Avowedis easily one of the most anticipated upcoming fantasy RPGs, even if fans know very little about it. Many fans are more than eager to explore the world of Eora, the same world shown in thePillars of Eternityfranchise. Despite how little is currently known about the game, many have compared it toThe Elder Scrolls, much likeThe Outer Worldswas compared toFallout. That is certainly not, nor should it be, the mindset of the developer.
When judging the popularity or quality of new games, many fans have a habit of comparing them to previous, but similar titles. While this usually is limited to the fan base, there is a possibility it could stretch overAvowed’s developer, Obsidian Entertainment. It’s important, however, that Obsdian ensures it thinks ofAvoweddifferently from its competitors.
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Avowed Needs to Be Different From the Bottom Up
The most popular example of a possible competitor toAvowedis Bethesda’sElder Scrollsfranchise. While many of these similarities are conjured by fans, it’s hard to doubt the influence a franchise likeFallouthad on another game by Obsidian Entertainment,The Outer Worlds. Some could even go as far as to say that there may have been too many similarities.Avowedcould end up in the same boatasThe Outer Worldsbecause of this. To prevent that, Obsidian Entertainment can’t think ofAvowedas being the nextThe Elder Scrolls, but something entirely new that can stand on its own two feet.
For example,Avowedwill inevitably take inspiration from many places, but one of these places will likely beSkyrim. This makes sense, considering the fact thatSkyrimis easily one of the most influential fantasy RPGsout there, with many-a-dev taking inspiration. While it’s important to look to other games to understand what made them so enjoyable, it is also important to understand that repeating its formula may not always work.Avowedneeds to dig deep into creating a formula that makes it special and sets it apart from other games in the genre. After all,Skyrimdidn’t become popular through repetition, but through innovation.
But to be fair,Skyrimis the fifth installment of what was a nearly two-decade-old franchise at the time of release. Bethesda had years to innovate on a formula it had been working to perfect for years. Obsidian Entertainment more recently started working on first-person games, with many of its previous works consisting of isometric games. It will likely have a lot to learn in that department, but this also means it will have plenty of chances to innovate upon certain aspects ofAvowed.Avowedcould even contain features fromPillars of Eternitythat allow it a greater degree of freedom in terms of both development in gameplay, and may even become a winning formula.
This would also better allow Obsidian Entertainment to create its own legacy, rather than having one based on another. For example,The Elder ScrollsandFalloutfranchises are always mentioned as sources of inspiration, rather than ones that look to other games for it.Avowedshould look to do something similar, innovating and working on its own formula to the extent that other developers look to it for what a quality video game looks like. In that aspect,Avowedcan go above and beyond games likeSkyrim, creating a legacy that other developers will look to as the pinnacle of game design.
With that in mind, it is important to note that the scale ofAvowedhas yet to be confirmed. It has been reported to be as big asSkyrim, but it could also be a much smaller game such asThe Outer Worlds. Regardless, it will be interesting to see howAvowedreimagines many featuresof the fantasy RPG genre.
Avowedis in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
