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

[Volourn]

I liked the game and enjoyed it enough of finish but the bottom line is the review isn't wrong.

 

[shadow9d9]

Another case of a game being crowdfunded by one kind of audience and then designed for another kind of audience.

I don't get that impression. I get the impression that Obsidian just plays things safe. They are afraid and so therefore, they stuck to derivative. I think that it was a hugely missed opportunity. You need to take risks and have soul to reach greatness. They just appear afraid.

 

[tuluse]

People who tolerate mediocrity are the reason we don't get anything better.

I don't think this is true. For every person who "tolerates" a mediocre game, there are 10 who thought it was legitimately good. That's the reason we don't get better games.

 

[Lhynn]

People who tolerate mediocrity are the reason we don't get anything better.

I don't think this is true. For every person who "tolerates" a mediocre game, there are 10 who thought it was legitimately good. That's the reason we don't get better games.

I agree, people just dont know better. They have shit taste.

 

[shadow9d9]

The Game is out. It's a fucking stinker. Accept it and hope Obsidian pulls their shit together for PoE 2.. They made the money off the game so can we stop treading water for fear that if we call PoE what it is, Obsidian will never make RPG's again.

Uhm, the game is sitting at a 90 Metacritic score and has been released to near-universal critical acclaim. I'm pretty sure a Codex review is not going to make Feargus change course.

Yes, there is a huge market for EA style games. This is called mainstream appeal. It doesn't make it great. It makes it commercially successful and often soulless, which is what people demand.

 

[Irenaeus]

People who tolerate mediocrity are the reason we don't get anything better.

I don't think this is true. For every person who "tolerates" a mediocre game, there are 10 who thought it was legitimately good. That's the reason we don't get better games.

I agree, people just dont know better. They have shit taste.

Agree, anyone who agrees with this review has shit taste.

 

[Lhynn]

The Game is out. It's a fucking stinker. Accept it and hope Obsidian pulls their shit together for PoE 2.. They made the money off the game so can we stop treading water for fear that if we call PoE what it is, Obsidian will never make RPG's again.

Uhm, the game is sitting at a 90 Metacritic score and has been released to near-universal critical acclaim. I'm pretty sure a Codex review is not going to make Feargus change course.

Yes, there is a huge market for EA style games. This is called mainstream appeal. It doesn't make it great. It makes it commercially successful and often soulless, which is what people demand.

PoE is anything but soulless

Spoiler

 

[holla_cabezas_de_mierda]

Solid review that explains in detail what is wrong with PoE. Overall, I still enjoy the game but I agree with most of what Roxor criticizes, because it's just the fucking truth. Dozens of trash mobs and you don't even get combat XP, items never do anyhing exciting, setting is "we don't want to be Forgotten Realms but actually we're just Forgotten Realms, yeah sorry we tried".

This is what I dislike the most about PoE. Obisidan had their own shot at making their very own fantasy world and system. They could do anything and they wrote a campaign that can be without much problems just straight ported to DnD. All monsters are already there in the DnD's bestiary, all classes are already there (just change cipher to psyker) etc. Obsidian turned out to be less original than people like Wizardry devs, Van Coneghem and Gariott back in the day and all they wanted to make was their own DnD adventure. My biggest disappointment was that Obsidian didn't bother to make their own shitmobs. It's a bit of a tradition that when trying to make your own original fantasy creators should at least include different shitmobs. Alicesoft has Hannys, Final Fantasy has Cacti (and their goblins don't really look like dnd goblins), Gothic had scavengers, Diablo 2 had fallen, Morrowind had Mudcraps and Cliff Racers etc. Obsidian just blatantly stole Kobolds along with their dragon connection and called them Xaurips. Only time they decided to change things a little was when they were copping copyrighted monsters like the Ilithid. The bestiary is so uninspired I'd willingly exchange it for Serious Sam bestiary, which is a shame because one is an RPG and the other is one of the most mindless First Person Shooters.

I don't care about 'originality' I just wanted it to be fun and POE is not very fun. D&D is fun, despite all the shit it gets. D&D rules gave us the best RTwp Games AND the best Turn based combat (Temple of Elemental Evil). It also gave us the best itemization and exploration. Its possible that D&D just works, is balanced and fun, more than most want to admit or even realize. I truly wish POE had just used 2nd or 3ed edition D&D and been done with it, instead we got this abomination of a system and it is truly not very fun. Its underwhelming, and finding items is boring, combat is boring, bonuses and spells are boring.

Sawyer does not know what fun is. Its beyond a joke.

Please somebody just make some fucking modern ported D&D modules with upgraded 2d graphics and quit thinking you have some new awesome system you can develop in 1 year that is going to be better than D&D. Its not. Its going to suck. Go this is frustrating.

 

[Mortmal]

Roxxor is too negative , hes trying too hard calling it less fun than DS3 completely botching his conclusion, but he's telling the truth in the review. My first impressions of the game would be a 9/10 game , gorgeous, superb environements, a really good IE game feeling, many dialogue choices. Unfortunatly you wont get so many choices later and the game doesnt even care if you are some half mutant godlike with no eyes., your int of 3 , or anything... The encounters system is exactly like that, one tank and other members naked doing dps, i already said it in previous posts.I finished the game , the strategy can apply to any encounters, so it becomes boring, everything predictable, no reward nor challenge and you end up with a 6-7/10 game.
Now the problem is i am browsing steam greenlight , looking for rpgs, and i die a little inside after each search results. Just try it, a sea of indie shit, almost nothing of value ever coming ,2-3 titles worth looking at over hundreds of releases.I fear we wont get anything better than poe before a long long time.

 

[hiver]

Another case of a game being crowdfunded by one kind of audience and then designed for another kind of audience.

I don't get that impression. I get the impression that Obsidian just plays things safe. They are afraid and so therefore, they stuck to derivative. I think that it was a hugely missed opportunity. You need to take risks and have soul to reach greatness. They just appear afraid.

Well yes... exactly. The wrong "audience".

And that sentence was aimed at all kickstarter cRPGs, especially W2 which is almost a complete abomination of a game.

D:OS was the most advanced one, despite having some features for the "masses" but the only one which took the genre forward in perceptible ways. Although of course the main plot was not one of those.

 

[Irenaeus]

Roxxor is too negative

What to expect from a guy who's been saying the game was shit even before it was released?

My first impressions of the game would be a 9/10 game , gorgeous, superb environements, a really good IE game feeling, many dialogue choices.

Agree, but I was actually overwhelmed by how good it was compared to my "it will be shit" expectations (I hated Sawyer before the game was released and now I'm his fan) and would rate it 10/10.

Unfortunatly you wont get so many choices later

I'm at the beginning of Act 3 and the game continues to give me several options all the time.

and the game doesnt even care if you are some half mutant godlike with no eyes., your int of 3 , or anything...

The game cares enough and if it cared more it would be even better.

The encounters system is exactly like that, one tank and other members naked doing dps, i already said it in previous posts.I finished the game , the strategy can apply to any encounters, so it becomes boring, everything predictable, no reward nor challenge

I disagree, almost every encounter is different, has challenges (I'm playing on Normal, imagine something harder) and the reward is that you get to keep playing instead of GAME OVER.

I changed my strategy and tactics all the time along my 80 hours playing the game.

and you end up with a 6-7/10 game.

I disagree, I rate it 10/10.

Now the problem is i am browsing steam greenlight , looking for rpgs, and i die a little inside after each search results. Just try it, a sea of indie shit, almost nothing of value ever coming ,2-3 titles worth looking at over hundreds of releases.I fear we wont get anything better than poe before a long long time.

Agree, almost every RPG released in the last years has been shit (with honourable exceptions like D:OS and WL2) and that's why I'm praising PoE so much.

I can't wait for more RPGs such as these from Obsy or whoever can make one similar. My dollars are here waiting for you guys.

 

[hiver]

I value a bro going against the codex alone.


- soundtrack is superb, btw.


One thing that struck me from the start is ... why would anyone limit gaining talents like that? What could possibly be the purpose? There is like 45 talents and most of them are useless or completely non appealing and even those that are worthy of taking give you some minimal bonuses so... why not allow talent per level?

whats the point?

 

[Irenaeus]

Yeah, forgot to mention how pleasing to the ears is the music track and how good are sound effects in general.

 

[hiver]

Listening as we speak.

 

[Cholo]

Excellent review, terrific thread. Codex delivering all of this content in one day put a big smile on my face.

Big to all parties involved.

 

[RK47]

Yeah, forgot to mention how pleasing to the ears is the music track and how good are sound effects in general.

Turned off the music and didn't like it.

 

[Viata]

I remember the number of crpg I played non-stop because I loved so much. This is not one of them. It's a good game, but turn-based should be mandatory in this age. I hardly have the motivation to play it again. I have yet to update it post-censured version.

 

[cfisher2833]

I don't necessarily agree with all of the review, but I stand by Roxxor. By the time I got to the elf city, I was starting to lose interest, and had to rush through it (just cause I want to finish games I start, meh). The story really built up to something interesting, but it just got so goofy at the end there, what with the gods and all.

Anyway, good review, and like I said, I may not agree with it all, but I can understand where the sentiment arises from. The game has its flaws and many of those flaws were ignored or glossed over by quite a few reviewers, particularly the story elements, which fell flat at the end. Dragonfall raised that bar motherfuckers.

Plus, how could I possibly get mad at that cute little ratling!!? HE'S SOO CUTE!! PLAY GRIMROCK 2 YOU DIRTY FUCKWITS!!!

 

[Immortal]

Did my quote just make it into the Taiga_Motd for the shoutbox? I feel like famous or something..

I hope it was Iranaeus

 

[Lhynn]

Did my quote just make it into the Taiga_Motd for the shoutbox? I feel like famous or something..

I hope it was Iranaeus

Iren has no power over the shoutbox.

 

[Immortal]

Did my quote just make it into the Taiga_Motd for the shoutbox? I feel like famous or something..

I hope it was Iranaeus

Iren has no power over the shoutbox.

One of many mystery's on the 'Dex..

 

[Sensuki]

90 on metacritic just means 9/10 polished turds. The press version didn't have a lot of the bugs the release version did either, if it did, woulda scored lower.

 

[Average Manatee]

The same retards who now bash POE vote DA as the RPG of the year.

This is pretty hilarious since I thought DA was garbage for many of the same reasons I don't love POE. Namely, combat too-inspired by MMOs and endless trash combat. Now that you mention it, the games are a lot more similar than I realized.

Combat system should be reworked in POE. Period. However, in POE's case it can still be salvaged, while DA's combat system was doomed from the start.

Both games need to be completely rebalanced and rebuilt with better encounter design and AI while jettisoning the various degenerate mechanics in them, but I have to give DA the edge because at least it was more original and had more interesting character development.

 

[Volourn]

"By the time I got to the elf city,"

what elf city?

 

[Kingston]

Thread delivers.

Game starts out alright but slowly descends into monotony. I really don't give a shit at all about the world or characters.


Oh, and...

Oftentimes, the NPCs act completely schizophrenic and can go from desperate (‘you just slaughtered my two cousins who bumrushed you in a frenzy of bloodlust!!!’) to euphoric (‘no one has ever done us that much good!’) within a single conversation.

Doesn't mean what you think it means. You're either looking for bipolar (in which periods of mania and depression usually last for months) or dissociative identity disorder / multiple personality disorder (which afaik is still pretty controversial).