Though Avowed has left a solid impression on Pillars of Eternity fans 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 as Knights of the Old Republic II, Fallout: New Vegas, and the Pillars of Eternity games, began work on Avowed with the intention of making its own take on a fantasy sandbox. Parallels with Fallout: New Vegas were obvious, which caused many fans to view Avowed as Obsidian's Skyrim.
Set in the same world as Pillars of Eternity, Avowed takes 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 in Pillars 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, Avowed will 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.
Much like The Elder Scrolls games, 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, Avowed offers plenty of freedom when it comes to choosing a playstyle. However, video game enthusiasts haven't exactly been impressed with Avowed'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 that Avowed hasn'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, Avowed is 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. The gameplay in Avowed lets players create exciting elemental interactions, putting spells and magic into the spotlight. It takes the easy-to-pick-up combat of Skyrim, and refines it into something unique.
An important thing to keep in mind is that Avowed is structured more as Knights of the Old Republic II. Unlike Skyrim or Oblivion, 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 that Avowed reimagines Pillars of Eternity and takes the franchise to a new level of popularity. The track record for Obsidian certainly proves it can succeed.
Avowed will release in 2024 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: The Gamer