Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is a type of 3D role-playing game created by Owlcat Games and published by META Publishing. It is inspired by the Pathfinder series from Paizo Publishing. The game was introduced through a fundraising effort called a Kickstarter campaign in February 2020. It was first released for computers running Microsoft Windows and macOS on September 2, 2021. Later, it was made available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 29, 2022. A version that can be played online without needing a physical copy was also released for Nintendo Switch on the same date.
Plot
The Worldwound is a magical hole that lets demons move from their world to the mortal world, where they attack and cause harm. The country of Mendev has fought many wars against these demons, called Crusades. These wars have been hard because demons killed in the mortal world return to life in their home realm.
The player-character is found outside the Mendevian city of Kenabres. They survive an unexpected attack by demons and later find out they have strange magical abilities called "mythic powers" from an unknown source. After helping drive demons away from Kenabres, the player-character is chosen by Queen Galfrey to lead the Fifth Crusade.
The Commander leads armies against demons while trying to find a way to close the Worldwound. They gather people to help them and eventually reclaim all land except the Worldwound itself. Their mythic powers grow, allowing them to choose from several "mythic paths," such as becoming an angel, trickster, or lich. These choices affect their abilities, leadership, and future.
The Commander learns their powers came from an experiment by Areelu Vorlesh, a half-demon scientist who created the Worldwound. Vorlesh tried to place her dead child’s soul into the Commander’s body but instead caused the mythic powers. She then erased the Commander’s memory of this. The powers were activated by the attack on Kenabres and strengthened by battles with powerful beings. After learning this, the Commander can choose to give up their powers and become a "Mortal Legend."
Vorlesh tells the Commander the Worldwound is connected to their souls and that one must die in the chasm for it to close. They fight near the Worldwound’s entrance. Vorlesh is defeated and tries to kill herself but can be stopped. The Commander can then decide to push Vorlesh into the chasm, jump in themselves, or use other solutions based on their mythic path. If the Worldwound is closed, Mendev and the region become peaceful. However, some mythic paths may use the Worldwound for their own goals.
There is a hidden ending that requires completing specific tasks and researching clues. The Commander discovers Vorlesh’s goal to become a demigoddess and gathers the tools and knowledge needed. After defeating Vorlesh, the Commander can choose to become a demigod themselves or help Vorlesh and/or their party members do the same.
Development
The game is a sequel to Pathfinder: Kingmaker, a previous role-playing game made by the same developer, but it does not continue the same story. The sequel uses the game engine from Kingmaker to improve areas that critics and players wanted changed. It also adds new rules from the tabletop game, introduces new character classes, and includes the mythic progression system. Owlcat started a Kickstarter campaign in February 2020 to collect more money for the game’s development. The campaign raised over US$2 million, far more than the requested US$300,000, which allowed the team to add several additional features during development. Like its predecessor, Wrath of the Righteous follows an Adventure Path named Wrath of the Righteous, which was first published in August 2013.
Six major downloadable content (DLC) packs have been released for Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. The first DLC, Inevitable Excess, was released on March 3, 2022. In this story, the Commander is trapped in another dimension by a "keeper of magic" who believes their mythic powers break the laws of the universe. The second DLC, Through the Ashes, was released on April 21, 2022. This story follows ordinary people trying to survive a demonic attack on Kenabres. The third DLC, The Treasure of the Midnight Isles, was released on August 30, 2022. It is a rogue-like campaign where the party searches for a mysterious treasure in the Abyss. The first and third DLCs can be played separately or added to the main game, while the second can only be played alone. The fourth DLC, The Last Sarkorians, was released on March 7, 2023. This DLC adds a new playable class with six variations, a new companion, and a new area. The fifth DLC, The Lord of Nothing, a follow-up to Through the Ashes, was released on November 21, 2023. This DLC also adds 15 new character variations, new spells, and new abilities for the main game. The sixth and final DLC, A Dance of Masks, was released on June 13, 2024. It includes new personal events for each companion, such as romantic storylines, a fully voiced adventure set in Kenabres and beyond, an arena, and 11 new character variations.
Reception
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous received "mostly positive" reviews from Metacritic, a website that collects game reviews. Rowan Kaiser from IGN said the game had a good story and better technology than its earlier version, but was not happy with how the military management part worked. Jody Macgregor from PC Gamer said the game was "worth trying," but pointed out that the writing had uneven quality.
At the 25th D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences named Wrath of the Righteous as a nominee for "Role-Playing Game of the Year."
By January 2023, the game had sold 1 million copies worldwide.
On July 24, 2023, an update called 2.1.5m was released. This update added a third-party analytics program called AppsFlyer. Players reacted strongly against this change because of worries about privacy, unclear information, and the requirement to accept a new EULA. The issue was fixed the next day, July 25, 2023, with an update called 2.1.5n, which removed AppsFlyer.