Obsidian Entertainment — the developer behind the upcoming release Avowed — today unveiled the fifth and final episode of its 20th anniversary documentary. Towards the end, there's actually some discussion about this first-person fantasy game, due out on Xbox Series X|S and Game Pass next year.
A lot of emphasis seems to be placed on just how "unique" this take on fantasy will be, with the company's head of development Justin Britch confident a lot of people will "love this game" as it's a natural extension of all the things Obsidian cares about as a studio. Here's exactly what he had to say:
"Avowed is our version of what a first-person fantasy game is. We focus on a lot of unique and bespoke content, we focus on deep systems, we focus on incredible storytelling, that's focused on characters societies and factions, I think Avowed is the natural extension of all the things that we care about as a studio and all the things that we're great about as a studio.
"I think there's going to be a lot of people who love this game."
Head of strategy and operations Marcus Morgan elaborated on this, mentioning how "it's something different and it's something very unique" and won't fit the exact template of what might be expected for a game like this. Game Director Carrie Patel also noted how one other aim has been to make a game that's far "more approachable" to a larger audience while staying true to the IP and existing Pillars of Eternity games.
This small little teaser of what's to come follows an update back in June, when Obsidian revealed a new gameplay trailer and announced the title would be launching on Xbox at some point in 2024. Players can also expect a scale similar in size to something like The Outer Worlds, rather than Bethesda's hit The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Are you looking forward to Avowed's launch on Xbox next year? Leave a comment below.
Comments 22
Understand the reaction to the different visuals from the trailers shown but I have no qualms about the quality that Obsidian usually delivers. Has to be one of Xbox's best studios...
@BRT15 I had the same exact thought when I saw this interview last night. They are in some way insomniac's Xbox studio as they tackle a lot of projects and have shorter dev time than average and deliver every time.
I'm not bothered about the reveal as I've no idea how this game is gonna be. But I've some lingering concerns. Obsidian isn't really good in gameplay department as far as I'm concerned. They do deliver on the narrative side but gameplay is the department they lack. I hope they improve and truly deliver on a top notch AAA
I'll give them the benefit of the doubt but the trailer was the exact opposite of what they're saying here.
And I'm not talking about the bad visuals either.
@Balta666 totally agree mate. I've also compared them to insomniac when it comes to output and the quality of said output. It's been staggering.
@Kaloudz yeah and to be very fair, I was replaying Outer Worlds on the X last month and think that game looks fantastic even now. So I don't think there'll be any issues with the graphics.
@Kaloudz I personally really like it cause of the humour, the cast of characters, the Obsidian-RPG elements that make it so maleable and the world. Heck you can kill everyone in the game, even the main quest givers and still complete the story 😂.
There are some weak points of course like the combat, which isn't bad per se but it isn't great either. Also the RPG systems could've been more fleshed out than just perk points and adding attribute points.
The game is quite concise though so you'll probably finish it in 20h.
@Kaloudz if you like games like Skyrim or fallout it as a sort of lighter version of it with really good characters and choices
Removed - trolling/baiting; user is banned
It looks incredibly cheap - compared to a game like the new EA Immortals (saw impressive trailer for first time ln) - so I am skeptical. But I am open if the gameplay is awesome.
I really like the idea of a shorter AAA that can have a shorter development time - however this one took a long time to hatch and so hoping for the best…
Given this devs record, it would be foolish to bet against them delivering with this title.
I was slightly concerned at the sub par showing at the summer show, but quite frankly much of the show was cut scenes and cgi and I think a game like avowed needs a deeper look to see its true qualities, not a quick trailer comparison.
This is still one of my most anticipated titles.
@Kaloudz I would say outer worlds is also a lighter version in terms of UI, more in line with an Ubisoft Open world.
It looks and sounds promising.
I have mixed feelings about Obsidian. I’m afraid after Microsoft bought them up they may go the Rare way to oblivion. Wish they remake something like temple of elemental evil
I find Obsidian's style of RPG games great and a breath of fresh air. I appreciate that they are smaller in scope and scale compared to other competing titles, which IMO are far too big and wayyyyy too long. Having a game that is self-contained in a fun and immersive 20-30 hour games is the ideal length. You can certainly get your money's worth out of it, but also not feel like you are committing to an endless game that drags on and is full of fetch quests, etc.
I'm stoked for Avowed and glad it's shaping up for releasing next year.
If it were a larger size game or striving to push the envelope on graphics, it wouldn't be releasing anytime soon. I think it's fine for some studios to take a long time and make a huge blockbuster (like Elder Scrolls), but I also want some studios to make smaller games with faster turn around time. Obsidian is proving to be a master at this!
After that trailer, I am skeptical. Outer Worlds was average too
Hearing that seems even the publisher and developer not have confidence in the game. Pure damage control speak. I'm still at least going to try it though. Might be awesome.
@dimi Rare is doing well from what I understand with sea of thieves.
i'm really looking forward to it
I think it's going to be great.
The art style and tonal change has put me off. Looks really goofy.
"It's something different and something unique" is code for "this game sucks, but at least it's on Game Pass."
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