Review: Pillars of Eternity 

" its 2015 " me watching in 2020 ( more like 2021 ) . damn time flies

"Hundreds of unoccupied enemy armors" is the coolest way I've ever heard "stuff looted from corpses" spun.

That's not a review. That's a love letter.

This is six years later but I just wanted you to know this is an astoundingly well written review. This is succinct and detailed in equal measure and a review worthy of such a timeless classic of a game.

PS: "You must gather your party before venturing forth" ....the feels and the chills (and a lot of nostalgia tears)

Obsidian's great. Kotor 2 being one of my favorite games of all time along with New Vegas. They come in and seem to really improve upon a franchises tropes, even with the very small amount of development time they usually get. I'd love for them and Bioware to collaborate and make Kotor 3 together, and maybe help Bethesda make Fallout glorious again. I think they're one of the best devs out there right now.

Love hearing George happy

This review inspired me to finally buy Pillars of Eternity. I play games on a very strict budget, so I'm normally very leery of purchases that aren't extremely discounted. But this convinced me it was worth it. Thanks a lot.

Wow! I haven't heard you be this positive about a game in forever! This is awesome! I'm definitely gonna check it out now.

This is one of the best reviews I've watched about anything on RU-vid. Thorough, yet succinct, and manages to glowingly praise the game while still criticizing what minor flaws there are. Well done! I can't wait to play this game.

One of the most interesting, informative, and intelligent reviews I have seen in years. Zero expletives, thank you for this point alone. With an obvious love of the game reviewed, and yet objective. Kudos. You are one hell of a reviewer.

Wow 70+ hours in a single week. That's pretty intense man.

Shovel Knight was my game that made me feel Kickstarter was legit.

Thank god I'm not the only person who spins my character around like a top in inventory screens just to see their cap whirl around. Come on, its fun.

Goosebumps from graphics and soundtrack already. Look forward to startup in a few hours. Thanks for a nice and informative review!

I saw this review when it came out and the game scared the crap out of me, primarily because of the frequent pausing George mentioned. A week ago I picked it up, and yes, it is absolutely as good as he says it is. I'm going to make one caveat to this review that might've made me pick it up sooner. In the options menu on the title screen and in game you can turn on auto-pausing. Maybe this is a feature that was added later, but I can set the game to pause the combat automatically. Frankly the amount of modularity you have in the options menu for this feature is fucking staggering. I have it set to pause whenever anyone in my party uses an ability or attacks an enemy, whenever enemies or traps are spotted, whenever a character finishes an ability (like a spell) and whenever a character gets to low health. There are maybe 10 more options I could turn on in that menu. It makes the game much easier for noobs like myself. If you are afraid of this game because you've never played anything like it I urge you to pick it up and toggle some of those options and put it on easy mode (you can switch easy mode off once you get the hang of it). It's an absolutely gorgeous and emotionally rich experience with deeper morality and player choice than I think I've ever seen before. Play it. Please. It's so goddamn good.

Bloodborne, Pillars of Eternity and Witcher 3 have made this year one of the best in recent memory for me. I'm all giddy and shit.

I've bought 3 games the last 2 weeks, City Skylines, BloodBorne, and Pillars of Eternity. Needless to say i have 3 amazing games to somehow find the time to play between my 50 hour work weeks.

I just wanted to say this was probably the best review I have ever seen. So polished and professional, well done my friend, very very well done.

It's 2019; and a fine older review for what has now become *Pillars of Eternity Definitive Edition* has by and large convinced me to pull the trigger on a sale even when the purchase is totally unplanned. Fine work sir.

Nearly five years later and I just got the name of the game. PIllars of Eternity, built on the foundation of Infinity.

Really hoping we'll get a critical close-up from you on this game in the future. All that excitement and love deserves to be channeled into more than such a brief review (which oddly pointed out a lot more of what you didn't like than what you did). This doesn't look like my kind of game, but it sounds like the kind which I'll enjoy watching no shortage of analytical videos about from the RPG fans I follow!

A fantastic review. Excellent use of vocabulary. You are articulate and fantastically descriptive. Thanks for not 'dumbing down' your review. I'm sold. *subscribed.

this is the game i hoped dragon age inquisition would be in terms of its mechanics, a genuinely intriguing non cliche story that treats you like an intelligent adult that doesn't pander to you at any point, the renaissance of the crpg genre is truly underway.

I wish Diablo 3 had similar graphics to this

this was made by Obsidian? I didn't knew! I must buy it now.

WOW. What a review! Very well spoken and written. I will be subscribing to the channel. Keep up the excellent, articulate and thought provoking work.

Great review! Thank you for taking the time to put this together! Well done.

Can you do a review on The Witcher franchise before 3 comes out? Or a retro review on the Half Life games

Definitive Edition will be free on Epic Games Store in a few days for a week, i will definitly be checking this game out

Just bought it. Love your channel dude and thanks for recommending this.

Good job on the thorough yet quickly uploaded review. I don't think any of the major sites have a video review up.

Posting this 3 hours before release man? Rub it in why dont you

Why is the video so choppy sometimes?

Really nice review, i'm looking forward it even more! :)

One question: is there a large city-like, Amn-like hub area with a lot of huts and buildings and a large number of npcs? I'm a sucker for those and I haven't really seen anything of the sort in the footage.

"The pillars of eternity stand as a stellar reminder of a forgotten genre and an inspiring beacon of what could come in the future" And here we are today, huh? It's almost inspiring.

Divinity Original Sin vindicated crowdfunding almost a year before Pillars of Eternity, and there were some solid titles before that as well.

Great review as always, thanks for all the amazing content Super Bunnyhop

I enjoyed DOS 2 a lot will I like this game too? Also what’s the learning curve like as far as getting the hang of combat orders etc? I was frustrated with DOS 2 at first because of the interface but got used to it eventuslly

Each time I see something related to Pillars I want to return to its deep beautiful world.

This game puts to shame all the AAA crap we've been exposed to in years... Dragon Age: Inquisition got it's ass kicked by a Kickstarter game - AAA clowns have a lot to learn about making quality RPGs and quality games.

The best review I have ever seen on YT.

very, very, very good review. I want to listen to you more. I am happy to find such a good channel.

Yup FREE now on Epic get over there and get it!

The engine this uses is beautiful. I would love to see obsidian take a knack at a post apocalyptic rpg using this same engine. The isometric fallout 2 sequel that we always wanted.

George, your videos are fantastic. Keep up the amazing work.

Must say, good review. I think I'll get me this one. Well done, sir.

Honestly, I knew this was going to be an incredible game when in the early part of the game my Barbarian, during one of those story-telling portions, threw his axe to save another party member. After the scene ended and I got control of my character again, the axe was gone, lost because I threw it. I don't know why that detail impacted me the way it did, it's not even that unique of a thing, to remove an item from inventory. It was just... The way it happened, how I used it to save someone only to actually not have it anymore. It made me a little giddy.

Shadowrun Returns, Wasteland 2, and Divinity Original Sin have already more than vindicated Kickstarter to me. This is just the cherry on the top. Sure they have been the disappointments with some kickstarter projects, but I view it just like pre-ordering a huge budget AAA title. Sometimes it delivers and sometimes they fail.

I love the way you critique games it's thought-provoking little insights into each game that make for a great review. I get a great overall review of each game which helps me in deciding where to put my money and I personally think you do the best job possible Pillars of Eternity it looks like an amazing game and thank you.

one of the best reviews I've ever seen. Good job ;)

The other close thing to that is "Age of Decadence" check it out

Maybe the best Review I've ever watched on RU-vid. Definitely you deserve the sub.

Great review, looking forward to playing my Kickstarter edition. Thanks!

Glad to hear that this turned out well! A classic Baldur's Gate-style adventure might be just the change of pace I was looking for! You hailed Pillars of Eternity as a vindication of the Kickstarter funding model, but I would encourage you not to forget the contributions of Freedom Planet and Shovel Knight - both successful, well-made games by any measure.

You're a great writer and reviewer. Thank you for sharing that talent and making these videos. Also I just splashed Irn Bru into my eye. Fuck sakes.

T H I C C

Hi all. I have a question please. Does this game supports ultra wide 3440x1440 resolution? Thank you... Game looks gorgeous. If it does support that resolution I will Defenetly buy it.

Hold on why are their all these different options on Steam for purchase? Which one should I buy?

Wow. Now THAT is a hardcore RPG. Looks gorgeous tho. BTW weren't those guys the ones Bethesda fucked with in New Vegas?

If only their could be a game like that, but without combat as a priority or a major part of the game...I know I can't enjoy that kind of combat (because it's not how I personnaly enjoy it) but, gosh, I wish to have that kind of game, nice writting and all with a thick social system / human interaction based gameplay.

Decent sincere in depth review. Worthy of a game review channel.

Coming back to this review was refreshing, just for it being a review, as George didn't have as many canned phrases he pulled out like 'time of my life' or whatever. The whole thing just sounds more genuine and thought out for it.

"Kickstarter has made a masterpiece" Yeah Shovelknight was great I agree!

I am a huge RPG fan, but I have never played any kind of "old-style" RPGs like this one. I have tried to play the first Baldur's Gate but I couldn't get past the tutorial (I know... noob) because the combat system is so much different from any RPG I have played. It was so overwhelming that it discouraged me from trying harder, since I don't have a lot of time to play videogames. I turned to turn-based classics like Wasteland 2 and the first 2 Fallout. The point is: I'd really love to enjoy a Baldur's Gate or a Pillars of Eternity, so could someone please point me in the direction of a similar game with a good tutorial and a similar but easier to play battle system, just to ease my way into this kind of RPGs?

Great review! So glad it turned out great, I love obsidian's games so much. Can't wait to get it soon (I have to finish dragonfall first...).

Excellent review. I'm interested in knowing which party you used on your play-through!

Holy shit, this got me hyped.

There have been lots of fantastic Kickstarter/crowdfunding successes, not sure why this one vindicates. I mean, great for them making a good game, but still, it's not the first. Wasteland 2, Divinity: Original Sin, Shadowrun Returns, Banner Saga, FTL, Kentucky Route Zero, The Escapists, Risk of Rain, Thomas Was Alone, Darkest Dungeon, Chilvalry, Spintires, Shovel Knight, heck, even with it's issues Broken Age Act 1 was pretty well received overall, and I've actually really enjoyed the Dreamfall games so far, I've heard great things about this game, but lets not bash on Kickstarter games too much, there have already been more than enough successes with the format to justify it's further use as a potential customer/investor. I'd say Pillars (along with D:OS, WL2, SrR etc.) does more to cement that isometric strategy RPG's are a legit genre that needs to be paid attention to by non-indie developers. If there is this much demand for the game type on crowdfunding, you'd think they would figure it out and try to provide some competition in that marketplace. Instead like EA/Bioware, they feel a need to abandon the tactical/strategy genre and turn everything into an action or shooter game.

Very nice review, I have never played an old CRPG like this and you make it seem like there is something really quite epic hidden in this concept. I think I will pick it up, wondering which version should I get.

Finally. I've been waiting for this so long. I can't wait to sink hours upon hours into it.

You had me at "Unlimited inventory space"

For some one like me who isn't really big on constantly pausing combat, what are my chances of getting anything done in this game?

Really tempted to purchase this before the new one comes out. Great review!

I'm sold just by seeing the beautiful isometric view and the art style.

Almost all the reviews unanimously say its a very polished game. Obsidian despite being RPG heavyweights are known for their buggy releases. Thankfully they have finally got rid of their resident 'bug programmer'. And the Fallout/BG like RPG revival continues on a rampage! DivinityOS,Wasteland2, This......Next up Torment.

I can't play Infinite engine games for long, because the real time system battles are too distracting. I prefer turn based RPGs because i can think about what to do next and just rush the battle if that kind of thinking is not necessary, while pausing all the time gets boring fast.

I freaking loved the music, it's really really immerssive it just fitted really well while I was reading through the text it really took me to that world I felt I was there it's simply amazing

I haven't played this game but I've watched some playthroughs. A little concerned about the game's length since there doesn't seem to be that many main quests and I'm someone who usually only manage to uncover half the side quests. Suppose I am a quick reader, do only half the side quests and am an IE veteran, would this game exceed 30 hours on normal difficulty?

A obsidian game that is polished, I-i don't know what to say, I always loved their games, but felt that QA was the thing that their games needed to just to great. Well I was originally not going to buy this game based on its cost, but now I just might.

tl;dr THICC

i'm curious on your thoughts regarding different consoles and console exclusives and handhelds. I wanna get a 3DS but also a PS4, the Ps4 has more appealing games for me, but there is badly wanna play the Majoras Mask remake.

A fantastic review - good balance between facts and your feelings on the game. You just earned a sub. Thank you.

I didn't leave the character creation page for 7 days now, hope i get to the intro soon

Something makes me feel like the game is “thick” Other than using the same words over and over to describe things you do really well reviewing games mate.

Nice, man. When will you review Numenara and Tyranny? Would love to hear your opinion on those, too.

I was always wondering: Is it valid talking about and rating a game by its difficulty when it involves higher difficulty levels than Normal? If you find it too easy why not begin with higher difficulty?I usually play games on 'Hard' or above - depending how the game 'plays' at its early stages and so I always get what i bargain for...😅

The way you tell about all the background information reminds me of how I felt when first playing skyrim. Who are the thalmor, blades and stormcloaks anyway? Gods, princes, what, why? But skyrim has a lot of quirks that you would mention so this game has done it right.

Who else came here cause this game free at epic games 😂😂lol

great review, can't wait to play this. remembering bg1 and bg2 and one of my favourite stories of all time

What an adventure this review was. Thank you!

Maybe I'm not smart enough, but playing this game felt like visiting an art museum. You know that everything you see is amazing, and maybe you have people with you explaining why, but at the end of the day (unless you try really hard to be invested in the story, and believe me I tried) nothing felt eye-catching or even interesting.

Gonna mod the shit out of it. Millennium is back baby.

You are my favorite Game RU-vidr. Great review here too.

Thank you for this thorough review! I've been looking for a solid game to play for awhile now and I stumbled upon this video by chance a few days ago. I am 20 hours into PoE and I'm having a blast with it! Subbed.. Cheers!

Man I wish there were versions of all these hyper-old school RPGs that just simplified the fucking combat. I know something like Dark Souls has a reputation for obtuseness but that's not nearly as bad as stuff like this, and there it at least feels like that obtuseness serves a purpose. In games like this it just feels like it gets in the way.

This or Divinity Original Sin?

Great video as always George!

Grats on being in the pillars of eternity documentary. I was like "Hay I know that voice"