Summary
Obsidian Entertainment’s Xbox exclusiveAvowedhas been a long time coming, and may finally be nearing the end of its journey. First announced at the Xbox Games Showcase in July 2020,Avowedis currently slated for 2024, and will receive its first deep dive at Microsoft’s Developer_Direct ‘24 on January 18. Although it was initially pitched as Obsidian’s take onThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, Obsidian realized that the more constrained scope of itsThe Outer Worldsseries would work better, and fans of both are keen to see how the result pans out.
What fans currently know ofAvowedpaints it as a colorful first-person action-RPG taking place across a series of large open zones.Avowedshares its setting withPillars of Eternity, taking place in a remote corner of Eora named the Living Lands. The player’s primary motivation is investigating a mysterious plague, though there will be plenty of adventure to go on along the way. IfAvowedworks out, Obsidian could finally reclaim the reputation it had back in its heyday, but the disastrous launch of a 2023 first-person fantasy RPG demonstrates how things may go if it fails.
Immortals of Aveum Bombed Hard And Fast
2023 was not a good year for Electronic Arts’ EA Originals label. This publishing program has mostly stuck to funding indie efforts since 2016, but the average size and notoriety of its games have grown over time. So far, this has peaked with 2023’sWild Hearts, made byDynasty WarriorsandToukidendeveloper Omega Force, and the first-personmagic shooterImmortals of Aveumfrom Ascendant Studios. Both were promising titles and received considerable marketing pushes, but couldn’t keep their momentum up for long after release.
Wild Heartssuffered from major technical issues, especially on the PC, and its post-launch support petered out after a few months. Omega Force was able to safely return to its parent company, Koei Tecmo, but Ascendant Studios was not so lucky. Despite everything seeming to line up for its success,Immortals of Aveumflopped harder than any other AAA single-player game in recent memory, resulting in about45% ofImmortals' 100+ developers being laid offa month later. Capping at 751 all-time concurrent players on Steam,Immortals of Aveumwas an unmitigated disaster thatAvowedcan’t afford to replicate.
Avowed Needs To Learn From Immortals of Aveum’s Mistakes
AvowedandImmortals of Aveumhave plenty of obvious similarities, including their shared fantasy RPG genre, first-person perspectives, and eitherAvowed’s genuine orImmortals' simulated gunplay. Both even have some sort of blight spreading across their lands. With that said,Immortals of Aveumwas Ascendant Studios’ debut title, so it had a lot riding on the game being a hit and EA making its investment back. Obsidian isn’t in as much danger under Microsoft’s umbrella, but in a time when many large studios are downsizing,Avowedneeds to avoidImmortals’ biggest pitfalls regardless.
Standing out, being polished, and providing a good story are all things fans expect fromAvowed, butImmortals of Aveumshows just how hard a game can tank when they aren’t there.Fellow first-party Xbox gameStarfieldcan at least be counted on to not interfere withAvowed, and may have actually generated more desire for Obsidian’s game thanks to its mixed reception. AsImmortals of Aveumwill likely be the closest big-budget first-person fantasy action-RPG onceAvowedis out, the latter needs to make sure that all comparisons between the two end with it on top.
Avowed
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger. Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.You are the envoy of Aedyr, a distant land, sent to investigate rumors of a spreading plague throughout the Living Lands - an island full of mysteries and secrets, danger and adventure, and choices and consequences, and untamed wilderness. You discover a personal connection to the Living Lands and an ancient secret that threatens to destroy everything. Can you save this unknown frontier and your soul from the forces threatening to tear them asunder?
