Pillars of Eternity

Combat happens in real time, but you can pause to inspect the field and choose an action for each party member. A sword user can hold a narrow path while a character at the back uses a spell or a ranged weapon. Learning where your companions stand is often more important than clicking quickly. The gallery shows the small party beside a building, a battle on a rocky path and a lit floor in a ruin. In exploration, click where the party should walk and inspect people or objects with the pointer. In combat, pause, read which character is selected and give one clear order before letting time move again.

Obsidian Entertainment released the PC version on March 26, 2015, with Mac and Linux versions in the desktop family. Console versions came later, so the date here refers to the original launch rather than every platform arriving at once. The game is single-player and follows a party rather than a single fighter. Character classes, skills and dialogue choices give you different ways to handle situations; you can take time to read an ability before using it. The official cover shows the original title and party art. The White March expansions and Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire are separate follow-ups, not the base game described here.