Avowed Can't Forget to Put Its Banner IP Front and Center

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Avowed

By J. Scott Thurlow

Published May 2, 2024

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Summary

Avowed by Obsidian Entertainment draws on Pillars of Eternity lore for a new high fantasy experience in a familiar FPS open-world design.
While Avowed doesn't require knowledge of Pillars of Eternity, it should honor its heritage to enrich the story and experience for fans both old and new.
With ties to elements like the Aedyr Empire and the Living Lands, Avowed can weave Pillars of Eternity roots into its gameplay and narrative seamlessly.

Obsidian Entertainment's Avowed is set to bring fans into its high fantasy world later this year. While some have noted its surface similarities to games like Skyrim, Avowed is based on the studio's CRPG Pillars of Eternity and its sequel, Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire in terms of its setting, history, and lore. The Pillars games were slightly more outside Obsidian's usual territory, at least compared to previous efforts like Fallout: New Vegas and its sci-fi outing, The Outer Worlds. Avowed, though, promises to combine the Pillars setting with more familiar FPS open-world design and stylings to create a new experience within it.

Obsidian has previously noted that it won't be necessary for fans to have played Pillars of Eternity to enjoy Avowed. And though this is a good decision to welcome newcomers interested in Avowed's other offerings without having to have extensive knowledge of existing events and characters, it also should take care not to forget its debt to Pillars and the elaborate world-building already in place that informs many of Avowed's jumping off points.

Avowed is set for a Fall 2024 release as of now.

Avowed: Every Feature Confirmed So Far

There are plenty of confirmed features to look forward to in Avowed, including many that are fairly typical for a game by Obsidian Entertainment.

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Avowed Should Ensure its Pillars of Eternity Heritage is At its Forefront

Pillars of Eternity Laid the Groundwork for Avowed

Pillars of Eternity's setting of Eora, while broadly recognizable in a general sense, also goes to some stranger and more unique places within the fantasy genre. Many of the established facets and details in Pillars, like the source of magic, the mechanism by which it functions and how this relates to its cultures and factions, are intricately set up and will thus likely be prevalent to some degree in Avowed. The PoE titles contain some deep threads and plot elements, a number of which have possible implications for Avowed's greater tale.

For example, the Aedyr Empire, which is stated to be playing a prominent role in Avowed, is a major faction within Pillars of Eternity that also played a large part in shaping Eora's history. Then there is the issue of the massive cliffhanger at the conclusion of Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire, which has yet to be addressed. While it's uncertain currently in what era of Eora Avowed will take place, this nevertheless is a significant event that could be incorporated or touched upon in some way, even if Avowed won't otherwise be directly tied to it. But it will surely contain other connections, both great and small, which will ostensibly serve to strengthen the relationship between them.

How Avowed May Incorporate its Pillars of Eternity Roots

Avowed's framework will thrust players into the role of "an envoy of Aedyr sent to investigate rumors of a spreading plague with a secret that threatens to destroy everything." This is immediately a strong link to at least one PoE element via the Empire. Another notable aspect is Avowed taking place in the area known as the Living Lands, which is referenced briefly in Pillars of Eternity. This is a previously unseen and potentially quite dangerous region of Eora, and Avowed is likely to greatly expand upon it as well as a host of related inclusions.

Obsidian has a bit of a balancing act to perform with Avowed in this regard. While it can't overwhelm or alienate new fans, it also shouldn't play things too safe by risking undermining the studio's efforts that have already gone into creating Eora, and thus end up feeling almost entirely separate. Instead, Avowed will hopefully incorporate these elements in a way that naturally complements the Pillars of Eternity titles, putting them on clear display by offering further intriguing insights into both, and leading to Avowed possibly elevating Pillars of Eternity at the same time.