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[FK in the Coffee]

Now that Obsidian's fabled “Project Eternity” is titled and out, what do we think? Worth the hype? Does it live up to the Infinity Engine games before it? Love it? Hate it? Share your thoughts here.(?)

[yeahjim]

I ain't buyin it lessun the good folks at tigsource tell me it's a goodie.

What gives? Wasn't this highly anticipated? I thought you guys were chock full of opinions. 

[s0]

i heard its really buggy (not a big surprise seeing as what kind of game it is). im also personally not that big of a fan of the infinity engine games and this looks like a straight up infinity engine throwback.

so i'll probably get it when it goes on sale and has had a few patches.

[J-Snake]

A friend of mine will cry of joy if it can hold a candle to Baldur's Gate.

Style over substance is now the unwritten rule. So I can understand one's hopes with this one.

[ChocoKinesis]

I've been playing it, and for what it's worth, I found the Baldur's Gate games to be near impossible to get into, whereas this is much easier and super engaging. Baldur's Gate is built off of D&D 2E, basically, but Pillars of Eternity seems to have taken a page from more modern RPGs. I mean, it's a computer game, obviously, but the whole concept of encounter and daily powers from D&D 4E looks like it's been put to use here.

I've been finding it challenging to get used to the pace, but from enthusiasts of the old Infinity Engine games I know, it's a lot like that, and I'm just going to have to get used to pausing and directing my party members around. That said, it's really cool! It's amazing to see the fight play out in real time and get to direct my team as I see fit when I feel the need to pause it. Mostly I think it's probably just jarring because the game autopauses in certain conditions, like one of your dudes gets smacked hard or stunned or an attack one of your party used was ineffective. It's clearly meant so that you can change your strategy on the fly and as long as things are going well, it's seamless. That and pretty much every condition that triggers the pause can be turned off at your option.

So, yeah. It's a lot of fun, what little I've got into it, and the writing seems solid so far. I dig it a lot. Though, it is developed by Obsidian, so save often and be ready for some bug to crash your game at some point.

[FK in the Coffee]

I've been playing it for a while now, and I'm in love with the lore and the writing. I love how it throws you straight into the world and truly immersed you in it. It's the most genuine “role-playing” experience I've had in a loooong time.

[yeahjim]

So: gameplay good, writing good. But HOW good is the writing? Because [insert seven page rant about the brilliance of Planescape: Torment, dwelling in particular on Dak'kon and the Unbroken Circle of Zerthimon as the perfect metaphor for the player/reader's unfolding understanding of and empathy for an imaginary setting and its characters.]

Does it manage to convey the feeling of having natural, important, yet everyday choices to make?

[Yngram]

I've been playing Pillars when I get the chance. I think I'm a good ways into the second act, which for me is around 15 hours. So far I'm really enjoying it. I am a huge fan of the original Infinity Engine games though for what it's worth.

I've seen other games claim to be the "spiritual successor" to the Baldur's Gate franchise, but this is the first to me that really seems to be the case. That being said, I think some things could use a little more polish, especially where the 3D models and textures are concerned. Overall though, I would say it's a decent enough upgrade from the older games while still maintaining the same feel.

Combat should be familiar enough to those who have played other Infinity Engine titles. The real-time/pause mechanic still gives you the opportunity to make very tactical decisions. You can also slow down game time if you need to. As others have mentioned, they use their own custom rules and I have found these to be serviceable and easy enough to pick up as I get more familiar with the game.

As for writing quality, I think that can be very subject to opinion. To me it seems to do the job well enough so far. The overall story is keeping me interested and I really get a sense of dread and depression permeating the world. Keep in mind, a lot of the story in this game is literally in writing. If you don't like to read, you will probably gloss over and miss many details.

While I've read that the early access versions of the game were prone to bugs, I personally haven't experienced any.

I guess in summary, if you loved the old Infinity Engine games you'll probably want to get this. If you're on the fence, I'd probably wait until it goes on sale.