Obsidian Entertainment’s Avowed was one of five games to receive a lengthy gameplay showcase at the recent Xbox Developer_Direct presentation, with details being revealed on the action RPG’s world, combat, and more. Hot on the heels of that showing, the developer has shown off more of the game and revealed yet new details with an extended gameplay breakdown game director Carrie Patel and gameplay director Gabe Paramo.
For starters, it was confirmed that the quest we saw during the presentation was an entirely optional and missable one, and took place in a small section of Shatterscarp, the third area that players will find themselves in in Avowed. Where the combat is concerned, the extended footage showcased more encounters, while also revealing new details on enemy variety, different weapons and weapon combinations (courtesy of Avowed’s dual-wielding system), abilities, elemental mechanics, and more.
Interestingly, fans of Obsidian’s Pillars of Eternity games will find plenty of familiar elements that have been pulled in, what with Avowed being set in the same fantasy setting of Eora. That includes reptilian enemies known as Xaurips, and even some specific abilities that can be unleashed in combat, like Tanglefoot, which summons a mess of tangled vines and branches under an enemy to hold them in place.
Speaking of abilities, the gameplay breakdown also offers more details on the game’s progression and customization mechanics, which will allow players to mix and match between unique abilities rather than being tied to specific classes. Additionally, respeccing will also be an option, so you can start over if you don’t like the build you’ve got.
Beyond combat, Patel and Paramo also spoke about Avowed’s companion characters, each of whom will hail from a different region of the world that they will have “deep ties” to. Each companion will have their own unique backstories and motivations for wanting to ally with the protagonist, while according to Patel, each will also “provide a lot of additional commentary and context that reveals something about their character, but also about the corner of the world you’re exploring.”
Of course, another major focal point for Avowed is going to be its choice and consequence mechanics, as you’d expect from an Obsidian RPG. Speaking about the game’s emphasis on player choice and how that will affect the story and how it plays out, Patel said, “For us, creating these choices, like the big ones that affect the outcome of a quest, or the wellbeing of certain characters or communities are just as important as the smaller choices that you make in navigating a dialogue and, in subtle ways, influencing your relationship with another character. All of it is really centered around letting the player be the main character in this setting.”
You can view the full gameplay breakdown below for more details.
Avowed launches this Fall for Xbox Series X/S and PC.
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