I played this game after KCD2, and to be honest, my expectations weren’t too high. Sure, it’s an Obsidian game, but it’s a bit outside their usual genre, and I can’t say I particularly enjoyed either of the Pillars of Eternity games. The lore never really hooked me either.

But, to my surprise, I had a great time with this one. It’s not perfect—there are some technical issues—but at its core, it’s a solid RPG. It reminded me of Dark Messiah or a more fast-paced Skyrim in a smaller, more contained world. And after the sheer scale of KCD2, it was actually refreshing to dive into a more compact, local story, meet a cast of likable characters, and save a living, breathing land.

This game doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it doesn’t have to—you just enjoy playing it. One thing I really have to give credit for is how well it handles hybrid classes. Mixing magic and melee feels incredibly satisfying.

I played this game after KCD2, and to be honest, my expectations weren’t too high. Sure, it’s an Obsidian game, but it’s a bit outside their usual genre, and I can’t say I particularly enjoyed either of the Pillars of Eternity games. The lore never really hooked me either. But, to my surprise, I had a great time with this one. It’s not perfect—there are some technical issues—but at its core, it’s a solid RPG. It reminded me of Dark Messiah or a more fast-paced Skyrim in a smaller, more contained world. And after the sheer scale of KCD2, it was actually refreshing to dive into a more compact, local story, meet a cast of likable characters, and save a living, breathing land. This game doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it doesn’t have to—you just enjoy playing it. One thing I really have to give credit for is how well it handles hybrid classes. Mixing magic and melee feels incredibly satisfying.