Pillars Of Eternity II: Deadfire - Seeker, Slayer, Survivor PC Review

Out of all the possible ways to send someone an invitation, a mysterious box containing a head is arguably one that’s bound to stand out, even if you’re sending it to one accustomed to lots of killing. It’s also precisely how Pillars Of Eternity II: Deadfire – Seeker, Slayer, Survivor starts. After opening the mysterious box and briefly conversing with the spirit to which the severed head once belonged, you’re tasked with going to the island of Kazuwari where something has gone awry and only a Watcher like yourself can fix it.

Where ice and entropy permeated Beast Of Winter, Seeker, Slayer, Survivor’s imagery relies on blood and death through glorious combat. The island of Kazuwari, where most of the action happens, is attuned to Toamowhai, or Galawain, Lord of the Hunt. It hosts the Crucible – an arena where contenders face all manner of creatures and, eventually each other in hopes of becoming champions of one of the three Faces. They each stand for one embodiment of the hunt. The Seeker, represented by a spider, favors careful planning, the Slayer, shown as a stelgaer, revels in unbridled slaughter, while the Survivor, depicted as a boar, values enduring even the harshest conditions.

In your quest to become the champion of a Face of your choosing, you must overcome a series of fights inspired by the embodiment they’re associated with. The Slayer’s are by far the most straightforward, requiring you to kill foes by whichever means necessary. In the Survivor’s battles, you’re pit against waves of foes in a trial of resistance. The Seeker requires taking enemies out in a certain order or using environmental objects to aid you. While none of these approaches are necessarily foreign, they’re a welcome touch both thematically and create a series of varied encounters. Playing them on a difficulty higher than Classic also requires knowledge of your arsenal of spells and abilities, as they involve a good amount of challenge. A new addition here is the slow motion camera that occasionally triggers upon kills. Its cinematic qualities are fairly questionable and not quite pleasing to the eye, mostly revealing a mess of blood and other particles from which I was always eager to zoom out.

A narrative thread links the series of fights together, but never stands out in any significant way, easily slipping into the background amidst all the blood and broken bones. The souls of those fallen in combat sing discordantly and, as a Watcher, you have to get to the bottom of it. Although it’s not without its interesting figures, it’s less compelling than that of Beast Of Winter. Where the previous DLC took place entirely on one island, Seeker, Slayer, Survivor includes a few optional fights can be accessed by finding artifacts spread throughout the Deadfire, which will also lead to brief encounters with a handful of other  NPCs.

Seeker, Slayer, Survivor’s main reliance on combat ends up being both its strength and weakness. Played after finishing the game, its string of battles with light dialogue interludes in between them, end up being one-note, even if they’re challenging enough on their own. It’s more suited to complement the Watcher’s travels across the Deadfire, also considering how the optional portions of it require leaving the island. Seeker, Slayer, Survivor’s challenging arena fights cater to those seeking more combat. But in doing so, it also feels like a lesser offering than the more balanced Beast of Winter and certainly one that’s not that vital an addition to the core Deadfire experience.
 

Bogdan Robert, NoobFeed
Twitter