Even when playing Pillars of Eternity for the first time my heart started to feel a strange tingling around it. A tingling that slowly turned into a warm embrace the more I traversed through the world of Eora. I was certain then - this was going to be one of the special ones for me.

It only takes the first notes of the main theme to hit your ears and dreams of dragons, mighty battles and potent fantasy will fill your mind. The gentleness of the song only hints at the iconic soundtrack that will accompany you and your party throughout the whole story.

You’ll feast your eyes on isometric goodness of caves, mountains, keeps, battlefields, forests and everything in between. A charming art style which, while being an homage to its predecessors, still manages to stand on its own. Amazing sights are spread throughout the whole world. Sights that will make you want to relax by the lake, browse the city market or whichever vista grabs your eye and imagination.

A mysterious plot involving gods and the cycle of rebirth will be unfolding the more you progress. While many pieces to the puzzle might be missing in the beginning, once all is done you will be able to see where they were hiding. In the process of doing so you will also uncover and experience the grandeur of Eora, its gods and the people that inhabit it.

Chaotic battlefields and, at times, unfair battles will challenge you throughout your entire adventure. It does get easier with time. But, the difficulty is there. You will feel overwhelmed and put against impossible odds. However, despair not. This only makes the joys of victory that more bountiful. That is, if you succeed in persevering throughout the challenging times that await you.

Some of my most epic fights I’ve had are here. And they took a lot of planning, preparation, adjustment and exploiting weaknesses as best as I could. Walking the Path of the Damned made the combat no joke for me. Especially the dragons that I faced. Each presenting a new challenge. And a new weakness to find and take advantage of.

Pillars manages to pull off what great art is capable of. Create and match vastly different elements together. Elements that succeed in complimenting each other in effortless and perfect harmony. And while I can see its faults and how some people might not be able to get into it I’d say this - if you are a fan of CRPG’s, or video game art, this one is a must try. Pillars of Eternity might not be perfect, but for me it’s close enough.