Постер Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire / Obsidian
If Obsidian ever tackles Pillars of Eternity 3, it could radically change the series’ format, says Obsidian’s design director Josh Sawyer.
In a new interview, the top game designer said that he would like to see a sequel with a full 3D environment similar to Baldur’s Gate 3. In his opinion, it would be much better if users were surrounded by a dynamic game world.
«I think that a third game should be an isometric 3D with an environment more like Baldur’s Gate 3», — Sawyer told Gamepressure.
According to him, the isometric perspective Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire did not give a sense of height. This design decision made the world seem less alive and full. This is the reason why Sawyer believes that switching to 3D is a better idea to implement more mechanics and landscape elements.
«But I think if we did go into a 3D environment, we could patch up one of the things that’s really lacking. Because [PoE2] is isometric, there’s no sense of height, and the environment can’t be that dynamic. When you compare it to something like [Baldur’s Gate 3], you realise it’s such a huge part of the appeal», — said Josh Sawyer. «That could be super cool».
The previous Deadfire installment received good reviews from critics. On the contrary, it sold below expectations — and this significantly affected Obsidian’s future plans. In 2020, Sawyer explicitly stated that Pillars of Eternity 3 would be released only if the team really wanted to make it.
Judging by the fact that there were no official announcements or significant rumors, Obsidian is not actively working on the sequel. But the studio has not stopped developing the game universe, as it recently released Avowed, which takes place on the familiar Eora. Another project that replaced PoE 3 in its time was Pentiment (2022) — historical RPG Sawyer, who won the Peabody Award.
According to top game designer Sawyer, moving to a more lively and three-dimensional environment would open up new possibilities for Pillars of Eternity. Both installments in the series have deep systems that could be better explored in a space similar to Baldur’s Gate 3. By the way, about the first part — on the 10th anniversary Pillars of Eternity receives a huge patch and announcement of turn-based battles.
Source: PC Gamer