It does a perfectly fine job of adding a bit more content to Pillars, new characters to talk to, new things to kill, and potentially new weapons to craft. The motif of its being haunted by the spirits who once worked there is achingly unoriginal, and offers no twists or unexpected moments at all. But it really is as it first appears – about trying to find some old forge in a mountain. At least have some sense of a dramatic tale to tell. I had imagined they’d want to say something, or pull the game in a surprising direction. While it would have proven a perfectly acceptable diversion if included in the game at launch, there’s nothing here that struck me as outstanding. But having finished it, I’m perplexed as to why it was picked to feature at the centre of the first big addition six months later. The larger story itself is self-contained despite this being Part One of a two-part DLC. Both new characters appear like they should be packed with fun, but proved to be entirely unenigmatic. Instead she’s a rather under-written, over-justified mass killer, neither entertaining sociopath nor misunderstood antihero. Oh gosh, could it be - an HK47? That’s just what the game needed! Well, no. The other new party member you can recruit is a Construct – a metal golem with the soul of a psychopath – called Devil Of Caroc. A masochist, in the name of self-awareness, he’s a deeply peculiar old Savannah Folk Monk, well equipped for dual-handed combat and making deeply strange remarks about the importance of self-denial. With your quest list stuffed with new challenges, you can begin de-mist-ifying the local maps, battling an array of new enemy types, and stumbling upon more side-quests, loot and caves. It’s a bland hub from which the rest of your adventures begin, and fortunately these are far more fun. Stalwart is a rather dull village, and features no interesting buildings nor characters – but for one in a barrel of fish - sadly. But if you’re the sort who laments that it’s not as action-packed as The Witcher 3, then this new content will do little to change your mind. For me, it’s my game of the year, so another stretching jaunt in its realms could be a huge treat. And with an armful of things to do, you’re pulled back in once more.īeyond that, yes, it’s a lot more Pillars Of Eternity, and how much you want that depends upon your feelings toward the main game. Once you’ve bopped them each on the head, the villagers stand in an orderly queue to tell you their woes, lost property concerns and musings on the abandoned forge that once produced the wonders of Durgan steel. Invited up there once you’re in or past Act 2 of the main game, the village of Stalwart is under attack by a cornucopia of threats, most pressingly some angry ogres who are presently smashing shit up. That awkwardness set aside, The White March does the job of diverting you with a pile-on of new quests and side-quests in the snowy climes to the North. Loading an old save, and then heading off on a diversion from the game I’ve already finished, feels like an invasion of the narrative – do I then continue on and finish the game again with this extra chapter in the lives of my characters? Or is it a pocket of alternative reality that I play for the sake of its existing, then quit with the party just stood there with new loot, new skills, new levels, and nowhere to go? Does the expansion give good reason to return to the Dyrwood? Here's wot I think.Įxpansion packs that take place before the end of a game always sit a little uneasily with me. Now Obsidian are back with another great big chunk, in the form of the first half of The White March. It's been nearly half a year since we devoured Pillars Of Eternity.
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