Summary
Obsidian Entertainment showcased the most gameplay seen yet fromAvowedduring Xbox’s January 2024 developer direct, and the upcoming RPG in thePillars of Eternityuniverse is beginning to feel increasingly reminiscent of one of the most influential in recent years of the genre. Although it has been the subject of some disagreement among fans with differing expectations regarding the game’s tone and presentation, the unique style ofAvowedcould allow it to improve upon elements of a formula seen to be successful in titles likeSkyrim.
Given its popularity throughout the 2010s,Bethesda’sSkyrimhas been compared toAvowedby many gamers anticipating its similar take on an RPG. As the game’s development has proceeded, however, it has only become clearer that Obsidian has set how to create a project with much more of its own identity. Avowed is set to take a more focused approach than that of an open world likeSkyrim’s, with a more linear narrative as a result. Despite this core difference, the game’s first-person combat in a fantasy world could feel like the evolution of aSkyrim-esque experience many fans have wanted for years.
First-Person Combat in RPGs and Skyrim’s Popularity
Bethesda’s Formula and Classic RPGs
There is no shortage of popular releases within the fantasy RPG genre, but the subgenre of titles that feature real-time combat and a first-person perspective has become a smaller one in recent years. Early dungeon crawlers utilized the perspective as a clever way around rendering the player character, but RPGs shifted heavily towards third-person as technology evolved over the decades and became the norm.The Elder Scrollsseries, along with Bethesda’s other major RPG franchises, have continued to have a first-person view as their primary forms of gameplay in a way that has allowed the studio to stand out.
Problems with RPG Combat Systems in First-Person
Skyrimhas held up enough to maintain some substantial sales, but the dated nature of its gameplay has only become more apparent with the lack of a successor. Even at the time of its launch back in 2011, there have always beenshortcomings inSkyrim’s combatwhich seem to highlight that the mechanic isn’t truly the main focus of the game. AsAvowedapproaches to fill a similar niche later this year, there’s a chance that it could actually address some of these unresolved issues from Bethesda’s work.
How Obsidian is Pushing Combat Forward in Avowed
Avowed’s Focus on Options
With an impressive and varied presentation in terms of spell effects accompanying the presence of traditional melee weapons that RPGs usually feature,Avowed’s first-person combat has a level of immersion that hasn’t been captured in many fantasy titles since the dominant presence ofSkyrimwas cemented. There are evenguns inAvowedthat seem to be just as viable as any other choice of weapon, with an emphasis on diverse builds that can be swapped between in the middle of a fight on the fly. While it’s still unknown how the player’s stats and equipment will factor into their approach to combat and the choice to bring so much into battle at once, there is a sense of feedback and spectacle atypical of the subgenre.
Potential for Obsidian-Quality Companions
Companions have been a particularly polarizing point of contention in several first-person RPGs, withSkyrim’s set of followersoffering a variable level of quality. When compared to more traditional titles in recent memory, the relatively shallow exploration found within companions in Tamriel is something that is seemingly set to be challenged inAvowed’s world of the Living Lands. The party members Kai and Giatta seem to feature voiced dialogue of a higher quality that matches what Obsidian has achieved in previous outings, implying there could be unique backstories informing their abilities in battle. It might not be set to arrive until Fall of this year, butAvowedmight finally iterate on a style that hasn’t seen such an effort on this scale in over a decade.
