Obsidian Entertainment’s Avowed is no longer looking to be the developer’s take on The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, instead opting for more focused scope and scale. Following its latest trailer, the first since 2020, CEO Feargus Urquhart and director Carrie Patel shared new details with PC Gamer.
Avowed is set in the Living Lands, a remote part of Eora (the same setting as Pillars of Eternity). A plague has broken out, and as the Aedyr Empire’s envoy, it’s your job to investigate. “Not everybody in the Living Lands is super thrilled to have an imperial presence in this far-flung land. So adventure ensues,” says Patel.
The envoy’s role is fixed, and you can only play as a human or elf (not other races, though). However, their “personality, appearance, and philosophy and vibe you bring to that role is up to you as a player to decide.”
She also spoke more about the focus on narrative and your companions instead of a massive world. “As someone who’s come through development as a narrative designer, companions are a huge part of the experience and draw for me both as a player and developer. One thing we wanted to do with Avowed was make sure the companions felt integral to the story.
“In some games, they’re optionally recruitable, but in Avowed, they’re deeply tied to the story, tied to your party… we wanted to create this sense that you’re in this big wild frontier, you’re going on this adventure of discovery, and you have this small but tight-knit crew with you. The sense you’re adventuring through the wilds together, sharing in the discovery and the danger. These people are just as much a part of your story as the larger events that you’re getting in the middle of.”
Your interactions with them are akin to The Outer Worlds, and you can choose dialogue fitting a desired tone. “We try to hit a sweet spot when we’re writing dialogue options where we invest enough personality for those options to be fun and interesting, but also leave enough space around them so that the player can really invest whatever headcanon they built for their character into that option.”
Avowed is single-player-only – no co-op – and there are some systemic interactions (lightning will shock water, for example). Throughout the journey, you can have up to two companions with unique abilities and motivations. The player can choose from various skill trees with restrictions on classes or play styles. Instead of increasing stats, you’ll spend more time unlocking abilities when leveling up.
Releasing in 2024, Avowed will be available for Xbox Series X/S and PC while also launching day one on Game Pass. Check out some of the latest screenshots here.