Pillars of Eternity It is rightfully considered one of the most “old” RPG recent years, a sort of return to the roots. And additions to such games – what to Icewind Dale, that to Baldur’s Gate – always concentrated primarily on the battles, making the passage even more hardcore. AND Obsidian Entertainment did not change this tradition.
Transition to pain
Content of additions The White March Built in the main game. Gain access to two new locations, the cloaks of Cregholdt and the white transition, you can already the ambassador of the second act, that is, when the players seem to have not yet been “sworn” to the very swords. However, the exit of the addon was delayed, and most have already managed to get to the final evil.
There is an embarrassment. On the one hand, a journey through a white passage to help the inhabitants of the fishing village of Startvart, designed for medium -level characters. On the other hand, in reality, players of at least 10 levels come here, who specifically load old saves and return from the funeral island in search of new adventures for this.
At the first visit to the white transition, you will be carefully asked: they say, this content is considered low -level for you;Maybe you want to raise the level of locations? So, we want to warn – do not believe the insidious developers. Unless, of course, you do not want to turn your life into hell and pain.
The light movement of the hand (“perception” now gives a plus to “accuracy”, the bonus from “physique” is 2% more) the authors raised both dynamics and the complexity of the battles: both opponents, and now you fight more precisely, apply more damage, but also moreTake it. Accordingly, the enemy AI (adversaries learned to use their skills and spells) and the balance of classes were finalized for this – new multi -class skills appeared, the roles and significance of some classes (for example, a warrior and a paladin) were revised.
The game has a “spiritual” weapon – it can be tied to a specific character and “pump”, performing special tasks.
Time for the dragon
At first, however, you notice increased complexity only on the cloaks of Cregholdt;This is a separate location specially designed for high -level adventurers, where we need to kill everyone and get to the final “boss”. But the northern journey through a white crossing at first seems to be a light tourist tour. Especially considering that recently it has been possible to give the behavior of your party’s characters to be a andi – depending on the chosen style of behavior, they will use different skills themselves and to attack the enemies themselves or protect themselves. That is, imagine the situation: your heroes themselves, without outside help, chop into the cabbage of a crowd of huge snow ogres and winter wolves, you drink tea and bit your elbows due to the fact that you have not raised the level of locations.
But if you go beyond the Start, as “the evening ceases to be languid”. In addition to harmless ogres and wolves, enemies will constantly come across, who look stronger than most of their colleagues from the original. They will not take you more than once or twice to turn on to the fullest and switch to manual control of your detachment, look for some tricks, put traps, stretch out a little more evil, drink potions and eat pies before the battle, and so on. The new types of lizards are especially strong – four -armed lagufets trained in spells, and golems from the final citadel of the gnomes.
Well, the alpine dragon, like the apogee of this hardcore party for his own, will make the times even remember Throne of Bhaal And he will plunge you into the abysses of neurosis, frustration and self -flagellation: what I did not do from the very beginning and whether I should play such RPG at all? At first, he seems to be generally immortal-to still cope with the ice lizard, you will need all your experience, more precisely, knowledge of the pluses and minuses of each class, and, most likely, the level of the 14th level of the party (it is the “Levelap” in the addition so).
Why do we need a blacksmith?
However The White March – These are not only heavy battles and a new challenge. This is also an interesting story. Of course, in general in ingenuity, intrigues and depths of the questions raised, it is inferior to the original. Yes, and conduct investigations or participate in the showdown between different fractions, as in the bay of rebellion, you will not have.
At first, everything seems to be simpler-you beat off the attack of the ogrov on the steamer and, as a hero-liberator, you get from the mayor the order to get to the ancient fortress of the gnomes, the arsenal of the Durgan to find and launch the legendary blackmaker. Say, this will allow the supply of the famous Durgan steel and withdraw an abandoned fishing village from the economic crisis.
However, the devil, as usual, in details. Gradually you will find out very interesting details about why the entrance to the arsenal is tightly sealed, as well as about the very unpleasant past of some inhabitants of the village. You will have to read their souls, and with some – even fighting not for life, but for death. The final scene leaves more questions than answers – the second part I want now.
In addition, in Stalvart and its environs there are a lot of side quests. Even in simple seemingly instructions (find special pearls, kill the legendary wolf, bring the heads of two dangerous enemies) there are interesting details. Of course, situations of difficult moral choice are constantly found. For example, one day you will have to decide whether to save a cursory slave from the hunters pursuing him or, conversely, to punish him – after all, he killed a teenager when escaping. And the first text quest, found in Stalvart, puts before a choice of whom to save from a burning house – a man littered with logs, or a woman who has lost consciousness. By the way, text quests in the addition became more interesting and more variable.
Of course, it was not without colorful personalities. I especially liked the two new Sopartians who can join you. The first is a sleeping philosophizing monk, who at your first meeting sits in a barrel with fish giblets and thus saves himself from sin of vanity. The second is generally the Girl, the Gol, more precisely, convicted of execution by a serial killer, whose soul was placed in a mechanical shell. She says infrequently, but sometimes lets out very cynical and sarcastic replicas.
The first addition to Pillars of Eternity, Like the game itself, made according to classical patterns – even more difficulty, call, more hardcore and interesting characters. Well, accordingly, we like all this together even more.
Pros: more complex and dynamic battles;interesting changes in the balance and role system;New charismatic characters.
Cons: Compared to the original, the plot of additions may seem too primitive.