INTRODUCTION

If someone starts a review with the words: “I haven’t played the previous parts of the game, but …” – I stop reading. Paradoxically, while preparing to write this article, I found a multitude of such statements. Then I came to the conclusion that taking the easy way is an increasingly common pathology among so-called reviewers. At the same time, I promised myself that I will never give myself reasons to start the article with this sentence.

I must admit that I not only played Pathfinder in the first installment, but was an obsessive fan of this game. Which resulted in the total neglect of the household for a long time. When the second part was announced, I was truly delighted. At the same time, until the premiere, I was healthy skeptical – we all know how much you can trample the positive attitude of players with a bad product. Therefore, I preferred to wait until I finished the game to form my opinion. And the review below is a summary of all the game experiences – as it is.

REVIEW

I omit the topic of character development and advancement within the class in the following review. If someone has played Kingmaker before, he knows that it is a system that is complicated, original and developed just like the tax system – that’s its charm. If someone did not play in the previous Pathfinder, please refer to my previous review.

A fine addition compared to the previous part, is the rest system, which was already well developed in Kingmaker and now has received another upgrade. Thanks to this, while resting, we can brew potions, write scrolls, and fight demonic corruption that affects our team as long as we rest outside of sacred places.

BUGS

It is very obvious that the game is bugged. There are many bugs, from missing bizarre artifacts in the game, broken graphics, missing descriptions, bare code on the exit, to bugged quests and broken mechanics in places. There is a lot of it, and it cannot be denied that the game could have come out much better.

First of all, I was prepared for it and expected many problems. So in a way, I was even pleasantly surprised that, despite the harshness of the game, I managed to get through the game without any major tantrums. Secondly, the developers fixed some bugs quite quickly, so you can expect that we will have a much better version of the game over the months. And we have really seen game launches in recent years that have gone much worse – and games from producers that are much more experienced and with more serious financing. Also Owlcat Games may have reasons to be satisfied with a game that is not perfect, but its release can be described as enjoyable and successful.

MYTHIC PATH

While watching the trailers and gameplays of the game, the mythical character development path created some interest. After completing the game, I’m just delighted with it. From the very beginning of the game, the mythical path drives the plot and mechanics in perfect harmony. The events of our character’s mythical path are highlighted by cutscenes that are extremely rewarding and keep us attached to our character and to the fate of the crusade. In fact, satisfying is not enough of a word. For example, I loaded the scene of conquering Drezen several times just for the fun of it.

There are additional quests associated with becoming a specific mythic, usually limited in time to the main quests. Our path may also be related to specific artifacts found in the game, NPC’s, side quests etc. Our choices really are very important for the end of the game, the results of individual missions or relations with the characters on our team.

The mythic promotion system itself is super interesting and has skills and features that really influence the tactics of the game and make our character quite deliberately exceed the power limits available to an ordinary gray man. In fact, some of them are downright crazy. When playing Pen & Paper RPG, it’s hard for me to imagine playing a character with such powerful stats and skill set. In a word: it’s thick, it’s fun and there is definitely a lot to choose from.

An additional flavor are unique animations for every mythic. The angel receives a beautiful halo and leaves luminous feathers behind it as it moves. Azata, for example, is always surrounded by luminous butterflies.

I chosed the Angel Mythic Path myself – a good Angel – not the lawful one. I did not regret my choice and I had a great time in every act of the game. I constantly felt the storytelling consequences of my choice, not only during the main quests, but also during many conversations with NPCs. In terms of the story, I can recommend this path to anyone.

GAME DEVELOPED “TO THE SIDE”

My biggest objection at the moment is not enough content. The game is by no means short, but I played the previous Pathfinder for the first time after the release with all the add-ons. Hence a certain perceived poverty of content. Also for the moment, I would recommend pausing (I couldn’t) and wait for Owlcat Games to upload additional DLC’s and expand the game. A lot suggests that the game will be expanded.

An interesting paradox is that the Mythic Path showed me how much this game has to offer in terms of constraints on choices. So playing this game 3 times, just to see how the game develops with different choices, is quite a realistic scenario. Gameplays from YT channels and even individual videos uploaded by players on streaming platforms made me realize that there is still content that I have not reached. Despite the fact that I have completed all of the side quests.

STORY

As in the case of the previous Pathfinder, the plot is the studio’s strongest asset. The story is interesting and addictive as the writers used the same recipe as in the first installment: protagonist from zero to hero. The whole thing is very neat and pleasant. Act II, which ends with taking Drezen, is just great, and the battle for the city itself is very interesting. And act IV, going to the Abyss, was a complete surprise to me.

If I had to complain, the biggest downside of the game for me is that I still feel unsatisfied after it. I wish I had a lot more variety of missions, more locations, and overall a lot more quests. I even have an overwhelming impression that the game in the current release is still truncated and Owlcat Games will (and should) add content.

At the same time, the content that is in the game maintains the high level imposed in the first part. The world is very rich, full of locations, NPCs to talk to. Lore also, as usual for Owlcat Games, is served in large doses and without the desire to read, there is no need to sit down to this game. And the ending is satisfactory – if you get it right 😉

Our team also consists of quite interesting characters. The choice of who we can take with us is quite large and, as in the previous part, the characters are interesting, very individual, and the dialogue lines for them are written brilliantly and with the right dose of humor. I snorted several times during the game because the humor is very on point. The romance plots also could not be faulted.

CRUSADE MANAGEMENT

Managing the crusade is a copy of the kingdom management system from the first installment, and it still needs some refinement. Here, too, I would like to expand the game. Decisions made by our commander, compared to the first, when there are fewer and they have a smaller impact on the history itself. In addition, the fact that it is not possible to visit the established outposts gives the impression that something is missing.

The management of troops, on the other hand, is very pleasant and interesting. Moving our units around the map in the same way as we move the team is very sensible and intuitive, and the fights themselves require a certain dose of strategy to get through the skirmishes with the least possible losses.

SUMMARY

After the first buggy playthrough, I give it 9/10. Pathfinder absolutely maintains its high level, but at the same time it can be seen with the naked eye that a perfect game passage will be possible only in a few months. When bugs are fixed and when DLCs that Owlcat has planned are added. Then it can be assumed that the passage of Pathfiner: Wrath of The Righteous will be as great and unforgettable an event as the passage of Pathfinder: Kingmaker.

The game could clearly be longer and it is definitely worth waiting a few months to play it. But if someone can’t stand to wait, he’ll be happy anyway.