izigame.me

I just finished the first (non-tutorial) area at 15 hours. It is NOT Pillars of Eternity. It IS a phenomenal game for what it is trying to accomplish.
As a huge fan of the original series, this game was initially very jarring. Something about the nature of being an action RPG instead of a CRPG, with otherwise a familiar setting was initially uncomfortable and took some "getting used to". That said, once I embraced the differences, I fell in love.
The best way I can describe this game is as the love child of BOTW, Assassins Creed, and of course the original Pillars games from which this game spins off. It has smooth combat, beautiful landscapes, exhilarating 3-dimensional exploration, and densely packed set of maps that you can explore for hours. It also potentially has more lore than POE 1 and 2 combined- you just have to take the time to look.
Let me break down the key aspects below:
Combat:
Pros:
-Very smooth
-Highly customizable to your playstyle
-GUNZ!!!!!
-Extremely fun integration of magic and martial abilities
-Very 3-dimensional-you can use the terrain to your advantage and your enemies will too
-You can play in first person or third person equally well
Cons:
-Fighter-only builds are fairly basic and that type of combat will likely get repetitive.
-Missing key POE classes like the cypher, druid, and chanter, which is a bit sad
-It can be a bit challenging to keep your gear high enough level to keep up with enemies (But you can also play on easier difficulties if this is a problem and those work well)
Story:
(I'm only 15 hours in so this may update)
Pros:
-A HUGE amount of lore available in optional dialog and books. This game is very true to the source material.
-Built-in reference for key-terms integrated nearly seamlessly into conversations (although I liked how Deadfire did it better). This allows the writers to write a full rich world without necessitating characters to dump pages of exposition on you
-An interesting set of conflicts, with substantial interplay: in classic Obsidian fashion, the core themes of the Pillars series return with fun interplay between key themes of soul magic, the nature of divinity, reincarnation, colonialism, duty, and loyalty among others.
-Choices similar to the pillars games: Be warned, the action RPG elements may make it feel like there is less dialog than the pillars series and fewer choices, but having just finished a playthough of deadfire, its actually comparable. You just might spend a bit more time between dialogs. Most dialog choices have multiple outcomes possible. It remains to be seen how many different meaningful choices will come out of it, but so far I am impressed. This feels very true to the games it was based on.
-References to past games abound. I am constantly getting giddy about little nods here and there.
-Takes place 3 years after the Deadfire Game
Cons:
-Not many thus far
- as stated above, it can feel like there is less dialog compared to the pillars games simply because you can go much longer without engaging in dialog, but the actual amount of text is comparable to a pillars game.
-No way to program your choices from the pillars games into this one, which some could take as a bit frustrating- it effectively canonizes a handful of (mostly minor) outcomes from past games. Notably, one of the games main characters (arguably an antagonist) was an important minor character in a single quest in deadfire. She is now front and center.
Character Creation:
Pros:
- You can create some very cool avatars, with decent amounts of customization
-Your avatar can look gorgeous
-Some of the faces look silly
Cons:
-I wish there were more options for fungal growth on your head, and coloring said fungal growths
-If you do not like the fungal growths, you can disable them, but will still be treated as if you have them. It is nice that you have the ability to turn them off, but it feels a bit weird about how NPCs will react to you if you do. That said, it makes sense from a storytelling perspective.
-You can only choose between human and elf. I wish you could play as an orlan, dwarf, or aumaua
-Some of the faces look silly
Aesthetics:
Pros:
-Gorgeous and vibrant landscapes that are lore-accurate according to past games
-Lots of care put into making the world feel alive and like the actual world of Eora.
-Gorgeous creature models
-Many familiar faces brought to life in stunning 3d (I just fought an old friend from the Deadfire).
Cons:
-The occasional blurriness caused by ray tracing- nothing big, but noticeable
-There are a lot of mushrooms on everything. If that is not your thing, this game might not be for you. Personally, I love it!
Other notes: There are a few quality of life changes I would like to see patched in, and I hope old classes will make it into the game as DLC. Despite mostly minor gripes, I can say that to me this has been worth the price tag thus far (maybe a bit steep, but it comes close to its value), and has been a great experience! If you enjoyed the Pillars games, Breath of the Wild, or both, I highly recommend this game. If you are a fan of Action RPGs in general, this is also a great game for you. If you are more of a CRPG fan, approach with caution, this will be weird. But it could be rewarding!