The Outer Worlds was a breakthrough release for Obsidian Entertainment. After spending years working on smaller-scale titles, the Irvine-based developer finally created a new AAA first-person RPG, the first from the company since the launch of 2010's Fallout: New Vegas. Although the game wasn't the Fallout New Vegas 2 that many fans had hoped for, The Outer Worlds was still, in many ways, Obsidian's answer to the Fallout franchise. It shared a lot of the same dark humor as the post-apocalyptic series, and it was violent and choice-driven, like many of the company's previous works. The Outer Worlds did receive criticism from some corners of the internet, but it was nonetheless a big hit for Obsidian, both critically and commercially.
More than five years after the launch of The Outer Worlds, Obsidian is gearing up to release its next AAA RPG: Avowed. This highly-anticipated title, which is scheduled to release on Xbox Series X/S and Windows PC in February 2025, is a new, fantasy first-person RPG that's filled with guns and magic. Despite being similar in scope, the two games are quite different in a few respects, like setting and combat design. The Outer Worlds can, however, distinguish itself even further if Obsidian takes the franchise on the opposite path that Avowed took.

2025 is a Big Year for Obsidian Entertainment
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The Outer Worlds Could Go in a Completely Different Direction than Avowed
Avowed is Part of the Pillars of Eternity Series, Which Mostly Consists of Isometric CRPGs
Judging by its name, one may think that Avowed is a new IP. In fact, just by looking at some gameplay screenshots, those out of the loop would probably conclude that the game isn't part of any existing multimedia franchise and is just its own standalone experience. However, that is not the case. It may surprise some gamers to learn this, but Avowed is actually a spin-off of the Pillars of Eternity franchise, which was created by Obsidian Entertainment.
Pillars of Eternity isn't as well-known as IPs like The Elder Scrolls or Fallout, but it's still a noteworthy franchise in the overall gaming sphere. The series, up to this point, only consists of two games: Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire. Both titles were released on modern platforms during the mid-2010s, and they were isometric CRPGs that featured real-time-with-pause combat. The Pillars of Eternity franchise was heavily inspired by the Baldur's Gate games (BG1 and 2, to be exact), which is evident just by looking at its combat and roleplaying mechanics.
Pillars of Eternity 1 and 2 were both critically acclaimed, but they unfortunately weren't as successful as some of Obsidian's prior works. The second game, in particular, failed to meet the company's sales expectations, perhaps because of its niche appeal. Deadfire's lack of commercial success may explain why Obsidian is taking such a drastically different approach to the Pillars of Eternity gameplay formula with Avowed. By making it a first-person title instead of an isometric one, the game can appeal to a broader audience, particularly gamers who are fans of Fallout: New Vegas, The Outer Worlds, and other first-person RPGs.
Obsidian Should Make an Isometric CRPG Spin-Off of The Outer Worlds Franchise
Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire may have underperformed back in the day, but now that CRPGs are more popular than ever thanks to the release of Baldur's Gate 3, it may be a good idea for Obsidian to return to the genre at some point. Perhaps instead of making a new mainline Pillars of Eternity installment, though, it could develop an isometric Outer Worlds game instead. Given the strong demand for choice-driven, isometric RPGs at the moment, taking the polar opposite approach compared to what Obsidian is doing with Avowed would make a lot of sense. A computer role-playing game spin-off set in the world of The Outer Worlds franchise could also fill the void for fans of the classic, Interplay-published Fallout RPGs, if handled properly.
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