Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire

Best CRPG I've ever played. One of the best games I've ever played, in general.

For some context: I grew up playing Neverwinter Nights and Dragon Age Origins. I got back into CRPG's through Divinity Original Sin 2, however I didn't love how sandbox-y/sometimes silly that game felt. There was a focus on puzzles and metagaming, rather than immersion and role playing. I also LOVE real-time-with-pause. I played Baldur's Gate 1 + 2, which were fun but dated, and honestly some of the gameplay in Baldur's Gate 2 was so convoluted and obscure that it felt like the only way to enjoy the game was on a second playthrough once you know how to prepare for each zone. Pathfinder was buggy and had timers and kingdom management which turned me off.

Which brings me to Pillars 1 + 2. I played Pillars 1 and fell in love with the game. The atmosphere was perfect, the systems were fresh and felt designed around being a fun videogame rather than trying to take an existing system and make a videogame around it. However, I wanted more. I wanted more depth, more story, more exploration, more variety. Pillars 2 scratched that itch.

It's hard for me to think of this game without getting excited about all of the different ways you can create a character. It feels like there are infinite options, each one well thought out and on a standard difficulty, it feels almost difficult to go wrong! That's a huge achievement for this genre. The gameplay is a blast. Changing abilities to per-encounter from per-rest was a huge improvement alone, and should be the standard for CRPG's.

The story is wonderful. I read a lot of comments from Gamers™ who complain about moral ambiguity, or that the characters they want to support morally are not likeable enough. For me and for that reason, I found this to be one of the most honest depictions of colonialism/imperialism in gaming. It does not fall into a noble savage trope. It often goes out of its way to create friendly and likeable characters who support the colonial powers. It makes you think about your choices in the context of what is moral and ethical for the game world, not just for your favorite characters. I think it's bravely written and very interesting, far more interesting than a stock fantasy story. And yet, it doesn't subdue its fantastical elements which stays front and center in both gameplay and story.

10/10

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
After a 3rd playthrough, first one since launch, DLCs included.
Full disclosure - I love Pillars of Eternity. I backed the game before it came out and my name is among one of the first in the credits. I beat the game twice in succession at launch, but haven't played it since, nor any of the DLCs before now. I wanted to revisit the game ahead of the Avowed launch.
I beat the game on Path of the Damned difficulty, all DLCs included, 100% achievement in about 75-80 hours played time.
First things first: The way Pillars of Eternity (1 and 2) does difficulty is my absolute favorite way. Where a lot of CRPGs tune the enemies ridiculously (like buffing their AC to absurd heights, so you can't hit them) Pillars takes a different approach. The higher the diffuculty, the more enemies you face. Some enemies get upgraded (a whelp is instead a drake) and they tune their armor a bit. This makes for a great challenge, but not one that feels impossible to overcome without breaking the game in some way. Path of the Damned difficulty in the current and last version of the game felt really well tuned. I remember at launch it was a bit too easy, but they have fixed that. Big thumbs up for the balance in the game.
My favorite aspect of Deadfire is the combat. The game has my favorite system in any CRPG. It's incredibly satisfying to take down enemies with the correct dose of debuffs, attacks, buffs, etc. I played a cipher and it felt really good overwhelming enemies' willpower after my mage and priest knocked that particular defense down. The multiclassing and bucketloads of items make for an abundance of great builds you can tool around with - all pretty well balanced.
Deadfire storywise is weak in parts compared to its predecessor. The main story consists of about five bigger quests that in terms of the playtime amount to maybe 10 hours. However, the game is great in its other content. I think it's the most "open world" CRPG there is. The main story pushes you a bit forward, but the world is where it's at. There are multiple factions to work with (or against), plenty of islands to explore, treasure to be found, etc. It all tells a great thematic story about colonisation and faith.
The three DLCs are great additions. In particular I liked Beasts of Winter. Seeker, Slayer, Survivor was my least favorite and felt a bit repetitive.
My biggest gripe with the game is the performance. For a game from 2018 it runs shoddily at times. It seems there's still a memory leak issue or something similar and the frames at times drop below 30 on a modern rig. Unity engine at work I guess... A restart fixed the most immediate problems. Otherwise the game played well and was bugfree for my experience.
I'm biased, I love Pillars of Eternity, and I can't wait for Avowed. I'm a bit sad that Avowed isn't a CRPG, but I'm hoping it's great regardless. Should you play Deadfire? If you like CRPGs it's an absolute MUST. I highly recommend it, 9/10.

I want to say that this is my favorite Crpg so don't expect an unbiased opinion.

Pros:
* The world building is just insanely good. It has different religions, different factions with well defined goals. You can easily tell apart people that have different cultural background by accent, clothing, aspect, ideals, etc.
* The lore is quite fascinating. From the moons to the gods, from the nobles to the poor, from the kith to wildlife everything comes together to make a whole planet feel alive.
* Love the multitude of builds you can do and most important how much this game supports wacky builds. Want a Barbarian that is super smart and has no str? Viable. Want a party of 5 chanters? Viable. want a Paladin that casts wizard spells? Easily done. Want to role play as Snow White and the dwarfs? Done!
* Gameplay is quite awesome. I really like the different spells and abilities and how cool the encounters are. On top of that you can choose to play the game using RTWP (real time with pause) or turn based.
* The atmosphere has this pleasant nostalgic feel to it. The art, environment, music, sound effects, visual all come together in a really soothing atmosphere.
* The music is really good and fits incredible with the world they created.
* The writing is witty and interesting. In my opinion Obsidian has the best writing in Rpg's and I am here to enjoy it. They are masters of the pen.
* Voice acting is amazing. While the voice actors are talented I want to give credit to the audio direction. The people working on it did an amazing job.
* Dragons!
* Companions! While they don't really fit with my own personality, the companions are awesome. They are well written, they feel real, they are not here just to suck me and feed my ego, they are here because they have a goal. I really like the fact that they actually have a personality and THEY are NOT player centric. They actually leave you if their interest is not the same as the player and that is AWESOME!.
* Font Ligatures!
* Love the feeling of progression and power that my character earns throughout out the story.
* Items are really interesting and have active abilities and not only boring passive dmg increases.
* Choices that impact the world.
* Quests can be approached from different angles and have different outcomes. (Fort Delight comes to mind).
* Contrary to popular opinion I actually really liked the main story. The big Adra Giant is fucking awesome!.
* The magic water fish bowl in Kahanga Palace.
* The idle animations!
* Queen Onekaza!
* You can setup the AI for your companions in combat and it's way to good.

Cons:
* Balance. Sadly balance is all over the place. It might be because I only played the game on POTD (highest difficulty) but the balance is bad. You either stomp everything or you get stomped. There is a decent amount of in between but not enough. Luckily Obisidian agrees with me and gave us a way to craft or own difficulty by using Berath's Blessing's / Magran's Fires.
* Pacing and encounters. You can achieve max lvl WAYYY before reaching the end game and this leads to a feeling like there is no progress to be had. Some encounters are badly placed (mostly in Neketaka). You can encounter random fights while exploring between districts that are to tough to beat and could lead to being stuck or having to clear the encounter in a way that you didn't want to.
* Queen's Berth Timed mission. (It ruined my first playthrough, Ruined I SAY!)
* Naval exploration. This is just a personal dislike so you can ignore it, but I HATE SHIPS. (The name is awesome though - The Defiant!)
* Thaos IX Arkannon is not in the game.
* Superbosses. This is actually a plus and a minus but I lean towards the negative because of how limiting the strats are on how to deal with them. Wish there were more flexibility to the fights.

As my CLEARLY UNBIASED opinions that CANNOT be wrong come to an end I want to finish by saying that I absolutely loved the experience this game offered me and I recommend it to anyone that has an inclination towards isometric crpgs.

P.S. Obisidian please give me Pillars 3 and Tyranny 2!!!!

The best written story I have seen in any game.
You have to make choices, and there is no clear good option. By helping someone and trying to do what is right, you will always hurt someone else.

Surprisingly great
Pillars of Eternity I
The first game was a good game for me, however it had a huge BUT, it was annoyingly boring after several dozen hours.
For me, the were two main problems:
• Lack of interesting events over a time
• Lack of voice acting and overwhelming amount of text
Pillars of Eternity II It is a lot better than the first one.
I loved the world
• I finally understood what was happening during the Saint War (major event in POE I)
• I was captivated by talking to the Gods
• Neketaka (the main big city) is an enormously interesting location
• Side quests are very good and they have several different outcomes
I loved the text
• The text is much shorter, Thank God!
• Everything is fully voiced, and voice acting is reeeeeally good
I loved the combat
• Real-time combat is much-much better than in the first game, I finally understand what is happening on the battlefield
• The game has a turn-based mode, and though you can't switch modes during a fight you can change them via the command console, just type:
SetTacticalMode RoundBased for turn-based combat
SetTacticalMode Disabled for real-time
Unfortunately, I dislike the open world
• It has no markers! I have to come back on all Islands to know if I missed something or not, It's ridiculous!
• It would be better if the game had the same map structure as the first one, location exploration would be so much interesting
And I find the main plot controversial
• It's interesting, yes, but it's too short and isn't tied to side quests unlike Baldur's Gate 3, for instance
• I do not mind the ending, though it's a bit too hasty and has a cliffhanger. The good part is I still feel the weight of my choices, so I remained satisfied
All in all
The game is great. It's not perfect, nevertheless, It's a solid role-playing game with many choices, outcomes and captivating stories.

Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire is a masterpiece in Role-Playing game genre.

Having spent over a hundred hours immersed in the world of Eora, I can confidently say that Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire is not only a stellar sequel but a significant improvement over the original. Obsidian Entertainment has truly outdone themselves with this gem, refining and expanding upon every aspect that made the first game great.

A living, breathing world, the archipelago of Deadfire is vibrant and teeming with life, offering a diverse array of cultures, landscapes, and ecosystems. The open-world exploration feels incredibly rewarding, with each island presenting unique challenges, stories, and secrets waiting to be uncovered. The dynamic weather system and day-night cycle further enhance the immersion, making Deadfire's world feel truly alive.

With enhanced combat and customization combat in Deadfire, it is a solid improvement over its predecessor. The introduction of multiclassing adds a new layer of strategic depth, allowing for endless character build possibilities. Whether you prefer the brute strength of a Barbarian combined with the finesse of a Rogue or the mystical prowess of a Wizard paired with the healing abilities of a Priest, the choices are vast and impactful.

With rich storytelling and meaningful choices, Obsidian's storytelling prowess shines brightly in Deadfire. The narrative is gripping, filled with complex characters, moral dilemmas, and branching storylines that truly make you feel like your decisions matter. The companion characters are richly developed, each with their own unique backstories and personal quests, adding layers of depth to your party dynamics.

With stunning visuals and a visually improved UI, Deadfire is a feast for the eyes. The detailed environments, character models, and spell effects are all beautifully rendered. The user interface has also seen significant improvements, with a more intuitive and streamlined design that makes managing your party and inventory a breeze.

The game's audio design is nothing short of spectacular, it's a truly immersive audio experience. The voice acting is top-notch, bringing the characters and dialogue to life with emotional depth and authenticity. The soundtrack, composed by Justin Bell, is a beautiful accompaniment to your journey, perfectly capturing the mood and atmosphere of the various locales you explore.

In conclusion Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire is a masterclass in RPG design. It takes the foundation laid by its predecessor and builds upon it in meaningful ways, delivering an experience that is both familiar and refreshingly new. Whether you're a veteran of the series or a newcomer, Deadfire offers an adventure that's well worth embarking on.

don't play this game. it will make you want every other rpg to have this level of care poured into it's story, world and character building. and high expectations are not it in this economy. (ignore everything i said and buy it)