Avowed has had its release date revealed via the Xbox Games Showcase during the Summer Games Fest, 2024.
Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, which is well known for its exceptional work on titles like Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity, the game promises to shake up the gaming world.
Set in the fictional land of Aedyr, Avowed embraces a first-person perspective, introducing a fresh and immersive experience within the realm of high fantasy RPGs. With Obsidian's reputation for delivering memorable narratives and complex character development, players can expect an epic tale that unfolds in a meticulously crafted world.
In this guide, we’ll delve into the depths of information surrounding this upcoming title and answer all your questions about Avowed's gameplay mechanics, storylines, and character progression.
Avowed Release Date
Obsidian's exciting RPG was estimated to come out sometime this 2024, but it was never confirmed when... Until now.
"The last few months at Obsidian Entertainment have been fast-paced and exciting. Since we saw you at the Xbox Developer Direct this past January, we’ve been busy with Avowed getting it ready for release on November 12, 2024." Carrie Patel, Game Director of Avowed, shared.
Avowed Gameplay and Combat
As mentioned, Avowed will take place in Eora, the same setting that is used in Obsidian’s Pillars of Eternity games. But whereas those are top-down, isometric CRPGs in the same vein as Baldur’s Gate and the Icewind Dale series, Avowed is switching things up to a first-person perspective.
The first-person perspective will be familiar to anyone who’s played Skyrim or Oblivion. In the gameplay trailer shown at Xbox’s 2023 Summer Game Showcase, we saw lots of Elder Scrolls-esque combat. It seems you'll be encountering challenging battles against bandits and skeletons. You'll have a range of options to engage in combat, such as sword-and-shield style, dual-wielded axes, a two-handed sword, or ranged weapons—though we're certain that even more ways of partaking in combat will be revealed as we edge closer to the release date.
It appears that magic will also hold a significant combat role in Avowed. There are glimpses of the player character casting spells with one glowing hand while holding a one-handed weapon, as well as slower, heavier spells cast with both hands before seamlessly transitioning back to a sword and shield.
These variations in spellcasting may represent distinct active abilities, similar to Skyrim's dragon shouts or racial powers, adding depth and strategic options to your magical abilities. But, unlike Skyrim, Avowed will allow your character to use firearms to take down enemies. It’s not often you see fantasy settings embrace guns as well as more traditional medieval weapons, but it sure looks cool.
Avowed World Map and World Building
It's been confirmed that Avowed won’t have a massive, sprawling open world like the Elder Scrolls games, but instead will feature a more intimate, hand-crafted setting. In an interview with PCGamer, Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart said:
“We could go off and create an 8km x 8km open world and then deal with all the consequences of that—because that makes it a different style game. But we want to tell more confined stories that the player can experience with their companions, and then move from part of the world to part of the world. And, like I said, in the end, that's us."
In the same interview, Avowed director Carrie Patel went into more detail on this development mindset, saying:
“I think where Obsidian really shines as an RPG maker is with this really evocative nuanced world building, stories that are more focused on depth and breadth, and really thoughtful quest design that rewards experimentation and exploration from players—that gives them a sense of agency. And that gives them a meaningful set of options with how they interact with the world and characters."
So, it seems that Avowed won’t be on the same massive scale as Skyrim—very few games are—but will instead deliver a smaller, more nuanced game.
Avowed Story
Avowed revealed a brand new story trailer at Summer Game Fest 2024, and while we don't know the ins and outs of the entire Avowed story, we do know far more than we had previously. As a reminder, Avowed immerses players in the fantastical world of Eora, which shares its setting with Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity CRPGs. Eora offers a unique blend of medieval fantasy with a touch of modernity, featuring elements like gunpowder and ships reminiscent of the Age of Sail.
The game's narrative unfolds in the Living Lands, a secluded island that has managed to evade direct attention from Eora's colonial powers until now. The Aedyr Empire, a prominent intercontinental state, is one of the key players. As a player, you assume the role of an envoy sent by the Aedyr Empire to the Living Lands, tasked with investigating reports of a devastating plague. However, the reception from the island's inhabitants is wary, given the historical context of colonial powers.
The plague is called Dreamscourge, a mysterious affliction that affects not just people and animals, but the land itself. First, victims experience confusion before quickly becoming erratic and violent, eventually twisting into fungal growths called Dreamthralls, their minds and souls lost.
The choices you make throughout the game will shape your character's role, allowing you to define their personality, appearance, philosophy, and overall approach. If you know anything about Obsidian games, you know that there'll be lots of difficult moral choices for your character to make.
That's all we know about Avowed so far. While you're still here, feel free to take a look at this 2024 game release schedule for a glimpse at more upcoming titles.