A week ago, we had the opportunity to thoroughly discover the RPG Pathfinder: Kingmaker which was brilliantly Kickstore up to $ 909,000 out of the 500,000 requested. The game presents itself as an old-school RPG that wants to be as close as possible to the paper version in terms of possibility. Let's see what happens and if the promises are kept.
Pathfinder Kingmaker is adapted from the paper role-play Pathfinder Adventure Path whose universe was launched in 2008. And the Owlcat Games studio is far from being the first to ride the wave of the Old School RPG. We will also have in mind the quality works of the studio Obsidian but also and especially the excellentissime Divinity: Original Sin 2 of Larian last year was a real slap in the genre. Where Pathfinder Kinmaker marks its difference is by offering real-time battles with a possible break at any time. We'll come back to this later, but it's probably the biggest problem in the game.
Of an unfathomable depth
Like any good RPG, it is possible to create his character from scratch even if the game still offers some archetypes starting. The least we can say is that Pathfinder is a game that requires investment: 30 minutes is the time we spent in the character creation menu to be able to give birth to our hero. In the end we chose a rogue (a rogue class of character who can move silently and carry fast and powerful shots). Difficult to make an exhaustive list of possibilities as they are numerous: Choice of the portrait, his build, his skills and even his date of birth. Clearly the game is not stingy in possibilities, it is there that one becomes aware of the DNA of the paper role play that Pathfinder carries in him. The game is teeming with details and the most curious can learn more about the universe through a complete encyclopedia on almost every aspect of the game ...
The desire to do well
A gigantic work has been done to give you the impression of playing a paper role play if only by the gargantuan choice of dialogue possibilities. A real good job of writing (and dubbing) was done . From the first hour we already feel the impact of our choices and the moral value that this can have on other characters. A bit like a Star Wars KOTOR , our character leans towards Good or Evil according to the branches we take. Too bad the pure RPG aspect is not supported by a combat system worthy of the name.
Fighting ... to see again
For now (this may have improved later in the game) the fights are rough and the game could have gained clarity with a turn-based system. When you see the successes that are a Tyranny or a Divinity, it is difficult to grasp the choice of a system in real time for an old-school RPG of this type. If this can be useful when you manage 1 or 2 characters, it becomes a real disaster with 4 characters. We do not know who does what, we lose our heroes in the fray, we do not know who already has orders and who should receive (and the "break" does not help).In short, we must get hold of a final version to better realize it but it seems to be a mistake. Because the rough side brings intransigence to the clashes.
Fortunately all this is eclipsed by the richness of the universe that is offered to us . The artistic direction makes its small effect and we browse with pleasure the environments of Stolen Land. The game will also offer a lot of diversity and developers promise between 35 and 80 hours of play, 100 different monsters, 145 different places, etc. A magical and immense world seems to offer itself to you.
WE ARE WAITING FOR IT ... WITH CURIOSITY!
Pathfinder: Kingmaker is a nice surprise. This is clearly not a slap in the genre, but it's still a delightful moment when you're an old-school RPG fan. From a depth unfathomable, the desire to do well on the part of developers to transcribe a real atmosphere of role playing paper is almost palpable. Too bad the fight does not follow and is so messy. If Pathfinder Kingmaker had a turn-based mode, we would have in hand an RPG that could climb directly on the podium of the genre. The title is no less well made and it will have something to delight the players.
. Still "Labyrinth of Refrain Coven of Dusk" is a good game that helps me cool off,shame that the writing is better than the gameplay.
