The game industry is built on the backs of a wide range of studio types, from small indie developers to independent AAA studios to in-house developers under the likes of Microsoft and Sony. One company that's managed to travel through multiple of these categories is Obsidian Entertainment, the masterful developer of RPGs responsible for such games as Fallout: New Vegas and Pillars of Eternity. Obsidian has long been hailed as a talented studio thanks to games like these, and it keeps delivering new games that capture the imagination of fans. That's why it's a big deal that Obsidian is still going pla
Lovecraft's Azathoth and The Elder Scrolls ' Godhead are both consciousnesses that exist beyond reality. Lovecraft's other powerful beings like Cthulhu are still ultimately subject to the subconsciousness of the Blind Idiot God, while Tamriel's Nine Divines are still just figments of the Godhead's dream
Even though Obsidian is in the middle of developing two games, it could easily surprise fans with new announcements over the summer at venues like E3. For example, many are wondering if the follow-up to The Outer Worlds is right around the corner. The Outer Worlds, a very successful sci-fi RPG from the studio, came out just a couple years ago and got followed up with a couple equally popular DLCs. Although the game's ending doesn't beg for a sequel, it also leaves a rich foundation for one. It certainly has a big enough following for Obsidian to justify a sequel,
RPGs, especially open-world RPGs, tend to market themselves on freedom. In The Elder Scrolls 5 the player has the choice to ignore Skyrim 's main quest and head out in any direction they see fit. Few questlines and areas are blocked off by this decision, and many players choose to forego the main story entirely for a more customized roleplaying experie
It is possible that guns may still exist in Avowed , even if the game is set some time before the Pillars of Eternity games. Avowed Updates will be set in the Living Lands , a wild northern frontier filled with competing factions and strange beasts. It may be that the Living Lands are less technologically developed than the heart of Eora's empires, but that more modern technology like guns can still be fo
However, outside of cities and other settlements, Skyrim ’s promise of a choice-led roleplaying experience falls away to interactions that almost always devolve into immediate violence. While there are more roleplaying options in quests, Bethesda misses the opportunity for more dynamic storytelling in the wo
Little is known of Avowed outside of some key details. It's set to take place in Eora, the same world as Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity games , and it will take players to The Living Lands. This location hasn't been seen in the developer's games before, so Obisidian Entertainment has a blank slate to work with when crafting its world. The reveal trailer has also suggested that Eora's gods will be involved in the game, as it contained prominent appearances from Woedica, goddess of law and justice. Ultimately, to avoid continued comparisons with Skyrim , there are some features that Obsidian could look at adapting from Pillars of Eternity to help the title stand
This philosophy of freedom extends beyond exploration to other classic RPG elements like dialogue trees . Conventional wisdom says that the more dialogue options and the greater their potential to affect events, the better. Skyrim certainly gives the player different dialogue options when dealing with some NPCs, and even presents the player with some big decisions during quests, such as choosing whether to become a vampire or not during the Dawnguard
Woedica appears in both Pillars of Eternity games, but there are reasons to think that the focus on her in the trailer may also indicate the time period in which Avowed is set. Woedica was once the queen of the gods of Eora , but she was eventually overthrown by the other deities in the pantheon. As such she is also known as the Exiled Queen or the Burned Queen, having been burned by Magran, the goddess of fire and
Obsidian's status recently underwent a pretty major change. Although it was once an independent studio, Microsoft acquired it in 2018 , right in the middle of the development of The Outer Worlds. Obsidian hasn't lost any momentum thanks to this change of ownership, though; if anything, it seems like Obsidian is ramping up development. Fans of the studio have a lot to look forward to over the next couple years, between Avowed and Grounded. Based on how many projects Obsidian is stacking up, it's also possible that it's planning even more new games with the help of its new parent comp
Even hostile interactions can present multiple non-combat roleplaying opportunities. A gang of bandits in Skyrim will instantly try to kill the player regardless of whether they’re dressed like a travelling merchant or are standing head-to-toe in Daedric armor and carrying a bow made of dragon bone. In Avowed , players should have multiple options when dealing with both hostile and non-hostile encounters. They should be able to attempt to bribe their would-be attackers, or make other last-ditch attempts like claiming they can lead the bandits to a hidden treasure if they’re good enough at persuasion, giving them an opportunity to make a get-away la