The aspect that draws me into Pillars of Eternity I was the broad approach to a philophical discussion on liberty, enslavement and religion. In Pillars I the main story connects in its themes both with the companions backstories and the major sidequests. Like a good book (standing above the souless plethora of fantasy literature) everything seems to be in tune. In Pillars II these virtues reappear, but in a much minor level. The premise is very good: Eothas (a benevolent yet ruthless god) decides to break the wheel of reincarnation - a machine that both empowers the pantheon and assures the humanity (or "kith", since it includes dwarfs, elves and the like) existence. But the development of that strong idea - a self destructive god who dreams about a self determined humanity - is somewhat messy and lacking. The main quest is really short and there's little time to reflect upon this heavy themes (well, it's a rpg which contains a "Metaphysics" skill, after all). And as much I like the pirate themed Deadfire archipelago, the open world structure weakens the main plot. The unity and elegance of the first instalament is gone. Nevertheless, as a game it's bigger and bolder than its predecessor. Combat system is sharp and the exploration feeling never becomes dull. The companions aren't well written as before and I found myself more interested on the brief sidekicks stories. Éder is still funny and cool though. And finally, two of the three Dlcs are very good. Beast of Winter explores the dark budhist inspired god of entropy and its realm. It's a very well writen and well paced story that rivals (and may surpass) the main event. Seeker,slayer and survivor is a battle module based upon a Arena island with a short (and clumsy) plot. And least, Forgotten Sanctum deals with the misteries of Wael, god of secrets and his shady motivations in a scenario that evokes Planescape Torment weirdness. Great game, but never achieves the philosophical depth of the first one.
