The adventurers of Golarion are finally leaving grids and dice behind to get their hands dirty with some real-time combat, asPathfinder: Abomination Vaultsis the tabletop RPG franchise’s first action RPG. DualShockers had the chance to try out an early version of the game, descending into its dungeons with allies at our side.
Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults is actuallybased on a campaignof the same name from the tabletop game. The story involves the titular vault, where a long-dead Sorcerer, named Belcorra Haruvex, once tried to raise an army of monsters to invade the realm.
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Rumors circulate about evil returning to the vault, prompting adventurers to explore the dangerous dungeon and put an end to the threat. In the Pathfinder tabletop game, Abominaton Vaults took place over three books, acting as an easier introduction campaign focused on combat and exploration.
The Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults video game follows the outline of the tabletop campaign, but uses a totally different gameplay style. The turn-based battles have been replaced withco-op action RPG gameplay, where up to four players can team up to take on its dangers.
Those expecting the strict adherence to the Pathfinder rules seen in games like Kingmaker won’t find it here. Abomination Vaults is closer toDiablothanWrath of the Righteous, favoring fast-paced gameplay over moving pieces around a board.
The Chosen Four For The Abomination Vaults
Unlike other fantasy action RPGs, Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults has four set characters. These are based on the Iconic characters from the tabletop game, which are used to demonstrate the classes. The characters are Ezren the Wizard, Kyra the Cleric, Harsk the Ranger, and Amiri the Barbarian. The last character will be familiar to fans of the video games, as she was also a party member in Kingmaker.
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The four charactersare always on-screen, with the AI controlling them in instances when there aren’t enough players. This is a necessity, as there are team actions that require multiple characters working together, such as moving boulders to clear a path.
While the basics of the party members are selected already, the player can customize them over time, as there are tons of loot to find, some of which will tweak their appearance. There are also Trinkets, which are miscellaneous items that can be equipped by all characters, providing a wider variety of general buffs.
As the player levels up, they can also choose to specialize their character in different ways, such as making the Cleric more of a warrior than a healer. The level cap is 10, which roughly matches that of the tabletop campaign.
How Pathfinder Combat Works Without Being Turn-Based
The combat in Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults will be familiar to Diablo fans who use a controller, with commands bound to the shoulder buttons. There is also an ultimate attack that requires both shoulder buttons to be pressed at once to activate.
During my playtrhough, I donned the fancy blue and white robes of Ezren the Wizard, whose commands included Magic Missile (slowly spawning several balls of energy that fire all at once), a Wall of Fire (creates a burning barrier) and Burning Hands (creates a burning cone right in front of him.)
It’s also possible for players to perform combo attacks together if they manage to overlap certain special moves. One example of this is Ezren casting the Wall of Fire spell, and Amiri spinning her sword into it, causing it to shoot off fireballs in every direction.
These special attacks are tied to cooldown timers, like an MMO, so you need to balance them with standard attacks. There’s also a dodge with i-frames that’s needed You also have three healing potions which refresh when resting, while the Cleric also has healing spells.
Taking damage is a risky prospect in Abomination Vaults, as while it’s possible to heal, each character’s maximum hit points go down when they take more damage. Luckily, it’s possible to rest at campfires, which act as a mixture between checkpoints and healing spots.
The Denizens Of The Abomination Vault
But enough about how the characters function in Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults. The dungeon itself is full of enemies fromthe Pathfinder RPG, and they follow standard video game conventions. There are heavy undead units that tank a lot of damage, spiders that deal poison damage, weak goblinoids that attack in large numbers, etc.
The environment itself also poses a threat, with areas filled with poison gas, requiring players to work together to destroy the plants causing it, while also fighting off hordes of enemies. There are also chests in the overworld full of loot, which, true to the RPG, are often guarded.
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The overworld often has interaction points, where players need to converge on a spot and operate an item, usually while under duress. These force players to work together, rather than just running around and slicing up enemies.
While the preview I played only featured a small part of the dungeon, the developers assured me that the full version of the game would have a quest hub and quest givers, though the exact form this would take wasn’t stated.
Thecombat in Pathfinder: Abomination Vaultsis very frantic, with lots going on at once. It’s a ton of fun to roast enemies with your spells, but where it really shines is as a co-op game, with players functioning as an actual party, balancing their strengths and making up for each other’s weaknesses, while always up against the cooldown timers of their attacks.
Mastering The First Boss In Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults
The boss in the demo is the Urthagul, a massive abomination with its head split open down the center. While everything else in the game up to this point had managed to go down after a few attacks, this big fellow was a damage sponge, who could barely be scratched by the combined might of the party.
Attacking the Urthagul builds up a stagger meter, and filling it leaves it in a vulnerable state, allowing the party to pile on the damage. It’s not alone, however, as it has monstrous minions that will rush in and attack.
Once you get it down to half health, the Urthagul flashes red and starts performing slam attacks that create a shockwave. To avoid this, the party needs to hide behind columns around the arena, giving them a chance to rush back out for a counterattack.
The Urthagul isn’t the most complex boss in the world, but it forces teamwork and coordination from the players, as it hits like a truck. Fortunately, having four players means there are opportunities to kite the boss, allowing the rest of the group to get out of dodge and heal.
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The combat in Pathinder: Abomination Vaults isn’t super complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. The entire experience was a fun romp through dungeons and playing it would make for a great group activity for any tabletop RPG fans looking for some online games.
The trappings of Pathfinder are just the icing on the cake, as the game’s amazing fantasy aesthetic and artwork are faithfully recreated here.
Closing Comments
Pathfinder: Abomination Vaults knows exactly what it’s trying to be, as it harkens back to the classic old co-op action RPGs, like Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance and Diablo 2. Those looking for fantasy hack-and-slash action in the Golarion setting will love this game, as will co-op gaming fans looking for fun with a smidge of depth. Just don’t expect the massive epic scope of its contemporaries, like Kingmaker or Wrath of the Righteous.
