Avowed Dev Addresses Skyrim Comparisons

Avowed Dev Addresses Skyrim Comparisons

• Avowed by Obsidian Entertainment offers a more linear storyline and connected zones, distancing it from Skyrim comparisons.
• The RPG will feature a third-person view, parkour system, and multiple endings based on player choices.
• Avowed will not be a Metroidvania-style game, with smaller areas allowing for creative problem-solving and exploration.

Obsidian Entertainment, the talented developer behind Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds, has spoken out about common comparisons relating its upcoming RPG Avowed to The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. The studio has also discussed Avowed’s gameplay, setting, and some surprising new features.

The recent Xbox Games Showcase 2024 revealed tons of new information about Avowed. As agents of the Aedyran Empire tasked with investigating the mysterious magical plague known as the Dreamscourge, Obsidian Entertainment's upcoming fantasy action RPG will send Xbox and PC players on a perilous journey through the blighted Living Lands. Avowed is set in the northernmost isles of Eora, the same world as Obsidian’s earlier Pillars of Eternity franchise. However, the studio has emphasized that aside from some familiar lore and unexpected cameos, exploring the Living Lands will be equally rewarding for returning fans and newcomers alike.

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With its surprisingly vibrant vistas and dual-handed sword-and-sorcery combat, Avowed hopes to offer an original take on the genre. However, since its announcement in 2020, Avowed has unsurprisingly drawn constant comparisons with The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, one of the most iconic fantasy RPGs of all time. Responding to questions about these suggested parallels to Skyrim in an interview with Game Informer, game director Carrie Patel and gameplay director Gabe Paramo have sought to distance their game away from Bethesda’s classic. While Paramo stressed that “comparing two games” can lead to false assumptions that developers are “trying to be inspired by another game,” Patel revealed that “in terms of the kind of the quest structure, the narrative structure, it's a lot closer to The Outer Worlds.” Patel further explained that “like The Outer Worlds, Avowed has a series of open zones that are connected and unlock over the course of the game, rather than one giant map that you can walk through from beginning to end.”

How will Avowed Stand Apart from Skyrim?

• Avowed will feature a more linear storyline than Skyrim's open-ended quest design.
• Rather than offering an open-world from the start, Avowed's map will feature a series of connected zones which unlock over the course of the story.
• The developers have stressed this interconnectivity will not turn Avowed into a Metroidvania-style game.

Addressing earlier Skyrim comparisons, the developers have previously discussed how Avowed’s intricately crafted smaller areas will offer a more linear and focused narrative. However, when discussing how the player will tackle environmental puzzles and progress to new areas, Patel affirmed that “it's not a Metroidvania.” Instead, players will have “a toolbox of options and [...] they can use those creatively to bypass certain obstacles and find nooks, loot, and surprises in the game.”

In terms of the kind of the quest structure, the narrative structure, it's a lot closer to The Outer Worlds.

The developers also revealed that, like Skyrim, Avowed will be entirely playable in third person, allowing players to better see their customizable characters - although they emphasized that Avowed is first and foremost “a first-person game with a third-person perspective.” The RPG will also feature a parkour system and multiple endings based on both minute and major player choices. Patel also explained how the studio “decided to forego romances”, although players will still be able to form “a meaningful bond” with the game’s four main companions. The studio has yet to reveal Avowed’s official release date, leading to circulating rumors that the game could miss its scheduled 2024 window, although these fans’ fears may have been for nothing as Obsidian appears to have accidentally leaked Avowed's potential release date as November 12.

Avowed

Franchise Pillars of EternityPlatform(s) Windows, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series XReleased 2024-00-00Developer(s) Obsidian EntertainmentPublisher(s) Xbox Game Studios