Review RPG Codex Review: Pillars of Eternity - By Vault Dweller and the Spirit of Grunker

[HiddenX]

After reading all this reviews on the Codex, it seems that many had very high expectations for PoE and were disappointed by the final game.

My case is the reverse thing. I had very low expectations, because I saw some fundamental flaws in the 'balanced' character development and RTwP combat before release.
I was positively surprised by the game and had fun to finish it. It's a not a great, but a good game which is better than the sum of its parts.

 

[Athelas]

Weaknesses - The very philosophy of adding a pause to a RT system is akin to whittling away the corners of a square peg so it fits in a round hole. It addresses the problem of difficulty interfacing in RT, but doesn't get to the root of the problem. In taking away a reliance on player dexterity, a challenge that is vital to RT systems is now gone.

Player dexterity isn't the vital advantage of real-time games, simultaneous action is - and that aspect is what necessitates player dexterity (in a real-time game without pause, at least).

Of course, the same thing can be achieved in a phase-based/simultaneous turn-based system.

 

[Bubbles]

After reading all this reviews on the Codex, it seems that many had very high expectations for PoE and were disappointed by the final game.

My case is the reverse thing. I had very low expectations, because I saw some fundamental flaws in the 'balanced' character development and RTwP combat before release.
I was positively surprised by the game and had fun to finish it. It's a not a great, but a good game which is better than the sum of its parts.

Is it better or worse than DA:I?

 

[HiddenX]

I think it's better. I never finished DA:I - it felt like a single player MMO.

 

[Infinitron]

After reading all this reviews on the Codex, it seems that many had very high expectations for PoE and were disappointed by the final game.

My case is the reverse thing. I had very low expectations, because I saw some fundamental flaws in the 'balanced' character development and RTwP combat before release.
I was positively surprised by the game and had fun to finish it. It's a not a great, but a good game which is better than the sum of its parts.

Sounds like VentilatorOfDoom.

Maybe it's a German thing! That Sawyer, he's one of you too, but he's been infected by these strange American ideologies about "balance". But still, underneath it all, you recognize a kindred spirit...

 

[HiddenX]

Sein Deutsch ist so gut wie mein Englisch

 

[Tigranes]

In general, a good review. I'd essentially agree with Grunker's final assessment, except I have a bit higher opinion of each aspect.

 

[Infinitron]

In general, a good review. I'd essentially agree with Grunker's final assessment, except I have a bit higher opinion of each aspect.

It's a review by one guy who thinks the game basically sucks but doesn't want to press it too hard because he's not confident enough about RTwP mechanics, combined with the salvaged remnants of another one who clearly wanted to give it a "tough love" Sceptic-on-MMX/Roxor-on-Shadowrun Returns treatment.

It's a testament to VD's fantastic writing skills that it manages to come across as coherent as it does. It does make you wish for what could have been if they'd completed it, as we originally planned.

 

[Don Peste]

This was a nice review. The review the Codex deserves, I might say. Not a negative, trolling, edgy, nitpick the game to death review like Roxor's, and not the fanboyish review of decado (or what's his name). It is a fair review, in the style of Codex (read, there are some cynicism and nitpicking, but not too much).

Not that I agree with everything is says, because I think that the game is better than the sum of its parts, but it definitely has problems.

That "leaking pus" shit at the end was just... edgy, stupid shit. It surprised me that VD would write that.

 

[Bubbles]

That "leaking pus" shit at the end was just... edgy, stupid shit. It surprised me that VD would write that.

Vault Dweller gonna vault dwell.

Spoiler

Grunker wrote that line

 

[Azeot]

I'm having more fun reading reviews than playing the actual game. Keep them coming.

 

[Shevek]

My main concern ATM is that nobody has given Obsidian the message that they're onto something with PotD, as felipepepe discovered, and that the game needs to be more like that.

You could still post the PJ/FP review to the front page.

Nah.

Somebody should post it to Obsidian forums though.

I disagree. I say post it. Its the best PoE review out there right now.

 

[Excidium II]

FLAWED GEM HUGE POTENTIAL DARE I SAY ALMOST GREAT BABY PUS :grunker: ETC. His contribution mostly amounts to soft caressing after every punch and lost what little credit I was ready to give after opening with this gem of infiniposting:

Grunker: It is such a wondrous thing, to me, this idea that there is some kind of universal rule that says character systems must include 'wrong' options that punish bad players.

Had to walk around the apartment a bit after reading that

As for vd's review, I find it hillaries how it reads like a standalone expansion to roxor's review but the response seems to be different just because it ends on a positively grunkerrific note instead of implying it's worse than Dungeon Siege 3 ( 'v')


also just an addendum: vd admits stopping on act 2, roxor actually endured the game long enough to finish and replay some areas with different setups to give better judgement, but he's so edgy pessimist obsidian h8r lolz

 

[Morality Games]

I would point out the 4 million dollars was an opportunity to get ahead and save something for the future, provided they have other work going on at the same time.

 

[Infinitron]

FLAWED GEM HUGE POTENTIAL DARE I SAY ALMOST GREAT BABY PUS :grunker: ETC. His contribution mostly amounts to soft caressing after every punch and lost what little credit I was ready to give after opening with this gem of infiniposting:

Grunker: It is such a wondrous thing, to me, this idea that there is some kind of universal rule that says character systems must include 'wrong' options that punish bad players.

Had to walk around the apartment a bit after reading that

As for vd's review, I find it hillaries how it reads like a standalone expansion to roxor's review but the response seems to be different just because it ends on a positively grunkerrific note instead of implying it's worse than Dungeon Siege 3 ( 'v')

Oh, hello there. Do you want your account back, or are you following the example of your not-so-fellow countryman?

 

[Vault Dweller]

This was a nice review. The review the Codex deserves, I might say. Not a negative, trolling, edgy, nitpick the game to death review like Roxor's, and not the fanboyish review of decado (or what's his name). It is a fair review, in the style of Codex (read, there are some cynicism and nitpicking, but not too much).

Not that I agree with everything is says, because I think that the game is better than the sum of its parts, but it definitely has problems.

That "leaking pus" shit at the end was just... edgy, stupid shit. It surprised me that VD would write that.

Grunker wrote it. For the record, I was against it and we argued over it (and many other things). However, I didn't want to edit his parts and included them in full out of respect.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I would point out the 4 million dollars was an opportunity to get ahead and save something for the future, provided they have other work going on at the same time.

I believe it was nothing but a bridge to last until the next publishers' payment/contract.

 

[Athelas]

Had to walk around the apartment a bit after reading that

And had to rejoin the Codex, apparently.

 

[Bubbles]

From what I've seen to far, the expansion is shaping up to be this game's Mask of the Betrayer.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Really? I can't always tell when you're fucking with people, so I assume you're always fucking with people just to be on the safe side.

 

[Infinitron]

I would point out the 4 million dollars was an opportunity to get ahead and save something for the future, provided they have other work going on at the same time.

I believe it was nothing but a bridge to last until the next publishers' payment/contract.

That doesn't make sense even from the perspective of a greedy capitalist, though. Everybody will tell you, developing your own IP is key to survival, independence and growth. IP, IP, IP.

 

[J_C]

I would point out the 4 million dollars was an opportunity to get ahead and save something for the future, provided they have other work going on at the same time.

I believe it was nothing but a bridge to last until the next publishers' payment/contract.

That doesn't make sense even from the perspective of a greedy capitalist, though. Everybody will tell you, developing your own IP is key to survival. IP, IP, IP.

And now that they have the engine up and running, the established the lore, figured out the system, they can make their BG2. There is no reason why Obsidian couldn't improve PoE just like as Bioware did with BG1->BG2.

 

[AwesomeButton]

Thanks a lot for the review. It puts into words a lot of things I've been thinking about PoE but probably haven't been able to explain very clear.

PoE is a "you tried/10" game. The "Kindergarden of Social Justice" design where every retarded child has to have a "Genius" badge just so no one feels sad, is disgusting, and I would have put up with whatever other complaints I have (I actually had no problem with the writing/story/quests premise, simply on the grounds of "that's how it was in the IE games, so it's a cute memory, what can you do") if I didn't constantly feel being treated as an idiot by the game. I agree with the article - this is a huge off-putter.

Be that as it may, PoE has more than a few characteristics of an RPG I would love to spend much time with, mainly when it comes to (again in agreement with the review) the setting. I just wish it was also fun to play, as well as study.

The review is very fair and it's good that it finally got published.

 

[Bubbles]

That doesn't make sense even from the perspective of a greedy capitalist, though. Everybody will tell you, developing your own IP is key to survival, independence and growth. IP, IP, IP.

Indeed. Lords of the Eastern Reach has already raised $130k, and that's just the tip of the iceberg in terms of cross-marketing and merchandising potential.

And now that they have the engine up and running, the established the lore, figured out the system, they can make their BG2. There is no reason why Obsidian couldn't improve PoE just like as Bioware did with BG1->BG2.

I believe their big quality push will come with the expansion. It's already been delayed a few months, even though the areas and enemy models are very obviously recycled from the base game. Where could all that development time have gone? Into quests, story, and c&c.

 

[Infinitron]

And now that they have the engine up and running, the established the lore, figured out the system, they can make their BG2. There is no reason why Obsidian couldn't improve PoE just like as Bioware did with BG1->BG2.

Well, they seem to be dragging their feet on it for some reason, but have things really changed that much since this? http://www.rpgcodex.net/article.php?id=8973

Doesn't Feargus want to be an Epic or a Gearbox? That is, an independent developer who has clout and can dictate terms to publishers instead of being beholden to them?