Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous was a 2021 released PC exclusive CRPG. Owlcat Games is now releasing an “enhanced edition” on consoles.
CRPG is not easy on a console
Calling a game a CRPG is a way to differentiate it from tabletop role-playing games. The “C” stands for computer as these games often were exclusive to PC. Console players used to miss out on the goodness that is a massive CRPG but that has changed. Many older CRPGs and new ones have since got a port on Console albeit to some mixed reviews. CRPGs are so much easier to handle with a keyboard and mouse as opposed to a controller.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous has a very elaborate control scheme not easily translated to the limited amount of buttons present on a controller. Translating this game and its many mechanics to a controller seems extremely hard in my opinion but Owlcat games manage it almost perfectly. It takes a while to find your way around the controller but once I crawled through the first “dungeon” It all started to click somehow. Kudos to the many on-screen tutorials that only pop up when needed and never feel overwhelming because of the spacing in the “starter dungeon”.
Daunting character creation
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is the second game in the series after Kingmaker. The Pathfinder tabletop series offers mostly stand-alone adventures where prior knowledge of what happened in previously released adventures is not necessary. Wrath of the Righteous is no exception so players just wanting to start with this one and ignoring Kingmaker have no reason not to do so. A little bit of knowledge of role-playing games might be the only thing I would recommend to jump straight into this game. The number of choices you’ll need to make to create your character can be pretty daunting. My D&D experience helped a lot but I could imagine new players being taken back by the massive amount of decisions to take care of at the start of the game.
The classic tale of good and evil
In Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous you are in the midst of an apocalyptic war between good and evil. Eventually, it will fall upon your shoulder to lead in battle and secure the outcome you’ll want. As with most RPGs, you will be able to take different paths with each their own consequences. Taking the path of light (as the game pushes you towards early on) might be all you want from this. I on the other hand took a much darker route where I went along with the chaos unfolding. Either route you take will have you encounter companions who will join you. The interaction with these companions (and the world around you) is what makes this a great story-telling-centered game.
Not so enhanced
The freedom you have in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is what makes this such a fine experience. These types of games are made to be played and replayed over many years to come. Taking different paths offers different experiences giving you the incentive to keep coming back. Since this game has been out for over a year on PC, DLC is already out. I wouldn’t have minded these being included in this edition but sadly they are not. The “enhanced” part of this title only refers to the port and the addition of the latest patches. Speaking of patches… the game could still use a few. I encountered a few references to the “space bar” and some events not triggering as intended throughout my playthrough. Nothing I couldn’t get beyond to continue to play but still…
Conclusion
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is a massive game with extensive possibilities. Daunting to say the least but for those willing to put in the work, a great experience for years to come.
