Summary
- Pillars of Eternity has received an unexpected update after 9 years, focusing mostly on bug fixes.
- The update includes fixes for visual, audio, and navigation bugs, as well as an update to the game's Unity engine.
- Speculation suggests that the update may be aimed at attracting new players before the release of Obsidian's upcoming game, Avowed.
Pillars of Eternity, one of Obsidian Entertainment’s most popular titles, has just received an unexpected update almost 9 years after the game’s initial release date. Unfortunately, the latest Pillars of Eternity patch won’t be bringing any new content updates or major changes to the game, instead focusing mostly on bug fixes.
Initially released in March 2015, Pillars of Eternity arrived on the gaming market during a time period in which CRPGs were not particularly popular. Dubbing itself as a spiritual successor to the classic Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale series, Pillars of Eternity received some stellar reviews from game critics and managed to make a significant impact in the gaming industry. Its success paved the way for other notable titles in the genre, such as Disco Elysium and Baldur's Gate 3.
How Many Years Separate Avowed From Pillars of Eternity?
Since it was revealed that Avowed is set in the same world as Pillars of Eternity, fans have been trying to figure out when the game is set.
The newest update for Pillars of Eternity is currently only available as part of Steam’s beta branch. Obsidian has posted the full patch notes on its official forums, and among these, multiple bug fixes can be found. Many visual and audio bugs have been fixed, as well as some pesky user interface issues and navigation problems. Pillars of Eternity’s Unity game engine has also been updated to a brand-new version.
While a lot of gamers were surprised by Pillars of Eternity’s unforeseen update, many speculated that may be Obsidian fine-tuning its older title in order to attract a fresh wave of CRPG enthusiasts. Obsidian might be trying to capitalize on the recent enormous success of Baldur’s Gate 3, a game that won multiple prestigious awards in 2023 and thrust the CRPG genre into the spotlight.
Obsidian Entertainment is also currently working on Avowed, an action role-playing video game set in the same universe as Pillars of Eternity. However, Avowed will offer players a first-person perspective instead of the traditional isometric view found in PoE. Avowed was first announced in 2020 at the Xbox Games Showcase, with an official gameplay trailer being unveiled in 2023.
It is possible that a considerable number of gamers might want to prepare themselves for the launch of Avowed by first playing through its predecessors Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity 2. As such, it makes sense that Obsidian might want to refine the gameplay experience of its previous titles to provide a polished journey for fans making the leap to their upcoming title.
Pillars of Eternity Patch Notes
General:
- We have updated to Unity Version 2019.4.11.
Navigation:
- Fixed areas that could not be navigated in numerous scenes.
- The lake in Cayron's Scar should no longer be unintentionally traversable when submerged.
Visual and Audio:
- Fixed multiple cases where characters might T-Pose briefly at the beginning of a cutscene.
- Fixed an issue where paperdolls in character creation and inventory screens might appear blurry.
- Overwhelming Wave should more reliably play its visual effects.
- Fixed VFX issues with the Woodskin spell rotating or attaching incorrectly.
- Symbols western chamber of Lle a Rhemen should now properly light up when expected.
- Fixed redundant horn audio playing after the battle of Yenwood.
- Fixed an issue where attempting to open locked containers could play multiple voice lines at once.
- Fixed a handful of cases where dialogue audio wouldn’t play when certain nodes were re-triggered.
Quests and Dialogue:
- Ready the Cannons side quest should now properly update its objectives.
- Dialogue from Buried Secrets quest should no longer allow the player to demand their payment more than once.
- Fixed an issue where multiple barked lines in Gilded Vale could overlap excessively.
- Fixed an issue where Eder’s bark lines in the Temple of Eothas may end abruptly.
- Fixed a case where Calisca could trigger the wrong bark line near the camp inside Cilant Lîs.
Combat and Mechanics:
- Earth Blights should no longer sometimes detach from their selection circles when dominated.
- Scroll of Ray of Fire should now appear correctly and more accurately match the behavior of the Ray of Fire spell.
- Fixed a case where manually resolving stronghold combat could sometimes yield no rewards.
- Fixed a case where prone characters might try to move while prone, resulting in sliding behavior.
- Concelhaut’s Draining Missiles should no longer occasionally show 0.0 damage in the combat log.
- Weapon Specialization: Peasant should now reliably add its damage to unarmed attacks.
- Fixed some cases where the Halt spell might confuse enemy AI, causing them to repeatedly interrupt and re-attempt their own actions.
- Removed errant untargetable Xaurip that could sometimes appear in Dyrford Crossing.
- Fixed a case where Sleafhota might teleport to an alternate location mid-dialogue before attacking the player.
- Attacking Osrya directly will now reliably engage with her revenant and skeleton minions.
- Fixed a case where all survival camping bonuses might appear after spending only a single skill rank on Survival.
User Interface and Interaction:
- Fixed a UI issue where chants could sometimes clip beyond their scrolling frame.
- Fixed a case where the damage type icon on the character sheet might not position correctly.
- Fixed some cases where assigning companions to multiple stronghold missions at once might cause UI issues.
- Quick loading with the crafting or enchanting UI open should no longer result in a permanent black screen.
- Fixed a typo in the description of Animal Companions.
- Fixed an issue where highlighting certain parts of a defeated enemy would not allow you to loot them.
- Doors in some scenes that were difficult to interact with have had their collision revised and should now be more reliable.
- Fixed a case where the final pressure plate in the Temple of Woedica would not appear.
- Examining the wall trophy inside of Elm’s Reach should now be possible.
- Skipping intros when first starting the client should now be more responsive.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- March 26, 2015
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Paradox Interactive, Versus Evil
- Engine
- Unity
- Franchise
- Pillars of Eternity
WHERE TO PLAY
Prepare to be enchanted by a world where the choices you make and the paths you choose shape your destiny. Obsidian Entertainment, the developer of Fallout: New Vegas™ and South Park: The Stick of Truth™, together with Paradox Interactive is proud to present Pillars of Eternity.
Recapture the deep sense of exploration, the joy of a pulsating adventure, and the thrill of leading your own band of companions across a new fantasy realm and into the depths of monster-infested dungeons in search of lost treasures and ancient mysteries.
So gather your party, venture forth, and embrace adventure as you delve into a realm of wonder, nostalgia, and the excitement of classic RPGs with Obsidian’s Pillars of Eternity!
