After the success of Baldur’s Gate 3, there is speculation that there could be a resurgence of “CRPG”-style isometric RPGs in the gaming industry. One of the standout modernized CRPGs is Pillars of Eternity, developed by Obsidian and crowdfunded on Kickstarter. Josh Sawyer, a key figure in the development of Pillars of Eternity, made a joke on Twitter about waiting for Microsoft to call him with a $120 million budget to make Pillars of Eternity 3. This joke has generated excitement among fans of the franchise who are eager to see what a big-budget Pillars of Eternity game could look like.
Baldur’s Gate 3’s success has challenged the notion of what types of games can still find success in the gaming industry. While many games today focus on microtransactions and service-based models, Baldur’s Gate 3 proved that a traditional isometric-style RPG with high production values can still captivate players. Microsoft and Xbox, with franchises like Wasteland 3 and potentially Pillars of Eternity, have the opportunity to continue this trend of revitalizing CRPG traditions with a modern twist. Pillars of Eternity is already a highly regarded RPG series but has been somewhat overlooked. With the success of Baldur’s Gate 3, there is hope that Pillars of Eternity 3 could find its own success with a similar formula.
Despite the success of the original Pillars of Eternity, its sequel, Pillars of Eternity II, did not sell as well. Obsidian themselves blamed the traditional CRPG format of the game for its underwhelming sales. This may be why their next game in the Eora universe, Avowed, takes a more modern approach and incorporates first-person gameplay reminiscent of The Elder Scrolls series. However, the success of Baldur’s Gate 3 has demonstrated that a modernized traditional CRPG can find an audience. As a result, fans of Pillars of Eternity are hopeful that Microsoft and Xbox will consider investing in a high-budget sequel for the franchise.