Dissenting Opinion: Physical Goods!

[Karkarov]

Hahahahahahahaha I got you with that click bait title didn't I!!!!!

Okay seriously, I did just receive my physical rewards today at long last and wanted to weigh in.  First off it should be stated I basically got all physical goods thanks to my backer level, and I also got the vast majority of goods for Eternity 1.  It is worth stating that I was not super happy with the first games goods, the cloth map (first version anyway) stank, the mouse pad was not good, etc etc. 

 

So I am looking at this from a few ways.

• Is it a step up from Eternity 1? 
• Did the fix the mistakes of the first games physical rewards?
• What is the overall quality of the actual items?

 

Why am I making this post at all?  Simply because someone else posted what I feel is an extremely biased review of the goods based on a lack of knowledge and unreasonable expectations.  Two things I don't suffer from, at least when it comes to Eternity.

 

So first the physical box?  Guess what?  They nailed this with Eternity 1, and they did it again.  If you know the Eternity 1 box it is the exact same thing just with a slightly different/darker color scheme.  There is no physical disc, this is something I expected going in.  If you needed an actual disc as opposed to a really nice sturdy card with a download code prepare to be sad.  But what about the individual items inside?

 

Eternity 1's mouse pad and cloth map both sucked like I previously mentioned, they don't this time.  Gone are the bad printing methods and washed out colors.  If anything this time the colors are a little too strong.  The mouse pad especially is way better, it even has knitted edges on the pad to protect the sides, and is a little larger than a normal sized mouse pad.  There is no reasonable complaint to be made with either of these two items.

 

How about the guidebook?  Yes, it is the same guide book dark horse released, why this is news to anyone is odd.  So you can get this book on it's own if you want without any previous backing or nonsense.  It is just as high quality as Eternity 1's guidebook, and well worth it.  These books are basically must have if you ever want to even think about using that Aora RPG setting.  It does seem a little shorter than Eternity 1's book though, I could just be wrong.

 

The plushie you ask?  Well, it is a really nicely made and sized plushie.  Not much else to say.  It does not feel, or look "cheap", it is not some crappy beanie baby, but it is still a plushie.  If you know what an actual plushie is well, it is one of those and made to a nice quality, colors are really strong too.

 

Extras, the box also came with a nice cosmo the space pig pin which is a nice size (maybe 1.5 - 2 inch diameter), strong colors, and it is well made I suppose.  I will never actually use it but that isn't really the point is it?  There is also a nice "museum paper" print of the Neketaka map which is cool, well printed, and would work great in a frame for some desk art.  It isn't huge, but it isn't tiny either.  Lastly there is a Deadfire Explorer's League iron on patch, in case you like iron on patches.  For those who don't know this is an obsidian thing, they always have a game patch for each game they make (both literally and figuratively....) and this is just following that tradition.  The quality is fine and if you have something you think can take a patch I imagine it works great.

 

What about the mini's?  Well I know how to paint a mini so I ordered them unpainted.  Happy to say they are pewter not some cheap plastic.  Not happy to say they are mostly crap.  The swords are too thin and prone to bending, the faces are poorly sculpted and have low quality details/very prone to extra metal, and in general the detail of the models is just low.  So yeah, hope you didn't order the mini's this is one place Obsidian did drop the ball, and I suggest next time they not bother, or contract it to a legit company like Games Workshop or Reaper.

 

What about the big dog though?  The "cheap plastic statue with a hole in it"?  Uh yeah.... first it is not made of plastic, it is blatantly a cast resin, second it has some issues like a few places the fit of the molds was off a bit and the excess was not trimmed perfectly cleanly, there is a small hole in the bottom, but this is common for this type of resin cast, and yes the paint job is only "not bad/slightly above average" not great. 

 

That said, it is heavy, there is no way in holy hell a "light breeze" is going to blow it over, it is also big, I have not measured it but it is 10 inches tall and 6 inches diameter at the base.  Lastly.... it is very cool and less cheaply made than many other video game collectibles I own like Alduin from Skyrim (who is plastic by the way).  The only limited edition collectible from a box set I own that I think is better is probably Darth Malgus from the original The Old Republic collectors edition.

So to my three questions at first... TLDR version....

 

Is it a step up from Eternity 1's physical goods? 

• No question the answer is yes, in all cases but the mini's the bar got raised or was at least met.

Did they fix the mistakes of the original games Physical rewards?

• Yes, nuff said.

What is the overall quality?

• For video game collectors box rewards the quality is quite good.  I have seen better, but that is the exception not the rule, and most of the time a video game box set will come out way worse than what this did.

 

I will try to get some pics and post them later via a edit.

[Gitmfap]

Honestly, I’m happy enough. They made a good game that I’m enjoying, and being backer means helping to find that. I got some cool swag asa thank you, so there you go.