Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire Preview and Gameplay Video

GameSpot had the opportunity to sit down with Obsidian Entertainment's Josh Sawyer at this year's PAX East to learn more about the seafaring aspects of Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, and that has led to the availability of a nearly 25-minute gameplay video and preview. The video showcases sailing a vessel on the high seas, exploring some ruins as part of a quest, and indulging in combat, while the latter features commentary from Josh on incorporating player feedback into the CRPG sequel. Let's start with the footage:



And then move into a sampling from the article:
Set directly after the first game, which ended with the player character known as The Watcher amassing an army and vast resources to make their mark on the world of Eora--for better or for worse. While returning players can carry over their save file and pick up where things left off, Deadfire's story will also work as a solid entryway into the series. Sometime after the events of the first game, your stronghold is left in ruins after a new force makes its presence known. After reuniting with the party, you'll acquire a ship and set sail to explore new lands in the Deadfire archipelago to attain the strength to counter the new threat.

"We've done a very good job at listening to the feedback from backers, when it comes to both from a mechanical perspective and also from a narrative and storytelling perspective," said Sawyer. "We got a lot of feedback from the first game that the main hook wasn't very compelling, so we've tried to make the critical path much clearer to players in this game. We've also raised the stakes a great deal. The scale and the scope of this game is much more epic and more grand. We wanted the feeling of this game to be something going from Baldur's Gate 1 to Baldur's Gate II."

Much like the original, Pillars of Eternity II sticks with its roots as a CRPG title, allowing you to sink your teeth into the game's rich storytelling and RPG systems. Deadfire introduces a number of new characters and settings to overarching saga, while also adding in many more conflicts for you to deal with. One big theme in Deadfire is the issue of colonialism, with many of the islands natives in strife due to the encroaching presence of the empires from the mainlands--and how your own presence may make things worse. And in familiar CRPG fashion, you'll end up having to make some tough decisions that can impact the fates of particular factions trying to co-habit a space--resulting in a series of events that will transpire in ways you least expect.