14 DAY TRIAL // What we know:
Pillars of Eternity is an upcoming isometric, party-based computer role-playing game set in a new fantasy world, currently in development by Obsidian Entertainment.
The game went through a very successful Kickstarter campaign in September, 2012, an effort that raised $4 / €2.9 million from its 74k backers, setting a new record at the time.
Pillars of Eternity is planned to feature party-based real-time tactical gameplay, with the possibility to pause the game in order to issue orders.
It will use a fixed isometric viewpoint on the game world, having pre-rendered two-dimensional backgrounds, in a manner similar to its spiritual successors Icewind Dale, Planescape: Torment and Baldur’s Gate.
The main character will be very customizable, and the player’s choice of class, race, culture, traits and skills, as well as in-game decisions, will have a great impact on the way the game plays out.
Why it matters:
Obsidian Entertainment plans to deliver a strong role-playing experience in the vein of the aforementioned classic PC titles, where story and character progression drive the action and the player’s choices have a deep effect on the course of the game.
The project benefits from the involvement of several known industry names such as Chris Avellone, Tim Cain and Josh Sawyer.
Josh Sawyer pointed out that being free of the limitations of a publisher would enable them to "delve into more mature subject matter” and that the inclusion of slavery, hostile prejudice (racial, cultural, spiritual, sexual), drug use and trade, and so on, will all contribute to creating a more immersive world.
Chris Avellone ruled out a possible console port of the game, stating that the constraints of consoles affect role playing games content and mechanics in ways that detract from the RPG experience.
Obsidian Entertainment plans to have Pillars of Eternity out by the end of 2014.
Softpedia is hosting an entire series of Incoming 2014 articles, covering this year’s most anticipated games.