Summary
Avowed, the next IP fromPillars of EternityandThe Outer Worldsdeveloper Obsidian Entertainment, is one of 2024’s most anticipated games and is already garnering a considerable amount of attention ahead of its fall release. After its showcase during this year’s Xbox Developer Direct, fans chimed in with feedback and remarks concerning the footage, and the developer has committed to improving many of those features that were pointed out, including its combat.
Despite those issues, there have been many positive impressions ofAvowed’s world, particularly its colorful, saturated environments that seem to honor the traditional visuals of the fantasy genre.
Obsidian hasn’t revealed too much ofAvowed’s world yet, but considering it will be released this fall, it’s likely more will be shown in the near future. Based on what has been revealed, however,Avowed’s environments look very bright, colorful, and lush for a fantasy game, even though that information is solely based on a rather limited amount of footage. Still, asAvowedis a fantasy game set in thePillars of Eternityuniverse, it can’t afford to be afraid to shy away from its darker environments.
Avowed Can’t Forget About Darker Environments
Darker Environments Often Provide a Unique Gameplay Experience in RPGs
Despite the magic that brighter environments in games can give opportunity to, there is something to be said about darker environments, especially when it comes to the fantasy genre. Dark caves filled with enemies and secrets around every corner serve as immersive interludes in brighter fantasy worlds, and this sentiment rings consistently true in popular role-playingseries likeThe Elder ScrollsandBaldur’s Gate. There is nothing quite like the thrill and occasional stress of venturing into the unknown darkness of fantasy role-playing and action-adventure games, and that is somethingAvowedwould do well to remember.
Caves and dungeons in the role-playing and action-adventure genres often double as optional side activities in which players can almost always guarantee that some kind of reward is waiting for them at the end. Darkness itself can even act as a foe at times, encouraging players to wield a torch or another type of light source to illuminate their way forward.
Mechanics such as these were fully realized inThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Depths— the highly rewarding underground realm of Hyrule — which turned out to be one of the game’s best features.Avowedshould take a similar approach with its darker environments and ensure players have plenty of these optional areas to explore for even greater rewards than they could find in the light.
Avowed’s Darker Environments Should Be Plentiful Enough to Avoid Fatigue
Another reasonAvowedshould be sure to include a healthy number of darker environments is to prevent players from becoming fatigued with its brighter landscapes. If players are forced to gaze into the same color and light schemes throughout the majority of the game,Avowed’s visualsmay eventually all blend together and leave players feeling underwhelmed or burnt out in the end.
Darker environments could thus serve as a much-needed break from the bright outside world, and even simultaneously make the welcoming nature of the light more worthwhile in the long run, especially if its darker places wind up hosting more challenges than its brighter environments do. It’s currently unclear just how much balance there will be betweenAvowed’s brighter and darker environments.
Still,Avowedwill indeed have darker places to explore, as some have already been revealed in the game’s trailers. Whether its darker environments have the same appeal that many of those from the role-playing and action-adventure genres do likely won’t be known until the game releases in the fall, but players should expect Obsidian to apply similar rules toAvowed’s worldthat it has with its past games.
Avowed
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger. Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.You are the envoy of Aedyr, a distant land, sent to investigate rumors of a spreading plague throughout the Living Lands - an island full of mysteries and secrets, danger and adventure, and choices and consequences, and untamed wilderness. You discover a personal connection to the Living Lands and an ancient secret that threatens to destroy everything. Can you save this unknown frontier and your soul from the forces threatening to tear them asunder?
