Just a year and a half since the Kickstarter campaign, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is ready for its full release.
Of course, the game has been in development even before the campaign, which is obvious if you consider all the complex systems and mechanics implemented into the game that has turned to be one of the most ambitious RPGs in recent years.
Wrath of the Righteous follows its predecessor, Pathfinder: Kingmaker, and builds upon the already established foundation, but also brings many new and complex systems from the tabletop Pathfinder RPG.
If you are not familiar with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, the first edition was published in 2009 by Paizo Publishing and it was based on the revised 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons.
But, we are not here to talk about pen and paper games, so let's jump right to the specifics and see what Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous has to offer.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous story
Unlike the story of Kingmaker, which was rather lighthearted and didn't take itself too seriously, the story in Wrath of the Righteous is set in a different region and in a different era, with a much darker tone.
Players will find themselves in the region of Worldwound, where several nations are fighting, but not against themselves, rather against a century-old demonic invasion caused by a rift to the Abyss, which has unleashed all kinds of unthinkable abominations.
There are no common people here anymore, only adventurers and crusaders, who are searching for glory, opportunities to make a fortune, or are honest men who want to fight off the demonic intruders.
That's where you come in, a mighty hero that will lead the crusade, build a path to salvation and challenge immortal demon lords.
How will you do it? That's entirely on you.
Gameplay and features
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous features a much more robust and detailed character creation system than the first Pathfinder game, and is one of the most complex seen in recent RPGs.
But don't let that deter you from playing the game, as it is not too unapproachable, it's just complex and offers countless opportunities to create unique characters both in terms of gameplay mechanics and how you would like to role-play throughout the game.
"Create any character imaginable with the flexibility, richness, and depth of the Pathfinder First Edition ruleset", developers explain.
There are 25 classes, 12 character races, and more than a thousand spells, feats, and abilities that you can combine and find that perfect build for your preferred playstyle.
When it comes to cRPGs, there are always those people who prefer real-time with pause combat, and those who like to play the game with turn-based combat. Here, you can choose to play any of these two combat modes, as they are both available.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is a party-based RPG, so you will not be alone on your epic journey (unless, of course, you choose so). There are ten companions that you will meet throughout the game, all with unique sets of skill and abilities, personalities, histories, and their own goals and motivations.
The game also features strategy elements, as "you will need much more than a party of adventurers to cleanse the land of its demonic scourge." Imagine an RTS game, which you can play with pause!
Mythic Paths
Finally, the game adds Pathfinder's signature feature - Mythic Paths. There are nine unique paths and each will give you a set of special and extremely powerful abilities. In addition, your Mythic Path will have a crucial impact on the story and everything else that unfolds as you progress through the game.
"Your decisions might transform you into a celestial Angel, a raging Demon, a powerful Lich, a cunning Trickster, an otherworldly Aeon, a rebellious Azata, a wise Gold Dragon, an insatiable Swarm That Walks — or remain mortal and walk the arduous path toward becoming a living Legend."
PC system requirements
The game uses the same engine as Kingmaker, but with significant upgrades to accompany the needs of a new game.
Nonetheless, it is still an isometric game and it will not be particularly taxing on your system.
Here's what specs you will need to meet.
Minimum requirements:
- OS: Windows 7
- Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-2310M CPU @ 2.10GHz
- Memory: 6 GB RAM
- Graphics: Intel(R) Intel HD Graphics 620
- Storage: 50 GB available space
Recommended requirements:
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: Intel Core i7 CPU 920 @ 2.67GHz
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
- Storage: 50 GB available space
Release date
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous releases on the 2nd of September 2021, exclusively for PC on Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG.
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