One of the biggest things that would make a Pillars of Eternity 3 interesting, he noted would be the addition of a full 3D world. Sawyer believes that the next Pillars of Eternity game should feature one such world where players get even greater interactivity with their environments.

“I’ve said this before and some people are really, really bummed out about it, but I think if we did go into a 3D environment, we could patch up one of the things that’s really lacking,” he said.

Sawyer also brings up the other most obvious game comparison – Baldur’s Gate 3. He believes that a fully 3D world was a big part of the critically-acclaimed RPG’s popularity, and notes that seeing a game with that kind of world with all the interactivity it would bring with it, but with the gameplay mechanics of Pillars of Eternity 2, would be “super-cool”.

“Because it is isometric, there’s no sense of height, and the environment can’t be that dynamic,” said Sawyer. “When you compare it to something like BG3, you realise it’s such a huge part of the appeal. I think, at some point, I would like to see a game that used all those Deadfire mechanics, plus more environmental mechanics, elevation hazards, and dynamic terrain stuff. That could be super-cool.”

“Our team did an incredible job on Deadfire, for a number of reasons,” he continued. “I think that a third game should be an isometric 3D with an environment more like Baldur’s Gate 3; it would work. And I think that could be really awesome. It would be easier for us to make the art and be a lot more dynamic. I’ve said this before, so hopefully nobody will get mad [laughs]. I think there’s a lot of cool stuff that we could do with it.”

Technically speaking, the last game to come out that takes place in the Pillars of Eternity universe was Avowed, which, while not a direct sequel, did help in fleshing out the world of the RPG franchise. The last mainline title in the series was 2018’s Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, which picked things up shortly after the events of the original Pillars of Eternity, with the player character hot on the heels of the same antagonist.

The first Pillars of Eternity, released back in 2015, was the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign. Both it, as well as its sequel, were released on PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. In the meantime, check out our review of this year’s addition to the franchise – Avowed – which is available on PC and Xbox Series X/S.

“I don’t think I would make Pentiment 2,” Sawyer said. “I really do feel very satisfied with that game. It’s not like I don’t wanna return to it ever, but I just did it, so I’d probably wait a little bit.”

“I think if it truly was an unlimited budget, I think I would try Pillars 3 because I know what the budget was for Deadfire, which was not a whole lot and I have heard from multiple people what the budget was for Baldur’s Gate 3, and I’m not gonna talk about numbers, but if I got that budget, sure, I’ll make Pillars 3.”

Sawyer goes on to talk about some of the game design decisions made during the development of Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire. Owing to both titles going the crowdfunding route to get their development funded, studio Obsidian opted to develop the games with a real-time with pause (RTwP) combat system. Sawyer states that if the titles weren’t crowdfunded, the studio would have likely gone the route of featuring turn-based combat in the two games.

“I’m pretty happy with Pillars and Deadfire, but I do think that if it were not crowdfunded, I would probably make it turn based,” said Sawyer. “I’m not saying to not have a real time with pause system, but I do think that the Deadfire turn based system which I can’t take credit for, that was Nick Carver and Brian MacIntosh, was really cool. But, the game wasn’t designed for it, so actually designing the game for turn based, fewer encounters, smaller encounters, but much more tactical, I think that would be a lot of fun, and having awesome cinematics and all that stuff. That would be great.”

In the same interview, Sawyer also spoke about bringing Pentiment to more platforms. The director stated that a release on the Nintendo Switch, and even on iPad, is a possibility. According to Sawyer, this comes down to players playing the title on the Steam Deck and wondering if it would make sense for it to also come to the Nintendo Switch.

Pentiment is available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Obsidian Entertainment’s Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire may not have had the success the studio wanted but that’s thankfully not halting any console plans. After some delays, the developer and publisher Versus Evil announced that Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Ultimate Edition would release on January 28th 2020 for Xbox One and PS4. Check out the latest trailer below (which incorrectly says 2019 instead of 2020).

The story focuses on the deity Eothas who awakens from beneath the Watcher’s keep and wreaks havoc. Having stolen a part of the Watcher’s soul, it’s now their duty to find Eothas and put a stop to his schemes. Character customization, decision making and an extensive cast of characters are rounded out by ship combat and all of the DLC.

Even better is the inclusion of turn-based combat along with real-time with pause. Suffice to say that those looking for a solid 100 hour journey might want to pick up Pillars of Eternity 2, especially with the amount of replay value it holds. Sadly, there’s no word on when the Switch version will release but stay tuned for future updates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfQWy8BOwk0

Following the release of The Outer Worlds, Obsidian Entertainment has been flying high. Take-Two Interactive, which owns publishing label Private Division, reported the game to be a commercial and critical success with sales exceeding expectations. Even before its launch though, fans of the developer asked: What about Pillars of Eternity?

Obsidian Entertainment released Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire in May 2018 and supported it with a multitude of free updates and paid DLC. However, according to design director Josh Sawyer on Tumblr, sales for the sequel were “relatively low”. As a result, if the studio decides to make a third game (which isn’t up to Sawyer either way), it would have to “re-examine the entire format of the game.”

Sawyer noted that despite pre-orders and reviews being strong, Deadfire still disappointed. “Is it because the first game satisfied the existing need and the audience just wasn’t interested in the second? Is it because awareness was lower for the sequel? Is it because despite the strong reviews and the strong sales for the first game, people didn’t ‘really’ like it? Maybe it’s a combination of all of these things.”

He later clarified that having a real-time with pause battle system didn’t affect sales. “I’m sure some of the people reading this think they know precisely why Deadfire sold worse than Pillars 1. I don’t have that confidence, which is one of several reasons why I am leery about trying to direct a sequel. I couldn’t give our (Obsidian’s) audience the game that they wanted and without understanding where I went wrong, I would be guessing at what the problems are and how to remedy them.”

Whatever the case may be, all eyes are on Obsidian Entertainment for its next project. Microsoft, which acquired the studio last year, has expressed interest in expanding The Outer Worlds and a sequel does seem a given at some point. For the time being though, Pillars of Eternity fans may have to wait a while before stepping back in The Watcher’s shoes.

Obsidian Entertainment’s Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire is going out with a bang. The final update for the game, celebrating its one year anniversary, is now available and adds quite a few things. Check out the video from the development team below.

Along with a new ship UI, the long-awaited turn based mode is finally out of beta. You can now enjoy the game at your own pace rather than utilizing the real-time with pausing system. New story content has also been added in the form of new lines when it comes to one’s relationship with Woedica and Eothas.

However, the biggest highlight is undoubtedly “The Ultimate.” It actives all the God Challenges, Trial of Iron, Path of the Damned, and Solo mode for players to attempt to beat. The first 12 to do so will actually have their names displayed on a plaque in Obsidian’s lobby. The first 50 players will receive a patch. Check out the full patch notes here, and some highlights below:

Patch 5.0 Highlights

• New Ship UI
  An update to the UI has been implemented that will come up any time you engage with a ship on the seas that brings a more elegant way to perform ship-to-ship encounters.
• Turn-Based Mode Out of Beta
  Thanks to feedback from the community, we have made a lot of changes to turn-based mode to account for bugs and balance fixes and it is now in full release with the 5.0 patch.
• New Story Content Added
  After listening to feedback on the critical path of the game when it came to reactivity with Woedica and Eothas, so we’ve decided to go in and write new lines and get them recorded by the original actors to add more to that aspect of the game.
• Anarchist Path Adjustments
  Some critical path items have been moved out of Neketaka to other locations in the Deadfire to address the difficulty and length that the game had if choosing to not side with a faction at Ondra’s Mortar.
• The Ultimate
  The final God Challenge will be live with the 5.0 patch. This challenge, “The Ultimate” will turn on all other God Challenges, Trial of Iron, Path of the Damned, and Solo mode.

The Ultimate Challenge

In addition to the above changes, Patch 5.0 also introduces the Ultimate Challenge for Deadfire. The challenge is not for the faint of heart, and only the most devoted and erudite of our players stand even a chance in this challenge, but the first twelve players to triumph will be immortalized in Obsidian’s studio lobby for all to see. The first twelve Watchers to succeed at the challenge will get their names and their Watchers’ names, classes, and levels upon our Deadfire Ultimate Challenge plaque hanging in our lobby. And yes, that means that everyone who comes through our studio will bear witness to the glory of your triumph.

Not only that, but the first 50 players who complete the challenge will get a very special patch that not only celebrates your achievement wherever you wish to flex it, but also has Josh’s face on it to let the world know you have his approval.

Obsidian Entertainment is making a rather nice change to Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire. On January 24th, players will receive the option to go with either real-time or turn-based combat. This isn’t just an option for the sake of taking turns – Obsidian has revamped the user interface, rebalanced encounters, and done much more to make turn-based combat feel good.

Speaking to PCGamesN, director Josh Sawyer talked about why so much work had gone into turn-based combat. It takes a lot of inspiration from Larian Studios’ Divinity: Original Sin 2, which has been one of the top sellers on Steam since its release. But aside from emulating that success, Sawyer feels attachment rate is fairly important as well.

“As time goes on, no matter how good the DLC or expansions are, the attachment rate goes down pretty sharply,” he said. “If you release content a year after the game comes out, it usually doesn’t matter how good it is.

“It’s a big game, so if you’ve played it for 40 or 80 hours it can be hard to jump back in, even if you have a really cool new character concept you want to try out. Hitman has its special modes that add new challenges, like Escalations – it’s playing through the same mechanics but there are new constraints on you. Stuff like that rewards the people who have already established system mastery. It’s not like they have to throttle the knowledge they have, but it shapes their mind a little bit so they have to engage with it in a new way.”

The combat possibilities can be pretty intriguing, from knocking back enemies to setting up for other attacks to factoring in armour ratings. As Sawyer states, “Not a lot of players slow down and look at all the armour ratings on enemies in real-time. But in turn-based, if you’re a ninth-level wizard and have every element to cast from and the time to look around the battlefield, there’s a lot more deliberation.”

How fine-tuned the entire game will be remains to be seen, but it’s still good to see Obsidian Entertainment supporting its title to this extent. It should also be interesting to see how much this will impact Pillars of Eternity 2’s sales on Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. Those versions are slated to launch this year.

Obsidian Entertainment has released a new trailer for the final DLC of Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire. The Forgotten Sanctum is releasing today for PC and will feature a new story quest for The Watcher to embark on. Check out the trailer below.

To summarize, archmage Maura has gone to awaken some kind of threat in a dungeon somewhere in the Black Isles. The wizards of Eora seek your aid, and it’s up to The Watcher, along with their party, to travel to the dungeon. Touted as expansive, the new dungeon will have the toughest challenges yet for players, as they decide whether to work with or against the wizards.

The Forgotten Sanctum can be purchased standalone, but it’s also included with the game’s Season Pass. Previous DLCs include Beast of Winter and Seeker, Slayer, Survivor, which each add their own new quests and stories. Obsidian Entertainment is also busy working on The Outer Worlds with Take Two’s Private Division. It’s slated to arrive in 2019.

Obsidian Entertainment may have been acquired by Microsoft, but it’s still wrapping up unfinished business as it surges forward with its last paid DLC for Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire. The Forgotten Sanctum is out on December 13th and will deliver a new story with some new quests. The DLC will cost $9.99 standalone and comes with the game’s Season Pass.

The story this time focuses on the Archmages of Eora as they ask the Watcher (aka you) for help. It turns out another Archmage has set some pretty bad stuff into motion and it’s your job to fix it. There will be a large new dungeon that’s inside of a sleeping deity to explore. Players can expect high level challenges and the chance to either “scheme with or defy the wills of Eora’s most powerful wizards”.

Along with the DLC, Obsidian will also release patch 4.0. This will add some new features, new Challenges, and two new Mega Bosses to fight. Considering the free support that Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire has already received, it’s good to see new content still being added. Will The Forgotten Sanctum send the game off with a bang? We’ll have to wait until December to find out.

To me, the term “indie” developer is equal parts counter-culture and unfettered creative vision. However, they are not on a different level from triple-A studios – really, the only things that separate them are bigger budgets and more marketing. Just like indie games are not by virtue worse than triple-A titles because of the lack of money, so too are they not superior because of their unique ideas (which come down to proper execution at the end of the day). I’m not a fan of the “triple-A” or “indie” moniker when it comes down to great games. Because great games, at the end of the day, are great games. And 2018, for all its typical franchises, has seen a lot of great games.

"Developed by Matt Thorson and friends aka Matt Makes Games that brought us the wildly entertaining multiplayer-centric Towerfall: Ascension, Celeste turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year."

Let’s start with January. It was a cold, dark month, punctuated by the impending release of Monster Hunter World. For me, the month was important for two reasons – Cellar Door Games’ Full Metal Furies and Konjak’s Iconoclasts. The former, obviously, is due to the developer’s amazing Rogue Legacy. Full Metal Furies has been in development for a long time and while its beat ’em up mechanics were decent, the overall gameplay and structure felt a bit wanting. It came and went but thankfully, the same didn’t apply to Iconoclasts. This years-in-development action platformer from Joakim Sandberg culminated in a colourful adventure with a deep story, lovable characters and excellent boss fights. It’s coming to Nintendo Switch as well, making it the perfect title to have on the go.

However, between these titles and Unknown Worlds’ Subnautica finally leaving Steam Early Access amid much fanfare (rightly so given how excellently the development was handled), there was Celeste. Developed by Matt Thorson and friends aka Matt Makes Games that brought us the wildly entertaining multiplayer-centric Towerfall: Ascension, Celeste turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year. It overtook a number of other indie titles by coming to the Nintendo Switch at launch but otherwise, it was a great game in every aspect regardless of the platform.

Mechanically, the platforming and variety in level design was compelling, fresh and organically challenging at every turn. The music and visuals were suitably retro but embodied a surrealistic flavour that felt unmistakably contemporary. I would give the most credit to composer Lena Raine for the sheer perfection that her soundtrack serves in setting the mood but everyone who worked on the game, from the artists and programmers to Thorson as designer and director, deserves the highest praise.

Even as Monster Hunter World was setting records and stealing many players’ hearts, Celeste was already my personal Game of the Year.

"Even though there wasn’t a ton of competition, the best new indie game of February was undoubtedly Into The Breach."

Surprisingly, February felt uneventful in comparison. Aegis Defenders from GUTS Department had a certain appeal to its gameplay with the mix of tower defense and 2D platforming but ultimately remained a niche title. February was mostly the month that numerous titles like SteamWorld Dig, Owlboy, Night in the Woods, Layers of Fear: Legacy, Outlast and much more released on the Nintendo Switch. The Nindies program was starting to pick up momentum.

Meanwhile, EA’s Fe was probably the biggest new indie release of the month simply based on the EA Originals label. Was it really exceptional? Did it push any boundaries, especially after January’s cavalcade of great releases? Not really but it was a solid title from the studio behind Stick It To The Man and the upcoming Ghost Giant. Moss was the other big title, simply due to the pedigree of its developer Polyarc (whose team had worked on titles like Guild Wars 2, Halo: Reach, Red Dead Redemption and Dragon Age).

Whether it was the instantly recognizable protagonist Quill or simply being one of the best VR titles ever made, Moss ably established its presence. There was also Where The Water Tastes Like Wine that sadly was proclaimed as a commercial disaster by the developer. Nevertheless, its gorgeous art-direction and strong cast, intermixed with interactive stories, was a welcome offering. An offering that will hopefully receive more appreciation down the line.

Even though there wasn’t a ton of competition, the best new indie game of February was undoubtedly Into The Breach. FTL: Faster Than Light developer Subset Games took a semi-rogue-like approach into the turn-based strategy genre, evoking an aesthetic similar to Advance Wars with intriguing gameplay and squad possibilities. The procedurally generated nature of maps, scaling difficulty and challenge completion required for new units ensured multiple playthroughs. But it was the deceptively simple yet complex gameplay that cemented it as one of the year’s best. There was just something so sweet about knocking an enemy unit into another while their attack kills a third. The ripple effect that this would have on surrounding buildings and other enemies was also worth watching out for at all times.

"Though ultimately falling back on the “one big twist” style of story-telling and having no single-player option, A Way Out’s characterization and strong mechanics allowed it to sell exceptionally well."

The scene started picking up again with all kinds of releases in March. Evoland developer Shiro Games returned with a completely different offering in Northgard. The strategy title focused on settlement building and exploration, as players managed resources and set out to conquer the immense campaign. Despite the strong critical acclaim, Northgard didn’t get too much appreciation but saw a number of updates to extend its life.

Other standout releases that didn’t get too much attention include Ghost of A Tale, a stealth fantasy game focused on a mouse named Tilo as he explores the history of a strange, anthropomorphic inhabitated kingdom; Q.U.B.E. 2, a puzzler in first person that involves the manipulation of cubes while one navigates an immense maze to survive; and of course, Hazelight Games’ A Way Out. Published under the EA Originals label and hyped up thanks to the antics of creator Josef Fares, A Way Out imbibed the couch co-op experience with a compelling story and gameplay situations. Though ultimately falling back on the “one big twist” style of story-telling and having no single-player option, A Way Out’s characterization and strong mechanics allowed it to sell exceptionally well. It crossed 1 million units sold in just two weeks.

April started earnestly enough with Minit. The game focuses on a mystery but much like Half-Minute Hero, a limited time period is provided to accomplish solve it. In between these sixty-second lives, players gather items that are shared across different lifetimes and advance forward (ideally). Though Minit handled its concept well, it was ultimately overshadowed by Harebrained Schemes’ BattleTech and 11 bit Studios’ Frostpunk, not to mention Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice finally coming to Xbox One.

In terms of heavyweights, that’s a pretty solid list. BattleTech became quite successful and Harebrained was acquired by Paradox Interactive. The developer announced future updates and more content (the recently revealed Flashpoint is the first paid expansion). Frostpunk, meanwhile, has been releasing free updates and quality of life changes besides prepping a new scenario for release later this year. Whether it was a tactical turn-based strategy with mech-building and customization or city-management with survival elements and an aspect of humanity, PC players weren’t wanting for unique experiences in April.

"Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, despite having a budget that could dwarf other indie titles, presented an old-school approach to computer role-playing games in the vein of Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale."

Of course, there was also Pizza Titan Ultra, an action platformer which featured giant mechs rampaging through cities to deliver pizzas. Why? Because of course, the mech owners ran a pizzeria! It’s crazy and bizarre but combines the over-top style of Crazy Taxi with the destructible landscape of Blast Corps. It’s nuts and yet extremely endearing.

In May, the flow of indies picked up. Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, despite having a budget that could dwarf other indie titles, presented an old-school approach to computer role-playing games in the vein of Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale. The addition of piracy, ship combat and exploration made it a fun romp even if, like the first game, the writing could be less than quaint. Titles like Omensight and Wizard of Legend also rose to prominence. The former was developed by Spearhead Games of Stories: The Path of Destinies fame. It saw players reliving the same day in Urralia, attempting to solve a murder to reverse the land’s destruction. Time manipulation, hack and slash combat and the ability to influence key characters all created a unique experience (plus the art-style was pretty good looking).

Wizard of Legend took a more straightforward rogue-like approach. Players explored a fixed number of dungeons with procedurally generated elements but the real hook was developing and combining magical spells together. Combat was fast, and the number of spells and items helped provide enough variety for a few repeat playthroughs.

Then there was Moonlighter, a much-anticipated pixel-art dungeon crawler that combined the combat of Zelda with the item shop management of Recettear. While its shopkeeping elements didn’t feel as dynamic, Moonlighter still had an enjoyable loop of combat, upgrading, dungeon looting and selling that was insanely addictive. Did we also mention the art looks simply gorgeous? It’s since been updated with over a hundred new rooms, various quality of life improvements and more interesting twists to the item store.

"July belonged to two major releases – The Banner Saga 3, the climactic conclusion to Stoic’s excellent trilogy, and No Man’s Sky NEXT."

Other titles that stood out in May include City of Brass, a first person rogue-like themed on Arabian Nights where players must venture into a dangerous city for the promise of treasure; FAR: Lone Sails, a linear adventure game where players embark on a sea-faring adventure of mystery, braving hazards and attempting to keep their ship going; and Yoku’s Island Express, a charming side-scrolling platformer that incorporates pinball into its core gameplay. Seriously though, if nothing else, try out Yoku’s Island Express. It’s a ball (I know, I’m sorry).

June and July were relatively quiet, though E3 2018 saw a number of titles either announced or outright released. Unravel Two debuted at EA Play 2018 and while it wasn’t as intriguing as Sea of Solitude (which is out in 2019), the sheer charm of the first game was unique. Plus, there was co-op this time. EA further surprised us by releasing the game as soon as it was announced because…well, why not? Nintendo followed suit. It released the Switch port of Team Cherry’s acclaimed Hollow Knight during its Direct presentation. Hollow Knight has since gone on to fame and fortune, selling over 1 million copies since first launching for PC last year.

Dontnod’s Vampyr was the other big indie release for June. While it seemingly flew under the radar, only slightly buoyed by reviews that praised the story but criticized for its combat, it managed to sell 450,000 units in a manner of weeks. July’s releases were pretty straightforward – This is the Police 2 released and alienated a few fans, though its shift towards a more XCOM-style tactical game wasn’t terrible. Chasm finally released after years in development and while it wasn’t bad, it did average slightly higher than “okay”. At least its 2D art maintained its appeal after so many years.

Honestly, though, July belonged to two major releases – The Banner Saga 3, the climactic conclusion to Stoic’s excellent trilogy, and No Man’s Sky NEXT. The latter technically wasn’t a new game but a large update, overhauling a number of features, adding new ones like co-op multiplayer (and PvP for the more violent-minded folk), and significantly improving the visuals. It did mark the game’s debut for Xbox One but perhaps the most significant development was Hello Games co-founder Sean Murray finally speaking out and admitting to the numerous problems at launch. The commitment to keep improving the game, especially with weekly events, continues.

"Perhaps what impresses me most about this year thus far is how many indie titles seemingly came out of left field and proved to be compelling experiences."

We hence come to August which saw the incredible Dead Cells finally leave Steam Early Access and become a fairly big hit with critics. I’ve waxed eloquent about how brilliant the game is, nailing its core gameplay loop thanks to a striking yet organic aesthetic. And really, it’s tons of fun to kill stuff in that game. No joke.

Guacamelee! 2 wasn’t a revolutionary leap over the sequel but it’s still an excellent follow-up, celebrating Mexican culture and folklore while embodying the very best of Metroidvania gameplay. Death’s Gambit, a 2D Souls-like, also released after numerous years in development. While I personally had a few qualms with it, the combat is fun and challenging to engage with as are the boss battles. Overcooked! 2 brought a whole new meaning to hating your friends with its cooking-based missions (and that odd design choice of only the hosting player receiving progress should be fixed by now). Even Donut County, a game where you control a whole that’s swallowing things up and increasing in size, looks bizarrely fun.

Perhaps what impresses me most about this year thus far is how many indie titles seemingly came out of left field and proved to be compelling experiences. For as much hype as there was for Iconoclasts, Celeste simply came out of nowhere and became known as one of the very best games ever made. Likewise, with August coming to an end (as of this time of writing), Sabotage Studio’s The Messenger has released and proven itself to be an excellent homage to the old-school Ninja Gaiden.

Even without the direct comparison, it’s still proven to be a fantastic 2D action platformer. For The King, IronOak Games’ tabletop roguelike RPG, was also pretty good and despite leaving Early Access with very little fanfare, it’s been well-received by both critics and regular fans. The same goes for Event Horizon’s Tower of Time, a more story-centric RPG dungeon crawler with some compelling combat and decent story-telling.

"Not everyone may find success but each title has earned its place in the hearts and minds of its fans, no matter their number."

Though the Fall and Holiday seasons are known for their triple-A releases, there are a few awesome indie games to look forward to. InExile’s The Bard’s Tale 4: Barrows Deep will arrive on September 18th, introducing a new generation to the dungeon crawling, RPG excitement that permeated old-school titles. Secret of Mana-style action RPG CrossCode will also finally release, exiting Steam Early Access on September 20th, and I couldn’t be more excited about finally playing the game through from start to finish. A number of titles like This War of Mine, Hyper Light Drifter, Everspace, Beat Cop, Moonlighter and much more will also be making their way to the Nintendo Switch, which has proven to be a premier destination for indie titles. Just ask anyone still addicted to Dead Cells on the go.

Frozen Synapse 2 is also probably still coming this year. It’s really hard to say at this point.

The industry has seen its ups and downs throughout the years. Whether it’s last year’s hefty push for loot boxes and reinforcing essential gameplay elements with loot boxes, or the constant nagging about the Battle Royale genre this year, there will always be some kind of pervasive cynicism. That doesn’t mean that some great games – even those seemingly “ruined” by microtransactions – aren’t available to indulge in but that’s beside the point. Through all the twists we’ve seen the industry take, the indie development scene continues to push forward. It may not always be easy or lead to returns as exemplified by Zeboyd Games (Cosmic Star Heroine) or Infinite Fall (Night in the Woods). Some developers like Hello Games may be forever marred by their past failures. Others may be defined more by their explosive personalities than their actual work like Josef Fares.

At the end of the day, the market has proven receptive to indie games and fresh experiences in general. Not everyone may find success but each title has earned its place in the hearts and minds of its fans, no matter their number.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Obsidian Entertainment has announced that the second paid DLC for Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire will be releasing on September 25th. Seeker, Slayer, Survivor will take players to a new location and task them with completing encounters based on different “pillars” of combat. Check out the teaser trailer below.

The Seeker route requires finding different ways to defeat foes, while the Slayer will pursue “truly fearsome creatures” (which could indicate higher-level enemies). Finally, the Survivor route involves fighting waves of enemies. Along with new quests, the DLC will also feature new relics. While there’s still a story to be told, the focus is more catered to combat.

Seeker, Slayer, Survivor is included with the game’s Season Pass, but will likely retail separately for $10 (just like its predecessor Beast of Winter). The Forgotten Sanctum, the third paid DLC for the RPG, will be out in December. Sadly, there’s still no indication as to when it will release for Xbox One, PS4 and PC beyond the “Q4 2018” window. If you’re not too keen on paid DLC, then don’t worry – a number of free updates have also been released.