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Everything We Know About Avowed
During Microsoft's Xbox Game's Showcase, Obsidian Entertainment revealed their newest title Avowed, a first-person fantasy RPG set in the world of Pillars of Eternity. After being acquired by Microsoft in 2018, this will be Obsidian's second title made exclusively for Xbox platforms. While the initial reveal trailer didn't show any gameplay, the few seconds of in-engine footage made it clear the game will be a first-person RPG similar to The Elder Scrolls series. After developing The Outer Worlds, it's safe to assume that Avowed will boast a massive open-world and have that Obsidian flavor of excellent writing.
Avowed is a massive departure from the series it's based on. Pillars of Eternity is actually an isometric RPG similar to Diablo, meaning that the camera angle is over-the-top and players see can see a large portion of the map around their characters. The gameplay in Avowed is likely to be vastly different compared to the other games in the series, mixing in a bit more action compared to slow-paced tactics. Several critics felt Pillars of Eternity was one of the best isometric titles in years, however, the sequel Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire was met with lackluster sales, so it's no surprise that Obsidian is taking a different approach with the series.
Avowed was revealed along many other Microsoft titles releasing for Xbox platforms, but unlike a few other titles like Halo: Infinite, it will be releasing exclusively for the Xbox Series X and PC. Hopefully, this means once released it will take full advantage of the next-gen hardware, and wow fans who have been waiting for another Obsidian RPG.
Avowed's Gameplay
Nothing has been specifically shown for Avowed's gameplay yet, but the few seconds at the end of the reveal trailer already says a lot about what to expect. Taking cues from Obsidian's most recent title, The Outer Worlds, it's safe to assume that Avowed will contain branching storylines, a massive open world, and deep RPG progression in the form of stats and skill trees. The game also seems to be taking cues from games like Bioshock and Skyrim, where players can wield a weapon in their right hand and use magical abilities on the left one. Likely, there will be various different weapons to choose from like swords, bows, and lances, along with a number of spells players can equip to combine for some deadly combat.
Avowed's Setting
Set in the Pillars of Eternity universe, Avowed is most likely set in the world of Eora. Setting the game in a familiar location is likely to speed up development time, and also give fans of the series a unique way to explore a favorite locale. Considering the importance of gods in the Pillars of Eternity universe, players can expect the return of Like many RPGs nowadays, Pillars of Eternity 2 has several different endings. These different branches allow Avowed to take different routes based on how they want the story to go. Whether or not this is a direct sequel to Pillars of Eternity 2 is yet to be determined, but if Obsidian chose to take that route, it would be interesting to see which ending they consider canon.
Avowed's Release Date
No timeframe has been announced for Avowed's release just yet. Considering Obsidian is releasing Grounded in early access, along with making a new DLC for Outer Worlds, fans can expect to wait at least until 2021 for the new title. Luckily, Avowed will be available on launch for anyone with Xbox Game Pass, and will hopefully get a set release day by the time holiday season rolls around.
