Avowed’s appearance at yesterdays Xbox Summer Showcase has pushed anticipation for this long expected title through the roof. Here is everything you could possibly want to know about Avowed.

Avowed, an upcoming fantasy action RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, offers players an immersive experience in the world of Eora. The game features:

• Open-ended gameplay with multiple ways to approach quests, utilizing combat, stealth, abilities, or companion assistance
• Upgradeable gear, skills, and attributes at the “Party Camp” hub, which also serves as a narrative space to interact with companions
• Optional 1st and 3rd-person perspectives
• Customizable “godlike” character with visual manifestations tied to the game’s lore and story
• A dynamic day-night cycle that significantly alters the atmosphere and visuals of the fantastical biomes

Avowed is set to release later this year for Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC, and cloud gaming, with a day one launch on Game Pass.

Gameplay Mechanics and Skills

Avowed offers players a high degree of freedom in crafting their playstyle through its flexible skill system. Abilities can be mixed and matched across different skill trees, allowing for unique builds such as an all-wizard, battlemage, or a character that alternates between stealth and aggression.The game also features an upgrade system for skills, abilities, and attributes:

• Skills and abilities can be upgraded anywhere as the player levels up
• Attribute upgrades are available at certain level-up milestones
• New abilities can be chosen at every level-up milestone

These abilities provide both combat and exploration solutions. For instance, the Fan of Flames skill can be used to burn down previously-blocked paths, offering an alternative to other methods like weapons, spells, weapon enchantments, or companion abilities.

Exploring Eora’s Living Lands

Avowed takes place in the Living Lands, a diverse and captivating region within the world of Eora, the same setting as Obsidian’s Pillars of Eternity series. The Living Lands boast a wide array of environments, from lush forests and arid rocky deserts to expansive caves and valleys, offering players a rich and varied landscape to explore. While not a fully open-world game, Avowed features several large, open zones filled with quests, discoveries, and secrets for players to uncover. The game’s director, Carrie Patel, has stated that the team at Obsidian has created such a vast and detailed world that they expect most players won’t discover everything it has to offer.

Story and Characters

Avowed’s story revolves around the player character, a “godlike” touched by one of Eora’s deities, although the specific god remains a mystery that will unfold as the game progresses. This divine connection manifests visually on the character, with customizable options ranging from subtle to dramatic, and will elicit varied reactions from NPCs based on their cultural beliefs. One of the key early companions is Yatzli, a flirtatious and lively character tied to an ancient culture’s artifacts, who assists the player in quests related to the Animancers of Fior and the enigmatic Dreamscourge plague they study.

Companion Characters and Their Roles

Avowed will feature a diverse cast of companion characters who hail from various regions and races across Eora, each with their own unique abilities and roles in combat and exploration. One confirmed companion is Kai, an Aumaua originally from the Great Kingdom of Rauatai, while another is Giatta, who appears to be human.These companions won’t abandon the player for making choices they disagree with, allowing for more roleplaying freedom without fear of losing party members. Companions will assist the player in quests, such as Yatzli helping to investigate the mysterious Dreamscourge plague studied by the Animancers of Fior. Although Avowed’s character creation is limited to humans and elves from the Aedyr Empire, the range of companion races, which may include Aumaua, Dwarves, Orlans, and Godlike, helps offset this restriction by offering more diversity in gameplay and interactions. The exact extent of racial representation among companions remains to be seen, but the inclusion of at least one Aumaua is a promising sign of a varied cast that expands upon the playable races.

Magic and Spellcasting System

Avowed features an in-depth magic system that allows players to wield powerful spells derived from the world’s Soul Essence. All magic in Eora is fueled by this normally-invisible energy that flows through everything. Spellcasters tap into and harness Soul Essence in various ways:

• Wizards study arcane grimoires to cast a wide array of spells, from defensive shields to summoning creatures and raining down meteors. The gameplay trailer shows the player casting iconic Wizard spells from Pillars of Eternity like fireballs, Minoletta’s Missiles, and Pull of Eora.
• Druids harness the essence of nature to grow vines, summon spirits, and shapeshift into powerful beast forms, as seen with the Tanglefoot-like spell in the trailer.
• Priests channel the power of deities to perform miracles and prayers focused on healing and support magic.
• Ciphers and Chanters manipulate the essence of other creatures’ souls to recreate legendary feats or force enemies to relive past traumas.

Magic can also be channeled through enchanted weapons like wands, scepters, and rods for weaker but more accurate spell attacks. The trailer shows the player wielding magic in one hand while using an enchanted blade in the other, suggesting a versatile spellcasting system that meshes with Avowed’s action-oriented first-person gameplay. With so many ways to harness the power of souls, Avowed’s magic system promises deep customization and spectacular spell-slinging action.

Avowed’s approach to exploration offers players the freedom to choose how much of the world they want to discover, without penalizing those who prefer a more focused experience. While the main storyline will guide players through key locations, venturing off the beaten path can lead to valuable rewards and memorable encounters.

Exploration and the Environment

For players who enjoy thorough exploration, Avowed’s open zones are filled with hidden treasures, powerful weapons, and intriguing side quests that can significantly impact the game’s narrative and ending. Defeating challenging enemies in optional areas may yield substantial rewards, encouraging players to test their skills and uncover the world’s secrets.However, those who prefer a more streamlined experience can still enjoy the game’s core content without feeling pressured to explore every nook and cranny. This approach ensures that Avowed caters to a wide range of playstyles, from completionists to story-focused adventurers.The game’s environmental interactions further enhance the exploration experience.

Players can use abilities like the Fan of Flames to burn down blocked paths, offering alternative routes and solutions to obstacles. This dynamic interplay between the player’s skills and the world around them should create a more immersive and engaging journey through the Living Lands of Eora.

Dynamic Day-Night Cycle

The dynamic day-night cycle in Avowed significantly enhances the game’s immersion by transforming the atmosphere and visuals of each fantastical biome. For example, at night, the town of Fior in the Emerald Stair region is illuminated by a mesmerizing deep purple glow emanating from the arcane equipment used by the Animancers, who study souls and the mysterious Dreamscourge plague. While the developers have not explicitly confirmed the existence of time-specific quests, the ever-changing environment suggests the possibility of unique gameplay opportunities arising at different times of the day, adding depth and variety to the open-ended exploration and quest-solving experience

Weapon Customization Options

Avowed offers a highly customizable weapon system that allows players to mix and match equipment from various combat styles to create unique loadouts. Players can choose from a wide range of weapons, including melee options like swords, axes, and shields, as well as ranged weapons such as bows, pistols, and magic wands.The game’s flexible skill system enables players to invest points in any weapon type they prefer, without being locked into a specific playstyle. For example, players can dual-wield pistols to attack from mid-range, then switch to a melee weapon to finish off enemies up close. Spellcasters can dual-wield wands or combine magic with traditional weapons for a battlemage approach.In addition to the variety of weapon types, Avowed may feature craftable weapons with customizable parts that alter their appearance and stats. Different materials like dragon hide or troll hide could be used to craft unique weapons with specific bonuses and buffs. This deep weapon customization system aims to provide players with the freedom to experiment and find the perfect loadout for their preferred playstyle.

Multiplayer and Co-Op

Based on the information currently available, Avowed will not feature any multiplayer or co-op gameplay. Although the game was initially planned to have a co-op multiplayer component early in development to make it more appealing to publishers, Obsidian ultimately decided to pivot and focus on creating a traditional single-player RPG experience. The developers realized that the emphasis on co-op was causing them to lose sight of their strengths in crafting engaging quests, deep characters, and rich stories. By removing the multiplayer aspect, Obsidian aims to deliver an immersive and narrative-driven game that stays true to the studio’s signature style and the expectations of their audience.

Avowed: A Highly Anticipated Addition

Avowed is one of the most highly anticipated upcoming games in the Xbox ecosystem. As a first-party title developed by the renowned RPG studio Obsidian Entertainment, Avowed is poised to be a major exclusive for Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC. The game’s announcement at the Xbox Games Showcase in 2024 generated significant buzz among fans of Obsidian’s previous works, such as Pillars of Eternity and The Outer Worlds.

Avowed’s position as a marquee Xbox game places it at the forefront of the platform’s lineup, alongside other highly anticipated and established titles like Fable, Starfield, Doom, Fallout and Gears of War. 

The game’s inclusion in Xbox Game Pass from day one further solidifies its importance within the Xbox ecosystem, as it will be immediately accessible to millions of subscribers.

 Fans are eager to explore the Living Lands of Eora, engage with the game’s rich lore, and experience the studio’s signature storytelling in a new setting. The game’s ambitious scope, which includes a vast world, dynamic day-night cycle, and flexible character progression, has only heightened the excitement.

Its position as a key exclusive in the Xbox lineup and its availability on Game Pass make it a crucial title for attracting new players to the platform and showcasing the strength and diversity of Xbox’s first-party offerings.

You can find out more about Avowed by checking out the official Xbox podcast here: