Highlights

  • Avowed, an action RPG by Obsidian, takes place in the Pillars of Eternity universe and will feature companion characters to aid players.
  • Romancing companions in Avowed will not be an option, as Obsidian has chosen to focus on other aspects of the game's design.
  • The absence of romance options in Avowed signals Obsidian's intentions for future games, like The Outer Worlds 2, to follow suit.

Avowed is an upcoming action RPG by Obsidian Entertainment, developer of The Outer Worlds, and takes place in the same universe as the developer's Pillars of Eternity series. Despite taking place in the Pillars of Eternity timeline, Avowed is likely to bring plenty of new features onboard as well as some familiar features from Obsidian's past work. One very popular feature of Obsidian games and RPGs in general is companion characters that accompany the player on their journey through a game's story. Thankfully, Avowed will include various companions that will side with the player and benefit them in unique ways.

Anyone looking forward to romancing their companions in Avowed, however, may be disappointed. Obsidian confirmed that the inclusion of romance in games is a very difficult feature to do well, and the developer has therefore chosen to forego implementing it into Avowed. While this was expected based on Obsidian's last few games (excluding Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire), it is nonetheless unfortunate. Now that Avowed's lack of romance has all but confirmed Obsidian's intentions with future games, though, the stage may already be set for The Outer Worlds 2, the sequel to Obsidian's 2019 action RPG hit.

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Avowed's Lack of Romance Options Sets the Stage for The Outer Worlds 2

Avowed's Lack of Romance All But Seals The Outer Worlds 2's Fate

Like Obsidian's past games, Avowed is expected to have several companions for players to find and recruit during their journey through the Living Lands. Currently, only two of them have been confirmed — Kai and Giatta — and while they both seem like they will be compelling individuals to get to know, neither of them is romanceable by the player. Nevertheless, as with previous Obsidian titles, there will likely be an affinity system built into the game that ultimately determines the extent of the player's relationship with their companions.

Obsidian hasn't always been closed off to the idea of romanceable companions, as players could romance their companions in Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, even though they couldn't in the first game. Despite the existence of romance options in Pillars of Eternity 2, however, it was the last Obsidian game to include them. As such, it can be expected that Avowed's lack of romance options means the feature is likely no longer up for consideration in games made by Obsidian, and this includes The Outer Worlds 2.

The Outer Worlds Had No Romance Options Either

As per Obsidian tradition, The Outer Worlds had several companions for players to meet and build relationships with throughout the story. Each companion had an approval rating, meaning they would leave the field if they disagreed with the player's actions.

Unfortunately, Obsidian stayed true to another of its traditions by making none of these companions romanceable. This has been Obsidian's approach to companions for quite some time, as the developer believes it hinders player choice.

It has also been reported in the past that romance was not implemented into The Outer Worlds due to it requiring a bigger budget, as the notion of companions who can be romanced creates layer upon layer of nuance and therefore requires extra work and resources.

While nothing has been confirmed for The Outer Worlds 2 as far as its companions go, it's safe to assume they will not be romanceable until official news states otherwise. Perhaps the developer will break tradition in The Outer Worlds 2 and give it one of the more requested modern RPG features, but as it stands it is highly unlikely.