Pillars of Eternity - GameBanshee review

Steven Carter of GameBanshee has reviewed Pillars of Eternity. A snippet:

For me, the best part of the campaign is the world where it takes place, including the factions of the people, the places where they live, and the gods who govern them.  A lot of work went into breathing life into these areas.  You don't just learn names of regions and dates of wars.  You come to understand the motivations and personalities of the people of involved.  And so, for example, the War of the Black Trees isn't just a meaningless war in the history of the region.  It's an example of why the Glanfathans don't get along with their neighbors, and why sometimes they shoot first and ask questions later.  I liked the design of the world a lot, and I think that it has enough potential that it could easily support more campaigns if Obsidian wants to stick with it.

Unfortunately, I'm not as enthusiastic about the campaign itself.  The story behind it is well written, and it has nuances and layers, but it's also a little highbrow, and it could have used some more visceral appeal.  For example, your main character learns that there are bad things going on, but nothing really links you to them or motivates you to correct them.  You don't encounter anybody who can give a face to the "hollowborn" problem.  The closest you come is when you meet a local lord who has a pregnant wife -- and who has started executing any healer or magician who can't find a cure.  But for this case you're only motivated to deal with the lord, not the underlying problem.

You can check out their excellent walktrough as well.