The upcoming first-person open world RPG
Avowed takes place in the land of Eora, the same fantasy setting as
Pillars of Eternity and
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. Some fans have assumed
Avowed is Obsidian Entertainment's attempt to make a next-gen sequel to their iconic fantasy franchise, but visual clues in the latest trailer strongly imply that
Avowed is a prequel to the
Pillars of Eternity games, telling a story about the rise of Eora's greatest empire and, perhaps, the fall of their greatest goddess.
Both
Pillars of Eternity games drew narrative and gameplay inspiration from
the Baldur's Gate franchise, an isometric Bioware-developed RPG series which adapted the
Dungeons & Dragons tabletop RPG to a digital format. Like the
Baldur's Gate games, gameplay in
Pillars of Eternity revolved around the tactical maneuverings of fantasy heroes in an adventuring party as they navigated the Renaissance-inspired fantasy world of Eora and uncovered dark secrets related to the nature of gods and the cycle of reincarnation.
Avowed, gameplay-wise, seems to
draw inspiration from the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (and Obsidian's own first-person sci-fi RPG
The Outer Worlds) judging by the viewpoint character's dual-wielding of swords and magic in the trailer. The narrator of the
Avowed trailer, much like in the premiere
Skyrim trailer, warns prospective players about the "
monsters our sins have borne" while musing on the nature of war, monarchy, and oaths. Obsidian hasn't explicitly stated whether
Avowed is a sequel or prequel to their
Pillars of Eternity games. However, there are many symbols and visual motifs in the cinematic trailer which hint that
Avowed takes place centuries before
Pillars of Eternity, if not millennia.
Souls and Divinity have always been major themes of the
Pillars of Eternity games, with the core conflicts of both titles revolving around questions like
"What are Gods?" and
"Should we be worshiping them?" Avowed's gameplay is explicitly about the nature of oaths and vows, with the trailer's narrator alluding to a holy order of warriors that "
forged an empire" with the "
power of their oaths." These two themes aren't as contradictory as they seem at first glance; old-school Oaths and Vows were made by invoking deities who smiled upon the honorable and punished oath-breakers.
Additionally, the trailer for
Avowed shows two symbols used by deities from the pantheon of
Pillars of Eternity. The huge statue of the warrior with a wolf companion is Galawain, patron of the hunt and wild places. The fluttering castle banners display the crown of Woedica, goddess of law and justice, commonly referred to as the "
Oathbinder." In
Pillars of Eternity, Woedica is the patron deity of the expansionist Aedyr Empire. Juxtaposed with the "
forged an empire" line from the trailer, the implication is that
Avowed will be a prequel, not a sequel, to
Pillars of Eternity, focused on the Woedica-worshiping heroes who built the Aedyr Empire and how their bond with their goddess was shattered by a cruel betrayal.
screenrant.com
