Pillars of Eternity - Preview Roundup

Here are  three more previews based on the Pillars of Eternity beta from this week.

PCGamesN - "A fireside chat: Pillars of Eternity beta impressions"

It is undeniably a strange - and wonderful - time to be a lover of sprawling, tabletop-inspired RPGs. And despite the issues, expected issues, in the beta, looking past it I think it’s easy to see that the building blocks and Pillars of Eternity’s foundations are very, very solid. Obsidian is promising a lot, and this teaser already fulfils a lot of them, even when it’s a bit shaky.

I'm sorely tempted to play more, to experiment with different classes - especially the Cipher, Pillars of Eternity’s weird telekinetic warrior - and try to get used to the combat more, but I also don't want to spoil the main course. The beta has whet my appetite, but I think I’ll be taking a break from it so that I can properly devour it at launch.

Eurogamer - "The past lives forever in Pillars of Eternity"

As always, the fact that this is a beta is a pretty good bulwark against criticism, even if its winter 2014 release window looms ever larger. Much can and will change over the coming months, and the combat balancing in particular is most definitely a work in progress.

What is clear is that those who backed Project Eternity on the promise of a thoroughbred RPG that embraces the classic D&D model, if not the actual license, aren't likely to be disappointed. Even at this early stage, and with only a few hours of gameplay to its name, Pillars of Eternity already feels generous, compelling and rich.

Hardcore Gamer - "Pillars of Eternity Could be a Modern Classic"

Pillars of Eternity is the throwback that old-school RPG fans have been craving, but with modern production values that will let it shine on powerful gaming rigs. With myriad gameplay systems to sink your teeth into and an epic, branching storyline penned by some of the industry’s best talent, this is one of the most promising RPGs in production right now.