ThoughAvowedhas left a solid impression onPillars of Eternityfans during the Summer Game Fest, one of its developers has given an insight into the project’s development, and why players needn’t be worried about some of its blemishes just yet. Obsidian Entertainment, the team behind beloved titles such asKnights of the Old Republic II,Fallout: New Vegas, and thePillars of Eternitygames, began work onAvowedwith the intention of making its own take on a fantasy sandbox. Parallels withFallout: New Vegaswere obvious, which caused many fans to viewAvowedas Obsidian’sSkyrim.
Set in thesame world asPillars of Eternity,Avowedtakes players on a journey to the Living Lands, a mystical island full of strange plants and beasts, and a location of unknown interest to the Aedyran Empire. Much like inPillars of Eternity, fans will be able to create their own character, albeit only as the two primary races of Aedyr: Human and Elf. In contrast to its predecessor,Avowedwill strip back the top-down view, and place players directly into the first-person (or third-person) perspective, allowing for more visceral combat and immersion.
MORE:Avowed Size More Outer Worlds Than Skyrim
Much likeThe Elder Scrollsgames, players won’t be pigeonholed into a certain class, but will be able to build their character in whatever way they desire. From wielding a blunderbuss and sword, to casting spells, to smashing their foes with a large hammer,Avowedoffers plenty of freedom when it comes to choosing a playstyle. However, video game enthusiasts haven’t exactly been impressed withAvowed’s graphical presentation, nor with the apparent scope of the game. An Obsidian developer going by the name of Briar Diem reassured fans on the RPG Codex forums thatAvowedhasn’t yet entered Alpha, and that graphics would almost certainly be touched up over the course of development.
Briar Diem went on to say that while designs were set in stone, players should expect the final product to ship with better lighting and art. Furthermore,Avowedis slated to have the longest Alpha and Beta stage of any Obsidian title, which bodes well for fans worried it would be riddled with bugs. Thegameplay inAvowedlets players create exciting elemental interactions, putting spells and magic into the spotlight. It takes the easy-to-pick-up combat ofSkyrim, and refines it into something unique.
An important thing to keep in mind is thatAvowedis structured more asKnights of the Old Republic II. UnlikeSkyrimorOblivion, it is an intricate web of interconnected zones, rather than a pure open world sandbox. Obsidian Entertainment claims that it’s aiming for breadth rather than width, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Ultimately, players hope thatAvowedreimaginesPillars of Eternityand takes the franchise to a new level of popularity. The track record for Obsidian certainly proves it can succeed.
Avowedwill release in 2024 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
