Pillars of Eternity was something of a herald for the second golden age of classic computer role-playing games. It was an inspiration, and was quickly followed by games like Torment: Tides of Numenera and Tyranny, and plenty more have filled in the gaps since then. And that’s before we even get to the reboots and re-issues of some of the genre’s aging classics like Baldur’s Gate.
All of this is to say that the standards have shifted quite a bit since Pillars of Eternity released in 2015. It’s remarkable, then, that Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire not only keeps pace with its contemporaries, but brings its own vitality and character that sets it apart from a genre that has been feeling a bit crowded of late.