Avowed is an upcoming RPG title that is one of the most anticipated within the entire gaming industry. Despite so little being known of the release, its rich fantastical setting and revealed gameplay has already likened the title to genre-defining franchises such as The Elder Scrolls.
Of course, Avowed will be looking to stamp its name on the gaming space in its own right, but it is important to note the universe that the game is set within and how it will be informed by previous games. For example, Avowed is set within the same world as the Pillars of Eternity franchise, and so there are an array of gameplay elements that the former will have to include to pay homage to its source material in a tasteful and robust way.
How Avowed and Pillars of Eternity Are Connected
Pillars of Eternity is a fantasy IP that itself is a form of spiritual successor to older RPG franchises such as Baldur's Gate. The world of Pillars of Eternity is an original one developed by Obsidian Entertainment, with the games being set within the lands of Eora. Originally launching in 2015, Pillars of Eternity focuses on a detailed party system within its core gameplay, with real-time top-down combat complimenting a rich level of world exploration.
Upon launch, Pillars of Eternity 2 had many builds for monks, druids, barbarians, and all the other classes, giving credence to the success and positive fan reception of the franchise. In this regard, it is no wonder that the upcoming Avowed is set within the same universe as Pillars of Eternity, with Obsidian Entertainment smartly recognizing the benefits of linking its upcoming release to such a popular franchise.
Given how little information is currently available regarding Avowed, many are looking to the world of Pillars of Eternity for clues as to what can be expected from the RPG. With this in mind, it seems clear that Avowed should have a dedicated companion feature in-game, given how integral companions are to the core framework of Pillars of Eternity.
Companions in Avowed and Pillars of Eternity
Pillars of Eternity's party system means that companions are plentiful and massively important to the franchise. As well as this, Pillars of Eternity is often lauded for the level of depth and weight behind companion characters, with the player being able to forge and navigate complex relationships with the companions they choose to fight and explore with.
Of course, companions are no stranger to the wider fantasy RPG genre, with franchises like The Elder Scrolls featuring iconic companion characters that have become somewhat of a staple of the series' offered gameplay. Avowed will play closer to an Elder Scrolls title than it will to Pillars of Eternity, given the first-person combat elements that the game is set to possess, yet it's clear that inspiration regarding companions should stem more so from PoE.
In all, there are eleven unique companions present within the first Pillars of Eternity, many of which are encountered by the player via the title's main story. With other companions being available to encounter via natural exploration, it is clear just how integral companions are to the world-building and core gameplay of the wider franchise. In this way, it is important that Avowed's world of Eora takes a similar approach. Companions would likely be present within Avowed anyway simply due to its existence as a fantasy RPG, although its roots in Pillars of Eternity make a detailed companion system in the upcoming game a much more logical mechanic.
Avowed is currently in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.