Review RPG Codex Review: Darth Roxor on Disappointment, thy name is Pillars of Eternity

[tuluse]

DA:O is a strange case, it went from being the best RPG since Arcanum and Codex GOTY to as bad as Oblivion or something.

I suppose if you think "got more votes than Ultima 7" is as bad as Oblivion: http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=9453

It's always been a controversial game, some people hate it, some people think it's ok.

 

[Kz3r0]

I suppose if you think "got more votes than Ultima 7" is as bad as Oblivion: http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=9453

That was because they split the vote with Serpent Island.

 

[J_C]

It's always been a controversial game, some people hate it, some people think it's ok.

Just like almost every game on the Codec. Nothing new here

 

[Irenaeus]

DA:O is a strange case, it went from being the best RPG since Arcanum and Codex GOTY to as bad as Oblivion or something.

I suppose if you think "got more votes than Ultima 7" is as bad as Oblivion: http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=9453

It's always been a controversial game, some people hate it, some people think it's ok.

I hated it before it was even released. I had a Darth Roxor like relation with it.

And I didn't find out about the Codex until three years later.

 

[ZagorTeNej]

DA:O was always shit.

Not according to official Codex review and I view those as gospel.

 

[Tadek Boruta]

That's what the Codex said about BG and BG2 back in 2004, yet look at 'em now.

Well 2004 Codex was wrong. BG is somewhat overrated but BG2 deserves its praise. PoE is more comparable to NWN2 rather than BG2, Fallout or even Gothic. What is in it that stands out so much to call it classic?
Fighting system? Story ? Exploration ? Setting ? Sorry but I just don't see PoE being praised 10 years from now.

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

Personally I agree with many point's made in this review. But the overall tone of it is too pessimistic. Game is good time killer when you have to much of it. But doesn't come close to classics and sadly will never be one.

That's what the Codex said about BG and BG2 back in 2004, yet look at 'em now.

Baldur's Gate 2 was already considered a modern classic in 2004. And despite what Codex may believe BG 1 was also a popular and well received RPG.

 

[Irenaeus]

DA:O was always shit.

Not according to official Codex review and I view those as gospel.

PoE official Codex review was also retarded.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Personally I agree with many point's made in this review. But the overall tone of it is too pessimistic. Game is good time killer when you have to much of it. But doesn't come close to classics and sadly will never be one.

That's what the Codex said about BG and BG2 back in 2004, yet look at 'em now.

Baldur's Gate 2 was already considered a modern classic in 2004.

Totally.

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/why-was-bg2-subpar.1935/

And despite what Codex may believe BG1 Oblivion was also a popular and well received RPG.

Fixed.

That's what the Codex said about BG and BG2 back in 2004, yet look at 'em now.

Well 2004 Codex was wrong. BG is somewhat overrated but BG2 deserves its praise. PoE is more comparable to NWN2 rather than BG2, Fallout or even Gothic. What is in it that stands out so much to call it classic?
Fighting system? Story ? Exploration ? Setting ? Sorry but I just don't see PoE being praised 10 years from now.

Son, lemme tell you, Pillars has heart. It has soul. If Pillars sang the Blues, you'd want to listen. This is a game made by people who genuinely loved what they were doing, and it's clear that rather than asking themselves "How can we best serve the market?", the developers instead asked "Wouldn't it be awesome if . . .?" It has all the enthusiasm and the quirkiness (for better and worse) of an indie game, but the production values that only a multi-million dollar budget will buy.

 

[Infinitron]

Alternate history scenario: Interplay management is a bit less retarded, and after BioWare finishes with the Baldur's Gate series, a Baldur's Gate 3 by Black Isle is immediately greenlit. Josh Sawyer is the lead designer, and the game his team finally releases in early 2003 is similar to Pillars of Eternity in most aspects.

If you don't think that game would have been considered a beloved Black Isle classic today, you are deluded. There is no world in which the consolized and unfinished KOTOR2 from 2005 is a fondly remembered game on the Codex, but this hypothetical PoE-like Baldur's Gate 3 from 2003 isn't.

 

[ROARRR]

I wonder if there is any game that most of the Codexers ever agreed as good?

 

[Kz3r0]

Son, lemme tell you, Pillars has heart. It has soul. If Pillars sang the Blues, you'd want to listen. This is a game made by people who genuinely loved what they were doing, and it's clear that rather than asking themselves "How can we best serve the market?", the developers instead asked "Wouldn't it be awesome if . . .?" It has all the enthusiasm and the quirkiness (for better and worse) of an indie game, but the production values that only a multi-million dollar budget will buy.

My trolling detector must be broken, or maybe someone needs to be autistic as Sawyer to appreciate this game.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Alternate history scenario: Interplay management is a bit less retarded, and after BioWare finishes with the Baldur's Gate series, a Baldur's Gate 3 by Black Isle is immediately greenlit. Josh Sawyer is the lead designer, and the game his team finally releases in early 2003 is similar to Pillars of Eternity in most aspects.

If you don't think that game would have been considered a beloved Black Isle classic today, you are deluded. There is no world in which the consolized and unfinished KOTOR2 from 2005 is a fondly remembered game on the Codex, but this hypothetical PoE-like Baldur's Gate 3 from 2003 isn't.

But... but...

 

[Zorba the Hutt]

Alternate history scenario: Interplay management is a bit less retarded, and after BioWare finishes with the Baldur's Gate series, a Baldur's Gate 3 by Black Isle is immediately greenlit. Josh Sawyer is the lead designer, and the game his team finally releases in early 2003 is similar to Pillars of Eternity in most aspects.

If you don't think that game would have been considered a beloved Black Isle classic today, you are deluded. There is no world in which the consolized and unfinished KOTOR2 from 2005 is a fondly remembered game on the Codex, but this hypothetical PoE-like Baldur's Gate 3 from 2003 isn't.

You mean Sawyer would have got rid of those unbalanced D&D spells and mechanics and implemented his own system for BG3? Yes, I guess that would have spawned a few megathreads

 

[Kz3r0]

I wonder if there is any game that most of the Codexers ever agreed as good?

 

[Vault Dweller]

You mean Sawyer would have got rid of those unbalanced D&D spells and mechanics and implemented his own system for BG3? Yes, I guess that would have spawned a few megathreads.

Because BG1 and BG2 weren't some bastardized version of DnD for retards (look at me, ma, I am playing a dee-an'-dee gaem!) but an authentic DnD experience.

 

[Kz3r0]

You mean Sawyer would have got rid of those unbalanced D&D spells and mechanics and implemented his own system for BG3? Yes, I guess that would have spawned a few megathreads

Funny as now the apologists have to resort to what if scenarios to defend PoE, they are still wrong tho, there's no way that Sawyer would have been allowed to do then what he did with PoE now, without mentioning that something like that happened, Compare people's opinions about BG2 and IWD 2.

 

[Irenaeus]

I wonder if there is any game that most of the Codexers ever agreed as good?

The visual novel with shit combat?

 

[Vault Dweller]

I wonder if there is any game that most of the Codexers ever agreed as good?

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/i-dont-like-planescape-torment-that-much.61075/

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/i-never-really-liked-planescape.36555/

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/planescape-torments-me.58553/

Codex gonna Codex.

 

[ZagorTeNej]

Alternate history scenario: Interplay management is a bit less retarded, and after BioWare finishes with the Baldur's Gate series, a Baldur's Gate 3 by Black Isle is immediately greenlit. Josh Sawyer is the lead designer, and the game his team finally releases in early 2003 is similar to Pillars of Eternity in most aspects.

If you don't think that game would have been considered a beloved Black Isle classic today, you are deluded. There is no world in which the consolized and unfinished KOTOR2 from 2005 is a fondly remembered game on the Codex, but this hypothetical PoE-like Baldur's Gate 3 from 2003 isn't.

Not necessarilly, Icewind Dale 2 doesn't even appear on the Codex list. Besides, many people here like PoE more than KOTOR 2.

 

[ZagorTeNej]

My trolling detector must be broken, or maybe someone needs to be autistic as Sawyer to appreciate this game.

http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=165

 

[Volrath]

Personally I agree with many point's made in this review. But the overall tone of it is too pessimistic. Game is good time killer when you have to much of it. But doesn't come close to classics and sadly will never be one.

That's what the Codex said about BG and BG2 back in 2004, yet look at 'em now.

Baldur's Gate 2 was already considered a modern classic in 2004. And despite what Codex may believe BG 1 was also a popular and well received RPG.

To casuals

 

[Kz3r0]

I wonder if there is any game that most of the Codexers ever agreed as good?

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/i-dont-like-planescape-torment-that-much.61075/

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/i-never-really-liked-planescape.36555/

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/planescape-torments-me.58553/

Codex gonna Codex.

This is where Democracy has lead us to.

 

[mastroego]

Alternate history scenario: Interplay management is a bit less retarded, and after BioWare finishes with the Baldur's Gate series, a Baldur's Gate 3 by Black Isle is immediately greenlit. Josh Sawyer is the lead designer, and the game his team finally releases in early 2003 is similar to Pillars of Eternity in most aspects.

If you don't think that game would have been considered a beloved Black Isle classic today, you are deluded.

You are wrong.
People are perfectly capable of distinguishing and debating the "finer" differences between BG1 and BG2 today, a Sawyerized BG3 would be recognized today as an abomination and enthusiastically erased from canon by the cognizant portion of the populace just as the Star Wars prequels have, or worse.

The general disinterest towards Icewind Dale is already proof of that, but those games were at least "tolerated" since they were a different series that didn't taint BG.

 

[Hegel]

Alternate history scenario: Interplay management is a bit less retarded, and after BioWare finishes with the Baldur's Gate series, a Baldur's Gate 3 by Black Isle is immediately greenlit. The company doesn't need to promote a web designer into game design, Josh Sawyer keeps making beautiful websites, the game is released in early 2003 is similar to BG2 but the powerleves and the general setting gravitate towards Ps:T. The game is a blockbuster, Bioware and Black Isle are saved.