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Obsidian’s Avowed Won't feature Romance, Xbox confirms

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
"You definitely have quest-based interactions with [companions], and they each have their own personal arc," said Patel. "As with all of our games, talking to them through [that arc] and influencing them down a particular course or another can shape what their story is, and maybe how they see some of their personal challenges.

"We didn't go with a strict approval system. We didn't want players feeling like they had to choose the 'right' options in order to maintain their companions. So it's not about maintaining their approval, it's about getting to know them, building relationships with them, and you know, finding points of commonality and strength where they're learning things from you as the player character, and you're getting a little bit of their perspective on the world."

Sounds fine.
 
You haven't played The Witcher 3?

There are certainly some people that are entertained by that aspect of games like Witcher 3, CP2077, ME. I am not one of those players. 🤷‍♂️

Plays off as abbreviated and childish to me.

Not to say that their aren't games that use a romantic angle to drive the overall plot in a decent enough way, but that is generally something pre-programmed into the story and not a player choice thing.
 
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Roberts

Member
Good. I'm not against it in games, but it pretty much never works and often comes off more awkward and creepy opposed to looking like you are playing a game made for adults.
 

Mr Hyde

Member
Good. Romancing in video games have always been cringe, and it never felt authentic due to bad writing. Even in games that did it reasonably well, like ME or The Witcher, it felt like an afterthought, it was just there, and often accompanied by an even cringier sex scene. Glad Obsidian chose to omit it.
 
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adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
What it actually sounds like is that the game has no depth or consequences. Your actions do not matter, and your companions and the world do not react to your actions. Nothing you do will trigger a meaningful response.

It quite literally says the opposite:

'influencing them down a particular course or another can shape what their story is, and maybe how they see some of their personal challenges'
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
I romanced characters I didnt even know I did. I was propositioned by Halsin and I never used or talked much to the guy. Lets just say that Bear scene was something else.

At least you had Halsin, he just up and disappeared from my camp entirely in Act 3. The game is still pretty buggy despite it being a few months out.
 

Mr Hyde

Member
After the last showing at Xbox direct, and all the info that has come out of it from the developers, this game is in my top most anticipated game list now, next to FF7 Rebirth and Eiyuden Chronicles. I really hope Obsidian stick the landing and don't fumble at the finish line.
 
I romanced characters I didnt even know I did. I was propositioned by Halsin and I never used or talked much to the guy. Lets just say that Bear scene was something else.
When Lae'zel was super salty with me because I wouldn't sleep with her, despite it not ever being brought up and her being rude 100% of the time...
 
After the last showing at Xbox direct, and all the info that has come out of it from the developers, this game is in my top most anticipated game list now, next to FF7 Rebirth and Eiyuden Chronicles. I really hope Obsidian stick the landing and don't fumble at the finish line.
Not to quell your excitement but what has you so excited? So far it seems to me they are not showing a hell of a lot and nothing from the main storyline at all. All we've seen is a small section from a side mission and hopefully some early combat (hopefully it improves significantly in this area).
 

foamdino

Member
With each new statements that comes up, it seems like this is not going to be a deep RPG game at all.
I said after the reveal that there were so many RPG red flags for this.

It is essentially an action game - which is fine, but not what I thought we were going to get from Obsidian + MS deep pockets. Pillars 1 & 2 were great - why couldn't we just have Pillars 3? Instead we get a first-person non-RPG set in the same universe.

It's all very disappointing.
 

IFireflyl

Gold Member
After Baldur's Gate 3, I am fine with this. In BG3 I said hi to my companions and they all started splooging in my face. My character died from drowning. I had to reload my save and slaughter my entire party just to continue.
 

Ribi

Member
Kobe Bryant GIF
Fitting gif considering that man's own romance issues
 

Mr Hyde

Member
Not to quell your excitement but what has you so excited? So far it seems to me they are not showing a hell of a lot and nothing from the main storyline at all. All we've seen is a small section from a side mission and hopefully some early combat (hopefully it improves significantly in this area).

I like the atmosphere and art direction they are going for. It's like a cartoonish colorful fantasy adventure. The combat seems good, especially the dual wielding with pistols, combined with different load outs to swap from. I admit they haven't shown much of the story, and the NPC character interaction was quite lacking, but the general premise at least feels somewhat exciting. I haven't played the other Pillars of Eternity - games so maybe the disappointment people feel about Avowed stems from the game not looking like a worthy follow up. I just have my fingers crossed it has that magical feeling of adventure that Skyrim had, it does look like the developers are aiming for a similar experience.
 
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Majukun

Member
disappointing...it's not like I want a dating sim, but it's one of those things that takes you right out of the world of the game when itìs not there IMHO
 
"but the thing we found…is that to pay them off, you really have to invest a lot in doing them well."

Developers can't be bothered to "do things well" confirmed
Guess we read it differently. Saw it as they wanted to focus on other things, if they weren’t going to go all out for romance why half bake it but idk will see when it drops
 

Astray

Member
I’ve missed those news. What were the other things?
Heisenberg007 Heisenberg007 posted earlier about some of them
 

amigastar

Member
Don't get me wrong, i have nothing against romancing in Rpgs like Baldurs Gate but i never romanced a companion.
Idk i would feel too nerdy. It's not something i really need.
 

Laptop1991

Member
The romance wasn't that good in the games anyway for me, just a little bit of extra dialogue that what others have said, a bit cringy, i rarely used it
 

Ozriel

M$FT
What it actually sounds like is that the game has no depth or consequences. Your actions do not matter, and your companions and the world do not react to your actions. Nothing you do will trigger a meaningful response.

All this because they won’t have romance options? 🤣

Heisenberg007 Heisenberg007 posted earlier about some of them

That’s like claiming laser weaponry and space flight are ‘missing features’ from a WW2 shooter.
 
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