Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Development Update - New Gameplay, Info on Quests, Spells & Exploration
Jun. 28, 2017Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Development Update – New Gameplay, Info on Quests, Spells & Exploration
Iconic CRPG developerObsidianhas released aPillars of Eternity 2: Deadfiregameplay video of the footage we got to witness during E3. Following their successful crowdfunding campaign on Fig, the team has hit heavy development and have a lot of goodies to show. You can watch the video below and read on for an overview of what’s inside.
In the gameplay we are following the events of aquestin the middle of the game, on a mission to find an item in unknown ruins. You are making your way across the sea on your slick ship, complete with a crew you will have to manage. The game now makes use of a new world map that helps you navigate the seas. At sea you will encounter other ships as well as random events. Your crew will give you advice on how to proceed, such as whether to investigate a derelict ship or sink it.
The particular quest shown touches on thefactionsin the game that you can align with, in this case theHuana. who are the primary indigenous people of Deadfire who have a tribal structure to their civilization. How you tackle quests and their objectives will be determined by the factions and allies you have made, and each playthrough will have its own unique wrinkles.
The new dialogue UI features some tweaks to the formula. Conversations no longer pause the game and the world keeps moving in real time. There are newskillslike pickpocketing which facilitate emergent ways to complete quests, such as sneaking around to steal a key to progress a quest. The stealth gameplay with NPC awareness has been improved to bolster this.
The environment and terrain are also getting some attention. We get to see the game’s weather system in effect as rain falls. The video shows some combat with terrain considerations, in this case slogging through sand to take out some worms up close. Later we see a massive titan that can grapple and throw members of your party which is a new mechanic you will have to contend with. The dynamic weather effects are a nice touch and should help to make the world feel much more alive.
The new inventory screen gives a much larger look at yourcharacters. You can now get in and out of the stash from the inventory screen and it’s much easier to sort and equip items from there. This is a highly welcome improvement; in a game where there is a lot to manage and tons ofweaponsandarmorto choose between, an improved UI and readability are necessities.
Spellsandabilitieshave received some under the hood tweaks and improvements from the first game, including adjusting your targeting before cast. Destructible objects and environments are now a part of the dungeons and can open and unlock new areas and loot. This creates a new sandbox like immersion to dungeon diving as you’ll feel the need to always test your surroundings.
At the bottom of the dungeon we get a look at the Beyond, a showcase of the game’s new multilayered environments, where it comes to an end all too soon. It’s clear from the entire presentation that every element from the first game is being developed further, which should assuage any concerns of complacency that we sometimes see with sequels.
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Emergence
Editor at Fextralife. I look for the substantial in gaming and I try to connect video games to the emotions and stories they elicit. I love all things culture and history and have an odd fondness for the planet Jupiter. I think my dogs are pretty awesome too.
