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Pillars of Eternity 2 Hands On Preview - It May Be Obsidian's Best RPG Yet - The RPG Files - MMORPG.

SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
edited February 2018 in News & Features Discussion

imagePillars of Eternity 2 Hands On Preview - It May Be Obsidian's Best RPG Yet - The RPG Files - MMORPG.com

Over the course of the last several days, I've had a chance to sit down to play Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, the latest in a stellar line up of cRPGs that have taken gaming by storm over the last couple of years. Taking note of the original game and expanding on nearly every aspect from the technical to the aesthetics to the story itself, the game moves the Pillars IP forward in fantastic new ways.

Read the full story here



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Comments

  • AvarixAvarix Member RarePosts: 665
    This is the game I am most looking forward to this year. Can't wait to get my hands on it as well. Great preview!
    SBFordMadFrenchieSetzer
  • cheyanecheyane Member LegendaryPosts: 9,067
    The first game was very enjoyable so this is an automatic purchase for me.
    AzothSBFordcjmarshZeneren
    Chamber of Chains
  • ScottJeslisScottJeslis Member UncommonPosts: 355
    Any sense if finishing the first game is a good pre-requisite?
  • BillMurphyBillMurphy Former Managing EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 4,565
    Any sense if finishing the first game is a good pre-requisite?
    I'm almost entirely sure that it'll have some sort of "catch up" story option if you didn't play 1.

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  • SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129


    Any sense if finishing the first game is a good pre-requisite?



    I have never played the original -- I know, I'm a heretic -- and even starting without benefit of a tutorial or any type of catch up story option, I didn't feel lost. There are things that I'm sure will call back to the first game, but I have a lot of confidence that we'll understand its importance.

    That said, it's not a bad idea anyway. :)
    Cazriel


    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 


  • Octagon7711Octagon7711 Member LegendaryPosts: 9,000
    Nice to see a game created with a lot of gamer input.  Perhaps other games will follow this approach.  

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  • azarhalazarhal Member RarePosts: 1,402


    Any sense if finishing the first game is a good pre-requisite?



    Deadfire is a direct continuation (you play the same character) and 3 of the companions are coming back.

    Deadfire is going to support saves import from the first game too or you'll be able to choose a pre-defined states among: Benevolent Soul, Fair and Balanced, Survival of the Fittest, Dark Times, and Everything Bad (Josh didn't say what was in each of them, but people who played the first game can guess).



    Also, digesting all the Pillars lore might work better if you play through the first game.
    SBFord
  • azarhalazarhal Member RarePosts: 1,402
    @Gorwe

    Edér, Aloth and Pallegina are coming back (if alive in your save). Kana is not returning as a companion, but we get one of his sister as one (Maia Rua). Deadfire Archipelago are mostly populated by an Aumaua tribe called Huana, hence the Rauatai influence.
    Gorwe
  • KalebGraysonKalebGrayson Member RarePosts: 430
    I backed this game and have entered my key on Steam. Really looking forward to the launch. I'm currently playing through Pillars 1 for the 4th time. My first video game on a computer was Baldur's Gate. This game is a throwback to those great games (Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, etc.) I highly recommend anything made by Obsidian. Seriously, they are the BEST game studio...Period.
  • angerbeaverangerbeaver Member UncommonPosts: 1,258
    I finished the first one once with a full party. Then i played monk and tried soloing the hardest mode. It was painful and I never finished it. I have 80 other games on Steam but probably only 5 I want to play through so I'll definitely pick this up, but I'll wait a while and get it on Sale.
  • ArillixArillix Member UncommonPosts: 88
    Ah yea, my evil game world dominating Death Godlike Rogue/Druid of destruction can terrorize all. Spawning Wildfires/Greater Wildfires in an animal form for fun and mayhem. The chickens must DIE.
  • mystik13mystik13 Member UncommonPosts: 145
    I found the ruleset from poe1 to be very restrictive. It tried too hard to be balanced.

    e.g. in casting a spell for example you had might determining it's damage, intelligence the size of the aoe, dexterity casting speed.

    Buffs overroad each other.

    Gear bonuses didn't stack.

    Would like to have heard from someone who had played the first one. My impression was that it was trying too hard to distinguish itself from D&D. It is kind the game I should have liked but the ruleset ruined it.

    [Deleted User]
  • ElthiumElthium Member UncommonPosts: 88
    Really enjoyed the first one, looking forward to this one.
    Tokken
  • CryolitycalCryolitycal Member UncommonPosts: 205
    I'd pay double to have this with the combat system from Dragon Age: Origins, NWN 2 or maybe KotOR 2, since Obsidian made the last two.
    I don't mind some pure Baldur's Gate gameplay, but I'd really rather see it evolve towards better graphics and a more immersive experience, with voiced dialogue too.
    Again, I don't mind the classic isometric view, I'd just rather want to see the game evolve. Nobody makes DA:O type of games these days. It's all generic Action RPG open-world crap with 500 "side quests", i.e. map markers. I'd rather have the corridor experience with well defined side quests that are actually important.
    [Deleted User]Gorwe
  • SovrathSovrath Member LegendaryPosts: 31,937
    Gorwe said:
    I'd pay double to have this with the combat system from Dragon Age: Origins, NWN 2 or maybe KotOR 2, since Obsidian made the last two.
    I don't mind some pure Baldur's Gate gameplay, but I'd really rather see it evolve towards better graphics and a more immersive experience, with voiced dialogue too.
    Again, I don't mind the classic isometric view, I'd just rather want to see the game evolve. Nobody makes DA:O type of games these days. It's all generic Action RPG open-world crap with 500 "side quests", i.e. map markers. I'd rather have the corridor experience with well defined side quests that are actually important.
    A categorical and absolute "YES" from me. I have nothing against BG too, but it's the PAST(also quite available to play). How about we embraced the FUTURE instead?
    Its' such a weird way at looking at life.

    There is no reason that this needs to "evolve" as it's "a game". IT's ok that they are isometric or side scrolling or have realistic graphics or pixel graphics.

    It's not like every game is trying to "be a world". We can have more of Darkest Dungeon as well as Witcher 3 or Skyrim or "pick your poison" and none of them diminish the other.

    Maybe it's coming full circle?!?!? Maybe Baldur's Gate IS the future.

    And that's ok.
    KalebGraysonGorweAvarix
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  • jonp200jonp200 Member UncommonPosts: 457

    SBFord said:





    Any sense if finishing the first game is a good pre-requisite?






    I have never played the original -- I know, I'm a heretic -- and even starting without benefit of a tutorial or any type of catch up story option, I didn't feel lost. There are things that I'm sure will call back to the first game, but I have a lot of confidence that we'll understand its importance.



    That said, it's not a bad idea anyway. :)



    Worth going back and playing the original. Excellent game and I am very much looking forward to this one!
    SBFordAvarix

    Seaspite
    Playing ESO on my X-Box


  • azarhalazarhal Member RarePosts: 1,402
    Gorwe said:

    azarhal said:

    @Gorwe

    Edér, Aloth and Pallegina are coming back (if alive in your save). Kana is not returning as a companion, but we get one of his sister as one (Maia Rua). Deadfire Archipelago are mostly populated by an Aumaua tribe called Huana, hence the Rauatai influence.



    Ah. Nobody mentioned anything about Deadfire except storms and pirates so I naturally went for Tortuga / Tortage. Now I'm afraid my Aumaua's name won't be unique anymore. I guess we're talking about Red(Island) A's right?
    Yes, it's the Island Aumaua.
    Gorwe
  • cjmarshcjmarsh Member UncommonPosts: 299
    SBFord said:


    Any sense if finishing the first game is a good pre-requisite?



    I have never played the original -- I know, I'm a heretic -- and even starting without benefit of a tutorial or any type of catch up story option, I didn't feel lost. There are things that I'm sure will call back to the first game, but I have a lot of confidence that we'll understand its importance.

    That said, it's not a bad idea anyway. :)
    Just for the record, some may not appreciate you speculating that this is the best game yet, even tangentially, if you haven't played the original. I completely understand why you did it, but it damages your credibility.
    [Deleted User]
  • IselinIselin Member LegendaryPosts: 18,719
    I never did finish the first even though I quite liked it. It was just a matter of getting it around the same time I got Divinity Original Sin and liking that one better.

    I love this type of turn based CRPG. So happy that it has made enough of a comeback to ensure many more of these in the future.
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  • cjmarshcjmarsh Member UncommonPosts: 299
    Torval said:
    cjmarsh said:
    SBFord said:


    Any sense if finishing the first game is a good pre-requisite?



    I have never played the original -- I know, I'm a heretic -- and even starting without benefit of a tutorial or any type of catch up story option, I didn't feel lost. There are things that I'm sure will call back to the first game, but I have a lot of confidence that we'll understand its importance.

    That said, it's not a bad idea anyway. :)
    Just for the record, some may not appreciate you speculating that this is the best game yet, even tangentially, if you haven't played the original. I completely understand why you did it, but it damages your credibility.
    Not mentioning she hadn't played the first game might have been damaging by making a claim like that. Her opinion may not hold weight to you, but providing full disclosure is an action of integrity.

    Having played the first, but none of the latter I'm pretty sure this game has to be better because I found the first one vastly overrated. The series can only get better, or at the worst be about the same. From the preview it does seem like they've put more effort into this version and polished it. I'm just not sure if the things that I didn't enjoy about the first are still present now.
    Personally I loved the first one and was excited to see a review on the second one that said it could be even better... then the author stated that there wasn't actually a comparison being made after all.
  • BladeburaibaBladeburaiba Member UncommonPosts: 132
    Really liked the first one, I only hope there is no influence from their last game, Tyranny.  Tyranny's story was very improbable because it focused on gimmicky elements, and the characters' classes were pre-made, which made character building very boring.

    Here's hoping. 
    cjmarshAvarix
  • WizardryWizardry Member LegendaryPosts: 19,332

    If this was some kids trying to get their feet wet,ok they have to start somewhere,but this is a professional studio trying to deliver 1995 gaming in 2018.
    I own POE 1 ,was ok just to take a peak at but it never captured me beyond a day or two,the game is simply not good enough.Good enough for 1995 but i have way more options now to use my money wisely and not just spend it on some new skin.

    Now if they took this game and scaled it up to big boy status it would be a noticeable improvement but still needs better mapping and depth.
    Isometric seems to be a thing people like to excuse,well we can do BETTER,so why not do it better instead of making excuses for it?The dumb analogy to me is like some bad employee gets ridiculed and some forum users step in to say "it's ok if we have bad employees" "it's ok if we have employees that cannot do there job,not everyone can be equal".
    IDC if the prequel sold 10 bazillion copies,marketing tends to do that,Farmville had millions of gamer's too,i am not jumping on any bandwagon unless i see a HQ game that is worthy of 2018 and this is not and neither was POE1.

    We need to QUIT supporting marketing tactics to sell half assed products,make a better game,take some risk,spend more money in making it,then i will at least say "good try" and maybe good enough or not.I don't work for any business trying to make money off these games,so i can be way more honest in my game analysis.

    Let me weigh in with another game...
    FFXV ,i don't care for the design ,i won't buy it or play it but i acknowledge it has some serious HQ production value.Comparing that game's production value to this game is like night n day ,one is a 9/10 and one a 3/10,i am not talking good/bad just the quality of the production.Both have a party base design,both rpg's but POE 1/2 is like a small Indie studio trying to get their feet wet.

    Value??if this was in some bargain bin for 5 bucks i might buy it but not going out my way to buy old gaming.Does anyone want to go out and buy a PS1 at 2018 prices,no of course not,well it's the same for me and old looking games.






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