Eternity Avowed - Obsidian's first person action-RPG in the Pillars of Eternity setting

[Child of Malkav]

Not really. Starfield took 8 years to make. By nature of Game Pass MS needs a steady flow of new games added, from different genres and different tiers (AAA, AA, indies). For every Starfield there are many Pentiments and Citizen Sleepers needed.

And Pentiment received good press and players opinions, so it's a good edition to the wide catalogue. I doubt MS regrets spending pocket change on its production.

So this is meant to be a Game pass title? Weird strategy for MS. I guess game pass really makes them boatloads of money then.
Whatever, Obsidian's been long dead and they exist in name only to make mobile looking games. Worst timeline for games.

 

[Ryzer]

Is this the new expansion for Grounded?

 

[Readher]

Not really. Starfield took 8 years to make. By nature of Game Pass MS needs a steady flow of new games added, from different genres and different tiers (AAA, AA, indies). For every Starfield there are many Pentiments and Citizen Sleepers needed.

And Pentiment received good press and players opinions, so it's a good edition to the wide catalogue. I doubt MS regrets spending pocket change on its production.

So this is meant to be a Game pass title? Weird strategy for MS. I guess game pass really makes them boatloads of money then.
Whatever, Obsidian's been long dead and they exist in name only to make mobile looking games. Worst timeline for games.

Every game made by MS owned studio goes to Game Pass day one.

 

[Gandalf]

Some of this looks better than I've expected, especially enviroments, but it does rather feel weird with those sharp tooth guys. Not a fan of wand action. Looking like a modern age Oblivion's replacement.

 

[Ryzer]

Looking like a modern age Oblivion's replacement.

The holder of retardation finds a new champion!

 

[Elthosian]

Why would Feargus agree to being bought out if it didn't involve money? Why would they settle into a position that forces them to release every game on a service that's a few dollars a month day one if they aren't getting anything from it? You don't make any sense.

IDK but Avowed and TOW are not games that had MS resources poured into them. Sawyer also made Pentiment, a passion project. You don't get to do that if you work for MS. Starfield is what you have to make if you work for MS.

Not to defend Obsidian but wasn't Avowed that co-op project they were pitching around the time they were close to bankruptcy? IIRC they switched to open world after the acquisition and later on they scaled it down to something like The Outer Worlds in scope. Even with MS money behind I don't see how a project rebooted one/two times would end up as eye candy for the graphicswhores or even as a decent RPG.

Anyway, it would be a good thing actually if Microsoft studios continue to ditch the graphics tech race that is slowly killing the viability of Sony's projects that are not popamole shooters and Ubisoft wannabes. Now, if only Obsidian manages to do a good 'AA'-scale project...

 

[Ryzer]

Why would Feargus agree to being bought out if it didn't involve money? Why would they settle into a position that forces them to release every game on a service that's a few dollars a month day one if they aren't getting anything from it? You don't make any sense.

IDK but Avowed and TOW are not games that had MS resources poured into them. Sawyer also made Pentiment, a passion project. You don't get to do that if you work for MS. Starfield is what you have to make if you work for MS.

Now, if only Obsidian manages to do a good project...

 

[AwesomeButton]

Am i the only one that is worried for actual meat of the game rather than combat itself.

Well, they showcased ..."loadout swapping". If that's a highlight of character customization... rip.

I was planning to address this bit as well

Brace yourselves for the big bargaining of "but it's an action RPG!" and resulting flame wars to define "what is an action RPG".

 

[Ryzer]

Am i the only one that is worried for actual meat of the game rather than combat itself.

Well, they showcased ..."loadout swapping". If that's a highlight of character customization... rip.

I was planning to address this bit as well

Brace yourselves for the big bargaining of "but it's an action RPG!" and resulting flame wars to define "what is an action RPG".

It's an action game with stats, thus action RPG.

 

[Infinitron]

They're just not ready to show the user interface yet. It was the same way with TOW's first gameplay footage iirc. Harder to demonstrate "RPG elements" without a UI.

 

[Bulo]

Appalling choice of voice actors

 

[Bulo]

The Leaden Key? Sheeiit, I ain't done seen them cats fo a minute

 

[luj1]

They're just not ready to show the user interface yet.

T-t-they just aren't ready...

Shut up, shill.

 

[luj1]

After this embarassment (since apparently they cannot even please 50% of normies, which is crazy) Obsidian will dissolve like PB

 

[user]

They're just not ready to show the user interface yet. It was the same way with TOW's first gameplay footage iirc. Hard to demonstrate evidence of "RPG elements" without a UI.

They didn't really say anything about it either though, and one would expect that they would, had they created something remotely elaborate.
As far as I know it will have unrestricted ability trees and no PoE-like stats. This puts it on par with many pure action games and sounds more streamlined than Skyrim.
Hope I'm wrong, but they are not helping my optimism.

 

[Dishonoredbr]

After this embarassment (since apparently they cannot even please 50% of normies, which is crazy) Obsidian will dissolve like PB

You know.. I wouldn't feels too bad about nowdays. Outside of Josh Sawyer, there's not a single dev in there that can make something spectacular.

 

[luj1]

Outside of Josh Sawyer, there's not a single dev in there that can make something spectacular failures

 

[Kem0sabe]

The graphics and environments look much better, but the combat is still fucking terrible, no hit reactions, terrible animations.

 

[Reinhardt]

can we join xaurips and fight against negro colonizers?

 

[luj1]

And remember their masterful storytelling in poe1? You are sick, so sick that the caravan has to stop. But then you are sent to combat wolves to procure your own medicine! A twist worthy of M. Night Shyamalan?

Truly talentless shite.

I remember playing a Death Godlike (a freak of nature) in a supposed wretched world where soulless babies are born and people killed at birth, yet kids on the street were greeting me with "How may I be of assistance Sir?"

 

[Reinhardt]

Mods can fix this, right?

Yea as soon as they are done fixing Cyberpunk, BG3 and Starfield

at least games you listed actually has mods. no one even bothered to mod tow.

 

[Roguey]

Name an action RPG released in the last 10 years where you can do that.

Witcher 3

Some hacky thing thrown together in a DLC that rarely procs.

Name an action RPG released in the last 10 years where you can do that.

not an action RPG but you could do that in Dragon Age

2009.

According to the Codex, Dragon's Dogma is a 2016 release

Yeah, well it isn't. 2012.

Hogwarts Legacy? More of a bland Ubisandbox though.

There we go, one. Definitely not a common feature, and thus worthy of showcasing.

Imagine living in a world where Bioware makes better games than Obsidian. We have arrived there, at last.

You're only as good as your last one and Obsidian hasn't released anything as bad as Anthem. Also Dreadwolf looks absolutely dreadful.

And remember their masterful storytelling in poe1? You are sick, so sick that the caravan has to stop. But then you are sent to combat wolves to procure your own medicine! A twist worthy of M. Night Shyamalan?!!

That is not why the caravan stopped. A fallen tree blocked its progress. You're sent to get your own medicine with an armed escort because modern game design demands a tutorial to introduce the player to basic concepts people used to pick up just by playing the game and figuring things out on their own. The Chris Avellones of the world need this.

IDK but Avowed and TOW are not games that had MS resources poured into them. Sawyer also made Pentiment, a passion project. You don't get to do that if you work for MS. Starfield is what you have to make if you work for MS.

Obsidian has over 300 employees and Avowed has been in development for over five years. Bethesda has over 450 employees. Microsoft has spent a lot of money on Obsidian, the difference between the two is that Beth put all their money into one game (that started development in 2015), and Obsidian is dividing things between Avowed, The Outer Worlds 2, and their smaller gamepass-fodder projects (Grounded, Pentiment).

Guys, Avowed is more discussed here than on Obsidian's forums. I guess even the devs will be stalking this thread, because there are literally 5 (five) responses to the official thread created to discuss the "deep dive".

The Obsidian forums died years ago, though I do appreciate how Feargus thinks they're still worth keeping around (unlike Bioware who were very giddy to destroy their "toxic" forums).

 

[Reinhardt]

and Obsidian hasn't released anything as bad as Anthem.

or anything good at all. avatar of mediocrity.
to make something spectacularly bad you need some kind of talent too after all.

 

[BlackheartXIII]

Gabriel Paramo is the de facto gameplay director of Avowed since May 2022 (according to his LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriel-paramo-4696034)). here his mobygames profile https://www.mobygames.com/person/390217/gabriel-paramo/.

 

[luj1]

Wtf are those games lol