-Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire – The triumphant return of classic role-playing

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Introduction

Honestly, it’s hard not to get excited about the comeback of classic Western RPGs. For years, this genre almost disappeared, which was a real shame, considering how much time we lost in those old-school adventures back in the late '90s and early 2000s. We spent hours glued to our screens, chasing stories that felt bigger and deeper than anything else around.

Now here we are with Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. This one’s a sequel from one of the studios that helped bring these games back. We went in with some pretty big expectations. Did it deliver? Let’s find out.

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Narrative and Story

Let’s get this out of the way: this is classic adventure at its core. The game goes all in on capturing that old-school tabletop RPG vibe—think pencil, paper, and dice. That kind of storytelling sits right at the heart of the experience.

The story picks up right where the last game left off, so it’s worth playing the first one before diving into this. You can even carry over your old save, with every choice and consequence following you into the sequel. Still, if you skip the original, you’re not totally lost. The game gives a solid recap, so you know who you are and how you ended up here.

I won’t spoil anything, but here’s the setup: an ancient god takes over a massive statue and starts tearing through the Deadfire Archipelago, leaving chaos everywhere. You end up locked in a wild chase across the region, mostly by sea. Along the way, you’ll meet a bunch of unforgettable characters, get wrapped up in sharp dialogue, and make choices that actually twist the story in real ways.

There’s a ton of text—seriously, this is a game you want to take slow, like a good book. It even mixes in “choose your own adventure” moments and dice rolls that depend on your stats. Just settle in and enjoy the ride.

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You jump into Deadfire with your party, wandering cities, picking up side quests, stumbling into hidden stories, and diving headfirst into dungeons packed with traps, puzzles, and monsters that don’t exactly want to be friends.

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire nails what a sequel should be. It’s bigger, richer, and just flat-out better, but it still feels like the classic you remember. The story pulls you in, the world is huge, and there’s plenty to do—don’t be surprised if you blow past 50 hours without noticing.

If you loved the first game or just have a soft spot for old-school Western RPGs, this one’s an easy recommendation.