The thing is, Pillars of Eternity 2, in spite of its length and rich content, feels like a slight excursion in the grand scheme of the Lore and World-Story introduced in PoE1. I had a lot of fun in this one, can't lie. The combat has been perfected, the graphical presentation clad in new, shiny and polished sceneries, atmospheric lighting, high definition textures: A much needed fresh paint to improve upon the already gorgeous first game.

The sound design was already magnificent in PoE1 and here they managed to top that one with a whole voice cast. You will be immersed as soon as those notes hit and the narrator starts introducing the world to the player.

But, as I said in the beginning, the story arc and main plot characters leave much to be desired.

I have a comparison here for people who are familiar with the game Gothic. While Gothic's storyline (1&2, with the Night of the Raven expansion) was a story-arc of world-ending proportions, PoE2 - despite also dealing with a world-ending event - just feels like "Risen". A small island off the main story, an off-shoot.
The companions, despite a huge chunk being just a carry-over from the first game, made me less invested in their ultimate outcomes. Eder felt like a husk of himself, Pellagina, no matter what you decide, barely has any sway in the grand scheme of the storyline. Even Aloth, a staple of the franchise, is relegated to a almost sidekick backseat.

PoE2 is a great game. One of the best Nu-CRPGs out there, no doubt that - at least in its gameplay - easily lives up to its inspirations. But as someone who was heavily invested from day 1, religiously played PoE1 and wanted a conclusion to their favorite characters, you will get nothing but a snack. The grand revelations will be left out. The story is still compelling, but the world and the huana-centered story-telling in particular, just left me wanting to return to the Dyrwood. It is a good midway stop until the final destination.

I hope PoE3 will show us Old Vailia and get back to what really was the heart and soul of this world. We don't need half hearted ship-fighting mechanics that are easily skipped by an OP party, which lets you just board even the strongest of ships - clearly just created as an afterthought. Also, the Megabosses were just an insult to longtime fans. The fascination in destroying the Alpine Dragon in PoE1 was the story behind it.

A black blob (one of the megabosses introduced in PoE2) on some coast, with no story, dialogue or background tied to it, is just a very insulting blurb in an overall grandiose experience.

Ultimately, Pillars of Eternity 2 was a great game. An amazing CRPG. Definitely a huge gift to the RPG community. But please, lets get to Old Vailia, Yezhua or at least let me return to my dear Dyrwood - with a bit less of this Huana nonsense.

The thing is, Pillars of Eternity 2, in spite of its length and rich content, feels like a slight excursion in the grand scheme of the Lore and World-Story introduced in PoE1. I had a lot of fun in this one, can't lie. The combat has been perfected, the graphical presentation clad in new, shiny and polished sceneries, atmospheric lighting, high definition textures: A much needed fresh paint to improve upon the already gorgeous first game. The sound design was already magnificent in PoE1 and here they managed to top that one with a whole voice cast. You will be immersed as soon as those notes hit and the narrator starts introducing the world to the player. But, as I said in the beginning, the story arc and main plot characters leave much to be desired. I have a comparison here for people who are familiar with the game Gothic. While Gothic's storyline (1&2, with the Night of the Raven expansion) was a story-arc of world-ending proportions, PoE2 - despite also dealing with a world-ending event - just feels like "Risen". A small island off the main story, an off-shoot. The companions, despite a huge chunk being just a carry-over from the first game, made me less invested in their ultimate outcomes. Eder felt like a husk of himself, Pellagina, no matter what you decide, barely has any sway in the grand scheme of the storyline. Even Aloth, a staple of the franchise, is relegated to a almost sidekick backseat. PoE2 is a great game. One of the best Nu-CRPGs out there, no doubt that - at least in its gameplay - easily lives up to its inspirations. But as someone who was heavily invested from day 1, religiously played PoE1 and wanted a conclusion to their favorite characters, you will get nothing but a snack. The grand revelations will be left out. The story is still compelling, but the world and the huana-centered story-telling in particular, just left me wanting to return to the Dyrwood. It is a good midway stop until the final destination. I hope PoE3 will show us Old Vailia and get back to what really was the heart and soul of this world. We don't need half hearted ship-fighting mechanics that are easily skipped by an OP party, which lets you just board even the strongest of ships - clearly just created as an afterthought. Also, the Megabosses were just an insult to longtime fans. The fascination in destroying the Alpine Dragon in PoE1 was the story behind it. A black blob (one of the megabosses introduced in PoE2) on some coast, with no story, dialogue or background tied to it, is just a very insulting blurb in an overall grandiose experience. Ultimately, Pillars of Eternity 2 was a great game. An amazing CRPG. Definitely a huge gift to the RPG community. But please, lets get to Old Vailia, Yezhua or at least let me return to my dear Dyrwood - with a bit less of this Huana nonsense.