Summary
Avowedis only sharing details piecemeal at this point, but this slow drip-feed of revealed gameplay has finally depicted what will likely be its defining features: a vibrant fantasy environment and dual-wield combat. As an open-world action-RPG of its ilk that might not seem terribly emergent, but knowing what Obsidian brings to the table could giveAvowedthe edge it needs to excel beyond its peers this year.
The likely comparisonAvowedhas already garnered is that ofSkyrimdue to it being a fantasy game and Obsidian’s relationship with Bethesda, butAvowedis gradually growing into its own while still maintaining natural connections to the overarchingPillars of EternityIP it belongs to. It’s not yet easy to say whatAvowedwill do better or worse than its contemporaries, but since itswandplay seems to iterate on what makesHogwarts Legacy’s combat special, it’s definitely in the running to eclipse theHarry Potteraction-RPG as far as choices players may have to make in the narrative are concerned.
Avowed’s Player Choice Makes Hogwarts Legacy Seem Narratively Weightless
Hogwarts Legacy Gave Players Few Meaningful Choices in Dialogue
Hogwarts Legacygave players the freedom to do whatever they liked with the game, from selecting their own Hogwarts house affiliation to choosing whether they wanted to learn Unforgivable Curses, and that was perhaps to its detriment a bit. By giving the player no consequences for their actions, suddenly dialogue choices no longer matter and nothing condemns the player in any way based on any decisions they make.
Initially declining tolearn curses fromHogwarts Legacy’s Sebastianisn’t even a permanent choice, for instance, because he will ask players again later on and they can decide to learn them for the sake of having them in gameplay, even if learning them no longer has any narrative significance. Likewise, players do get a choice in the final quest of the game to discern what ending they get, but decisions made prior have no effect on these endings.
This doesn’t necessarily makeHogwarts Legacy’s storyworse, but it’s a feature Avalanche toyed around with and for some reason refused to dedicate itself to. IfHogwarts Legacyhad a vast amount of choice-based features that could affect the game it’d be interesting to see what the reception to it would be, andAvowedmight be the closest example of what that could look like.
Avowed Seems to Rely Wholly on Player Choice and Dialogue
If there’s anything Obsidian is known to be adept at, it’s player choice and interestingbranching dialogue paths in its RPGs. Obsidian’s latest,The Outer Worlds, is exemplary of this, with multiple companion characters players balanced who all had intriguing side quests to follow.
Avowed’s recent gameplay showcase at the 2024 Xbox Developer Directdemonstrated how influential dialogue and choice will be, and while that’s nothing new for Obsidian or many fantasy action-RPGs it is still a leg-up it has overHogwarts Legacyin that regard. If anything, it would be excellent to seeHogwarts Legacy’s inevitable sequel tackleAvowedas an inspiration and allow itself to dive fully into the RPG elements its predecessor already laid foundations for.
It remains to be seen exactly how important choices will be inAvowed, but Obsidian’s track record should be proof thatAvowedwill make good on whatHogwarts Legacylacked when it comes to morality and dialogue influencing the narrative.
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?
