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Avowed Hands On: Playing One Quest in Two Very Different Ways - Xbox Wire

In the first playable preview of Avowed, Xbox Wire took two very different approaches to the same quest to explore player choice and consequence.

news.xbox.com

Play Your Way​

Danielle: The preview presented several opportunities for dialogue, which gave a sense of how conversations will shape your adventure just as much as combat. The Vanguard Scout-specific choices were snappy and to the point, as a background of roaming amongst the trees rather than mingling with royalty would imply. I was given the choice to be polite and honest to Caedmon, a young chap that needed aid, or snarky and unhelpful, but figured that kindness might afford more opportunities down the road if he remembers that I saved his life in a dark cave. Avowed features attribute points that will unlock different dialogue choices, as well as buffs to your combat skills. As a ranger, I was particularly buffed out in the Dexterity and Perception departments, which delivered both extra critical hit chances and more observant options while I talked with other characters.

Mike: It wasn’t long until I was saying to myself that this felt very Obsidian-like – the myriad of dialog choices and interactions afforded to my character will be immediately familiar to players of the studio’s other games. While Danielle took a noble, helpful approach, I took the opportunity to see how the world and characters would respond to a brash warrior who lies through their teeth. There seems to be a wide variety of choice, and more humor than I was expecting (this was a good thing), that make this feel like an Obsidian RPG in the vein of Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds. Being able to either help Caedmon by healing his wounds or straight-up lying to him and pretending you’re a ghost is peak form for this studio – and I hope to see high level of player choice throughout Avowed.

I was also curious to see how far I could “push” the dialog with Sargamis, the gold-bodied Oracle who tasked us with retrieving the dagger so he could imbue a soul into a giant, lifeless stone giant – who may just have had something to do with the missing expedition. I’m not going to spoil exactly what happened here – it’s way too much fun not to let you discover it for yourself – but the fact that Avowed let me go so far with Sargamis’ conversation branches, has left me really excited for just how many dialog paths there will be in the mainline adventure.

Avowed: We Finally Played Obsidian’s First-Person RPG and It’s Fantastic - IGN

Avowed was a surprising delight to play for the first time. After a lot of questions about the shift in art direction from the teaser trailer, questions about the length, and a combat demo on the Xbox stage that had many asking if the game was earlier in development than expected, we're happy to...

www.ign.com

Avowed had made its impression. My doubts about it have faded away, and I’m left excited for its release in February. This small slice Obsidian gave us the opportunity to play was a treat, and while it’s a tiny glimpse, our 50-minute demo session flew by in the blink of an eye. And that’s always a good sign.

 

[Mr Moose]

Doesn't look very good, made even worse with the shitty capture/compression.

 

[tommib]

Is this from the same team that did Pentiment? Because Pentiment at the moment is my favourite game of the year.

 

[Vyse]

This looks super cool. Excited to give it a spin.

 

[adamsapple]

Is this from the same team that did Pentiment? Because Pentiment at the moment is my favourite game of the year.

Not sure if Obsidian has that many employees to have dedicated separate teams (Pentiment was pretty small and a Josh Sawyer joint), but the game director for this game has worked on Outer Wolds and more importantly for this game, the PoE franchise, which this is an off-shoot of.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-patel-80003aa/details/experience/

 

[Reave]

Until I see improvements to the combat and enemy AI, this is all a bunch of white noise to me.

 

[Mr Moose]

Not sure if Obsidian has that many employees to have dedicated separate teams (Pentiment was pretty small and a Josh Sawyer joint), but the game director for this game has worked on Outer Wolds and more importantly for this game, the PoE franchise, which this is an off-shoot of.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-patel-80003aa/details/experience/

I need to finish Outer Worlds, I think I have both versions now Which one is the best one?

 

[adamsapple]

I need to finish Outer Worlds, I think I have both versions now Which one is the best one?

When you say both versions, do you mean between consoles or the original vs the 'remaster' ?

The Spacer's Choice version includes the DLC in it (which is pretty good), but it ran kinda poorly on consoles at launch. I don't know if that has been patched enough.

The original version got 60 FPS patches on both SX and PS5 and because it's a last-gen game, it at least runs a locked 60 FPS now. But you'll need to buy the DLC separately.

The remaster made some lighting changes which are subjective. It made things more moodier and darker with some engine enhancements, but nothing too earth shattering that it invalidates the original.

 

[Mr Moose]

When you say both versions, do you mean between consoles or the original vs the 'remaster' ?

The Spacer's Choice version includes the DLC in it (which is pretty good), but it ran kinda poorly on consoles at launch. I don't know if that has been patched enough.

The original version got 60 FPS patches on both SX and PS5 and because it's a last-gen game, it at least runs a locked 60 FPS now. But you'll need to buy the DLC separately.

The remaster made some lighting changes which are subjective. It made things more moodier and darker with some engine enhancements, but nothing too earth shattering that it invalidates the original.

Both PC, I think I tried the original one, I'll have to check.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

I'm still just so disappointed that after 5-6 years in development, it's scope is the same as Outer Worlds. That was just so deflating to me. Meh. Like, why does everything have to suck nowadays.

 

[adamsapple]

I'm still just so disappointed that after 5-6 years in development, it's scope is the same as Outer Worlds. That was just so deflating to me. Meh. Like, why does everything have to suck nowadays.

I'm fine with that. Starfield is already a 100+ hour RPG with possibly another 20, 30 being added with the expansion. Rebirth also took me 70~ hours and I would have gladly sacrificed 20~ from it for a more tighter paced game.

I don't want every RPG to be 100+ hours, it's nice to have a 20~25 hour RPG every now and then.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

I'm fine with that. Starfield is already a 100+ hour RPG with possibly another 20, 30 being added with the expansion. Rebirth also took me 70~ hours and I would have gladly sacrificed 20~ from it for a more tighter paced game.

I don't want every RPG to be 100+ hours, it's nice to have a 20~25 hour RPG every now and then.

Yeah, my main complaint is that it was originally teased as what most people took to be a "Skyrim-like", but it's just not at all turned out that way. Clearly the game was majorly rescoped and shrunk down from what it originally may have been planned to be. Which to me is a real shame.

 

[Punished Miku]

Would like to see a town at some point. Other than that, they're pretty much just showing the same stuff every time. Looks fun. Nothing earth shattering, but better production values than their past stuff. Game will live or die on the story and the writing.

 

[RespawnX]

Yeah, my main complaint is that it was originally teased as what most people took to be a "Skyrim-like", but it's just not at all turned out that way. Clearly the game was majorly rescoped and shrunk down from what it originally may have been planned to be. Which to me is a real shame.

Lots of Xbox games of the last years were shrinked down. Halo, Forza, Starfield, Hellblade and so on. Combined with awful management and design decisions it’s the real fuel of the brand decline and they arent even aware of it. I’m pretty sure that Indiana Jones will be good but I expect a “short” adventure and this will lead the perception.

They can’t escape this trap anymore as money is now burned for the worst acquisition in gaming history. It will take a while before they make a turnaround and it wont happen with Nadella. Funny how Sony studios are imploding and unable to fill this power gap beside their PlayStation brand value.

Two corporates with bunch of talented people under contract and paralized by few dump decision makers.

 

[adamsapple]

Lots of Xbox games of the last years were shrinked down. Halo, Forza, Starfield, Hellblade and so on. Combined with awful management and design decisions it’s the real fuel of the brand decline and they arent even aware of it. I’m pretty sure that Indiana Jones will be good but I expect a “short” adventure and this will lead the perception.

They can’t escape this trap anymore as money is now burned for the worst acquisition in gaming history. It will take a while before they make a turnaround and it wont happen with Nadella. Funny how Sony studios are imploding and unable to fill this power gap beside their PlayStation brand value.

Two corporates with bunch of talented people under contract and paralized by few dump decision makers.

Starfield? Shrunk down?

Tell me you've never played it without telling me you've never played it.

 

[Stafford]

Yeah, my main complaint is that it was originally teased as what most people took to be a "Skyrim-like", but it's just not at all turned out that way. Clearly the game was majorly rescoped and shrunk down from what it originally may have been planned to be. Which to me is a real shame.

It certainly didn't help that a user named Sponger on RetardEra back then said it was gonna be bigger than Skyrim. The stuff he claimed would be in the game sounded amazing.

Maybe all of that at some point was intended to be in the game but was cut. Insiders are a gift and a curse tbh. Because from that point on you start to have expectations, and the silence of the studio didn't help at all.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

It certainly didn't help that a user named Sponger on RetardEra back then said it was gonna be bigger than Skyrim. The stuff he claimed would be in the game sounded amazing.

Maybe all of that at some point was intended to be in the game but was cut. Insiders are a gift and a curse tbh. Because from that point on you start to have expectations, and the silence of the studio didn't help at all.

The other thing too is that Obsidian isn't that big of a studio, and Avowed even if it was the entire studio + support studios working on it and nothing else, it probably still wouldn't quite match a AAA Bethesda Game Studios RPG. But yeah, I'm just bummed. I hope it turns out well, but overall I'm just bummed.

 

[BosmerCulter]

Is this from the same team that did Pentiment? Because Pentiment at the moment is my favourite game of the year.

Kate Dollarhyde, narrative designer on Pentiment worked on Avowed. But the true mind behind Pentiment, Josh Sawye,r only had a minor involvement on this game.

 

[RespawnX]

Starfield? Shrunk down?

Tell me you've never played it without telling me you've never played it.

Spent two play throughs on the game and will return for the DLC.

The whole scope of the game was shrinked down to the technical capabilities of the engine. Furthermore faction variety is far less complex than in previous Bethesda games. Fundamental game experience elements are simplified or missing like landing or docking, animations, simplified looting, „swimming“, missing maps, very repetitive quest locations, downsized gear modding and crafting, npc generation,
outpost generation and so on.

I see signs for shrinked projects and Starfield is lighted like Vegas. But the issues surely started before Microsoft acquisition.

I really liked Starfield but it was a sidestep from Skyrim and didnt meet the expectations of the long development and Bethesda sandbox feeling.

 

[Markio128]

It looks like a unicorn shat an RPG out of its anus, then sneezed and a load of bright coloured numbers out of its nostrils.

 

[FoxMcChief]

Something about this game has never clicked for me.

 

[clarky]

Starfield? Shrunk down?

Tell me you've never played it without telling me you've never played it.

Nah there was loads missing from that game.

The main quest which involved floating around an empty room multiple times for starters. Straight up unfinished/ cut

 

[cireza]

Yeah, my main complaint is that it was originally teased as what most people took to be a "Skyrim-like"

Was it ?

It always felt like it was going to be a smaller game, like Outer Worlds, to me.

 

[clarky]

Was it ?

From the teaser yes it apeared to be a skyrim like dark, fantasy rpg. To be honest that teaser looked awesome, the actual end product not so much.

Still looking forward to it myself but it looks nothing like the OG trailer at all.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

Was it ?

It always felt like it was going to be a smaller game, like Outer Worlds, to me.

Well the initial reveal/teaser whatever from way back in 2020 definitely did not leave the impression of a smaller-scale game.

The formal gameplay reveal in 2023 however made it clear that it was in fact going to be nothing like Skyrim. But for those first three years all we had to go on was that initial teaser and it looked a heck of a lot like Skyrim to me.

I’m sure I’m not alone

 

[cireza]

Well the initial reveal/teaser whatever from way back in 2020 definitely did not leave the impression of a smaller-scale game.

The formal gameplay reveal in 2023 however made it clear that it was in fact going to be nothing like Skyrim. But for those first three years all we had to go on was that initial teaser and it looked a heck of a lot like Skyrim to me.

I’m sure I’m not alone

I think I simply forgot about the teaser, you are right.

 

[FalsettoVibe]

I don't know why this game isn't doing anything for me. I had such high hopes after the first revealing...

 

[near]

That gameplay looks good, I'm still very much looking forward to it. I have a feeling this will have more depth and substance narratively than The Outer Worlds did, but then again that is not difficult to achieve.

 

[GymWolf]

UI is too big, intrusive and colorful.

Combat looks super meh.

 

[Punished Miku]

UI is too big, intrusive and colorful.

Combat looks super meh.

The damage numbers look rough.

 

[FoxMcChief]

Yeah, this game either is going to be a complete mess, or be delayed to be a ess, but not as big.

 

[clarky]

The damage numbers look rough.

Yeah whats with the massive mario coins with damage numbers? Best be an option to tone that shit down or better yet completely off.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

Bethesda needs to hurry up with ES6 because this just looks like dogshit.

 

[EviLore]

Still looks like a F2P smartphone game made in a developing country.

 

[EviLore]

Maybe I'm being too generous. Here's a F2P smartphone game from a developing country, for comparison:

 

[Punished Miku]

Still looks like a F2P smartphone game made in a developing country.

Environments are going to look good. Characters, lip sync, animations are another story.

Personally, I don't know why anyone was expecting anything large scale AAA from a studio making Kickstarter games whose biggest project besides large campaign mods of KOTOR and Fallout 3 is probably literally Alpha Protocol. Their games are usually only worth playing for the writing.

Their UI work on Pentiment is immaculate, so I don't know what they did to the UI stuff here.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

I feel this game will live and die by ability to make fun builds.

If you are unable to find a build you truly like, it won’t be enjoyable. Provided its possible to even make them.

Kinda like Skyrim, but less crucial than that game. Skyrim gameplay sucks if you don’t have the build right.

Spent two play throughs on the game and will return for the DLC.

The whole scope of the game was shrinked down to the technical capabilities of the engine. Furthermore faction variety is far less complex than in previous Bethesda games. Fundamental game experience elements are simplified or missing like landing or docking, animations, simplified looting, „swimming“, missing maps, very repetitive quest locations, downsized gear modding and crafting, npc generation,
outpost generation and so on.

I see signs for shrinked projects and Starfield is lighted like Vegas. But the issues surely started before Microsoft acquisition.

I really liked Starfield but it was a sidestep from Skyrim and didnt meet the expectations of the long development and Bethesda sandbox feeling.

They are updating it and have mentioned yearly expansions. I expect it to expand quite a bit.

Its scope I feel is too big to be enjoyed as a cohesive, whole game, like Skyrim.

 

[Hudo]

Bethesda needs to hurry up with ES6 because this just looks like dogshit.

Bold of you to assume that TES6 will be any better.

 

[amigastar]

Ragdoll looks funky, i don't understand, can't devs make a realistic and fun ragdoll death? i mean Doom 2016 and Eternal comes close and Max Payne 3 but other titles? Forget it.

 

[T4keD0wN]

This doesnt look very good, i hope it has writing that can carry it.

 

[JusticeForAll]

Looks horrible. So, so disappointed. I bought a Series X at launch (first Xbox!) and it turned out to be a complete waste of money. Compare this to I don't know, The Witcher 3 enhanced edition, on next gen consoles... the 10yo game is better.

 

[near]

Still looks like a F2P smartphone game made in a developing country.

It doesn't look that bad, come on dude lmao.

How about this footage of the environments:

 

[EviLore]

It doesn't look that bad, come on dude lmao.

How about this footage of the environments:

Yeah, that's not bad, mainly thanks to the lighting.

I don't mind low budget at all if you're doing something interesting. Problem is Avowed looks anything but interesting in any of the footage they've shown. And it's not actually low budget, either.

 

[Hudo]

Yeah, that's not bad, mainly thanks to the lighting.

I don't mind low budget at all if you're doing something interesting. Problem is Avowed looks anything but interesting in any of the footage they've shown.

What disappoints me the most so far is the combat. I mean, come on, Dark Messiah of Might & Magic is 18 years old at this point. And no one at Obsidian seemed to have even heard of it.

 

[DeepSpace5D]

Idk looks like a fun time to me. I’m knee deep in Grounded: Fully Yoked Edition, but I do plan on getting to Avowed at some point in the future after it’s out.

I do wish they would have somehow not dropped the ability to play this game in co-op however. But I’ll still try it regardless.

 

[Bloobs]

Only a Playstation release can save this game

 

[mayham2199]

What disappoints me the most so far is the combat. I mean, come on, Dark Messiah of Might & Magic is 18 years old at this point. And no one at Obsidian seemed to have even heard of it.

Agreed. The combat looks bad. I had high hopes for the game because I love Pillars of Eternity.

 

[T4keD0wN]

What disappoints me the most so far is the combat. I mean, come on, Dark Messiah of Might & Magic is 18 years old at this point. And no one at Obsidian seemed to have even heard of it.

Such a shame that theres quite a lot of 1st person fantasy games and nobody outside of VR space makes anything that at least tries to be that good (dont really count Dead Island/Dying Light)

 

[Spyxos]

Oh wow this looks terrible. I was so hyped with the first teaser trailer years ago... but this aint it.

 

[StereoVsn]

Starfield? Shrunk down?

Tell me you've never played it without telling me you've never played it.

Starfield planetary “exploration” is terrible. Same outposts, often with same placement of objects down to NPCs. Patchwork of zones that you have to go into space and land again which regents them. And much much more.

To me it looks like either scope got cut or Todd and Co are incompetent… or both.