Eternity Avowed - Obsidian's first person action-RPG in the Pillars of Eternity setting - coming February 18th

[Delterius]

Two completely different introductions that set different moods.

It's true, but I think if we look at the first few hours of Deadfire, as a whole, we get a more complete picture of the moods of each game.

The sequel starts with the destruction of your land and the massacre of your people by a world eating giant. Having been killed yourself, you have a talk with God who offers you either oblivion or servitude in pursuing the same giant that destroyed your life. Resurrected, you have to fight you way through a pirate attack and survive a storm. Your ship ends up destroyed and half of your crew dead. So now you must explore a nearby colony, where dozens died due to flooding and many others had their souls eaten by the passing giant. Near the end of 'tutorial island', you must seek the part of your essence which the giant consumed. While doing so you have to push through or at least witness the screaming mass of the ghosts who used to call you liege lord. Finally, once your ship is repaired a suave would be Hernán Cortez asks you to humiliate and perhaps kill the pirate who attacked you in a zany mission filled with antics.

Deadfire never completely departs from PoE1's melancholy, it only approaches it from a different angle. Pillars 1 is a world with an atmosphere of perpetual mourning - all the children are dying or zombies now - and faces it with a stiff upper lip. Deadfire is faced with world ending despair - not just because of Eothas, but because of the upcoming war - and it copes with it with luxurious humor. Just as Pillars 1 will sometimes crack with sarcasm or vulgar humor, Deadfire is a sad clown whose make up melts from time to time when faced with things like the Gullet, the CIA assassinations, and the general misery of a thousand nations trapped between enslavement, war, and the gods fucking shit up.

Here in thirdworldia we often use the motto 'laugh so you don't cry'. To me that's Deadfire.

 

[Quillon]

I don't want to be reductive, but it's disappointing to see two studios (former codex darlings even!) making on surface level what appears to be:

1. A Bioshock Infinite clone
2. A Skyrim clone

Obs wishes they could clone Skyrim, hence they admitted they couldn't do it lol

I couldn't play much of Bloomshock Infinite cos of all the literal bloom fx in the game and I hate cartoony character art. Watching CR's trailer only 2 games came to mind for me: Arcanum for the setting and PoP: Warrior Within for time travel stuff. Who cares about Bioshock Infinite, what does it matter? it wasn't even an RPG, a lot of people said TOW was Infinite's clone also and it didn't matter one bit for its success or failure.

 

[Elttharion]

Also something that's arguably absent for over a decade. The last Obsidian game that most people can agree on for having good writing is F:NV.

Otherwise it's a toss up. Unlike most of Codex, I didn't hate Tyranny. I actually think the writing is relatively solid for the main plot and a few of the characters.

My issue with Tyranny was the size of the content and the proposal not delivering what in theory meant. Be a villain a tyrant. Otherwise the game is all right.

Tyranny lures you in with the premise of being a bureaucratic cog for an invading empire who is now tasked with establishing some kind of order in a territory freshly fucked by two rurly warbands only for it to immediately deteriorate into dungeon crawling antics and a insipid plot about obtaining godlike powers and defeating the dark evil.
Within mere hours all it's novelties are reduced to aesthetics and your left with a lame and brazenly unfinished BG imitation, I'll never understand the apologists.

I'm not sure if the claims that Tyranny ran out of money/time are true, but the game is very indicative of modern committee-written games. That is to say, the quality of the writing varied wildly.

What Tyranny does right are elements of its worldbuilding and setting it in the bronze age, with strong Greek (?) city-state influence. But even from the start, the dialogue and character writing (especially the companions) suffered what I'll call fish-out-of-water syndrome.

They clearly did not belong in the harsh world they supposedly are a part of. They are instead character tropes that modern audiences can understand and sympathize with.

More grimdark needed.

I was interested in Tyranny when a friend described the game to me and it reminded me immediately of the Black Company. You serving an evil overlord hellbent on world conquest, powerful magical beings enslaved in the service to this overlord, a brutal resistance by the locals, you could join a faction of professional soldiers and eventually rebel against your master, etc, etc. Unfortunately as you said the game suffers from uneven writing and out of place characters. Very soon the gritty setting I expected became a huge disappointment.

It was an interesting premise and could have been a much better game if it had better writters/devs, more time and a bigger budget.

 

[Roguey]

I'm not sure if the claims that Tyranny ran out of money/time are true, but the game is very indicative of modern committee-written games. That is to say, the quality of the writing varied wildly.

Avellone confirmed it, Feargus raided the Tyranny budget to finish Pillars. The art books show an "act iv" and "act v" that don't exist in the game itself.

What Tyranny does right are elements of its worldbuilding and setting it in the bronze age, with strong Greek (?) city-state influence. But even from the start, the dialogue and character writing (especially the companions) suffered what I'll call fish-out-of-water syndrome.

They clearly did not belong in the harsh world they supposedly are a part of. They are instead character tropes that modern audiences can understand and sympathize with.

More grimdark needed.

Eh, I disagree. All the companions were rotten, selfish people. They're just friendly to you, the person who has power over them.

 

[jf8350143]

They mentioned there will be returning characters from Deadfire in avowed.

So the game probably happened after the ending of Deadfire and chances are one of the gods is at it again, using plauge to harvest power so they won't die out.

 

[HoboForEternity]

They mentioned there will be returning characters from Deadfire in avowed.

So the game should happened after the ending of Deadfire and chances are the one of the gods are at it again, using plauge to harvest power so they won't die out.

That actually made me more interested in that game. Just to see where do they go with it.

 

[Readher]

1. A Bioshock Infinite clone
2. A Skyrim clone

If it was actually a Skyrim clone, I'd be excited. This game won't even come close to Skyrim. Bethesda games are great because they have serviceable writing (with the exception of FO4 imo), interesting worlds with good environmental storytelling, a bunch of fun base systems, and extensive modability that allows you to shape the game to your own unique experience. Skyrim with a bunch of survival-oriented mods is better than a lot of dedicated survival games, while also offering some RPG elements not found in those games.

• If TOW is any indicator, the writing will be worse than Bethesda's. Bethesda seems to know that they don't really have the capability to have great writing, so instead they focus on it being inoffensive. You rarely think it's good, but you also rarely think it's bad. It's just kind of there. This is in contrast with nu-Obsidian where parts of great writing are constantly contrasted with bad writing and long snoozefests that pull you out of the experience.
• I didn't find PoE's world interesting at all with its retarded names and all, and judging by the sales of Deadfire, neither did a lot of other people, so that's another L for Obsidian.
• Environmental storytelling should be fine, but I think the fact the world won't be as interactive as in Bethesda games when it comes to moving items, etc. will make it less "effective".
• Base systems are pretty much a total unknown at this point, but I can't see them coming anywhere close to Starfield. Matching Skyrim is the best they can hope for.
• No hope of matching the modding of any Bethesda game.

So yeah, just like everyone was expecting New Vegas from TOW and then excused the shortcomings with "it's an AA title" (was $60 by the way), everyone is expecting Skyrim now (it's over 10 years old at this point), and Obsidian has MS money and no supervision that orders them what to do, so there are no excuses this time. I'd like to hope this will finally be the game that makes people realize that the studio that made New Vegas no longer exists, but from what I've seen of Obsidiots on plebbit, they'll just find some other bullshit excuse and keep slurping the slop.

 

[v1c70r14]

I couldn't play much of Bloomshock Infinite cos of all the literal bloom fx in the game and I hate cartoony character art. Watching CR's trailer only 2 games came to mind for me: Arcanum for the setting and PoP: Warrior Within for time travel stuff. Who cares about Bioshock Infinite, what does it matter?

I know we have our share of favela monkeys, poletard kneelers and brownadians on this forum but there is no way you could be serious about Cuckwork Revolting being anything like Arcanum, and not seeing it for the Bioshock Infinite ripoff it is. Bioshock Infinite came out in 2013 and still looks better than this cheap knockoff. It's not even a believable trollpost since nobody could think these two games look the same.

While thinking these two have nothing to do with one another.

 

[0sacred]

The trailer has an absence of virtually everything because they don't have a game yet, dude.

still not a reason to buy into the hype, or claim that Obsidian Writing™ will fix it all

Also, they've been working on this game for how long? and you think they don't have any RPG elements to show for yet? And you're sure it will get better?

 

[Roguey]

Bioshock Infinite came out in 2013 and still looks better than this cheap knockoff

Ken Levine put his artists through hell to get ~perfect~ art and they all hated and resented him for it. Nothing's going to look better than it at what it's trying to do.

It's been clear since Wasteland 2 that the inXile philosophy is "good enough is good enough (and sometimes not good enough is good enough too)" Recent glassdoor reviews show that the devs are very satisfied with their current management.

 

[Quillon]

I know we have our share of favela monkeys, poletard kneelers and brownadians on this forum but there is no way you could be serious about Cuckwork Revolting being anything like Arcanum, and not seeing it for the Bioshock Infinite ripoff it is. Bioshock Infinite came out in 2013 and still looks better than this cheap knockoff. It's not even a believable trollpost since nobody could think these two games look the same.

Maybe Arcanum woulda looked similar if they made a 3D sequel? Have Bloomshock Infinite patented the art style?

I don't see child sized grown women and literal triangle shaped men thrice the size of such women all with cartoony faces in CR that's enough of a difference for me + there is no overblown bloom effect, rest of it is on the game itself to be good or bad.

Just tell me this, why does CR looking similar to Bloomshock bother you so much personally?

 

[ArchAngel]

They mentioned there will be returning characters from Deadfire in avowed.

So the game probably happened after the ending of Deadfire and chances are one of the gods is at it again, using plauge to harvest power so they won't die out.

Does not have to be. They could be adventures of those characters before happenings in Deadfire

 

[FreeKaner]

Awavered and clockwork imitation. That's what Obsidian and inXile are doing now, just releasing games into a hole left empty by Bethesda and 2K, as basically knockoffs.

 

[whydoibother]

Awavered and clockwork imitation. That's what Obsidian and inXile are doing now, just releasing games into a hole left empty by Bethesda and 2K, as basically knockoffs.

To be fair, its in Obsidian's niche to do that: New Vegas and Neverwinter Nights 2 are mercenary sequels.

 

[v1c70r14]

It's been clear since Wasteland 2 that the inXile philosophy is "good enough is good enough (and sometimes not good enough is good enough too)"

If you're going to coast by on the bare minimum effort it's real stupid to copy a game with an iconic look to it, isn't it? It still looks like the cheap Chinese developed phone game version of Bioshock Infinite to me and you can go meh yourself.

 

[Roguey]

Awavered and clockwork imitation. That's what Obsidian and inXile are doing now, just releasing games into a hole left empty by Bethesda and 2K, as basically knockoffs.

Feargus and Carrie went on a press tour to say it isn't Skyrim. It's Greedfall: Obsidian Edition.

 

[La vie sexuelle]

Awavered and clockwork imitation. That's what Obsidian and inXile are doing now, just releasing games into a hole left empty by Bethesda and 2K, as basically knockoffs.

Feargus and Carrie went on a press tour to say it isn't Skyrim. It's Greedfall: Obsidian Edition.

Congratulations! It isn't bulimia! It's a cancer!

 

[duskvile]

Feargus and Carrie went on a press tour to say it isn't Skyrim. It's Greedfall: Obsidian Edition.

Remember that Obsidian almost made 3rd perrson RPG called Stormlands. I think Avowed is gonna be something evolved and unique.

 

[La vie sexuelle]

Feargus and Carrie went on a press tour to say it isn't Skyrim. It's Greedfall: Obsidian Edition.

Remember that Obsidian almost made 3rd perrson RPG called Stormlands. I think Avowed is gonna be something evolved and unique.

Different times, different Obsidian. Don't count on more than Fantasy Outer Words.

 

[v1c70r14]

Feargus and Carrie went on a press tour to say it isn't Skyrim. It's Greedfall: Obsidian Edition.

Remember that Obsidian almost made 3rd perrson RPG called Stormlands. I think Avowed is gonna be something evolved and unique.

Different times, different Obsidian. Don't count on more than Fantasy Outer Words.

Why is it so hard to understand that corporations are made up of people that come and go and that the branding means little? In other industries there is some effort taken to retain the good reputation of a brand or the high status of a renowned atelier and perhaps this is why people assume the same to be true for game developers. Everyone knows monsieur Avellone is gone and he hasn't taught his craft to a successor at the place, but so many others left and they didn't pass it on either. It has very little to do with that upstart developer that made Alpha Protocol.

 

[scytheavatar]

Wasn't really impressed by the trailer. If I had seen this a decade ago it wouldn't have looked impressive in terms of graphical fidelity.

I was watching Cohh who was watching IGN after the xbox presentation; some dude at IGN said the obvious that it looks like MS is investing in Inxile much more than Obs and that one'd have thought it woulda been the other way around. Which you can tell by looking at both games' production quality from the trailers, so either MS has been believing in InXile more for some reason or Obs fucked it up with access to same MS resources. Whadaya guyz think?

Ask yourself what sounds more exciting: a Bioshock Infinite clone or a medieval version of The Outer Worlds. Then it should be obvious which game deserves more hype.

 

[Roguey]

Congratulations! It isn't bulimia! It's a cancer!

Chris Avellone undoubtedly approves of this move though.

The indications from Obs. is that Chris Parker is calling the shots for the next "AAA" project (his shallow take: "hey, I get to make Skyrim!"), so I'm already done even if ol' "hope my employees guess frame of mind today" Chris Parker's management style wastes countless dollars and time. (To his defense, he learned this shit-stained argument from Fergie McFerg who would change his mind on a daily basis and not tell anyone - but what I can't condone from Parker is how pig-eager he embraced it, and also, how he was the best person to... "realize" it. Cue sad trombones - all of them, everywhere.)

But in terms of money vs. time: MS has the former (dollars) to spare... the best part, is the secondary part, time, which is a FAR more rare resource for MS.

Eventually, regardless of terrible producer/exec producer* demands, you need to deliver on something players want/may want... and I'd never want to play a Chris Parker-inspired game, esp. if it was one Fergus agreed to... without profanity.

https://twitter.com/ChrisAvellone/status/1051209094483206144

I have read Patel's Buried Life and enjoyed it, however, so I do like her writing.

 

[La vie sexuelle]

Congratulations! It isn't bulimia! It's a cancer!

Chris Avellone undoubtedly approves of this move though.

The indications from Obs. is that Chris Parker is calling the shots for the next "AAA" project (his shallow take: "hey, I get to make Skyrim!"), so I'm already done even if ol' "hope my employees guess frame of mind today" Chris Parker's management style wastes countless dollars and time. (To his defense, he learned this shit-stained argument from Fergie McFerg who would change his mind on a daily basis and not tell anyone - but what I can't condone from Parker is how pig-eager he embraced it, and also, how he was the best person to... "realize" it. Cue sad trombones - all of them, everywhere.)

But in terms of money vs. time: MS has the former (dollars) to spare... the best part, is the secondary part, time, which is a FAR more rare resource for MS.

Eventually, regardless of terrible producer/exec producer* demands, you need to deliver on something players want/may want... and I'd never want to play a Chris Parker-inspired game, esp. if it was one Fergus agreed to... without profanity.

https://twitter.com/ChrisAvellone/status/1051209094483206144

I have read Patel's Buried Life and enjoyed it, however, so I do like her writing.

I think Chris in different place that he was in 2018. Now he can be sincere.

 

[notpl]

The trailer has an absence of virtually everything because they don't have a game yet, dude.

still not a reason to buy into the hype, or claim that Obsidian Writing™ will fix it all

Also, they've been working on this game for how long? and you think they don't have any RPG elements to show for yet? And you're sure it will get better?

I said no such thing.

 

[Delterius]

(To his defense, he learned this shit-stained argument from Fergie McFerg who would change his mind on a daily basis and not tell anyone - but what I can't condone from Parker is how pig-eager he embraced it, and also, how he was the best person to... "realize" it. Cue sad trombones - all of them, everywhere.)

what the fuck obsidian should be imitating bioshock, not inxile