Even though it’s a spin-off of thePillars of Eternityseries,Avowed’s initial showing at the Xbox Games Showcase 2020 drew a lot of comparisons toThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. The dark fantasy tone, dull color palette, first-person perspective, and spell-casting combat displayed in the game’s reveal trailer were starkly reminiscent of the seminal Bethesda RPG. Because of this, many assumed thatAvowedwould be similar toThe Elder Scrollsin terms of gameplay and scope. It was, after all, being developed by Obsidian Entertainment, a company that already had experience creating Bethesda-style games likeFallout: New Vegas.
WhileObsidian did initially conceiveAvowedas aSkyrimsuccessor, it eventually evolved into something else throughout the course of its development. The game still has all the bells and whistles one would expect from a AAA RPG, but it’s more restrained in scope compared to something likeSkyrimorFallout: New Vegas. Contrary to what some fans expected,Avowedis not open-world, nor does it have dozens of companions to romance or an endless amount of side quests to complete. Instead, it’s more of a hub-based RPG, akin to one of Obsidian’s previous titles,The Outer Worlds.Avowed’s modest scope may lead some to think that it doesn’t have a lot of optional content, unlike recent games such asBaldur’s Gate 3, but according to some statements from a developer at Obsidian, that isn’t the case.
Avowed Approaches Missable Content a Lot Like Baldur’s Gate 3 Does
Both Avowed and Baldur’s Gate 3 Have a Sizable Amount of Content that Players Can Miss
Ina recent interview with GamesRadar+, senior area designer Bergo Ritger revealed that Obsidian placed a major emphasis on creating missable content when developingAvowed. The company did this in order to make playthroughs of the game feel more personalized. With this approach, Obsidian aimed to draw players' attention to different locations and activities and, as such, incite discussions among them about what they skipped. Havingmissable content inAvowedwas necessary because, according to Ritger, it’s “the core of RPGs that makes them special.”
Avowed’s design philosophy seems to share a lot in common with that ofBaldur’s Gate 3,the wildly successfulDungeons & DragonsRPGthat came out in 2023. For those who don’t know,BG3is filled to the brim with optional content, the majority of which is missable. In fact, even though its main story only lasts for around 70 hours, it takes more than double that time to complete everything in the RPG. SinceBaldur’s Gate 3’s gameplay and plot are driven by choice and consequence, gamers will need to play through it multiple times in order to experience everything it has to offer.
Missable Content in Video Games Has Some Pros and Cons
IfAvowedis anything likeBaldur’s Gate 3in this regard, then that means it’ll be highly replayable and will feature a large amount of missable content for gamers to enjoy. For some, this is great news. When games make activities inaccessible to those who haven’t completed certain side quests or story paths, it makesplayers' choices feel more meaningful. If everything is accessible to all players from the get-go, no matter what they do, then going through a game multiple times is kind of pointless.
That being said, some players may preferRPGs that have fewer branching paths. A lot of gamers don’t have the time to commit hundreds upon hundreds of hours to a single video game, especially considering all the high-quality titles being released these days. As such, having the ability to experience most or all of an RPG’s content in one playthrough may be ideal from their perspective. Players like these are probably not going to be fans of Obsidian’s approach to optional content inAvowed, but those that do enjoy choice-and-consequence in RPGs may end up loving the game.
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?
