Summary
Avowedis Obsidian Entertainment’s next RPG release, set to bring the studio’sPillars of Eternityfranchise into a first-person perspective when it launches next year. Originally announced back in 2020,Avowedcontinues Obsidian’s commitment to focusing on its own IPs in favor of the licensed titles of the developer’s past. While some fans have become outspoken about their skepticism after the scale ofAvowedwas compared to one classic RPG in particular, the implications of this statement hold serious promise.
Taking place in the previously unseen continent of The Living Lands withinPillars of Eternity’s world of Eora, fans were expecting a massive, open-world adventure in the vein ofThe Elder Scrollsseries. A statement from the game’s director would go on to clarify thatAvowed’s scalewill share far more similarities with the studios’ previousKnights the Old Republic 2andThe Outer Worlds, a direction that came as a big surprise to many. This perceived change in the game’s size has become one of the major topics of discussion within its community, but the triumphs of a game likeKOTOR 2shine an entirely new light on the potential ofAvowed.
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Avowed’s Controversial Scope
While the disappointment associated withAvowed’s unique identity differing fromtitles likeSkyrimmay seem like a confusing reaction to some, the climate around the game does make sense considering its history. When its initial trailer premiered back in 2020, the aesthetic presented forAvowedseemed far more dark and epic than what has been more recently spotlighted. The colorful world and its traditional fantasy-inspired creatures were already met with some pushback, but the further comparison toKOTOR 2pushed this even further.
Obsidian’s best efforts have historically been more focused experiences than the grand decade-defining RPGs their titles have always been compared to, but thePillars of Eternityseriescould have also created a confusing precedent to some. Sprawling CRPGs honoring the classic tropes of the genre, bothPillarsgames are capable of taking up to 100 hours to fully complete when all of their content is taken into consideration. WithAvowednow being compared to games that take around 30 hours to get through, it only makes sense that the title’s scope has been perceivably reduced. Outside of raw game length, however, there is far more nuance to the direction Obsidian has taken.
Resembling KOTOR 2 Could Make Avowed a Classic
Any length under 50 hours for a modern RPG may seem bad on paper to many fans of the genre, but a dense, quality-focused experience has far more potential to be truly memorable. With a game likeKOTOR 2featuring such a heavy emphasis on its main cast and their development under the player character, the strengths of a more contained scope are more than apparent.Kai, one ofAvowed’s companions, has already been featured in a major way during the game’s biggest trailer yet, and a proper focus on its unique cast is capable of having an appeal beyond the simple existence of an open world.
If it can manage to stack up to whatKOTOR 2offered in 2004,Avowedcould become just as prolific while even surpassing it in one key way. The secondKOTORis still beloved by many players, but the rushed circumstances of its development also led to its reputation as Obsidian’s most unfinished game.Avowedmay be taking its time ahead of a yet unknown release date, but this could be just what it needs to solidify itself as the studio’s best game in years.
Avowedreleases in 2024 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
