After Avowed Presentation, I Wonder if Obsidian Even Knows What It's Doing
Avowed was supposed to be a new quality among Obsidian's RPGs, guaranteed by, among other things, torrents of cash from Microsoft. After the latest presentation, however, I wonder if the developers even know that games have changed in the last 10 years.
Obsidian Entertainment is a studio that holds a special place in my heart. New Vegas is my favorite Fallout, and both installments of Pillars of Eternity are the best RPGs I've ever played. This second series is also connected to the upcoming game Avowed, as it's set in the same universe, Eora, a unique fantasy world that simply captivated me with its mythology and diversity.
At this moment, you can already see that I am a huge Obsidian fanboy and I have no intention of hiding it. And yet, after the presentation of their new game, I practically couldn't say a word. I watched the trailer, and the only thought in my head was: it's not good.
Hello, Obsidian? The year 2012 wants its game back
When you watch the "deep dive" featuring Avowed, you can quickly get the impression that its developers have spent the last decade (if not longer) locked in a basement without access to other games released on the market. What other way is there to comment on the fact that the first comparisons that come to mind after seeing the presentation are Dark Messiah of Might and Magic and Skyrim, which are games that were released in 2006 and 2011, respectively? Of course, I believe that Obsidian will once again deliver in terms of story, characters, and world-building, but this gameplay...
The devs clearly attempted to inspire the audience with their enthusiasm by showcasing successive battles with Xaurips using swords, guns, and spells. However, it's challenging for me to engage in these emotions when all I see is awkward iron waving, basic firearm mechanics, and a simulation of emitting sparks from a stick. It's clear right away that we are dealing with a truly solid piece of wood, which could have been impressive in the past, but now it can only evoke a sympathetic smile at best.
To be honest, everything here causes concern. The character's movements are clumsy, the animations and variety of attacks appear restricted, and all magical attacks lack an impressive look. I also have the impression that transitioning from PoE, an isometric RPG, to an FPP formula will significantly simplify the complexity of character classes that Pillars was known for. After all, there's no denying that in this view, we won't be able to use the dozens of spells and attacks we had at our disposal during our previous visit to Eora. And what's left after we cut these elements? Swinging a sword like and running around opponents as in the latest The Elder Scrolls.
By all means, this change is understandable to some extent. Obsidian chose to prioritize a more impressive gameplay that has the potential to appeal to a broader audience, following the underwhelming sales of Pillars of Eternity 2. I don't think players anticipating a AAA title will be content with Avowed, which appears rather average when compared to other modern FPP RPGs like Kingdom Come: Deliverance or even Fallout 4 (bringing up Cyberpunk 2077 in this context is like kicking someone who's down). At this point, the new game by the developers of Pillars resembles more of a likable yet decidedly medium-budget role-playing game such as Greedfall rather than a top-tier title.
Nomination in category "Missed Opportunity" guaranteed
Nevertheless, the awkward gameplay isn't the sole reason why the presentation of Avowed evokes very mixed feelings. Moving away from the classic, isometric RPG formula in favor of FPP seems to be a dead end for Obsidian, as The Outer Worlds has already shown that the studio doesn't feel connected to this subgenre, resulting in a huge missed opportunity. After all, we have just seen the release of Baldur's Gate 3, which clearly showed that classic top-down RPGs have a place on the market and can be a massive success.
It's hard to resist the assumption that if Obsidian gritted its teeth and focused on Pillars of Eternity 3 and continued to develop the mechanics known from the second installment, it could have achieved success on the wave of Baldur's popularity. Great sales of another classic RPG, Rogue Trader, only confirm this. Unfortunately, the developers seem to have panicked and opted for a seemingly more commercial variant instead of the genre in which they feel completely at ease. Even PoE 2 from 6 years ago, with its cleverly designed locations and battles observed from a distance, appears more appealing than Avowed, as in this format, I was less focused on potential shortcomings in textures or model animations.
Hopefully, the developers will compensate for these issues with an excellent storyline, but there are still some doubts. Maybe it's my hypersensitivity and pessimism, but bragging about something as absolutely basic as different quest endings doesn't fill me with enthusiasm. The days of a side mission with two possible completion paths being truly impressive are long gone. Baldur's Gate 3 or Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous showed that the power of RPGs lies in bringing even the most outlandish ideas of players to life. Instead, Obsidian proudly offers a choice between dialogue options A and B.
The one and only aspect of Avowed that I'm still excited about is the region we will visit. I'm referring to the Living Lands, which are perilous and varied regions that were frequently mentioned in Pillars. This, on the other hand, contains the potential for intriguing exploration and many mysteries that we might uncover along the way. The main focus wasn't placed on this aspect by the developers during the presentation, so perhaps it's just my attempts to comfort myself and wishful thinking.
I only hope that the developers will use the remaining time until the release day (or even postpone it) and thoroughly refine their new game. Otherwise, Avowed may turn out to be a big failure.
