REVIEW : Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous (PC)
It’s indisputable that the last few years have been fantastic for fans of tabletop role-playing games who also enjoy video games, thanks to the introduction of several incredible games that manage to keep loyal to their RPG roots while still providing fantastic experiences. Pathfinder: Kingmaker is one of these games, a faithful version of the tabletop game that, regrettably, failed to be a game that even newbies could enjoy due to the game’s vast depth of experience not being presented inside the game. With Owlcat Games well aware of the problems with Kingmaker, the company set out to correct them with Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, a game that outperforms its predecessor in nearly every way, from accessibility to role-playing, combat systems, and more.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous follows an exceptional Crusader destined to lead yet another Crusade against the demons emerging from the Worldwound, a demon-infested wasteland created when a planar tear to the Abyss opened after the death of the god Aroden. The demon ruler Deskari manages to invade the city despite the protection of the Wardstone, an artefact supposed to keep the demons of the Worldwound out of Mendev, shortly after the Crusader arrives in Kenabres. Following the attack on the city, the Crusader and a few survivors descend deep underground, unaware that this is only the beginning of an epic journey that will also lead them to earn otherworldly powers to combat the demons and save the land from destruction.
The Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous narrative is a fantastically written classic fantasy storey. While the game’s pace is mainly determined by the objectives that players choose to do, the storey is undeniably compelling, especially for fantasy fans. Sure, there’s no big, unexpected twist, but twists aren’t always necessary to keep a storey intriguing and compelling. Companions are likewise well-written, albeit some, like the mongrel Wenduag, aristocrat Daeran, and talking weapon Finnean, are far more intriguing than others. Character quests dive even further into their backstories, further developing them and making them feel more intriguing.
The chosen Mythic Path has a significant impact on the storey, and it is unquestionably Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous’ most notable element. The Crusader will have to employ the abilities of Mythical beings to halt the demon hordes for good, and the Path chosen will determine the allies who join your army and how your companions see and interact with them. The 10 Mythical Tracks span from the simple Angel and Demon paths to the Gold Dragon, Lich, Legend, and Devil paths, each with its own set of dialogue options and skills that give a lot of depth to the game.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, like the tale, tries to accomplish something different in gameplay without straying too far from its roots. You will be able to construct your own Crusader or choose from a few pre-generated characters at the start of the journey. Those willing to build their character will find an almost incredible amount of customisation possibilities, including a large number of classes (some of which may even mount beasts), allowing players to approach the game’s various problems in some very unexpected ways. Despite some unexpected options, they are all extremely accurate to the Pathfinder experience, so those who have played the tabletop RPG will have no issue generating distinctive characters.
The abundance of character creation options can be intimidating. Still, Owlcat Games has done an excellent job this time around, providing players with the necessary assistance to get the most out of them. Along with a thorough explanation of each stat, the developer included a recommended build option that essentially enables an automatic levelling system that is ideal for newbies. Because it can be turned off at any point, this option can also be used as a guide for players who are unclear on building their character. An automatic level-up option is offered for companions, streamlining the experience and making Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous a little more welcoming.
One of the developers’ key goals was to make Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous a game that newcomers could enjoy right away. When a new gameplay mechanic is introduced, the game displays contextual tutorials that explain the mechanic in detail. This is especially helpful when using the real-time combat system, as things can quickly become chaotic, and it can be challenging to keep track of what is going on as spells fly around, and demons fall to the ground.
If the traditional real-time fighting with pause is too chaotic for you, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous has a very welcome turn-based tactical alternative that transforms the combat experience into something entirely different and potentially more authentic to the tabletop experience well. This option, which may be enabled without penalty at any moment during combat, significantly slows down the game’s speed, so it’s not recommended to use it for every enemy encounter. Still, it does give players a lot more control over their characters.
Giving characters the correct commands in the middle of real-time combat might be challenging, which is necessary given that the AI isn’t very effective at commanding them.
PREVIEW : Project Downfall (PC)
