Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
I have been on something of a Pathfinder kick these past few months, likely due to a desire for some good old fashioned Dungeons & Dragons-style tabletopping. On top of this itch, I managed to really get the dungeon master itch when reviewing May’s Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 6 which had me spiraling into the Pathfinder universe. Coincidentally, shortly after Bestiary 6 released, Obsidian Entertainment, studio behind titles you might be familiar with like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, Tyranny, Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity also released the Pathfinder Adventures PC game, which is what we are bringing you today, and boy is it great.
Pathfinder art has always been great so it should have come as no surprise that Pathfinder Adventures art was excellent, yet there I was just after firing it up and I sat ogling the gorgeous cover art for the cards and the stunning background scenes. Fortunately the art is quite nice, elsewise slogging through the available scenarios would be tedious, especially for how often you will be playing each one since they are quite challenging.
Speaking of the scenarios … there are a few “campaigns” each with their own super cheesy yet incredibly delightful scenarios that are incredibly challenging. In 9 hours played I go through the first two scenarios, primarily because there is a hard limit when it comes to the number of turns you can take, and that dice games, even computer-based ones like Pathfinder Adventures, are games that I utterly suck at. Seriously. So the first scenario I replayed maybe a dozen and a half times, the second easily twice that. This game is hard and in some cases, kind of confusing. Since calculations are all handled behind the scenes, you may get into a fight with an enemy and suddenly they will use a skill or some such that flashes on screen for a hot second and the next you know it, you’ve discarded your hand because they just get these rapid fire attacks. Very strange and very brutal.
But also very much like the Pathfinder living card game. There have been a few liberties taken to ease the transition to the PC, like the ability to store goods in a stash or in an “unclaimed collectibles” area, which are not available in the LCG; if you cannot use it now, you cannot use it at all. Outside of that though, very few changes. I think though, the thing that is most frustrating is that the game really feels like it is trying to nickel-and-dime you with its various add-ons or scenarios to purchase beyond the starting Rise of the Runelords package. While the actual physical game has the equivalent of “paid DLC” in its booster packs and add-ons, the fact that it is a tangible purchase that you can hold seems to lessen the blow a bit. The PC version just seems like a coin dump (though there are plenty of rewards that are neat; I for one love all the flashy dice I now have in the game).
Pathfinder Adventures PC game is a wonderful port from the traditional living card game model that many are familiar with. With the excellent combat mechanics and gorgeous art, Pathfinder Adventures is a game for any fan of the franchise, and even moreso for fans of card games in general. Though it can be brutal, the campy old campaigns are an excellent time sink and before you know it you will be a dozen hours in with no signs of stopping.
Score: 8 / 10
