Pathfinder: Kingmaker

Since time immemorial, classic computer role playing games have drawn from Dungeons & Dragons to create memorable campaigns. However, things start falling when the gaming studios decided to explore other settings & categories than the classic sword & sorcery of the Forgotten Realms. And now, finally, a brand new game from the Russian developers Owlcat Games that tries to bring back the old glory days in the form of Pathfinder Kingmaker, a game based on a resurrection of D&D Third Edition with some refinements and a carefully constructed new setting.

As a long time player of games like NWN,BG or Icewind Dale, Pathfinder KIngmaker surprisingly feels right at home. The score remains the same; create a character, define traits, form a party & save the world. However the similarity ends right after the prologue after you have beaten your first boss, where it turns out to be a hybrid of kingdom management & rpg mechanics. Basically you need to play them both simultaneously to progress & despite the complexity, its actually quite fun & rewarding. Also, worth mentioning that the campaign spans over a time of 5 yrs & each act or chapter has a limited amount of time to complete it & if ignored will result in GAME OVER irrespective of how developed your character & kingdom & companions are. So the saying 'Time is of the essence' holds true for this game.

The kingdom management of the game is the highlight of the game. You get your own kingdom that you need to manage. However unlike other games, you don't simply find resources & upgrade. You need to engage in meaningful actions such as holding court & listening to people's pleas, appoint councilors who'll act based on their own morality & alignment that might clash or differ from your own. Resources are scarce(unless you cheat) & you need to make decisions on what you want to build & where. Each building comes with their own set of bonuses that may offer additional benefits if placed with other buildings or structures. Not to mention certain constructions are locked behind in game choices & your alignment, which adds immense replay value to the game. There are also problems that you need to take care( or ignore to suffer penalties) & opportunities to grab( positive buffs) which might open new possibilities or quests, all the while trying to juggle your options & trying to find the best course of action as time ticks away. All in all, its pretty fun & sometimes a bit of frustrating to multi task.

Similarly, playing the game is a bit more that choose the dialogue & kill everything that moves. Having a varied team with different characters with different strengths & weaknesses is the way to go. Even a simple dialogue can offer different outcomes based on alignments, traits or reputation that may not align with your character's profile. For example, while playing as a Chaotic Good Character, I came across a dialogue which had 4 evil & 2 neutral options, With no 'good' decisions in sight & choosing the lawful evil dialogue, shifted my alignment from chaotic good to lawful neutral. Your alignment keeps on shifting based on your in game choices & has a direct impact on how people treat you & what paths you can take while solving a problem. IT was not something I have seen in the D&D video games & was completely taken aback by it.

What's an RPG without companions? Pathfinder has several of them. From the optimistic yet dull head chatterbox LInzi the bard to the undead inquisitor Jaethal who sacrificed family & friends for power & immortality. There is a lot of variety both in terms of roles & opinions. Each companion has their own set of quests & worldview & you can even influence them to change/soften them. What's worth noting that some companions quests are intertwined with each other & like the main quests, have certain requirements for triggering & you may end up loosing some of them if certain hidden requirements are not met. For example, in the final chapter, you might end up loosing a companion to another companion based on your previous decisions from 2/3 chapters ago.

Character creation is another highlight of the game. Even a simple fighter class has 3 different archetypes that offer different play-styles & bonuses. The same applies to all other classes. Creating & leveling up your character & their companions is pretty fun as it leads to hundreds of potential builds that may break the game or make it infinitely harder.

Now coming to the bad part. Firstly, graphics is nothing to write about has a bit of retro feeling to it( not that I am complaining). The resolution is higher than a game in 2004, but the style is the same. There is a limit to how many different assets the game uses, and the animations are totally basic. Like the same troll model is used for 4 different types of trolls, all looking exactly the same.
Secondly, there’s also a problem with playtesting. Difficulty spikes are common, as the game tries hard to keep true to the pen & paper aspect of the game. This holds especially true for the initial part, where you have few abilities & fewer companions.
Thirdly, combat feels odd. To be honest, its basically is real-time-with-a-pause with a chaotic swarm of numbers and particle effects. A more turn based approach would have made the game more accessible & less bothersome.
Fourthly, since Pathfinder uses a modified version of D&D & has its unique perks & archetypes & is not exactly well known to most, it would have been nice if they included detailed tutorials on them. I remember dying to swarms( a new type of enemy that requires splash damage & is immune to others) & rage quitting before finding a solution online. These little things can potentially turn off many players.

Overall, I think Owlcat did a good job replicating the world of Golarion & providing us a unique game to play. It captures the tabletop experience better than any single player game I’ve ever played. I’ve never had to set up watch rotations before or go hunting for meal ingredients. I love how every character has a favorite food and how it affects their stats. One thing though, this game is not for everyone; especially the casual ones. It requires careful planning & management skills that might not be everyone's cup of tea. Wholeheartedly recommend it to CRPG lovers. Somewhat to others & not so much to people new to the genre.

Ratings : CRPG Lovers : 8/10
: Others : 6.5/10
: New Player : 5/10