"It can't start in a way that just feels crappy": Avowed devs are turning to animation to solve an RPG "challenge" of offering a sense of progression without sacrificing a strong start

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"The challenge in RPGs is we want you to feel this progression throughout the game"

Avowed screenshot showing a corpse-like figure's face with glowing purple mushroom/spore growths
(Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment)

While Obsidian wants you to feel a sense of progression throughout Avowed, the developer also doesn't want the RPG to "start in a way that just feels crappy." As such, the idea is that you'll feel the difference in power between you and a foe in how the HUD responds to a hit.

"The challenge in RPGs is we want you to feel this progression throughout the game, but it can't start in a way that just feels crappy," combat designer Max Matzenbacher tells PCGamer in issue 405. "We play with the timing of the animations, and we've spent a lot of time having the animation state change based on the type of hit.

It's an age-old problem. You don't want players to be distracted by how underpowered they feel early game – much how you don't want people to feel like they need to sink 10 hours for the story to 'get good.' Still, using the HUD to demonstrate how far you've come is a nice idea that ought to go a long way, coupled with other elements to keep Avowed from feeling "crappy" early doors.

Iain Harris
Iain Harris
News Editor, Games

I joined GamesRadar+ in May 2022 following stints at PCGamesN and PocketGamer.Biz, with some freelance for Kotaku UK, RockPaperShotgun, and VG24/7 thrown in for good measure. When I'm not running the news team on the games side, you'll find me putting News Editor duties to one side to play the hottest JRPG of 20 years ago or pillaging the depths of Final Fantasy 14 for a swanky new cloak – the more colourful, the better.