Outer Worlds, Avowed's replayability means a trend is likely to be permanent

As the hype continues to build around Obsidian Entertainment's upcoming Avowedhas become clear that its bold subversion of several current trends in the action RPG genre could end up setting the tone for years after its release. Moving away from the kind of open world design that has become ubiquitous in recent years, the studio seems set to follow up the style of The outer worlds even when returning to the world Pillar of Eternityis Eora.

While its reputation grew significantly after the success of the open world Fallout: New VegasObsidian first established itself with the level-based VERTEBRA2 and has continued to show a flair for that design throughout most of his catalog. The more story-centric style of dividing a game's world into sections can support a more realized sense of progression instead of effectively becoming a checklist of tasks on a broad singular map. Given how long Avowed has been in production, this direction for Obsidian will probably remain after release.

The outer worlds subverted the open-world trends of modern RPGs

The benefits of a return to elements of linearity

It can be argued that The outer worlds counts as an open-world game due to the freedom it gives the player to take on their scattered missions, but it doesn't have a proper place where everything is set. While the player is free to venture out to several different locations in outer space aside from the initially encouraged Groundbreaker ship, the power levels of the enemies found in different locations vary in a way that describes a general progression for the player. While the content can be handled at will, the degree of challenges directs the player towards a certain order of events, with most areas physically isolated from each other.

Open world experiences don't always complement character-driven stories

With the weight off The outer worlds' of companions, their ties to different locations can define those locations in a playthrough. Not only are they located across different parts of space, but each of their respective personal quests tend to take the player to yet another separate location for their own arc. However, when this type of back and forth travel occurs on a single map, it can slow down the pace of exploration as the player retreads the same ground repeatedly.

Avowed's quality-over-quantity approach is poised for long-term appeal

The replayability of a branching story can outshine the freedom of the open world

In the course of its advertising unveiling, the developers behind Avowed has repeatedly expressed that the game is not set on chasing the popularity of a fully open game structure. In an interview for Avowed with RPG Site, director Carrie Patel detailed the title's similarities to The outer worlds:

…an open zone structure where you have these different regions that you'll visit that each have their own part of the critical path, their own series of side quests, and their own set of local affairs that reflect more broadly on the larger stories of the living lands.

This kind of “open zone” style doesn't devalue the player's choices, as it actually has the potential to increase the importance of consequences by presenting them in more intimate contexts with tailored character interactions. This virtually ensures that multiple playthroughs will be required to see everything on offer.

Obsidian Entertainment is unlikely to switch gears on its next project

After years of dedication to RPGs that don't prioritize raw breadth, it's doubtful that Obsidian will stop cultivating what has become a trend of its own. With Aowed apparently delayed due to its release schedule over actually requiring more development time, the extra level of polish potentially added to the title could secure the future of the studio as one built on strengths such as the lasting impact of The outer worlds.