Pillars of Eternity review
A single-player fantasy RPG with party companions, faction choices, and flexible combat.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Pillars of Eternity is a single-player fantasy role-playing game from Obsidian Entertainment for players who want character-building, companions, exploration, and consequential choices. Character creation offers six playable races and eleven classes, while Stealth, Athletics, Lore, Mechanics, and Survival give characters further ways to develop. The story takes players through cities, dungeons, and wilderness areas, with quests, factions, and a party of recruitable companions along the way. It is a strong fit for RPG fans interested in party choices and tactical combat, rather than multiplayer play.
Combat can be played in real-time-with-pause or turn-based mode, and difficulty settings let players customize the challenge. That choice of combat styles sits alongside character skills and abilities, making the game’s role-playing systems a central part of its appeal rather than a narrow add-on. Faction reputation and story choices also give decisions a place in the adventure. Players who want a solo fantasy campaign with party management and multiple ways to approach encounters should find the feature set relevant; those seeking a multiplayer game should look elsewhere.
The paid Definitive Edition bundles the base game, Deadfire Pack, Royal Edition Upgrade Pack, and both White March expansions. The listed non-sale price is €29.99; store currency and regional pricing may vary. The game is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, so it supports desktop play across those three operating systems. There is no free plan. Choose it if its single-player focus, companion-led story, and selectable combat modes match what you want from an RPG; skip it if you need multiplayer or a free-to-play option.
Pillars of Eternity pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Choose from six races and eleven classes, with five core skills to develop.
- Recruit companions and shape faction reputation through story choices.
- Switch between real-time-with-pause and turn-based combat.
- Where it doesn't
- Paid game with no free plan.
- Single-player only; no multiplayer mode is listed.
- Available on desktop platforms only: Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Pillars of Eternity fact sheet, pricing and score →
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