I don't write reviews, but as an ardent, fanatical Black Isle/Infinity Engine lover, I felt compelled to do this. Nothing but raves from me in terms of look, feel, story: on the artistic design of this game, it is easily a 5/5 for me, this was the atmosphere and environment I have missed since IW2, deeply immersive and engaging. The story elements read like a good novel, not expecting you to know the colloquialisms and details of the universe that's unfolding around you, as you make your way into an expertly-crafted, newly-created mythos and setting. It's undeniably reminiscent of AD&D, and especially of the variety set forth by the CRPG revolution that emerged in the late '90's. What a great game this could have been! But alas, as we know, the gaming aspect of this kind of experience comes primarily from how combat is handled, and, for this reviewer, it's a swing and a miss. I freely admit an unnatural adherence to the system established by our legendary godfather, Mr. Gygax. For all it's warts, the D&D system was the quintessential ruler of the pen and paper RPG, and in spite of many challengers, including this game, it's still reigns supreme. Pillars seems to fall into the trap that Arcanum did, but worse. (BTW, Arcanum is an excellent game, very enjoyable). You will learn which specific tactics, spells, and character classes work, and which ones are largely useless and ineffective. The trademark of a great game is that you shouldn't have to completely know how the game is going to process all of the mechanics behind a situation to play that game effectively and with a fair amount of expertise. It's not fun for me to offer such critical analysis to what was obviously a heartfelt endeavor, the potential here was huge. The story and atmosphere still make this game worth playing, definitely, but when I'm done here, I will be digging out the dusty, old Black Isle games and breathe a deep sigh of satisfaction that such brilliant games were crafted.
