Avowedis set in the world of the studio’sPillars of Eternitygames, though the new title will shift the franchise from an isometric format to anElder Scrolls-style first-person perspective. Players then explore the Living Lands, an ecologically diverse frontier in the far north of the world. Many RPG fans have high hopes for the game, with Obsidian having developed fan-favorite titles fromFallout: New VegastoThe Outer Worlds.
The Elder Scrolls 6was announced back in 2018, but since then Bethesda has released little news about the game. ThoughTES6’s release date remains unannounced, it has been confirmed that the game will not release until afterStarfield, the studio’s new IP.Elder Scrollsfans who are hoping thatAvowedwill tide them over may find one key difference betweenThe Elder Scrollsand Obsidian’s RPG design though.
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Complicated Companion Characters
Skyrim’s followersare relatively barebones, even for a game released in 2011. Compared to 2010’sFallout: New Vegas, Skyrim has far more characters who can be recruited as followers, but with far fewer unique lines, quests, and with next to no engagement withSkyrim’s main story or any other major questlines. Even the recruitable followers with the most story like Aela the Huntress or Cicero have stories which are completely independent of their journeys with the player.
Skyrimhas over 40 recruitable followers, whileNew Vegashas just 8, allowing Obsidian to develop those characters in far greater depth.New Vegascompanionslike Cass and ED-E don’t just have missions that have to be completed before their recruitment but have continuing storylines that reveal more about their characters. Though some characters inSkyrimhave pre-recruitment quests, few continue to have storylines once available as followers.
In some waysSkyrim’s lack of follower depth complements the game’s broader design.Skyrimprioritizes freedom above all else, and the range and flexibility of its follower characters allows them to blend in no matter who the player wants to roleplay as, while inNew Vegascharacters like Boone are incompatible with roleplaying decisions like joining the Legion for story reasons. Without its focus on player freedom it’s unlikely that the game would have achieved the replay-value orlongevitySkyrimhas enjoyed, even as the game approaches its 10-year anniversary. Based on Obsidian’s past games, however, it’s unlikely thatAvowed’s companion characters will followSkyrim’s freedom-focused design.
Obsidian’s RPGs fromPillars of EternitytoThe Outer Worldshave focused on a smaller but more developed cast of secondary characters with unique lines and greater integration into the game’s main plot. Bethesda has also done this more sinceSkyrim, withFallout 4’s follower characterslike Nick Valentine having their own quests and character development.
In Obsidian RPGs likeThe Outer Worlds,fans are expected to encounter the majority of their potential companions, with each follower getting their own wrap-up in the main quest’s epilogue. This has not been the case inThe Elder Scrollsgames so far, and though it’s possible that the next game will followFallout 4’s lead,Avowedis slated for release several years beforeThe Elder Scrolls 6and could impact the direction Bethesda goes in.
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Other Follower Features
Companion characters aren’t the only likely difference betweenSkyrimandAvowed. Based on otherObsidian RPGs, it’s more likely thatAvowedwill have a greater focus on its main quest thanSkyrimdoes, and despite its open world, Obsidian’s past games suggest that it’s more likely thatAvowedwill block off its world after the main quest is completed, though this is far from certain.
Having a smaller cast of well-developed companions also makes some other elements likely to appear inAvowed. It’s more likely that players will have a base where they can find all of their companions who aren’t currently following them, for example. InThe Outer Worlds,this was the ship the Unreliable; inPillars of Eternity,it was Caed Nua; inPillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire,it was the Defiant; and inNew Vegas,it was the Lucky 38 Casino. WhileSkyrim’s companions return to the location of their recruitment and rarely have opportunities to interact, it’s likely that Obsidian’s companion design will allow for followers to have relationships with one another in the story, not just the player.
Risks And Rewards For Avowed
There’s an argument to be made that Obsidian’s follower design comes with risks in an open-world RPG. While character-drivengames like BioWare’sMass Effectseries are able to make the most out of well-developed companion characters thanks to the clearer characterization of their protagonists, the followers in games likeThe Outer Worldscan highlight just how much of a blank slate the player character is to the detriment of immersion.
InSkyrim, the player is encouraged to imagine almost everything about their character’s history and internal life, and the game’s lack of developed followers encourages a similar mindset with the game’s secondary characters. While few ofSkyrim’s followers have much story to speak of, the sheer breadth of companions that this allows the game to have shouldn’t be dismissed, and with players already relying on their own imaginations when it comes tothe Dragonborn, the amount of followers in the game helps give greater variety to eachSkyrimplaythrough than a game likeNew VegasorThe Outer Worldshas.
It’s possible that ifAvowed’s companions resemble those in other Obsidian games, the upcoming title will have less replay value thanSkyrim. Few games, however, can hope to match the longevity ofThe Elder Scrolls 5, and a more in-depth focus on character could helpAvoweddistinguish its style fromThe Elder Scrollsand step out ofSkyrim’s shadow to make its own mark on the genre.
Avowedis in development for PC and Xbox Series X.
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