Xbox Avowed

[Gee]

Obsidian Announces The Outer Worlds 2 and Brings Largest Update to Grounded - Xbox Wire

For those who are wondering about Avowed, the team is hard at work making something we’re sure fans of our games and the Pillars of Eternity universe are going to love. While we are not showing anything right now, we are looking forward to showing off what we have been working on soon.

 

[Iceman]

Obsidian Announces The Outer Worlds 2 and Brings Largest Update to Grounded - Xbox Wire

It was heavily rumoured to be a no show so I wasn’t disappointed but still I want to see the progress they’ve made on this as soon as possible. Hopefully it’s better than Skyrim!

 

[Gee]

Reading about some spells from the PoE games, like Jolting Touch, being available in this makes me feel giddy.

 

[Iceman]

Reading about some spells from the PoE games, like Jolting Touch, being available in this makes me feel giddy.

I love everything I’m hearing on Avowed. This will be Obsidian finally unleashed on full AAA fantasy RPG with a mega-budget and freedom to do what they want. Like a dream for me haha. It should set a high bar for ES6 to clear.

 

[Iceman]

 

[Deck Rickard]

I started playing the Pillars of Eternity games on GamePass and I’m getting really excited for this. Obsidian is building a pretty rich fantasy world here and this looks to be their Skyrim (they’ve been quick to note the differences between this and Skyrim but it definitely has that feel to it and I mean that in a good way). I hope it comes out early in 2024 because I need a new fantasy action RPG to sink my teeth into. Between this, the Gothic remake and Dragon Age Dreadwolf, 2024 looks to be a great year for my personal favorite game genre!

 

[Iceman]

I started playing the Pillars of Eternity games on GamePass and I’m getting really excited for this. Obsidian is building a pretty rich fantasy world here and this looks to be their Skyrim (they’ve been quick to note the differences between this and Skyrim but it definitely has that feel to it and I mean that in a good way). I hope it comes out early in 2024 because I need a new fantasy action RPG to sink my teeth into. Between this, the Gothic remake and Dragon Age Dreadwolf, 2024 looks to be a great year for my personal favorite game genre!

I’m massively looking forward to this. I love Obsidian and I also love this genre!

 

[Gee]

I started playing the Pillars of Eternity games on GamePass and I’m getting really excited for this.

Great games. It sucks that PoE 2 was a commercial flop. Hopefully under Microsoft they'll get to do a third game.

Speaking of which...

Josh Sawyer would like to make Pillars of Eternity 3, but only if he got a Baldur's Gate 3-sized budget

Obsidian's studio design director also said he might want to return to Pentiment someday, but not anytime soon.

www.pcgamer.com

 

[Iceman]

Great games. It sucks that PoE 2 was a commercial flop. Hopefully under Microsoft they'll get to do a third game.

Speaking of which...

Josh Sawyer would like to make Pillars of Eternity 3, but only if he got a Baldur's Gate 3-sized budget

Obsidian's studio design director also said he might want to return to Pentiment someday, but not anytime soon.

www.pcgamer.com

PoE 2 on a BG3 budget could be amazing! Sawyer seems to have a pretty good deal going where he can make projects like Pentiment when he wants to without having to worry about sales. I'd greenlight whatever he wants lol.

 

[Iceman]

Can’t wait to see a proper deep dive into this one on Thursday.

Xbox to Present Developer_Direct, Returning on January 18 - Xbox Wire

You’re about to get an exciting look at some of the incredible games ahead with Xbox, as we present a new edition of Developer_Direct on Thursday, January 18.

news.xbox.com

 

[Gee]

So, a 3D Pillars of Eternity... Looks like I'll be going dual wielding wands on my first playthrough.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Gotta say… I’m not loving what they showed. The melee combat just looks awkward and weird. Maybe it will feel better in game, I don’t know. But it just makes me wish there was a third-person mode. The wand is straight out of Harry Potter and looks especially silly. There’s a reason why Skyrim, Dragon Age, Elden Ring, etc. use staves instead of wands for magic. They just look cooler.

The landscapes look cool at least. But a lot of the criticisms about the game looking dated after that trailer in 2023 were spot on. Also, the characters look really uncanny valley. That was one of the issues I had with Outer Worlds and it’s disappointing that Obsidian hasn’t improved upon that.

I’m sure it will be good from a narrative standpoint and maybe that’s what matters most. But with Dragon’s Dogma 2, Crimson Desert and other fantasy games coming out that look much, much better IMO, it will be hard for this one to stand out.

 

[Iceman]

 

[Iceman]

 

[Deck Rickard]

This footage looks a bit better than what they showed earlier this year. The freeze magic effects look really goofy but some of the actual spell casting (when not using a wand) looks cool. I do think that for a next-gen game, the graphics don’t look like they’re at that level but I’m hoping for the best. However, given how often gamers s*** on Bethesda, BioWare, etc. for their graphics and gameplay, I don’t think Obsidian should continue to get a pass on those areas just because nEw VeGaS hAd ThE bEsT sToRy EvEr. It’s time Obsidian made a game that looks and feels modern.

 

[Iceman]

This footage looks a bit better than what they showed earlier this year. The freeze magic effects look really goofy but some of the actual spell casting (when not using a wand) looks cool. I do think that for a next-gen game, the graphics don’t look like they’re at that level but I’m hoping for the best. However, given how often gamers s*** on Bethesda, BioWare, etc. for their graphics and gameplay, I don’t think Obsidian should continue to get a pass on those areas just because nEw VeGaS hAd ThE bEsT sToRy EvEr. It’s time Obsidian made a game that looks and feels modern.

Obsidian do tend to operate a rung lower than the best on presentation aspects almost as fits the level of ambition they choose to work with to fit how they enjoy making games (with a bit less pressure I guess). They do seem to be able to work on quite a few different things simultaneously for a studio their size and I’m a fan despite the fact that their games could do with a makeover to make that step up to join the elite.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Obsidian do tend to operate a rung lower than the best on presentation aspects almost as fits the level of ambition they choose to work with to fit how they enjoy making games (with a bit less pressure I guess). They do seem to be able to work on quite a few different things simultaneously for a studio their size and I’m a fan despite the fact that their games could do with a makeover to make that step up to join the elite.

Yeah, their games are very good overall and I don’t want to knock them too much. I really hope Avowed turns out to be something special; expanding the Pillars universe certainly bodes well for the game. They crafted some really interesting lore with those games and hopefully Avowed build upon that. Since it will probably another 20 years before Bethesda releases Elder Scrolls 6, I need something else to tide me over in that department.

 

[Iceman]

Yeah, their games are very good overall and I don’t want to knock them too much. I really hope Avowed turns out to be something special; expanding the Pillars universe certainly bodes well for the game. They crafted some really interesting lore with those games and hopefully Avowed build upon that. Since it will probably another 20 years before Bethesda releases Elder Scrolls 6, I need something else to tide me over in that department.

I'm a fan but I totally get what you mean. I'd love if they could give over their games once done to an elite finishing department.

Guess they just prioritise other areas and like being a quirky studio who focus on the elements they like most rather than all areas like the very top games do. A New Vegas 2 (or other Fallout spinoff) might be good for them as they seem passionate about it and interested, but also with the show popularity I think Microsoft would be more on their case to make it top tier rather than giving them as much freedom as they get on their pet projects.

 

[Iceman]

Oh also, the deep dive mentioned that third person view will also be an option!! Huge news for me.

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

This footage looks a bit better than what they showed earlier this year. The freeze magic effects look really goofy but some of the actual spell casting (when not using a wand) looks cool. I do think that for a next-gen game, the graphics don’t look like they’re at that level but I’m hoping for the best. However, given how often gamers s*** on Bethesda, BioWare, etc. for their graphics and gameplay, I don’t think Obsidian should continue to get a pass on those areas just because nEw VeGaS hAd ThE bEsT sToRy EvEr. It’s time Obsidian made a game that looks and feels modern.

Obsidian aren't reskinning canned animations that were captured 20 years ago. That's the difference. It's not just RPGs either. Netherrealms modern Mortal Kombat games are still using animations that were captured for Deadly Alliance. Up the polygon count and the texture resolution and nobody will notice, right?

 

[blueharvest]

 

[Iceman]

2025 looking good. I haven’t got time for games in 2024 so it suits me anyway. I love RPGs and need a window of time off from everything to fully get into them.

 

[Gee]

Avowed Arrives February 18 – Pre-order the Premium Edition to Start Your Adventure Early - Xbox Wire

Avowed arrives on February 18, 2025, and pre-orders begin today for Xbox Series X|S, the Xbox app on Windows, Battle.net, and Steam – or play it on day one with Game Pass.

news.xbox.com

Based on those new screenshots, the game visually looks better and better each time. Also, it's being released on Battle.net...

 

[blueharvest]

Avowed Delay Wasn't Due To Game Quality, Phil Spencer Says

In a new interview, Xbox head Phil Spencer said that Avowed's delay had nothing to do with needing polish or fixing the game.

insider-gaming.com

 

[Gee]

Previews are out! Third-person gameplay looks like what I expected; this game is made with FPP in mind.

@DKDetective @Joe Von Zombie Looks like Obsidian cooked. I really need to build my new PC once the RTX 50 series is out.

Avowed is a jack-of-all-trades action RPG with a rare attention for the little details

In rare moments Avowed reminds me of an immersive sim, but it stops short of the simulation of games like Deus Ex.

www.pcgamer.com

After three hours, Avowed still shows no sign of a killer hook to call its own, but this fizzy RPG cocktail is plenty enjoyable all the same

We've played the first three hours of Obsidian's upcoming fantasy RPG Avowed, so read our in-depth impressions to find out our thoughts ahead of its release.

www.eurogamer.net

Avowed: The Final Preview - IGN

Every time we've gotten to play Avowed, we come away even more impressed. That happened again this time, as we took sadistic delight in being as evil as we could possibly be in this first-person fantasy RPG.

www.ign.com