I have more than 600h played of Pillars I & II and I find your review of the story one of the best out there, great job you've got a subscriber. It's good to listen some love words of this amazing game in a time where youtubers or "critics" make 2 hour long videos fabricating poor excuses to hate the game because you know, hate in the internet is what get the most views, obscuring an objectively awarded RPG and potentially slowing creators new content due to misled criticism.
Aww mate that comment made me all fuzzy inside. Thank you so much! I always value hearing this sort of feedback. I work very hard on the scripts for these breakdowns because I don't want to come across as, like you mentioned "fabricating poor excuses to hate the game".
Just discovered this masterpiece of an RPG a month ago. I finished my first playthrough a week ago with positive reputation with almost everyone and a 3 in benevolence and honesty, then I confronted Eothas and convinced him to spread his essence to the brightest minds across Eora. I consider this to be my ‘canon’ playthrough. Then, immediately after I started a new game on Expert Path of the Damned, chose the Everything Bad backstory, then my stats were cursed by the gods to oblivion for my past sins as I massacred people in the streets, went to the lost city alone leaving a massive power vortex for the factions (if anyone in Eora is still alive after what I’ve done of course,) confronted Eothas and instantly decided to challenge him to a fight. My companions, who all hated my guts this point, watched as my soul was grinded into cosmic dust by Eothas himself. I mean, good riddance. Loved both campaigns, one for the amazing, immersive story, and the other because it was hilarious to imagine this madman running around slaughtering the command chain of entire factions, everyone hating his guts, before sailing to the Lost City of Ukaizo to fight a god possessing a giant statue and dying immediately, leaving Eora in complete chaos and disorder.
I played and completed Neverwinter Nights 2 for the first time recently and was amazed by the scope and breadth of that RPG. Everyone mentions how PoE is a revival of Baldur's Gate and whatnot, but no one mentions Neverwinter Nights 2 anymore ( they don't know what they're missing). I only played NVN2 and not the first one (as I prefer Obsidian to BioWare), but after having played it, PoE seems like nothing more than an epigone to NWN2.
You are absolutely correct. NWN2, especially the expansion Mask of the Betrayer, shares numerous thematic and plot similarities with POE. Which is unsurprising, as they share many of the same writers.
Great video, man. I just finished PoE2 after playing through PoE1 (only later got the expansions), but I will be playing through again. I feel like pushing the boundaries of evil in these games to see what Obsidian throws at us by taking this route. The first time around, I sent souls back into entropy (felt it was better to destroy mangled souls than return them to the babies), and was sympathetic with the Huana and placed faith in kith to restore the world after the wheel was gone. Thinking of taking the Woedica / Skaen loyalty approach... Haha
I also thought I'd be going with the Huana earlier on, and someone who was going to work for Berath since she brought me back. I went with a clever, honest, pragmatic Watcher who was a Cipher/Wizard from Aedyr. The deeper I got into the game, the more I ended up disliking Berath and siding with Eothas. I also had a a unique dialogue choice due to my origin; basically telling the Huana that even if Rauatai and the Vailian Republics weren't knocking on their door; Aedyr and Old Valia are right there. This changed my perception and pushed me into siding heavily with Rauatai. Because if invaders DO show up; it won't be the Wahiki in their canoe, it'll be the Royal Deadfire Companies more-gun-than-boat gunboats. The Rauatai view of the Huana stagnating and Ukaizo not really being the element that would change that kind of seemed to ring true; the Huana live in an out-dated caste system which can't agriculturally feed everyone and thus has a expansive, starving, lower class and I didn't see any farmland in Ukaizo. After taking Ukaizo for the Rauatai; it's mentioned this actually stops the harsh weather in the Rauatai and thus saves their homeland. They also gave me the keys to their Submarine. That ship fucks.
Wow that is such an interesting playthrough. I appreciate you sharing your experience with this game. :) See this is why I'm considering doing another playthrough, you having told me this makes me so curious as to what would happen if I roleplayed a COMPLETELY different character. Yeah I heard about the submarine. Guess Rauatai were heading towards steampunkdom haha.
@@GriffinMuffin The foreshadowing of the Sub is actually pretty cool; without spoilers, it re-contextualizes the Rauatai as being highly merit based over their previous hard-knock military persona. Also; with Beast of Winter, you can explore the Saint's War briefly and the possession of Waiden. With the context here I think it really drives home what's at stake with the Wheel being broken. It's like a dam being used to hold back water, and while that river used to flow naturally, it wont anymore. While Rekke has his own God devoid of the Pantheon, and Pallegina's quest goes into the sleeper-cell nature of Godlike; it really brings up the fact that the Gods will have to come down if the Kith start resting control. Also, also; personal theory: Watchers are Wael's Godlike.
Awesome! You see this is what I liked which I discussed. No one side is the bad guy. Each faction has a fair degree of nuance. I think I might create a Rauataian next playthrough. I think I might get into Beast of Winter in a few weeks. I could do another video on it depending on what I am able to glean from it. ... That is an interesting theory... Kinda lines up. Let's hope that's explored further.
Fantastic Video. I'm glad I found someone who loves the narrative and lore in POE II as much as I do. It seems that so many people on the internet (or at least in the YT comment section) really dislike the story and companions. While I'm very biased towards the companions (since they're voiced by the Critical Role Cast) I always found the disdain for the story baffling considering the thematic depth and narrative nuance this game has to offer. The only possible reason I can come up with is that people only see the God chasing aspect of the narrative as the story and since that is in the background for most of the game, these people dislike the "story" of the game. The fact that the political storyline and the pantheon storyline are more thematicly than narratively connected probably didn't help either. Nonetheless I really hope to see more narrative Breakdowns from you in the future. There are many people focusing on the story aspect instead of the narrative which I always find disappointing to a certain degree.
Thanks for the nice comment, mate! I too have found a few others that dislike the main story and some of the companions. I've had some cool discussions with another video essayist named Novem the Reasonable Gamer about the narrative design and the story of PoE II and I can see where people get their gripes from. And I can understand to a degree. But ultimately, I interpreted the events and choices made with the story with a different perspective. I am eager to get another breakdown out soon. I was gonna do GreedFall but... I couldn't even finish it. Yes, the bones of a good RPG are there but the last 2 hours of this game (out of 27 for me) has been so tedious and the final quest made spoiled a lot of the investment I had in the game. And I really don't want to produce a video to something that I didn't finish. I feel though I might have a lot of notes to take-away and will build an essay on 'what not to do in narrative design' or something.
Can't agree more with Eder, just finished 100% PoE2 and he really is a good reflection and often would voice thoughts that I myself had while playing. Currently on my second playthrough of PoE 1 and chose a Pale Elf Bleak Walker Paladin (making all the wrong choices, lol) and sacrificed him in the blood pool. I sat there for a good 10 minutes thinking about it but in the end my Paladin wouldn't really have him in my group despite him being my personal fav character. I'm really looking forward to importing my new character to PoE2, I imagine it will feel like a very different experience without Eder.
Sounds intresting. I'm going thru poe 1 currently to have a save to import for poe2 I'm gonna keep Eder this time around but I'll try sacraficeing him next time (maybe because I like him alot)
Oh you mean sacrificing him in the Skaen quest? Ive never done that. Every time I was too scared to get rid of someone. I can safely say I like all the companions in *some* way.
@@GriffinMuffin Yup! I love all the companions in their own way as well. I wouldn't think of sacrificing Eder like that in my first playthrough. But this was my 2nd or 3rd and I was playing a Bleak Walker Paladin. Oh man did I not like the result, but it's what my character would do so I did it. Still made me cringe while it was going down, lol.
Great video. I see this was posted over 2 years ago at this point, but I only just beat PoE2. I loved PoE1. I was initially very unsatisfied with the endings of PoE2. After 50 hrs of gameplay, there was no climactic boss fight, Ukaizo was only a few small zones (and not an epic quest line), the very vague ending(s) felt abrupt... but this video did help me process it a bit. The design of the narrative is characterized by moral ambiguity and flexibility of player choice. Initially I felt the ending was too vague as a result of the writers focusing more on how plot threads continue to a potential PoE3. Especially since the wheel is destroyed in every outcome (that I am aware of) and Eothas breaks the enchantment Berath puts on the Watcher. But overall it is at least an immersive and unique story. And I think Eothas' character is extremely interesting. Maybe the only weakness of the plot was how unlikable and disengaged all the other god characters were. None of them ever treat you (or kith) in a directly "nice" way and they really just sit in the background and complain. Would've been nice if they were written to be move involved with the factions and/or had more tangible effects on the plot or setting... but thanks again for this analysis. I also agree that Edir basically carries the player experience on a first play-through.
I played both pillars of eternity 1 and 2 dude heck yeah i love it ... i just wish they added a bonus pack after you finished your main quest i wished they added a free quest where you can still enjoy and explore the world without worring your main quest anymore ...also i wished they make pillars of eternity 3
Thanks for the commenr. Well we still don't know how the PoE project that was announced a couple of years ago is going. Keen to see any development but Obsidian will only release stuff when it's ready.
Every dialogue with a god in this game is sooo GOOD. Great, memorable writing. It's amazing. I think the endings were kinda rushed cause there was meant to be a third game, but that's just my thoughts. There are crpgs that were maybe more fun to play, but poe1 and 2 will be my favorite for all the times rheese games made me just sit and think about the answer in the dialogue for minutes. Sad it is so underrated.
Who 'kills' us at the start of the game sending us to Berath? Not Ethoas we have a heavy soul and biawicks aint shit? The rest of the ships crew is fine?
You die when Eothas bursts from underneath Caed Nua and rups every soul out. Your soul isn't completely gone into Eothas and you're like "half souled" for a bit of the game thereafter. Neat way to bait the Watcher along to pursue along but it sort of doesn't connect the PLAYER to the urgency of the situation.
How does xp work in the first pillars of eternity? I picked a lock and the combat log said I got 10xp. But when I check character sheet it says I only have 6/1000 experience. I have one person in my party by the way, calisca. Please help.
Xp in Pillars of Eternity 1, is not like most other RPGs. You don't get XP per kill it's XP based the amount of times to fill out the entry in a beastiary. Pretty sure XP is evenly distributed (but maybe the person who did the act of acquiring a bit more?) upon each time you acquire it, manly from quests.
GriffinMuffin I’m confused because my combat log specifically said I earned 10 xp but then when I checked my character sheet it said I received 6 and so did my party member. It does get distributed evenly because we both had 6 xp but my combat log should have said I received 12 xp then. It said I got 10xp so I figured me and my party should have gotten 5xp each since it’s evenly distributed but we got 6 each. That’s what I don’t get.
I'm yet to get to the ending myself, but this seems like all the endings are just pure crap. You can either keep humanity be enslaved by the self-absorbed tyrannical quasi-deities, or make your character a person who destroyed humanity's ability to recreate, basically killing them off for good and let a mass murderer become a martyr. I think I'm going to stop playing now...
This criticism comes up with PoE:2 a lot. Specifically to the morally ambiguous nature of the writing and how there's never the outright best outcome for most choices. And it's fair to have that opinion. I do think it is worth playing to the end. I'm not 100% certain but I'm sure there's more than the two endings as you describe. Thanks for watching :)
Thanks for the comment! I tried to get into DOS 2 and I just couldn't. I don't know what it was really. I loved the combat but the companions and story are really where I felt it go flat for me. I didn't care these people were in my party. They were predictable. It wasn't a 'bad' game. Maybe I'm just spoiled? I don't know. I'd never say "don't play it" I just think it wasn't for me.
