This game is a mixed bag, I think-- it's good to go in understanding its limitations and not expecting an amazing gaming experience. Of course, make sure to get the unofficial patch, which fixes a bunch of problems with the base game. On the plus side, the game offers classes that are truly distinctive from one another and that fundamentally alter how you play the game. Particularly in the early portions, the world is extremely dynamic and open. There are some exceptional early areas. The story is solid if unspectacular. However, I found combat clunky and sometimes grind-y, and unfortunately the latter half of the game is much more combat-focused and less open (I assume this is because the developers were running out of money). So, worth checking out, but temper your expectations.
I enjoyed Pillars 1, but this sequel is worse pretty much across the board-- only the graphic quality improves on the original. The game ultimately became a chore for me to play rather than something to look forward to. Among my biggest complaints: -Pacing is all over the place. The basic conceit of the main plot is VERY time dependent (you're literally racing something to different locations). Time dependent RPGs can be great, but this game is completely divorced from time, even as the plot theoretically hinges on it. So, although your quarry is heading to a place with MAJOR CONSEQUENCES, you can sail around for literal game years, and when you finally show up at the place, well, it's exactly the same as if you had made a beeline directly there from the start. From a role-playing perspective, it's hard to justify going on 60 side-quests unrelated to main plot when that plot, narratively, is so tied to time. You can have a tense, time-dependent RPG, or a sprawling RPG with tons of side-quests, but trying to combine them is a recipe for disaster unless you really know what you're doing. -It's combat-centric, and the combat is boring. The real-time pause system straight up fails here. Fights drag on and get very muddled, with lots of characters bundling together in a melee. Playing on easier difficulty levels makes the fights super easy and boring, playing on harder difficulty makes them drawn out and boring. -Story is a yawn. The first Pillars had a cool story with some excellent world building and surprises. Pillars 2's plot tries to further develop the world, but it actually manages to confuse and weaken the world building from Pillars 1, which I guess is an accomplishment of sorts. The side plots are standard bounty-hunts, glorified fetch quests, faction turmoil, the usual for a mediocre RPG. This game feels like the designers had grandiose ambitions and were forced to drastically scale them back as development progressed. It's just roundly underwhelming.
