Avowed - Inside Obsidian's brand-new RPG

Welcome to The Big Preview: the home for in-depth conversations around the biggest upcoming games. We've spent some time with Xbox Studio Obsidian to take a deeper look at its next RPG, Avowed. 

We got a delicious new look at Avowed from Obsidian Games at the recent Xbox Developer Direct. Following that, we got the chance to sit down with game director Carrie Patel and gameplay director Gabe Paramo to talk about player choice and consequences, combat, its Pillars of Eternity links, classes, and more.

Below, you'll find our full coverage from the interview with the Obsidian Entertainment team, including breakdowns on specific elements of the game like combat and player choice - two key themes that have us pumped for this RPG. Although there's still no concrete release date, it's already looking to be one to watch from the Xbox Game Studios' group. 

Read on to learn more about Avowed straight from the developers' mouth, and more musings on this highly-anticipated 2024 RPG. 

The RPG to pay attention to in 2024

Avowed's commitment to ubiquitous player choice could make it 2024's standout RPG: "At Obsidian, it's your world, your way, right?"

We sat down with game director Carrie Patel and gameplay director Gabe Paramo to talk about how combat, questing, and more aims put you at the heart of everything.

Avowed is set in Pillars of Eternity's world, but Obsidian says you don't need to have played its older CRPG

It draws elements like spells and lore, but it won't be impenetrable. 

A focus on player choice and consequence

Avowed's focus on choice and consequence means "most players won't discover 100% of what you've built for them", but Obsidian wouldn't have it any other way

Obsidian Entertainment has focused on putting as much choice as it can in this RPG, meaning you definitely won't see everything in it.

Obsidian wants Avowed to be a "challenging" RPG that's more complex than "black-and-white, good-versus-evil morality"

You'll dabble in the shades of grey throughout Avowed

Combat that builds upon Skyrim's foundations

Avowed takes Skyrim's approach to combat and evolves it, allowing players to "build the character they want to play who fights the way they want to fight"

Skyrim's a strong foundation, so Avowed's combat could be one to look out for. 

Avowed lead reveals there's "no one perfect build" in Obsidian's classless RPG: "There's gonna be choice and consequence for what you kit out”

Mix and match your arsenal to fit your playstyle