Avowed the Fantasy Action-RPG Releases This Fall 2024

Jan. 18, 2024

Combat was shown in the roughly seven-minute-and-a-half video, which talked about the flexibility of weapon switching. Players can switch from melee, spell casting and long-range weapons with ease. This means being able to combine different abilities and methods. There are also handy loadouts making switching combinations easy.

Combat includes blocking melee attacks and using special attacks. The combination of melee moves and more magical abilities will mean lots of ways to deal with enemies and flexibility in playstyle.

Previews were a few weapon setups including a one-handed wand showing off mid-range attacks which are described as “snappy”. Also shown was theTanglefoot abilitya CC which roots enemies in place, letting you deal with more than one target. This seems similar to Pillar of Eternity 2’sDruid Ability, but in this real-time game, enemies are stopped in their tracks on the spot rather than for a number of turns.

But by far the most interesting thing shown forWeaponsis the ability to dual-wieldWands, which looks like a lot of fun. The quick magical attacks, mixed in with some abilities will make for some unique experiences with foes. An example of freezing enemies and then using an offhand weapon to shatter them is just one of the ways of handling a fight. Gunslinging Mage has caught my attention and looks to be build I’d love to try.

Talking about enemies, we get a look at some that are clad with boneArmor, and can even heal each other. The importance of taking out the healer first was shown. This means coming up with strategies to tackle mobs, and tackling stronger enemies.

One area explored in the showcase was side-questing. But don’t think just because it’s a side quest that it won’t have “difficult decisions”. Players can determine in some quest who they think is at fault. But determining the right decision is not simply black and white as the game embraces “grey” and “moral nuances” which could make things a bit more complicated. Players will need to examine clues around them to help them make these choices.

One such outcome can even lead to a battle to regain honour when you accuse a character of deserting his comrades. Having the choice to deal with the quest diplomatically or with a sword seems to be an option. The consequences of your actions will be apparent, making for some real player agency. Having these kinds of choices in the game really makes the story impactful, and hopefully means we’ll be debating who made the right decision even if it’s not so cut and dry.

One thing you can count on for upcoming Avowed is the level of detail when it comes to the world of Eora. “Rich, weird and wonderful” is used to describe its environments. Shown are a mix of cities and more natural living lands, some of which are plagued. It will be interesting what effects these more “sickly” areas will have and if environmental aspects will take a toll on battles or enemies you come across. One thing is for sure, the biomes are quite varied, with volcanic wastes looking very eerie.

One major area revealed was Shatterskarp, the third region players will encounter. These are full of wastes, and barren desert but dotted with vibrant areas such as an isolated-looking oasis that mixes things up on your adventure. These variations can be home to different inhabitants, who knows what you will encounter. Avowed’s world is looking like an amazing place to explore and I’m hoping there are plenty of mysteries and surprises to go along with it.

So far from what we’ve seen in footage there are a few clues as to when and where Avowed will be set. Previously Obsidian has shown a few areas of the Living Lands, full of diverse flora and fauna. The world is also plagued with poisonous weeds, and dangers lurk in the forests. The side of the world is expected to match that of KOTOR 2 toThe Outer Worlds. While it won’t be an open-world game, there will be large open zones that are interconnected. Teases of clues of the Empire of Aedyr and possible symbols representing the Exiled Queen on hanging on banners may mean some influence from the diety Woedica.

What we do know is we won’t be adventuring alone. Already revealed are companions who will “integral to the story” according to director Carrie Patel. We’ve seen theCoastal Aumauacalled Kai who you can see in the newer footage accompanying the player.

Getting a closer look at how combat works in this latest footage, it seems to support the idea that Avowed will take abilities from previous Pillars games. In POE2 we could play as Barbarian, Chanter, Cipher, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Priest, Ranger, Rogue and Wizard. This time we won’t be locked into classes, but can adopt their playstyles with abilities.

As we get closer to Avowed’s release window, Obsidian should be showing more of how the combat system works as well as the progression for the player’s characters and companions. Hopefully, we’ll also get to see the more powerful enemies, bosses and antagonists that will make for an epic adventure into Eora. What was your favourite takeaways from the footage so far? Let us know in the comments below.

For more news find it here inPersona 3 Reload Day One DLC Details RevealedandWuthering Waves Registration for Second Closed Beta Announced.

Yuria

News Editor at Fextralife. Yuria is an avid PC gamer and Twitch streamer who enjoys online multi-player games and believes games should have amazing storylines not just great graphics.

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