Game release: “Pathfinder: Kingmaker” (PC)

Owlcat Games and Deep Silver‘s Pathfinder: Kingmaker brings the tabletop game to the masses in the form of a classic isometric fantasy RPG with management/simulation mechanics.

The subtitle Kingmaker sums up the general plot and goal of the game: building a kingdom in the Fallen Lands and keeping it alive. This means conquering new regions and thinking about which allies are trustworthy for protection. So it’s not only classic exploration with fighting in dungeons and in the wilds, but also more like a medieval life simulation that has an impact on the player’s character as well. Every choice one makes and the way how the character treats his or her subjects shows visually in how the capital city will look like in the process, so seeking war all the time won’t be such a good idea when trying to make friends with neighbors, and one’s people won’t necessarily regard the player as a very nice guy, either.

Speaking of character, as the game is still an RPG, one of the first that is set in the Pathfinder tabletop universe, it’s clear that the character class hasn’t only an effect on the kingdom, but also on the interaction between friends and foes on the battlefield. So abilities, skills, spells, and weapon types have to be taken into consideration when choosing between 14 classes. Of course personality plays a big role, too, as one doesn’t travel alone, but has various companions with their individual background stories that complement their behavior in dialogues and during fight sequences. It might not seem like the most original gameplay ideas, but managing a kingdom and seeing it grow or fall apart might just be different enough to give this new game a go. It should also be mentioned that Inon Zur, the composer of the amazing Syberia soundtrack, contributed to the music, while Chris Avellone, known for projects like Icewind Dale, Fallout 2 or Planescape: Torment, to name but a few, was involved in this game as well, so RPG fans shouldn’t worry about its quality.

The game has already been out on PC since the end of September, but as it’s usually the case with these types of games, it’s always good to wait a bit, as there have been quite a few hotfixes released since then. The only question now remains which version to buy, as there are three more in addition to the standard one called the Explorer Edition: The Noble Edition offers 2 in-game items that make the game a bit easier, two additional portraits, a digital art book, and the official soundtrack, while the Royale Edition adds a digital module for board game adventures, a digital map of the Stolen Lands, and the Red Panda pet that doesn’t only look cute, but helps with increasing one’s negative effect resistance, to the mix. Finally if one’s wallet is big enough, there’s the Imperial Edition that includes the season pass for the first three packages of post-release DLC.

Buy the standard (Explorer) edition for PC on
GOG
Steam

Buy the Noble Edition for PC on
GOG
Steam

Buy the Royal Edition for PC on
GOG
Steam

Buy the Imperial Edition for PC on
GOG
Steam

Official website

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