Avowed could follow in Baldur's Gate 3's footsteps with a feature

Although it is a spin-off of Pillar of Eternity series, Avoweds first showing at the Xbox Games Showcase 2020 drew many comparisons The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. The dark fantasy tone, dull color palette, first-person perspective, and spellcasting battles shown in the game's reveal trailer were strongly reminiscent of the innovative Bethesda RPG. Because of this, many assumed it Avowed would be similar The Elder Scrolls in terms of play and scope. After all, it was developed by Obsidian Entertainment, a company that already had experience creating Bethesda-style games such as Fallout: New Vegas.

While Obsidian got pregnant first Avowed as one Skyrim successors, it eventually evolved into something else throughout its development. The game still has all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a AAA RPG, but it's more restrained in scope compared to something like Skyrim or Fallout: New Vegas. Contrary to what some fans expected, Avowed is not open world, nor does it have dozens of companions to romance or an endless amount of side quests to complete. Instead, it's more of a hub-based RPG, similar to one of Obsidian's previous titles, The outer worlds. Avoweds modest scope may lead some to believe that it does not have much optional content, unlike recent games such as Baldur's Gate 3but according to some statements from a developer at Obsidian, that is not the case.

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Avowed hands-on preview: Now one of my most anticipated games of 2025

Obsidian Entertainment's Avoved is shaping up to be one of the most exciting new RPGs to be released in 2025.

Avowed Approaches Missable Content much like Baldur's Gate 3 does

Both Avowed and Baldur's Gate 3 have a considerable amount of content that players may miss

In a recent interview with GamesRadar+, senior area designer Bergo Ritger revealed that Obsidian put a lot of emphasis on creating failed content when developing Avowed. The company did this to make the playthrough of the game feel more personal. With this approach, Obsidian aimed to draw players' attention to various locations and activities, and as such, encourage discussion among them about what they were skipping. To have lacked content in Avowed was necessary because, according to Ritger, it is “the core of RPGs that makes them special.”

Avoweds design philosophy seems to have a lot in common with Baldur's Gate 3the wildly successful Dungeons & Dragons RPG that came out in 2023. For those who don't know, BG3 is filled to the brim with optional content, the majority of which is missable. In fact, while the main story only lasts about 70 hours, it takes more than twice as long to complete everything in the RPG. Then Baldur's Gate 3s gameplay and plot is driven by choice and consistency, players will need to play through it multiple times to experience all it has to offer.

Missable content in video games has some pros and cons

If Avowed is somewhat similar Baldur's Gate 3 in this regard, it means that it will be highly replayable and will contain a large amount of missed content for players to enjoy. For some, this is good news. When games make activities unavailable to those who haven't completed certain side quests or story paths, it makes player choices feel more meaningful. If everything is available to all players from the start, regardless of what they do, then there's no point in going through a game multiple times.

That said, some players may prefer RPGs that have fewer branching paths. Many gamers do not have the time to invest hundreds upon hundreds of hours into a single video game, especially considering all the high quality titles being released these days. As such, having the ability to experience most or all of an RPG's content in one playthrough may be ideal from their perspective. Players like these probably won't be fans of Obsidian's approach to optional content in the Avowedbut those who enjoy choice-and-consequence in RPGs may end up loving the game.

Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger. Set in the fictional world of Eora first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity series, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.

You are the emissary of Aedyr, a distant land, sent to investigate rumors of a plague spreading throughout the living lands – an island full of mysteries and secrets, danger and adventure, and choices and consequences, and untamed wilderness. You discover a personal connection to the lands of the living and an ancient secret that threatens to destroy everything. Can you save this unknown frontier and your soul from the forces that threaten to tear them apart?

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