One of the most popular CRPGs of the modern day, Pillars of Eternity is making the jump from one C (computer) to the other (consoles). Though it was only announced today, Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition was playable behind closed doors at E3 2017, and we can confirm that the popular RPG is ready for the transition.
Since release, Pillars of Eternity has been a beloved gem among PC gamers. It has inspired spinoffs and even garnered enough following to Kickstart a sequel, raising even more money than its record-setting predecessor. And while Pillars of Eternity II is hot on the development trail with its $4.5 million crowdfunded war chest, developer Obsidian Entertainment doesn’t want you to forget about its popular IP.
While console ports happen all the time, our experience with Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition has showed us that this isn’t just any old console port. For one, the Complete Edition includes all previously-released DLC and expansion content, which would cost around $75 on Steam (it’s unclear if this Steam price will be reduced in step with the Complete Edition upon release).
More than that, Obsidian has completely redesigned the user interface of Pillars of Eternity for the Complete Edition to both make it look more modern and more effective on a television. This was certainly an area of concern for classic Pillars players, as one of the game’s most popular user-created mods was one that changed up the UI.
Perhaps the best new feature for Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition, though, is how they’ve changed up the control scheme to work on a controller rather than a keyboard. This is often the most important feature for any game that makes the jump from computers to console, specifically PS4 and Xbox One. Simply tap one of the bumpers, and it will bring up one of two on-screen wheels, depending on which bumper you chose.
The combat wheel includes all spells and abilities for each of your party members, and you can switch between party members on the fly with a touch of a button. This is incredibly convenient for those moments in which you need to pause combat and add to or alter your strategy. In addition, you have a non-combat wheel where you can select other options from the menu, such as your inventory. This may seem like a small improvement, but it makes all the difference. Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition feels like it was made for the console, not just ported to it.
It is important to note, though, that the Complete Edition for the console is not any sort of remaster. Obsidian developers informed GameRevolution at E3 that the graphics have not been updated, and that the premier visual improvements are to the UI, and only the UI.
Every other update the main game received will also carry over to Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition, including an increased level-cap and added difficulty settings. The Complete Edition will release on PS4 and Xbox One on August 29.
