Avowed, Obsidian Entertainment's newest release, has just dropped, and gamers looking to sink their teeth into a big new RPG are excited to get going. However, if you don't have the time or want to get to it later, now's a great time to look back on all the major RPGs that have influenced Obsidian and their newest game.
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Whether it's the tropical environments of the JRPGS of yesteryear, the Western bombast of Bioware, or the brilliant writing of the gaming world's most cerebral games, Avowed has clear influences from a wide breadth of classics that deserve their time in the sun.
7 Final Fantasy 10
Island Vibes
Final Fantasy 10
- Released
- December 17, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Platform(s)
- PS2
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
In the late 1990s, Square Enix (or Squaresoft back then) were on an legendary run, releasing critical and commercial hits in rapid succession. Not only that, but in the space of only a few years, Square went from producing the polygonal chibi charm of Final Fantasy 7 to the comparatively stunning Final Fantasy 10 in just a few short years.
While Final Fantasy 10 (and particularly Titus's legendary laugh and Blitzball in general) has had a mixed reputation over the years, its unique island setting inspired by Polynesia has had a clear impact on the art design of Avowed that plays in similar territory evoking pirates, palm trees, and the great ocean blue beyond.
6 Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
The Best of Bioware
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
- Released
- May 14, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
For many, the Mass Effect franchise was the first big jump into the world of RPGs, welcoming enough to beginners but meaty enough for veterans to get their kicks. The Legendary Edition bundles all three games together, offering undoubtedly one of the best value propositions in gaming, delivering a truly unforgettable world and a list of some of the greatest RPG companions ever put to pixels.
Mass Effect was also very famous for putting the majority of its narrative focus on companion characters, a trend that has only increased since its release, and Avowed clearly takes that mantle and develops it further, building upon the companion love of Western RPGs and making it a core part of Avowed's gameplay loop.
5 World of Warcraft
The MMORPG Grand-Daddy
World of Warcraft
- Released
- November 23, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
In the realm of legendary RPGs, there are plenty of great single-player considerations, but no RPG has ever had as much cultural clout, playerbase, or influence in fantasy in general than Blizzard's venerable MMORPG World of Warcraft which has easily sucked away millions of hours of productive time from humanity as a whole.
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Notably, World of Warcraft was a tangible step away from the grimdark aesthetics that were beginning to become popular in fantasy in the late 90s and early 2000s. Instead, it embraced big colors, pulpy action, and a distinct cartoon-influenced art style, which Avowed similarly picks up and runs with, crafting an exceptionally colorful world.
4 Dragon Age: Origins
Modern Fantasy Frisson
Dragon Age: Origins
- Released
- November 3, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
While the Mass Effect games are certainly Bioware's most popular franchise, hardcore RPG fans are much more keen on the Dragon Age franchise and its incredible roster of companions, even if each entry veers further and further away from the tabletop roots of Dragon Age's beginnings.
Dragon Age: Origins is particularly beloved for its incredible writing, a richly written world, and unforgettable characters that populate the journey. In terms of creating a modern fantasy world that's believable and influences the entire story, Dragon Age: Origins set the template that Pillars of Eternity, and by extension Avowed, would follow in due time.
3 Morrowind
Weird Tamriel
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
- Released
- May 1, 2002
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox (Original)
- Genre(s)
- RPG
After Tolkien, a lot of fantasy delved into the traditional elves, dwaves, orcs, and humans in a largely Medieval setting. That's fine in general, but fantasy is a very broad genre, and the potential for it to become something much greater and broader was waiting to be unleashed.
While Morrowind wasn't the first fantasy story to get specifically weird with fantasy, it might be the most popular, focusing on truly alien architecture, strange and dangerous creatures, and entirely foreign cultural mores that rejuvenated the RPG with an adventurous and unfamiliar spirit. Avowed similarly seeks to embrace the alien in its world overrun with strange fungi, taking clear inspiration from Morrowind.
2 Planescape: Torment
The RPG as Philosophy
Planescape: Torment
- Released
- December 12, 1999
WHERE TO PLAY
In the world of classic RPGs, few have accumulated as esteemed a reputation as the indomitable Planescape: Torment, a love-letter to the world of the Forgotten Realms and every great RPG of the 20th Century, while boldly looking forward to what the RPG could become in the 21st Century.
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The game is famous for its incredible quality of writing, it's intense philosophical ideas, and an unforgettable story that focused on companions. It's impossible to escape the influence of Planescape: Torment in the RPG world, and Avowed is no exception.
1 Fallout: New Vegas
Modern RPG Masterpiece
Fallout: New Vegas
- Released
- October 19, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- RPG
It's ironic that Obsidian Entertainment's crowning commercial and critical achievement came as a spin-off from another series that had to be pushed out in a criminally short amount of time under intense crunch. Yet, Fallout: New Vegas is remembered in modernity as one of the very best RPGs ever made, and its design philosophy has echoed on ever since release.
Whether Obsidian likes it or not, Fallout: New Vegas must have an influence on Avowed, whether it comes from its first-person perspective, a focus on character companions, a rogue's gallery of tricky monsters, or a lovingly crafted world. Avowed may struggle to reach the heights of Fallout: New Vegas, but most games would.
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