Watchers may also peer into others' pasts, a skill that reveals some of the game's finest tales, which are trapped within specially marked citizens on your map. Pillars of Eternity tells a cautionary tale of the gods' influence over their worshipers, planting its thematic seeds when your own character becomes a watcher-that is, an individual who can see and interact with disembodied souls. The gods, too, are different in this universe, taking such names as Woedica, Berath, and Magran, and they hold great sway over their followers, who live and die by faith. You lead your party from an isometric view, navigating forests and meadows populated by wolves, ogres, and bandits, but you also contend with dark spirits and eerie ancient machines that belong only to Pillars. The soundtrack reliably recalls composer Michael Hoenig's Baldur's Gate music, but the uberdramatic Carmina Burana-esque chants, and the wild woodwind arpeggios you hear during battle, help to differentiate it. You and your fellow party members-up to six of you journeying at any given time-may equip pistols or arequebuses in addition to swords, rapiers, crossbows, and the like. The world you step into is equally comfortable, using narrative and artistic variations to remind you that this is not, in fact, a place you have visited before. Old favorites like Elves and Dwarfs are joined by original races like the Godlike, whose elemental head adornments preclude the wearing of hats and helmets Familiar professions like barbarian and wizard are supported by the cipher, who builds up magical focus by landing attacks with a standard weapon. This isn't a Dungeons & Dragons game, but the influence is clear from the moment of character creation, during which you choose a race, a class, and a backstory for your leading man or lady. In those first few hours, however, it relies on nostalgia and familiarity to gain your interest. It claws at Planescape and Baldur's Gate from beneath their perches, and while it never threatens to replace them, Pillars rises to greatness of its own accord. For all its complexities, Pillars of Eternity walks a narrow path already trod by the genre's greats, including the insurmountable Planescape: Torment and Baldur's Gate II, which rightfully remain atop the computer RPG hierarchy.Īs much as I can see how blatantly it pokes my nostalgia buttons, I still lost myself in Pillars, which sets itself apart-just enough to tip itself into the "homage" bucket rather than the "clone" one-with its original fantasy universe, as well as with combat details that reduce frustration and keep the tempo moving. Its status within the ranks of its predecessors, however, is less obvious, given how slavishly devoted it is to a time when isometric role-playing games dominated players' imaginations. Depending on the vessel that you picked, you’ll see a different image and ending text.įor example, if you have the Hunter’s Blessing, it says that the world will “sprout and flourish without the burden of man.” The final image shows the land covered in mossy vegetation.Clone or homage? That Pillars of Eternity hews close to the Baldur's Gate/ Icewind Dale formula can't be disputed. The second notable change is the ending cutscene. When you talk to Edd, he’ll tell you how the Tower of Dawn is pleased with your efforts since you’re trying to achieve balance. However, you can choose to forego the entire thing (i.e., don’t even pick up a vessel). Alternatively, he’ll talk about how you’re serving the wrong master if you chose the Abyssal Eye.
For instance, he says that the world will be bathed in flames if you picked the Kindled Heart of Fire. Edd will comment about the pledge you’ve made and the vessel that you picked. Any major changes after acquiring a god’s essence?įrom what I can tell, there are only two notable changes past this point.įirst, it’s how Edd the Wanderer greets you when you meet him in the Steps of Ascension prior to fighting the final boss.