All You Need to Know About Avowed (Before It Comes Out)

Avowed was announced for the first time in 2020 at Xbox Games Showcase and it’s one of the most exciting new Obsidian titles. And while its release date is still not clear, it was announced at Xbox Developer_Direct 2024 that it will come out sometime during Fall 2024.

And if you’re excited for this new release, here’s all you need to know about Avowed before it comes out.

Storyline

Avowed is set in the same world as the previous Obsidian title, Pillars of Eternity. It will have the same lore, cultures, creatures, etc. but it will be set in a new part of Eora — The Living Lands. 

You’ll play the role of an envoy from the Aedyr Empire who travels to the Living Lands to investigate a plague known as Dreamscourge. You won’t be welcome in this area as you play a very powerful mage and people will distrust you. It’s up to you to convince them to trust you. 

The world is medieval, and the story begins in a war-torn land and a castle falling apart. The monsters of the game are said to be born out of all the bad things the empire did. There are hints in the trailer that your character might be on the road to royalty, but we’ll have to play the game to find out. 

Your journey will lead you to realize the plague is far more serious than previously believed, and you’ll meet a diverse cast of characters, learn new skills, use various weapons — all of that to save the world. 

Is Avowed similar to Pillars of Eternity?

Though they’re set in the same world, these two games couldn’t be further apart in terms of gameplay. Avowed has been compared to the Elder Scrolls franchise at the beginning. But as the game’s focus shifted, the developers started comparing it more with The Outer Worlds instead. 

Character Customization

As with many RPGs, you’ll be able to create your character and customize it as you wish. There are two available races: Human or Elf. This is quite different from what was available in Pillars of Eternity (which had many races as options), but this decision was made to fit the story and lore better. The Aedyr Empire (which your character comes from) is mainly composed of humans and elves, so it makes sense that your character would belong to one of those races. 

Your character will also be allowed to be Godlike — this means that your character will be supported by patron deity. However, you won’t get to choose which one because it contributes to the story in some way. 

Additionally, you’ll be able to choose your own background and class. You won’t get locked into any of these and you’ll be able to pick different skills and traits to evolve as you play. There will also be an option to respec your character, so there’s more freedom to choose the way you want to play. 

Gameplay 

While there’s not a ton known about the Avowed gameplay, there are a few things that have been confirmed by the developers.

For one, you’ll have a huge arsenal of weapons. Some of them will be spells and other magical abilities. But you’ll also have weapons — swords, bows and arrows, axes, etc. You’ll even have guns at your disposal. The character will be dual wielding and you’ll be able to customize what you carry and switch between various weapons quickly, which is great for fighting. 

Each character within Avowed (including your character) will have six main features: 

• Might — affects your damage and how much you can carry
• Constitution — affects your health and resistance
• Dexterity — affects your attack speed and agility
• Perception — affects your attack range and chances to critical hit 
• Intellect — affects your defense against elemental damage and essence
• Resolve — affects your stamina and Second Wind (which gives you a health boost when you’re near death)

When it comes to skills, you’ll have four skill trees to choose from: 

• Wizard
• Ranger
• Fighter
• Godlike (as mentioned, you can’t choose your patron deity)

There will also be a tree for your companions and their skills. 

The combat system promises to be new, fresh and interesting — more flexible and dynamic. Based on what the developers have said, we know that the campaign system will be similarly structured as the system in The Outer Worlds. You’ll have your main mission, and then a variety of quests from NPCs and other sources. 

The world is not entirely open, though. Instead, The Living Lands will be separated into several large open areas (each with distinct looks) that you can explore — but there will be a loading screen between them. 

You’ll get to investigate different things, explore the area and talk to tons of characters. 

Now this element is really fun — all of your choices within the game will matter and impact the ending you get. And according to the developers, there are many dialogue options with many different characters. 

Characters and relationships

The companions will be an integral part of the game. Not only will they be useful in battles and missions, but they’ll also be very much tied to the story and the party — they’re not optional. 

Once you recruit the companions, you can bring two companions with you (as members of your party), while the rest of them wait in camp. Each companion will come with their own set of abilities. Sometimes, you’ll need specific companions for some missions (because of their skills or their story), but mostly you’ll be free to choose whoever you want. 

Unlike in Baldur’s Gate 3, there will be no approval system and the companions won’t leave you if you annoy them. But you will be able to make choices that impact the companions’ stories. Also unlike in Baldur’s Gate 3, you won’t be able to skip recruiting companions (as mentioned). And while you’ll be able to give orders, you won’t get to micromanage your team. 

In a 2023 trailer, you can see one of the companions — Kai. Kai is introduced as a friendly face in the Living Lands (which is rare) and he was also a soldier at one point. He’s meant to be idealistic and pragmatic as well. 

It’s important to know that you won’t be able to romance characters. The developers stated that they wanted the focus to be on the stories and lives of companions as well as their development instead of romance. They can become your very close friends, though. 

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