Summary
- Avowed, an upcoming RPG by Obsidian Entertainment, is generating much anticipation and is expected to rival The Elder Scrolls.
- The Xbox Developer Direct on January 18 will feature Avowed and may reveal its release date, offering fans a more complete picture of the game's mechanics.
- Avowed aims to be a complex fantasy RPG experience in the AAA gaming scene and has the potential to become a huge success, so building hype with an impressive showing at the Direct is important.
It is easy to see why so much attention has been placed on Avowed ever since it was announced in July 2020, with Obsidian Entertainment aiming to create a rich RPG experience that is already being billed as a rival to The Elder Scrolls. With the minds behind iconic releases like Fallout: New Vegas, The Outer Worlds, and Grounded being at the helm of this upcoming project, fans are eager to finally learn more about the title.
There has been a lull in information surrounding Avowed in recent months, but this is set to end soon with the recent announcement of the Xbox Developer Direct that is slated for January 18. This upcoming presentation has come as a pleasant surprise to many fans, with a wide range of studios that work under the Xbox name slated to make some big announcements at the show. Obsidian Entertainment and Avowed are confirmed to be making appearances at the Xbox Developer Direct, and it could just be the most important moment in the project's existence.
Why Avowed Fans Should Play Pillars of Eternity 1 & 2 Before It Releases
Avowed is Obsidian's upcoming fantasy RPG, and fans waiting for it should check out the previous two titles set in the same world.
Avowed's Xbox Developer Direct Appearance Could Finally Bring it to Life
A lot of the existing hype surrounding Avowed stems from it belonging to the wider Pillars of Eternity franchise, which first found its roots in 2015. Taking inspiration from other fantasy IPs like Baldur's Gate, the PoE games play from a top-down perspective, usually with a choice between turn-based or real-time combat. These games take place in the astonishing world of Eora, which is set to be the primary setting of the upcoming Avowed.
It is known that Avowed will be taking a more TES-like approach to its gameplay, with first-person exploration and the ability to weld a mix of weapons and magical powers being at the forefront of its currently released promotional material. With very little news releasing about Avowed since its 2020 reveal, fans have instead inferred a lot of lore and potential game mechanics from the project's links to Pillars of Eternity, but this could finally change with the Xbox Developer Direct on January 18.
The Stage is Set For Avowed at the Xbox Developer Direct
With massive recent Microsoft projects like Starfield potentially not having the positive legacy that the company was hoping for, it is now or never for Avowed to really stamp its authority over the near-future of console gaming. Additionally, it has been over a decade since the last Elder Scrolls release, with there being a clear market for a complex fantasy RPG experience in the AAA gaming scene that Avowed can capitalize on.
The main source of anticipation surrounding Avowed at the Xbox Developer Direct concerns its release date, with the project originally being billed for a release window of 2024. Of course, initial release windows are often the subject of delays as a project delves further into development, but if Avowed is still hopeful for a 2024 release, then a concrete date could easily be revealed during the Developer Direct on January 18.
While it is expected that release date information will be revealed about Avowed at the Xbox Developer Direct, this has not been officially confirmed in any capacity.
Aside from this, it is likely that Avowed will finally delve further into its RPG mechanics at the presentation, with its 2023 gameplay reveal trailer simply giving a brief overview of its core combat experience. With things like exploration, factions, companions, and progression still being fairly ambiguous, the upcoming show provides an excellent opportunity for Avowed to offer fans a more complete picture of what it is all about. The time is just right for Avowed to set itself up as one of the most anticipated releases in gaming, and the Xbox Developer Direct could be extremely important in building the game's anticipation through a release date confirmation and a more detailed overview of its mechanics.
Avowed
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 82%
- Released
- February 18, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger. Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.
You are the envoy of Aedyr, a distant land, sent to investigate rumors of a spreading plague 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 Living Lands and an ancient secret that threatens to destroy everything. Can you save this unknown frontier and your soul from the forces threatening to tear them asunder?
- Franchise
- Pillars of Eternity
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
