Obsidian Entertainment has had a pretty comprehensive history of successful and narratively complex games, andAvowedis looking to be no different. Though few details are known, it is official that the game takes place in thePillars of Eternityuniverse, which says enough about potential lore opportunities. From the teaser trailer alone, the game is looking to be the second coming of aSkyrim-like title.
However, that may also be the biggest issue thatAvowedis facing. Among the vast sea of open-world RPG games, it could be threatened by becoming indistinguishable from other games similar to it. This is the same issueAtomic Heartfaced, an issueAvowedshould avoid repeating.
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Avowed Needs to Be Different From Atomic Heart, Open-World RPGs
Atomic Heartembodies many of the issuesAvowedcould face down the line.Atomic Heartwas greatly inspired by theBioshockfranchise, and evidence of this could be found everywhere. It took place in a utopia that went wrong, gifted the player abilities akin to magic, and featured a megalomaniac figure who thinks they know what is best for everyone else. All of these features are strongly reminiscent of theBioshockgames, and that’s where the problem lies.Atomic Heartis so similar toBioshock, that their differences can be very few.
This results in a game that is lacking in individuality, which can put that title in a bad spot from the get-go.Avowedneeds to reimagine itselfto avoid this pitfall. Many discussions surroundingAvowedtend to involve bringing upThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimin one way or another. This is mostly due to the fact they will likely share many of the same traits, such as being open-world games with spells, pantheons, and various factions to interact with. These similarities could become a problem, however, as they can alter the expectations the players have for the game.
If the game is too similar toSkyrimandThe Elder Scrollsas a whole, then players will go in expecting anotherSkyrimor forAvowedto outdo it in some way. This would be a difficult task, considering the legacySkyrimhas.Avowedcan learn from past Obsidian gamesand other titles, but it should still strive to be its own unique experience.Skyrimcarved out its own legacy by not only being one of the biggest games to date, but one of the best open-world experiences to date. For that, it went down in video game history as one of the best open-world RPGs of all time.
Avowedneeds to do the same, but through its own methods. WhereSkyrimmay have focused on its spells and swords,Avowedcould have gunsand other more technologically advanced aspects. The form of complex and deep storytelling showcased inPillars of Eternitycould also return, which would contrastSkyrim’s sometimes less-than-stellar storytelling from some of its main questlines. The gameplay ofAvowedcould vary greatly as well, again taking inspiration fromPillars of Eternity.In that game, combat was often highly technical and very strategized.
Though it may be a first-person game, these aspects could still make a return. This would set its combat apart fromSkyrim, which didn’t often have the player thinking about how they approach certain problems. What would do the most to set it apart is its themes.Skyrimwas obviously inspired by Norse mythology, whilePillars of Eternitytook a moreDungeons and Dragons-esque approach. Thegods and pantheon ofAvowedalone could help set the world apart from howSkyrimportrayed its own.
Whilerumors forAvowed’s release datepopped up online, its fanbase grows more restless in anticipation of its release. It may not come out for a while, but that just gives the developer more time to set it apart from its counterparts.
Avowedis in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
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