As a fan of Obsidian’s RPGs, I’m excited aboutAvowed, but I’m also a little nervous about itrepeating a similar mistake as theFalloutseries. Although the go-to comparison forAvowedseems to betheElder Scrollsseries, as both are first-person fantasy games, I’m more reminded ofFalloutdue to the similar origins of both games. And, while I don’t dislike modernFalloutgames, there are some issues I have with Bethesda’s direction for the series that I wouldn’t want to see Obsidian repeat.
Although it’s hard to fully judge a game based on preview materials, I can’t pretend that what I’ve heard aboutAvowedso far from those with hands-on experience hasn’t helped fuel my concerns. As someone whoenjoyedThe Outer Worlds, warts and all, I am hopeful that any apparent problems withAvowedwon’t be a major dealbreaker for me. That said, it isn’t justAvowedthat I’m worried about, but also a connected series of games from Obsidian that I really enjoy.
Fallout And Avowed Both Started As Isometric RPGs
Fallout’s Transition To Action RPG Wasn’t The Smoothest
Before turning into a first-person action RPG, theFalloutseries started as isometric computer role-playing games (CRPGs). Similarly,Avowedis a spin-off ofObsidian’s fantasy CRPG seriesPillars of Eternity. Like the originalFalloutgames, they are played from an isometric perspective and involve a lot of dialogue/role-playing elements. Although role-playing elements aren’t absent from laterFalloutgames,they do feel like somewhat of a downgrade compared to the original games.
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The transition fromFallout 2toFallout 3was rough from a role-playing standpoint. The games went from presenting a ton of choices to a somewhat on-rails main story that had you following around your digital dad who seemed more like the real hero of the story. WhileFallout 3didn’t completely ax role-playing, it felt less emphasized than other elements of the game. LaterFalloutgames have tried to correct this, and my hope would be Obsidian knows not to make the same mistake. That said, there have been some early indications that this could be the case.
Some Avowed Previews Say It Is Light On Role-Playing Elements
Initially, I chalked my concerns aboutAvowed’s role-playing elements up to making an unfair assumption based on its similarities toFallout. After all,Avowed’s developers emphasized role-playingand character relationships as major aspects of the game. However, now that we’re closer to release, and some players have started to actually preview the game, some reports have reawoken my concerns.
Gaming communityFextralife’s preview mentioned that the section of the game they previewedfelt a little light on role-playing elements and meaningful choices. While theIGNpreviewer praised the game for letting players be cartoonishly evil, that’s usually a red flag for me in choice-based RPGs. I’m not a big fan of games that present only a binary choice between being generically good or unforgivably bad.
To be clear, I haven’t personally had a chance to playAvowed, and the previews I’ve seen had to split their attention between multiple aspects of the game. This means that to fully get an in-depth look at the role-playing, I’ll probably have to wait until I can play the game myself. This is also just preview material, and it’s possible that the developers intentionally chose a section of the game that’s lighter on role-playing to emphasize gameplay. That said, it is ironically theFalloutseries that also gives me hope forAvowed.
Obsidian Has Proven It Knows How To Handle This Type Of Game
Fallout: New Vegas Has Me Hopeful For Avowed
WhileFallout 3,4, and76lack some of the depth I look for in RPGs,Fallout: New Vegasdid a much better job with it. As luck would have it,New Vegasis the oneFalloutgame that was developed by Obsidian. This means that, despite some of my hesitation, I can remain optimistic thatAvowedwill deliver the type of role-playing experience that I enjoy.
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Avowedalso has a team behind it that I have a lot of faith in.The game’s director, Carrie Patel, was involved in narrative design elements for bothPillars of Eternitygames andThe Outer Worlds. It would stand to reason thatAvowedhas a good chance of holding up toPillars of Eternity’s story, given this crossover. However, even if the game delivers on the story, there is still another aspect of theFalloutseries I’m worriedAvowedmay repeat.
Avowed’s Possible Success May Kill The Pillars Of Eternity Series
Like Fallout 3, Avowed Could Mean The End Of Its Series’ Isometric CRPG Roots
WhenFallouttransitioned from being an isometric CRPG to an action RPG,the series never returned to its roots. I understand why. Trying to keep an IP alive across two styles of games presents a risk and splits a studio’s focus. However, that does make me a little nervous that, ifAvowedturns out to be a huge success, Obsidian will shift its focus from making thePillar of Eternitygames to anAvowedsequel.
Part of my concern here comes from the fact that thePillars of Eternitygames had to be crowdfunded. While the first two games raised a good amount of money and both games were able to produce a base game and expansions,I worry that making a third would seem like more trouble than it’s worthif Microsoft offers to fund anotherAvowedgame. I’m not saying I’m against the idea of moreAvowed, just that, in an ideal world, thePillars of Eternityseries would continue too.
Part of this comes down to personal taste. If given a choice between a traditional CRPG and an action RPG, I prefer the former. I find that action RPGs tend to live in a middle ground between two genres I enjoy. They typically don’t have as polished of action as something like the Soulsborne series, nor do they have as deep role-playing as something likeDisco ElysiumorBaldur’s Gate 3. This means that, while I usually enjoy them to a certain degree, they are rarely among my favorite games.
One thing that has me hopeful thePillars of Eternityseries can continue is the fact that Josh Sawyer is not directingAvowed. If Obsidian is trusting Patel with theAvowedseries, Sawyer could still be free to work on futurePillars of Eternitygames. While this is no guarantee, I would be slightly more nervous had the entirePillarsteam jumped over toAvowed. My sincere hope is that both series can co-exist.
