"Pillars Of Eternity 2: Deadfire," the sequel to the smash hit original game, has been announced by Obsidian to be coming to the Nintendo Switch. Previously announced for the PS4 and Xbox One, the news that it is also coming to the Switch is a major boon for Nintendo's console.
A common complaint about previous Nintendo consoles is the lack of quality RPGs. This will be music to the ears of the fans of both "Pillars of Eternity" and the Nintendo Switch. While it will be released for the PC first, the trio of consoles will be picking up their versions several months later.
Crowdfunded RPG masterpiece
The original "Pillars of Eternity," released in 2015, was known for its impressive crowdfunding accomplishments. Obsidian created a Kickstarter back in 2012, raising over $4M. This was a record for a video game at the time. The sequel was also crowdfunded, reaching its $1.1M goal in less than a day. It made $4.4M in total from crowdfunding.
Harking back to classic PC RPGs of old, like "Baldur's Gate" and" Icewind Dale," "Pillars of Eternity" took three years to make and was a critical and commercial success upon release. Ports were made of the original game to the PS4 and Xbox One in August 2017, coupled with the two expansions in what was known as the complete edition.
Selling just under a million copies across all platforms, "Pillars of Eternity" is widely held to be the best game Obsidian has made. When other games they have made include the critically-acclaimed "Fallout New Vegas" and "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2," this is very high praise indeed.
A pirate's life for me
"Pillars of Eternity 2" takes place not long after the end of the first game.
You are in a different area of the world, and given a giant ship as a base rather than the stronghold of the first game. This was a deliberate move by the creators, who wanted the game to have a different look and feel from the original.
The creators have also said that you can be a pirate, sailing around and doing whatever you wish.
Your choices from the first game also carry over and affect other aspects of the sequel. This could range from NPC dialogue, quests, and influencing the outcome of the game's story. This writer, in particular, cannot wait to create Guybrush Threepwood and swashbuckle my way around the world.
One of the perks of having the game on Nintendo Switch will undoubtedly be the handheld aspect. "Pillars of Eternity" was a particularly heavy RPG, but having the ability to pick up and put the game down will be a massive plus. Having twenty minutes to play on public transport, even when you are away from your console, will help make this game more accessible.
"Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire" will be released for PC on April 3rd, 2018. We can expect the console ports to be released later in 2018.