Sometimes You Just Don't Know Why

Do you ever have those games that you barely play and then revisit later and think to yourself "why didn't I keep playing this?"  I've been having one of those moments lately with Pillars of Eternity.  I had played it for about ten hours and then it sat in my library for months.  No second thoughts...just pure neglect.  Stardew Valley has been getting a little stale so I decided to give something else in my library a whirl.  I couldn't remember exactly why I stopped playing Pillars of Eternity.  I had some vague recollections of difficult fights that I couldn't figure out but it was odd that I had played for ten whole hours before setting it aside.  Well, I've dusted off my adventurers mantle and decided to take on this modern CRPG.

CRPG Magic!

CRPG's had a big comeback in 2014/2015 with games like Divinity:  Original Sin, Wasteland 2, and Pillars of Eternity all aiming to bring back one of the staple genres from the heyday of PC gaming.  I thoroughly enjoy a good CRPG but sometimes find that their complexity, depth, and length can be slightly overwhelming.  Even though I was 80% through Divnity, I still haven't finished it.

As I plunge back into PoE, I am remembering the many enjoyable parts of this game.  The character creation process is rich and full of choices to make your character unique.  Not only do you get to select a class but you get to select a specific background and backstory.  Each choice yields up special stats that can help you craft your hero into exactly who you want them to be.  My character is a fighter who I opted to make into a tanking type.  She wields a sword and shield and has stats that support being a fully effective meatshield.  Most games today have simplified their character creation process into three or four different classes with numerous cosmetic choices.  Is it more important for your character to be unique or to look unique?

CRPG's can be more than a little daunting and I am finding the challenge of combat in PoE a nice change from the simplified formats present in many of today's games.  That doesn't mean that I have mastered it or that I actually understand much of what is actually happening.  For some reason my fighter has a very difficult time keeping enemies locked down in true "tank" form.  My priest is commonly reduced to a thin, priesty paste as the baddies make a beeline for him.  I have managed to cobble together a diverse group of characters from many different classes, but actually utilizing all their abilities is difficult.  Wizards possess many powerful AoE attacks but it is difficult to find the exact moment to use those spells.  Friendly fire is real and forces you to focus on where you're laying down a huge fireball.

I'm also finding that I'm enjoying the lore at the center of the game.  I didn't pay much attention to the story during my brief 10 hour adventure and honestly, you can't expect to briefly play a big RPG and really get a grasp on the story.  The central concept of souls being reborn and the ability to manipulate them is unique.  Your character's unique ability to "read" souls allows you to learn about random NPC's.  Every NPC with a name has a backstory that you can "view."  These brief glimpses are well-written mini-stories that can easily be skipped if you don't like to read.

Despite having neglected Pillars of Eternity, I am really enjoying it and am counting on eventually finishing the entire thing.  I am hoping that as I progress that I will become more masterful at the combat aspect of the game.  My poor casters can't keep taking the poundings that they have been.