Pillars Of Eternity: The White March Part I Gets A Release Date

Pillars of Eternity: The White March is due to release August 25th and will also release with a massive update for the base game. GOL has previously covered what we can expect in the patch and I think it's safe to say that it'll make an already compelling RPG experience even better. In fact, you can opt in to the beta patch right now by using the password “BETAPASSWORD” (no quotes) on steam. I suggest you back up any saved games if you do!

The expansion will focus on the mountains to the north and will have plenty of new content including higher level caps and all sorts of new areas and enemies. It seems that the story will be split into multiple parts which is annoying but I'm willing to forgive them for making me wait if the quality is as good as the story and worldbuilding previously shown in the base game.

Official About
Pillars of Eternity: The White March - Part I is a large sprawling expansion pack with hours of gameplay integrated into the main adventure. Along with the new quests and area content, the team at Obsidian continues to support and make improvements to the entire game, including the additions of Player Party AI and Enhanced Enemy AI. Even if you haven't played Pillars of Eternity, now is a great time to jump in and experience the hardcore classic RPG with The White March - Part I.

Main features

• Village of Stalwart: The adventure begins in Stalwart, a quaint fishing village, which located in the snowy mountains of the White March, and acts as the main quest hub for the expansion. It sits at the base of Durgan's Battery, an ancient dwarven fortress.
• A New Companion, Zahua: Zahua, a monk from Ixamitl, is one of the two new companions that the player will meet in Part I. He believes in suffering as the path to enlightenment, and nearly every inch of his body is covered in scars - mostly self-inflicted. While some might see that as a grim or depressing viewpoint, from Zahua's perspective, suffering is a thing of beauty, to be admired and revered, and he is often able to appreciate situations that would dishearten most others.
• Respec: At any inn or tavern the player can re-level their party members. It gives flexibility for the player to experiment with the RPG systems and try out builds with the newly added multi-class talents. If you aren't completely satisfied with your character, you can now do a rebuild and start over fresh.
• Battle of Crägholdt: The fortress in Crägholdt Bluffs is under attack by a militia, and the player is sent to investigate the threat. This quest is a high level area for max-level parties, and is offered as a challenge to experienced players. The expansion is not just snow covered mountains, but has other new diverse environments and content to explore.
• Enhanced Enemy AI: Enemies and monsters are now smarter than ever. The new AI makes the entire game more of a challenge, and spell casters will use a wider variety of their spells in more devastating ways.

August continues to look exciting for RPG fans with both Shadowrun: Hong Kong and The White March slated for release. I know I'm probably going to lose sleep the last week of this month as I love both franchises. How about you guys? Excited by the incoming RPG goodness? Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.