned, but I don't remember much from it. I played it on normal and loved it, minus the "average" reveal of the ending which didn't appeal to me on a philosophical level. So, I loaded it up last week and realized that I've forgotten just about everything, and here we are. I vaguely remember liking the game so much that I wanted the extra challenge, then I wanted to do an Ironman SOLO run. I think I was a few hours into that when I decided just to try POE II. But I think I may load this up, play it all over again thanks to these videos.

[@dankah3834]

This is a really comprehensive and straight-shooting review! Much appreciated. I'm going to give this game another shot since last time I played on "normal" and found it insanely hard. I kept dying to a bear near the beginning and kind of never came back lol. I'll try a new run on easy!

[@waveplay3978]

That bear was kind of a meme back then the game came out. Its kind of a difficulty spike that a lot of people run into, especially because at the beginning your party is still incomplete and you're likely to not quite know how everything works

[@dankah3834]

@@waveplay3978 Omg lol I'm glad I'm not crazy! I've played like Baulders Gate and Neverwinter Nights in the past so I figured I'd be okay and the BAM. A big old bear destroyed me haha.

[@TheSoundSpell]

I really like the Game, but it has some weird ass difficulty spikes. First time I reached Elmshore I got eradicated! And that wasn’t even the damn Ogre bounty…

[@LuiDeca]

pillars IS a hard game even on easy. I'm getting my ass kicked in the white march despite being overleveled

[@mancamiatipoola]

Yes, this was very weird for me because i had played CRPGs and TBS games before so i naturally went with normal difficulty, but the game kicked my ass thoroughly. Also i do remember that cave bear and i know i had several reloads there. After running many levels of the Endless Path during act 2 i became a grizzled veteran of this game. The Endless Path is the multi-level dungeon under the citadel that becomes yours in act 2. It is a maze of tunnels, dungeons and murder rooms full of all types of enemies so it serves like a gauntlet challenge in which you have to return to at multiple higher levels to complete because each lower floor of the dungeon has progressively harder enemies. I haven't seen this in other CRPGs and i really liked the challenge. Sometime during act 3 i thought the normal dif was too easy and i switched to hard for a while, but i immediately regreted it in one forest that was full of tough enemies which gave me a thorough beating and told me to go back to normal, cuz im still a scrub. I humbly accepted their suggestions. :D I really loved the story and the excellent writing in this game and i had blisters on my left thumb from all the times i pressed space by the end of it. :) Im glad you went back to it because it is a great RPG. 10/10

[@ryancronin7897]

Really got me back into CRPGs in a big way. And I find nothing compares to it (that's definitely my bias talking.) Cipher is my favorite class in any rpg ever.

[@grabeck666]

The very important thing to mention about attributes, which is unique for this game and I wish it would be done much more often is that every attribute is usefull for literally every class. You can do warrior with max int and it will have perfect sense, you can make mage with max dexterity and low int and it will also have perfect sense. I hate when you have like 6-7 attributes in a game and whole idea behind them is max THIS and you good.

[@bryceharney5960]

I love the fact that even when I mess up and go to a spot I can't get through (level reasons) I can restart this game and still find a new way to handle shit. This game and these types of games are phenomenal for their customization, choices (and their impacts), the story and the tactical combat. There is very little I can say negatively about this game and "Obsidian" as a whole. The complaints I do have are more nit-picky than anything such as slow downs with a lot of combat action on screen or a slight frame rate dip here and again (Switch player) and even on the PS4 version, there was slight dips. This game is in my top 10 for a wide array of reasons.

[@jfksghost2743]

Completely agree with your review the game is hard to pick up and go if you've never played a CRPG. My first run of the game I'm running a Cipher but I've been using alot of build specs to get the max out of my Characters. But once u get past that initial first step the game is amazing such a rich and detailed world. Can't wait to play the sequel.

[@alballeda2919]

It's great to see how much this channel has grown over the years, this channel has become my favorite by far in terms of video games! Btw, the last time I played PoE I ran into an issue where the fog around the screen completely disappeared. I havent' found any solution to this problem yet, I would be very grateful if someone could help me 😊

[@justinsmith5582]

Along with might, I think Intelligence increasing your AoE is important to note. I'm playing as a barbarian and his most important stat is Int, so he gets a larger cleave area on every attack. Not very thematic for a barbarian but makes the RP interesting.

[@JcHellspawn]

That's what i love about this system. Its so flexible. You can make any build you want, no matter how stupid it sounds, and you will still be able to beat the game with it. I don't mind systems like DnD that are more restrictive. But i find it much more enjoyable when a game has a system like this.

[@djc9213]

Thank you for reviewing the game. This is one of my all time favorite crpg's. So I was curious what you had to say about it. I will comment on one thing. The story in any game for me is more of an afterthought. For me the creation of a character and all that they go through during the coarse of a game is the real story. It came down to just me and the last boss with a hit from either of us would kill the other. Finishing the game in that manner was the most satisfying and memorable experience I have had in a game in a long time. And that became my story with everything in between:)

[@TheRubsi]

PSA: You can get grieving mother in act 1. But if you follow the main quest you won't meet her until later.

[@theral056]

I thought Dyrfort is act2? Am I missing or just misremembering something?

[@BearfaxII]

@@theral056 Act 2 doesn't officially begin until you enter Defiance Bay, I'm pretty sure.

[@mancamiatipoola]

You can only get Greiving Mother in act 2 AFTER Dyrford becomes an accessible location on the map. You have to play a bit of the story to get that event to happen. But it is well worth it because i absolutely loved the cypher abilities. A great combo of caster, archer and debuffer pretty unique to this game. I love it when RPGs invent interesting new classes. In my second play i will definitely rush to get her as early as possible simply because i never liked the elf mage. He was scrawny and weak and always died first, while GM has held her own even against two enemies at times.

[@TheRubsi]

@@mancamiatipoola When does act 2 start, isn't it when you enter defiance bay? Because i am pretty sure you don't have to do that before getting griefing mother. But it's been a while since I played.

[@Arthur_url]

PoE 1 is what got me into CRPGs for good. One of my favorite games of all time, the writing in this one is top notch. Currently playing the second game and I'm loving it as well

[@sumbius1576]

Weirdly enough Durance is one of my alltime favorite crpg companions. Perhaps not likable but a really interesting character. Played my first playthrough on expert path of the damned and the early game and dragon bosses were really challenging but I enjoyed it greatly except for the fact that expert mode hides spell aoe area which so many stats and buffs affect. That made many spells almost unusable. Obviously had to use build guides as reference since it was an unfamiliar system but I really enjoyed playing on path of the damned.

[@im_cart8656]

My only advice to other new crpg players is dont stress builds, if you do what feels "right" then its probably good enough to beat the game (on normal.) And have most your ppl play ranged weapons as edur will block doorways so him and somebody with a spear as offtank behind him is all the melee you need

[@Visual_Writer]

I just restarted POE lately. You have to get familiar with the complex and unusual system, often not quite intuitive, in order to enjoy it’s full potential. In fact, Char Building and the combat system become really enjoyable, once you get it. It’s pretty tactical, from party composition, over positioning and using the right attacks on the right enemies. It has a great atmosphere, in fact my favorite one from all crpgs, and very well crafted companion stories and a intriguing premise. Sadly, some stuff is just poorly executed, sometimes diminishing the beautiful atmosphere or solving strong starting plots rather weak. Ups, just wrote my own little review, cause I like the game and play it pretty much these days.😂

[@JuanAMatos-zx4ub]

Nice review, Mortim. In Act 3 the main city opens up again after a little bit.

[@reyrey5217]

Just finished pathfinder kingmaker and I'm so shocked such great games like Dragon Age: Origin exists. I'm excited to try this one and part 2! I just wish they were fully voiced like DA:O

[@PegasusMyth]

Divinity sins 2 the best

[@PegasusMyth]

@@304enjoyer3 so wich one you like then ?

[@SirCanuckelhead]

@304 enjoyer “cringe” take

[@nerolykk]

Thanks for Larian and Owlcat for reviving this genre

[@Multiverzeeternall]

That looks like there are 7 characters in the party? Good, I'm already for more games like this, they should all match the cinematicness of Baulders Gate 3 while making them and they will be instant classics no doubt

[@fallitcher9531]

Great review, got the game for free on Epic and played it now.

[@maxrobe]

POE is a bit of a bell curve. Starts rough, White March parts one and two are really good, then it tails off. (That said with certain choices you can have a boat covered in bird poop in Deadfire).

[@andrewvincent7299]

POE should have been more of what White March was like. Classic fantasy with high stakes and that great Obsidian touch to it. Instead if a boring story that tried to be every classic rpg of the 90s but failed along with a contrived story about souls and some such nonsense. White March parts 1 and 2 was Obsidian's best work since MOTB.

[@user-eq3dx4eg3z]

One of the best games that I played obsidian never disappointed me, great review keep up the good work

[@JosieJOK]

I picked up this game after playing DOS 2. DOS 2 was my first cRPG game, and I totally fell in love! So when Steam recommended this one, I thought “why not?” I…didn’t like it. I felt like the story took forever to get going, and I just never felt engaged with it. The companions seemed bland (granted, I never collected all of them) except for Durance, who was just plain annoying. I tried playing on Normal, quickly realized I was in over my head and switched to Easy, but I don’t think I ever got the hang of the gameplay. I didn’t like the real time with pause gameplay, especially after getting so used to turn-based with DOS 2. I’d never played D&D or anything with similar rule sets, so it was quite the learning curve figuring out how to build my character-I don’t think I ever got it right before I gave up. Every time I heard someone talk about how much they loved this game, I’d re-download it and give it another try, but ultimately, it never clicked for me and I just gave up. I’m enjoying BG3, and I’ll probably try Solasta, Crown of the Magister, so I’m still interested in exploring the genre.

[@flamensteinsdankmemestash]

Great game, what I loved about it was the nihilistic outlook. You think gods are you regular affair (what I thought when first playing it), but then the twist comes and the dialogue at the end where the guy explains why things are the way they are with them looking for evidence but couldn't find it, so they did what they did. Beautifuly done.

[@gunny6517]

Just started playing this game, so thanks for this review!

[@RainWalker24c]

Excellent review Mortismal! I just got a sealed complete edition copy for $10 shipped! I got to play a bit with gamepass trial on xsx. Never was into these types of games but this one pulled me in lol. Glad I don't have to wait for a poe 2.

[@destroso]

I always loved this type of game and bought this game as soon as it came out but never got into it like I used to with the older CRPGs I played

[@zachkitchens1030]

I could never get into this game despite being a huge fan of bg2, planescape torment, icewind dale, etc. Can't put my finger on why exactly but it just didnt do it for me. It's on my list to give another shot to one day though.

[@zrasam]

Funny how I get both Haravius and Grieving Mother as soon as Act 2 starts ( I went exploring a lot ) lmao. I haven't even been to the Defiance Bay yet.

[@AtomicBrows]

Thanks to your review on this one, and deadfire after 100%, I’m finally working up the courage to play crpgs after bg3. Thank you for your service, good man 🫡

[@shivablaster4825]

Just finished this game a few hours ago (my first CRPG). Gotta say I never expected to enjoy it as much as I did. I thought the reading would get tedious and sometimes it did lol but I actually didn't mind it. I'm wishing it was longer lol. Gonna take a break to play other games but will definitely be checking out Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale in the future (gotem on my Steam wishlist).

[@gravitysiave9944]

Hiw many hours did you put in? Any tips for new players?

[@speedrakk]

im still playing this wonderfull game.

[@pronoydutta614]

Thank you for this review! It was really good. Poe was phenomenal mid game in particular. That interlocking of political intrigue as well as a fantasy based crisis was the heart of this game. It petered out a bit near the end, but a lot of diligence went into the execution here. I hope there are more games like this in the future and the depth and breadth of a serious storyline and world is something future games take away from Poe. Great game and a classic that earns its status imo. Maybe a few small issues on occasion, but that's just nit picking at this point/subjective aspects.

[@Fantsmacle]

I wish the PoE company would remake the original 2 Baldur's Gate games. I love how they captured the original joy of when I played BG. Would have been so great to play BG with the looks and music of PoE.

[@thestew56]

"May u wander in wisdom" i really like that

[@tehkingleyoneh]

I managed to snag this game a while back for free on Epic Games. I dropped the game shortly after because i was struggling on the hard difficulty. This review definitely convinced me to give it another shot on a lower difficulty!

[@cesarzepeda8291]

Try easy it is still a challenge

[@JGD185]

I feel like there are so many crpgs I don't know where to start. Pillars, Pathfinder, D:OS, not sure which one to play next

[@mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299]

I got this on the steam sale for cheap super happy I did. Made a Orlan Priest and got into a theosophical discussion with the barbarians resulting in them freeing my buddy without hurting them because they were so annoyed at my religious argument concerning their gods and the ruins around them. Hilarious :P

[@RPGmodsFan]

I do not like PoE. However, I do not regret buying it, because at the same time I was buying it, Divinity Original Sin (the first one, and at the time, I have not heard of it before) was being heavily advertised and discounted before I proceeded to the Checkout. So, I decided to purchase DOS1 as well. DOS1 turned out to be a fantastic game, and PoE turned out to be a disappointment. But, that is just my opinion.

[@djscrawny1565]

Do you think if the companies made instruction manuals that could be downloaded and printed it would help? Like a strip of paper in the game box or note in beginning of game with website to go to and download. I am coming from the console side of things. A manual that would explain the mechanics of game not so much control scheme.

[@cmdr.jabozerstorer3968]

My edition of PoE comes with a Manual, a Strategy Guide, a Map and even a novella. The Strategy Guide is actually really good and worth a read (including Lore) and helps you understand the systems better too.

[@QbertTehKiller]

ngl i got defensive when you said "old game".. i dont want 2015 to be old yet lmao.

[@JoaoAntonio-mu4bi]

Great review, gained a subscriber

[@mt0068]

I found this to be not one for the casuals...Even on normal I found the combat punitive - with big shifts even in the same dungeon that catch you out. A wealth of stats that are poorly explained as well. I saw people recommending certain builds and strategies (especially for the more alt classes like Cipher) but I found the best technique was to simply summon as many creatures as possible while my main characters dealt damage... I found my normal cavalier approach of rushing headlong had to turn into a creep almost into range strategy, buff and then cross my fingers, Many abilities in combat also rely on a levelling up - so stronger abilities unlock while in combat (the Chanter being a good example) but I found the AI was keen to spam lower level abilities However for all its faults it really felt like a lot of thought had gone into the world and its lore

[@nexishadow]

Thanks for making this, you are the man

[@Notsram77]

Every couple of years I try to play this game, and after 3-4 hours Steam overwrites my save. Next time, I'll disable Cloud Saves from the start (if I remember)

[@jacobbronsky464]

Great review !

[@justinsmith5582]

I got Grieving mother and Hiravias before I went to the city for Pallagina...

[@bcpond]

One small thing that got me is how they tried to make might a universal stat yet there is not a single caster might check in the whole game.

[@baalnostalgia9547]

I'm so sad to hear you didn't like Durance. To me, he's one of the best characters in the game. He's a mean, dirty old man, who might just know a few things. Even if you actively dislike him; you have to admit it takes good writing to provoke such a reaction.

[@pillarman-3127]

Sad.They did remove per-rest spells feature in Deadfire. I really love Baldur’s Gate spell mechanic and POE was closed to my liking.

[@shimmerback]

Great review -might actually pick this up now. Out of curiosity, are you no longer doing 100% or is this an outlier?

[@MortismalGaming]

It has a kickstarter achievement that I can't get legitimately, so mostly an outlier

[@kjs8495]

This was really helpful, thanks. 🙂

[@speedrakk]

also playing solasta crown of magistrate. very good crpg.

[@astolfo2305]

no my type games might give it try when its 4.99 would i skip pillars 1 since pillars 2 have turn based i like wasteland/FE type combat

[@michaelv7394]

Great Review! Great Channel. Currently in my first playtrough. Just a question i have seem to got the Druid and Grieving Mother quite quickly, just after the keep. I just helder east. Havent found the paladin companion yet. Did i miss her or did something wrong?

[@MortismalGaming]

Shes in a warehouse in the dock district of the big city, have to do a quest, easy to miss

[@TheHipisterDeer]

I played this on PS4 but never finished it, now that I switched to PC instead I'll probably play the game again on PC

[@kaptenteo]

I love this game and the sequel. It's especially the world that I find amazingly well crafted and interesting. I hope to the gods that Pillars 3 will one day become reality, but until then, I'm really happy that Avowed at least takes place in the same world. Eora might be my favorite fantasy world, as realized in a game.

[@kschmeed]

Anyone know how these types of games play on consoles? Baldurs gate 1 and 2, the pathfinder games and the POE games seem tough with a controller. Any feedback would be appreciated!

[@RobbyRaccoon]

I'd love a remake of this with POE2's UI, graphics, 5-party combat, etc.

[@mtae5]

PoE is loading screen simulator.

[@Stoigniew666]

What class/build do you recommend for the 1st play?

[@MortismalGaming]

I was partial to a bleak walker paladin, (Palagina's unique subclass is my favorite but you can't use it yourself.)

[@Hjominbonrun]

Reminds me of Baldurs Gate. Installing now.

[@gravitysiave9944]

How do you not like Durance? Hes the most interesting character. The classic curmudgeon and dirty old man. Eder was a strong second. Sagani was my least favorite. Very disposable. Just started playing this a month ago. Got it on Gamepass. I'm really liking it but a few things seem very antiquated and frustrating. The static map, long load times, weird mix of voice acting and read text in the same conversation (some major characters get no voice work at all), enemy engagements that all devolve into a dog pile (which makes AoE attacks useless). The terrible interface. It's very hard to tell what's selected/highlighted (quests, characters, dialogue). Completed quests dont go away into a separate completed log, you have to sift thru it constantly. Traits are not straight forward. They replaced terms everyone is familiar with obscure words that could mean anything. Which is odd considering the detail in writing. I had to look everything up so I was leveling my character correctly. And you cant farm XP from enemies. Your only real source of XP is quests. Despite all that, I'm still loving it. The writing is amazing. You can tell they hired real writers. The backer nods in the game was fun too. 8/10 Had the gameplay been like Divinity of Sin with turn based with action points and full dialogue , it'd be a 9/10 easy.

[@arashsa711]

I got the druid companion in act 1

[@chadcowman6293]

How long to beat with side quests at a decent pace?

[@chriseggroll]

I really loved both games, the lore and world they made is really interesting and unique I think. PoE 2's multiclassing really brings a lot to the class system too, so much fun. I'm not a huge fan of real time with pause but I made an exception for this game! Definitely hoping they do a PoE 3 at some point

[@davidlopez6517]

He mentioned you get grieving mother late in the game, but I'm just now in act 2 and I got her. I feel like I missing a huge chunk of the game now lol

[@savannahmoore5901]

I found grieving mother in part one

[@PsyKotyK]

What do.you lime better pillars or pathfinder ?

[@MortismalGaming]

I like pathfinder more than the first game, but PoE2 more than kingmaker and it's too early call for the WotR

[@chewysplace3542]

I liked Pillars better than kingmaker, but Wrath a bit better than Deadfire.. personal opinion ..

[@plasticreplica]

💕

[@kosterix123]

Pillars of Eternity: Volledige Editie 75% afgeprijsd € 12,49 € 49,99

[@andersonrosa6645]

I agree with you on the big reveal, but honestly it was just poorly done. They pretty much put it as a piece of information, as much of the story that takes the world to that moment remains somewhat ignored even in the second game, so we tend not to feel connected to it, in a narrative point of view.

[@savannahmoore5901]

You just have to go to that village and talk to her

[@JakeSmith-b4q]

I love using console cheat codes to increase replaying fun

[@poppabeard9105]

Looking forward to avowed so I need to play this series. Get up to speed.

[@MortismalGaming]

I made story recaps for both if that helps

[@poppabeard9105]

@@MortismalGaming I definitely will give them a watch also. Thank you.

I still don't get the whole point of the lore. And this game is incredibly difficult even on normal settings. This real time with pause is the weirdest game mechanic I've ever played. Really, really complicated game. It's definitely a challenge for my low IQ.

[@ReasonbyNight]

Idk why. I tried PoE 3 times and it always lost me. The combat system always annoyed me and I prefer turn based, which the luckily gave to PoE 2. Maybe I just set it on easy and have a good time, just to see the game.

[@gabrielarantest]

I agree with you about Durance, he is annoying indeed. I don't think that the problem with their "unique system" is the lack of tutorials, the system is simply bad in design. Moreover, I think this game is bad overall. It is a mix of extremely boring writing (story, dialogs, and lore) and bad design decisions. But I respect it because, as you said, it was the first cRPG in the cRPG renaissance. I even beat this game because at the time there were no better options in terms of cRPG.

[@plubog]

Love crpgs but despise this game. I defy anyone to read all the exposition in the first act. Its no Divinity thats for sure

[@defatgames2796]

Story is way more interesting and deep than divinity.