Pillars of Eternity, Deadfire: Returning to the Wheel

Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire:

Pillars of Eternity, Deadfire: Returning to the Wheel

Pillars of Eternity, Deadfire: Sailing the Seas of Conflict

Pillars of Eternity, Deadfire: Navigating Relationships

Pillars of Eternity, Deadfire: Ain't Nothin' But the Gods' Hound Dog

Time to Beat: 54 Hours, no DLC

Four years ago Dark Souls III beat Pillars of Eternity for best game of Awkward Mixture, 2018. This sting was alleviated slightly when Dark Souls III won the best game of five years of Awkward Mixture. Can Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire succeed in a rematch? It will face tough competition with Dark Souls' successor, Sekiro (to be reviewed later this year). Pillars of Eternity II, developed by Obsidian Entertainment, released three years after the original. While the original game met with critical acclaim and commercial success, the second was a commercial disappointment.

Before writing this review, I reread my 2018 articles, with the purpose of comparing the two games. But I admit that to fully contrast the differences between PoE and PoE:D I would have to play both again. Four years is too much to overcome with a six thousand word series. Of course there are differences, but the overall feeling is that both games are bound together, like the Adra which flows through Eora.

Let's start with the opening choices. First, the player chooses between the normal “real time with pause” combat, or the new “turn based” combat, similar to the Divinity series. Reading online recommendations, I stuck with real time (though I prefer turn-based RPS). I used the recommended difficulty, Classic, compared to the easier (Story, Relaxed) or more difficult (Veteran, Paths of the Damned). In retrospect, because of my experience with Pillars, I should have tried veteran difficulty. I didn't use Pillars' Ironman mode, expert mode, or enemy scaling. And I found the game much too easy. Pillars allows the player to adjust the difficulty at any point, but I didn't, so that's my error.Pillars II is directly tied to its predecessor, especially the final choice of Pillars I. The player can carry over their data from PoE I if they can find it. I couldn't. Instead of playing the first game again, PoE II asks a single question. Which god did the protagonist side with in the previous game? With this information it creates a rough sketch of the world.

While I couldn't carry over my nature godlike rogue through a save file, I was able to recreate him using the picture on my December 12^th, 2018 article. The events of Pillars II also assume the player played the PoE I expansions. These are minor points, and don't impact the story except in small details. But the appearance of people who claimed to know me was briefly confusing, because I did not, in fact, play the expansions.

The events of PoE II occur five years after PoE I, regardless of how the latter ended. It is both a direct sequel, but also an oddly separated game from the first. On the one hand, the player plays the same protagonist. The story stars the god Eothas, renamed Guan. It includes many of the protagonist's former companions, friends, and enemies, along with the Gods. The planet of Eora, the reincarnation of The Wheel, and the pillars of Adra are still there. On the other hand it barely mentions the antagonist of the previous game. Nor does it truly incorporate the conflict with the antagonist's organization, its goals, or the outcome regarding the Hollowborn. The biggest disconnect is the barest mention of the Engwithans and the twist ending of Pillars of Eternity I.

I am going to spoil a seven year old game, and one I think I already spoiled four years ago, to make a point. The twist revealed in PoE I is that the gods are artificial constructs, created by an ancient race, the Engwithans. The Engwithans realized that there were no gods, and they feared what that knowledge would do to the sentient races of Eora. Using animancy and powerful machines they killed themselves, and used their souls to create the gods.

So it's weird walking around in Deadfire, talking to people about the gods, when my former companions and I know they are “fake” and no one else does. Are the gods fake though? How does one define a god? The gods were created, but they are powerful beyond comprehension. They are nearly immortal, but are bound to Newton's second law of thermodynamics (apparently some of our universal laws apply to Eora). Eventually they will run out of energy and die. The gods appear bound to certain ideals, such as justice or revenge. They may be compelled to act according to their internal laws. But the gods are also fickle, mean spirited, spiteful, contemptible creatures, much like the Greek gods. If that wasn't clear in PoE I (and it was), it's like polished crystal in PoE II.

The gods occupy a larger place in Pillars Of Eternity II: Deadfire. Eothas rises from the dead in spectacular form, a massive Adra statue. Forced to follow him, the protagonist, The Watcher of Caed Nua, travels to a new region, The Deadfire. Eothas' sudden return forces the protagonist to work with the god of death, Berath. Berath and other gods regularly commune with the player, demanding the Watcher intercept Eothas, discover his plans, and defeat him. Pillars II's increased interactions with the gods are an improvement over the limited discussions of the first game. The scenes depicting the gods are beautifully rendered. Despite their increased screen time, the gods limit themselves to conversation. They almost never take direct action in the story, which makes them seem weak, insignificant, even pathetic. They insist the player act, but can't compel. They are too passive, considering the danger they face. For Eothas has a plan, which he says, “Something beautiful is coming. Something that will save us all.” His initial hints are maddeningly vague, but additional conversations eventually reveal his motive and plan. The talks lack discussion of consequences. They refuse to let the player debate either Eothas or the other gods. But while the gods demand I stop Eothas, it's like how boss? How can a mortal hope to halt the plans of a god, even an artificial one? At least in the Saint's War the goddess Magran delivered the Godhammer Bomb to her followers. Here the gods only offer ideas as ammunition.

Berath sends the Watcher as her Herald to follow Eothas to the Deadfire; an archipelago east of the Dyrwood (the region of PoE I). Despite the distance, and recent misfortunes, some residents recognize the Watcher as a powerful player. Others dismiss him as a nobody. These contrasting opinions are jarring. I couldn't believe when commoners threatened me. Three companions from PoE I join the Watcher in his continuing quest. Numerous others return for cameos or larger interactions. Most are mere nostalgic color, but a few involve side quests. The Deadfire is packed with side quests, so many it is easy to become lost in them. This isn't a problem, because the main quest line in PoE II is truncated. But even the random quest givers are well characterized, not paper thin like a poor quality wallpaper. The conversations are satisfactory. The protagonist can't always confront people with their secrets, even if the players know them from a different source. And while most people will allow the player to experience their entire dialogue tree multiple times, some stop speaking after a few questions. I always saved in advance of significant conversations. I don't feel bad about it. I didn't always restart after a bad conversation, but I wanted the option to ensure I understood what the conversation was about. I don't want my experience to be one of confusion in understanding. Because Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire is a computer game, conversations can't be organic, can't have nuance and back and forth. A real conversation with a live GM allows players to understand and communicate in a way a computer can't replicate., no matter how good it is. If a conversation didn't flow the way I expected it to, I reloaded without remorse. The developer attempts to flavor dialogue by interspersing fictional local languages. These are overwhelmingly exclamations, swears, and greetings. What a dull innovation. I had to keep hovering over a word to see the English translation, before realizing none of these words were relevant to the conversation.

Beyond these errors, the dialogue is fresh, exuberant, and wonderfully builds this new region of Eora. Most of the text is read for the player with solid vocal work. The narrator is fabulous with a strong voice, and the characters are recognizable and evocative. During significant conversations, like those where the protagonist talks with the gods, the screen changes to a hand drawn picture. These are beautiful in a classic style. Pillars of Eternity II is packed with awe inspiring moments; in dialogue, events, and visuals. Its open setting of the tropical seas seems grander than the stuffy Dyrwoods, though less foreboding and mysterious.

More on the Deadfire next article.

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