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Players can even go crazy and become villains if they want. Of course, just as players are given the choice between good and evil generously, they’re also given a good and bad game in equal doses. Pathfinder: WOTR is not perfect, after all, and there’s also plenty to dislike about this CRPG. One would want to consider both sides of the argument before committing to the game.
10 Loved: The Mythic Paths
Pathfinder: WOTR is obviously based on the tabletop RPG of the same name but it makes its own tweaks to the formula, namely the Mythic Paths. These are the endgame paths paid out for the players based on their decisions and efforts.
It represents certain player or playstyle archetypes and guides players in their ascent to demi-godhood as they become the most powerful savior or destroyer in the game world. It’s a more organic progression mechanic that doesn’t rely on trinkets or overpowered weapons. Thus, subsequent playthroughs are more exciting.
9 Didn’t: Dumbed-Down Evil Choices
With that said, it seems Pathfinder: WOTR has a preferred playstyle for many players. That would be the good path, which is narratively the cleanest way to play the game. The evil choices, particularly the dialogue options are all too simple or boorish to appeal to any player who might be accustomed to smarter villains in the lawful evil alignment.
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The majority of the evil choices involve abruptly killing who the players are talking to. If anything, players are merely forced to play chaotic evil interactions if they want to deviate from the good path. How that culminates into being a sinister evil genius of a necromancer can be baffling.
8 Loved: Class Diversity
To counterbalance the rather unimaginative dialogue morality choices in WOTR, the game presents players with a buffet of options for character creation. There’s a dizzying number of classes (25 main ones) in the game and more specialized ones for experienced players.
Each of them offers a unique style that will surely change how players approach combat or even the environments. Moreover, each of the 25 main classes has around six subclasses for more personalized and nuanced character quirks. It all adds up to amazing replay value.
7 Didn’t: Bare Aesthetic & Gear Customization
One inherent problem with the Pathfinder games or just about most CRPGs based on D&D is that they don’t offer much in the way of gear customization. Most of the items in the game are standard or not unique. Don’t expect Pillars of Eternity-levels of item variety here.
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Most special items only add around single-digit points of damage. Armor is also unimaginative. It’s best not to set expectations and goals around obtaining stylish or powerful gear here. Character progression hinges more on abilities and stats than anything else.
6 Loved: Lengthy Gameplay
What we have here is an RPG trademark done well. As longer RPGs tend to be packed with content and have stellar replayability. Players can then expect hundreds of hours of gameplay, especially if they want to try multiple classes or other narrative paths.
Even a single or first playthrough can easily consume dozens of hours of gameplay. Players have the dialogue to thank for that. Exploration also plays a big part as WOTR features several locales and a big city that players can also modify based don’t their decisions.
5 Didn’t: Black & White Story
Good and evil battles are so 2000s. At least, that was the more prevalent RPG plot back that decade. Thanks to recent subversive media tropes, most RPGs tend to incorporate a grey area where most decisions are morally ambiguous. Such was the case with WOTR’s predecessor, Kingmaker.
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Apparently, the developers took a step back and retreated to the old heaven vs hell trope. That did make for easier programming of RPG choice consequences since there are only fundamentally two outcomes but the story tends to suffer as a result. Chances are, most players have probably heard or read something too similar.
4 Loved: Turn-Based Mode
The first Pathfinder game, Kingmaker, forced players into real-time combat mode which for many players, is a little too awkward to use especially when planning out combat tactics. More tactical players tend to pause too much anyway, so WOTR chose the more thoughtful design and included a turn-based combat mode.
This provided players with the opportunity to carefully plan out their attacks and positioning. It’s also closer to the tabletop experience. Turn-based mode is thus recommended for beginner players who want a slower encounter process to learn the ropes.
3 Didn’t: Bugs & Glitches
As with many titles that just got released, WOTR is also rife with bugs and many other technical problems. These can range from performance issues to weird programming anomalies that might even break some save files. Crashes are also prevalent, along with some malfunctioning AI.
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Players can expect this problem to be fixed relatively immediately as time goes by and more consumer feedback is sent back to the developers. For the time being though, just be wary that the game has some frustrating technical issues.
2 Loved: Fleshed-Out CRPG
Even with all the bugs and some of the thematic shortcomings, most CRPG fans will simply be happy that another competent game in the genre exists. Truth be told, the CRPG genre isn’t as popular as it used to be, this might have led to a slump in innovation and intuitiveness.
With the critical success of WOTR, the CRPG genre is slowly getting back on the map. Besides, any game based on a ruleset inspired by D&D or just about any tabletop RPG is always bound to be an engaging experience for roleplaying.
1 Didn’t: Crusade Management
Speaking of innovation, the Pathfinder games have always tried to add something to the formula. Something more than adventuring with a party. In Kingmaker, it’s the kingdom management mode. In WOTR, it’s crusade management. Sadly, the sequel’s side activity didn’t live up to its predecessor’s quality.
Crusade management in WOTR is incomplete, unfairly difficult, and feels tacked on. Hence, many players resorted to automating it, which is the closest option to turning the gameplay aspect off. This might improve in the near future but whether that’s enough to clear the initial bad taste remains to be seen.
Pathfinder: Wrath Of The Righteous was released in 2021 and is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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