More than 10 years after its initial launch in March 2015, Obsidian Entertainment announced a surprise update adding a turn-based mode. A public beta begins November 5 for players on Steam and Xbox PC, introducing a new way to experience the original Pillars of Eternity (which is a great game). The team used the turn-based mode in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire as a foundation, but added some improvements based on player feedback.
These include unbound turns, meaning all turns are now influenced by a character’s overall speed. There are also smarter free actions, such as swapping weapons, drinking potions, or enabling modals. To keep this balanced, each free action is limited to one per turn per type. To keep battles tense and impactful, combat lethality has increased for both enemies and players, resulting in faster pacing. Players can choose turn-based mode alongside difficulty selection, or swap freely between real-time with pause and turn-based in the game options. Obsidian Entertainment is also exploring a direct HUD toggle.
With the beta kicking off on November 5, players should expect bugs and ongoing adjustments, but it will run for some time in preparation for full release. For those interested in venturing back to the world of Eora, this week is a great time.
