Avowedis officially coming next year, and the latest huge RPG from Obsidian Entertainment is looking to be the culmination of nearly a decade of hard work from theFallout: New Vegasdeveloper. This is due to the fact that, whileAvowedis a brand-new title, it is actually a bold continuation of Obsidian’sPillars of Eternityfranchise. With the originalPillarshaving launched all the way back in 2015 and a sequel following in 2018, the prolific RPG studio has had ample time to develop the deep lore that serves as the foundation for its newest flagship fantasy world.
An isometric RPG made for fans of vintage classics of the genre likeBaldur’s Gate,Pillars of Eternityis a far cry from the first-person action seen inAvowed’s gameplay reveal. While this new perspective and interpretation of the world of Eora is already enough of a departure to earn interest from players, Obsidian has taken exploration even further by focusing on a previously unseen place.Pillars of Eternity 2would take to the waters of the Deadfire Archipelago, still leaving much of the world to be realized. It was expected that a follow-up would go somewhere new, but players couldn’t have predicted how far the studio would go in terms of distance and game direction.
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Avowed is Set in the Untamed Expanse of The Living Lands
A first-person RPG is no new venture for the Obsidian, butAvowedis set to adapt the races and powers of the isometricPillarsduology into fully rendered action for the first time ever. The setting ofAvowedshows a similar departure through its sheer isolation from the other continents, The Living Lands. Located all the way at the top ofPillars' northern Eora, The Living Lands is a wild, abundant, and strange island that seems to be deeply tied to nature.
Vestiges of knowledge in the previous games described the island as dominated by harsh elements and diverse flora ranging from venomous weeds to the oldest tree in the world. In accordance with this ecological reputation, The Living Lands was also stated to be infamous for the savagery of its lawless people.
The new game world looks to be the perfect setting for an RPG outing, given the diverse environments across The Living Lands provide many opportunities for memorable areas that players can adventure through. The player character ofAvowedis set to be an envoy of the Aedyr Empire sent to investigate an unknown plague spreading through The Living Lands, a natural transition from the setting of the originalPillars.
This falls in line with Obsidian’s supposed shying away from some modern tropes like the industry’s focus on open-world design, as the studio has focused onAvowed’s traditional RPG concepts. Decisions like having mandatory party companions that are a part of the story show that The Living Lands is set to be fleshed out not primarily through exploration and discovery, but a developed and defined narrative laid out for the player.
Being depicted in full for the first time, The Living Lands is set to have its lore truly expanded for the first time inAvowed. There is not much known about the continent beyond previous lore, but its appearance duringAvowed’s trailer at theXbox Games Showcase 2023presented players with many new details.
In accordance with what had been established about The Living Lands, areas shown included dense forests, dry mountainous climates, and even what appeared to be colorful, mysterious biomes peppered with glowing mushroom-esque fauna. Somehow all of these biomes coexist on one huge land mass, and even sinister presences seem to have found their way in.
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The Living Lands’ Plague Could Be Tied to the Deities
Some fans of the series managed to notice references to the deities ofPillars of Eternityall the way back duringAvowed’s initial reveal trailer, and these call-backs could be major signs of the direction of the plot detailed within the same trailer. In a scene depicting a castle wall, banners of a certain symbol are shown, with symbols again being shown on the sword of the player character later. While they could have just been unimportant fantasy-styled chicken scratch, Obsidian actually took the care to give these sigils deep lore value.
By representing thePillars of Eternity’s nature deity Woedica, these symbols hint at the appropriate connection between the god and The Living Lands. With The Living Lands having such a strong presence of wild biomes and untamed wildlife, it only seems proper that she would have such a strong grip on this bastion of nature.
Woedica’s potential relevance inAvowedwould highlight the narrative complexity of thePillarssaga as a whole, however, due to the fact that the deity was actually an antagonistic force in the originalPillars of Eternity. With her scorned, lonely personality among the othergods ofAvowed, Woedica truly embodies nature through her duality and could hint at how the deities might play a role in the game’s theme of duality. When looking for explanations of the story’s plague, players need to look no further than the pestilent, bleak deity known as Rymrgand.
Still shrouded in much mystery ahead ofAvowed’s 2024 release, the RPG’s setting of The Living Lands is set to likely be the most fascinating setting of thePillars of Eternityseries yet. While its natural phenomenon and horrifying plague already set the stage for an expansive and perilous journey, the rest of the signature magical and political elements Obsidian established in prior games are sure to makeAvowed’s setting one of the most distinct in recent memory.
Bright colors and traditional fantasy visuals evoke a sense of wholesomeness in the modern era dominated by darker, more “realistic” looking RPGs likeElden Ring, showingObsidian Entertainment’s dedication to creating its own unique vision no matter the state of the surrounding industry. Having come a long way from the originalPillars of Eternity’s beginning as a Kickstarter campaign, this series built on love from fans will feature its most realized world yet whenAvowedlaunches next year.
Avowedreleases in 2024 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
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