Obsidian Entertainment's Avowed has caused a lot of buzz within the gaming industry, with the exciting fantasy RPG aiming for a 2025 release date of February 18. Many prospective players are intrigued by the wide range of combat and exploration that the game promises to bring, with players having a wide range of traditional melee weapons, magical abilities, and even firearms to mix and match on the fly to create the perfect avenue of attack.
Another big selling point of Avowed concerns its links to the wider Pillars of Eternity franchise, which itself started back in 2015, with Avowed being set in the PoE universe. This has predictably drawn a lot of pre-release comparisons between Avowed and the Pillars of Eternity games, but fans could interestingly look towards a completely separate Obsidian Entertainment title to get a taste of what Avowed's narrative experience will be like. Released in 2016, Tyranny is another memorable RPG experience from Obsidian, and the plot and core premise of the game fits extremely closely to what fans already know about Avowed's story.
Avowed Having Fewer Companions Than The Outer Worlds Could Be a Blessing in Disguise
With the release date for Avowed drawing closer, players can take solace in the small but mighty selection of companions that the game features.
Obsidian Entertainment Seemingly Laid the Groundwork For Avowed's Story in 2016's Tyranny
Tyranny released just after the launch of the Pillars of Eternity franchise as another well-received RPG from Obsidian Entertainment. Like the PoE games, Tyranny adopts an isometric perspective and features a wide range of traditional RPG combat and storytelling elements. While Tyranny is not officially tied to the Pillars of Eternity universe, the game was a great way for Obsidian to build from the same mechanics and themes as the first PoE release, informing a lot of the development behind 2018's Pillars of Eternity 2.
The narrative of Tyranny puts the player in control of a Fatebinder, who are high-ranking judges and enforcers of Kyros, the all-knowing and powerful overlord of the land of Terratus. Kyros, as an enigmatic yet unseen ruler of Terratus, sends the Fatebinder to the land of Vendrien's Well to sort out a dispute between his generals over the crushing of a rebellion.
The Fatebinder learns of their surprising ability to absorb some of the power that makes Kyros so feared and unstoppable, ultimately putting the player in a position to change the fate of Terratus as a whole for better or for worse. Tyranny puts a huge focus on the player's control of a wildly branching narrative, with each decision and deed that the player carries out having multi-faceted consequences for the core story, as well as things like their reputation and the survival of other factions.
Avowed and Tyranny's Protagonists Seem One and the Same
It wouldn't be a surprise if this type of of storytelling bled over into the upcoming gameplay experience of Avowed, with the revealed tidbits of story that are currently known about the project being a close match to Tyranny. For example, like Tyranny, Avowed's plot is centered around a player-character who acts as an envoy for a powerful empire's leader, with the upcoming game's protagonist answering to the ruler of the Aedyr Empire.
The protagonist's royal mission in Avowed is to seek out the source of a destructive plague sweeping through The Living Lands, which is the catalyst for all the game's major events. While this differs slightly from Tyranny, it is important to note that Avowed's protagonist is a godlike, a powerful being with magical abilities and a biological connection to ancient deities. This seems right in line with the innate magical prowess that Tyranny's Fatebinder eventually possesses, with both games following the same framework for the protagonist's role in their respective fantasy worlds. Of course, Avowed will end up with its own distinct narrative and identity, but fans who cannot wait until early 2025 should check out Tyranny for a taster of what the upcoming game's story will partly offer.
Avowed
-
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?
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Franchise
- Pillars of Eternity
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
