Although Joshua and Estelle's story came to a satisfying conclusion in SC, this game effortlessly continues their stories, as well as delving deeper into the stories of Kevin Graham and Ries Argent. It also explores matters of faith, love and regret with a delicacy rarely seen in the realm of games. I loved: +The music - some of the best in the Trails series +The characters - Kevin is love, Kevin is life +The combat - the most refined and arguably the most challenging out of all the TiTS games +The story, particularly the tears-inducing moments in Renne's Moon Door I was ambivalent about: =The reused areas from FC & SC - although narratively justified, it can be a little dull to trek through so many dungeons from previous games I disliked: -Not being able to change the difficulty mid-game -The overly random nature of the fishing and gambling mini-games OVERALL: A must-play JRPG for those that liked or even loved TiTS FC & SC, and a shining example of how to do a moving, thoughtful narrative right.
Craving more Pillars of Eternity? Well then, prepare to have your appetite sated by two expansions that three new companions and a bunch of new areas and dungeons. PROS: + New companions are cool + Soulbound weapons and armour are awesome + Various refinements to game mechanics, e.g. Story Mode CONS: - New companions could have been fleshed out a bit more - Very combat heavy - Level scaling option a bit confusing Overall, a very worthwhile expansion pass, especially compared to other so-called Expansion Passes/Season Passes. Money well spent.
Developed by one of the finest RPG developers out there, this is a great callback to the glory days of Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale, but improved in many regards. PROS: + Lovely, detailed isometric graphics and spell effects + Sweeping and atmospheric orchestral soundtrack + Real consequences for your actions + Great companions and dialogue + Intriguing central concept for the plot + Plenty of nice extras for the Royal Edition CONS: - Tedious, outdated fast travel system - Far too many loading screens - Stronghold is underwhelming and more of a nuisance than anything Basically, if you love RPGs, great characters, and an intriguing plot, buy this game right now. The Royal Edition is pretty good value for the price too. Enjoy!
Note: This review is based on the PSP version, which is pretty much identical to this version. This is a great, if slightly dated looking JRPG. It might not look like anything special at first, with its slightly generic looking setting and rather cheesy voice acting (what little there is). However, give it some time and it will surely grow on you. If you like meta humour, addictive combat, plenty of side questing and dungeon crawling, and cute anime characters, then you will love this game. Estelle is a bit obnoxious at first, but I came to like her a lot as time passed and she matured into a genuinely deep, strong protagonist. I cannot wait for Second Chapter!
