What they need to do is release vid/s telling about the lore of the world. The basics about races, politics and animancy. Setting is a half of a selling point for me with this game.
Indeed. I'm hyped EXACTLY because I played PoE1 and 2, and that world is just so cool I want to be back there, frankly I'd prefer a PoE3 cRPG, but anyway I miss that world.
I will admit I think this is a good thing cause while companions are great, I remember New Vegas and I think it took me ages till I picked up a companion and even then it didn't fully distract me from the world as a whole. All this said Obsidian does seem to be going far more into the waring factions and effects on the world sort of vibe.
Of all the companions, Marius is definitely the one that interests me the most. I liked dwarves in general, and I specifically liked them in Pillars of Eternity. Sagani was one of my favourite companions in the original Pillars game, so I'm definitely going to be taking Marius with me on my first run on this game.
Dwarves are also underrepresented for some reason in modern fantasy, barely any companions, they barely participate in games. Its sad for such an iconic fantasy races with mostly fan favourite characters.
@@sanderkiki Khelgar Ironfist! The last true classic Dwarf character seen in an rpg and my character's best friend in Neverwinter Nights 2. Funny it was Obsidian who made that character since they don't normally do classic fantasy. Now you could also say Ogrhen from Dragon Age Origins was the last true classic Dwarf but I don't really count him as a classic Dwarf myself being that he has an American accent and because he doesn't drink alcohol because that is Dwarven tradition but because of the trauma in his life and Dragon Age wasn't a classic high fantasy game but a dark fantasy game
@@andrewvincent7299 korgan bloodaxe from bg2 was such an awesome twist on a classic dwarf, all basic aspects are there but making him chaotic evil and bloodthirsty is pretty fun.
So, does it not follow the previous characters? I haven't played PIllars in 5 years, so I don't remember how it ended. Still interested, the pillars world is pretty cool.
@@spellandshield disagree. Replay value has nothing to do with shorter or longer games. Longer games that are packed with meaningful choices are still peak replay values.
Its just preference. For example, I got burned out on act 1 and 2 of bg3, so i only have one real playthrough, and multiple attempts to do things different, but it takes so long to get to the end that I'm fatigued before I get to the end. Shorter stints work better for me. Outerwilds, which this is compared to, was much easier to get through multiple runs. @SavageDragon999
PoE1 and 2 has some of the coolest companion lineups ever. I mean, PoE1 mostly, both Griefing Mother and Durance are between the best companions in videogame history imho, the only others I like as much (but in a more childish way) are Mass Effect's Wrex and Mordin Solus. Aloth and Eder aren't bad at all either, but they are closer in quality to the Deadfire crew.
4 unromanceable companions puts alot of pressure on the writing for these companions and if Outer Worlds is anything to go off of, I'm sensing a mistake. Outer Worlds companions started off compelling but eventually became boring and it's simply because your character in that game was basically just a "cameraman" I never felt connected to any of my them it just felt like I was watching their story unfold but never apart of it. Obsidian failed to get me emotionally invested in them. Romance is an easy way to achieve this but they don't need it however if they go this route they need to find a way to get us connected to them and not just watching from the outside in. None of them had a lasting impression, only one I do remember is Parvati and that's because I was annoyed I couldn't romance her when they gave her a romance questline.
In my opinion Avowed seems like a steep back from the pillars games . IF it was a CRPG I would be all over it but has yet another action game I will just check it out on gamepass.
I love Pillar's of Eternity's world, but I will admit Obsidian's marketing for this game hasn't been nearly as exciting as The Outer World's marketing. All this said I'm excited to play this game. I just do think Obsidian isn't the best at Marketing, they are very lore-nerd-heavy and that's amazing for dedicated hardcore fans, but casuals who just want to see what's going on are not gonna be too invested. Then again it's probably still a win/win for them since this is going directly to Gamepass and that will give Xbox a market in the RPGS community.
So now that “Obsidian Enetertainment” is a Microsoft 1st-party, they have a big budget, deep resources, time, and creative freedom they’ve never had before. And what do they give us with “Avowed”? “The Outer Worlds” reskinned in a fantasy setting. “The Outer Worlds” you know, Obsidian Entertainment’s LEAST ambitious, shortest, and most linear RPG they’ve ever produced. Literally every single decision they’ve made with this game is BAFFLING. From the original “Obsidian’s take on Skyrim” pitch, to the misleading cgi announcement trailer, and especially the gameplay reveal with an ugly art style, just disappointment after disappointment.
What is the point of non-romancible companions? Why would I care for their approval or disapproval? At this point you can swap them for some generic fodder hirelings.
It is something very important to have non romantic companions. Not every friend in real life is going to be a romantic partner. Sometimes the deepest friendships are platonic. Games with romances can often force players down the route of romance instead of friendship. Gale in BG3 is a great example. Or even Wyll. In BG3 every companion tries to get into your pants even if you’re playing a celibate or chaste character.
@@blackmercury48 Horny Gale was a bug on release, it's fixed now. Was a funny one though. BG3 does romances brilliantly, I never felt forced into romancing anyone on my playthroughs (though I always romance Shadowheart and will keep doing so on every playthrough).
@@blackmercury48 but the question still stands - what is the point of the approval system if it does not lead anywhere? At that point the companions just become extra bodies to carry the loot and draw the aggro.
Idk. The enemy design looks uninspired so far, everything seems like either generic Skyrim Zombies or the way that the knight swings his sword looks too telegraphed. Goblins return because who doesn’t love goblins
Only 4 Companions, non-romanceable...unless I can have all 4 in my party at once i'm not feelin' this at all. If yer gonna give me so few companions with so little content, the only way to justify that is to have no arbitrary party limits.
No romance and only 4 companions, I can't believe I'm saying this but Dragon Age: Veilguard is looking better by the day. I only played Deadfire due to its sailor theme and even being able to join and help the pirates, I doubt we'll get anything like that in Avowed.
The number one concern about this game is the performance. Case in point, The Outter World. To date that game still has terrible performance left unresolved by the devs. Considering the fact that most UE 5 games run like crap at release, I’m not touching this with a 6 month post release pole.
Reading the comments, people have been really weird about Obsidian post Outer Worlds. A lot of criticisms that I saw of that game felt like regurgitated opinions that were picked up from twitter or youtube rather than something learned from experience. It wasn't a perfect game, but takes like it was 20 hours long, have the so called "quirky millennial" writing seemed very overblown and based off of vibes that you get from the imo bland aesthetics of the game. I think even if you didn't like Outer Worlds, most people would agree that Pentiment was a phenomenal game with stellar writing (that has a run time of around 20 hours).
Outer Worlds was just very underwhelming, in both gameplay and story. It didn't help that the NPC's tended to act in a way that made me want to just kill them and move on rather than listen to what they had to say, so it was hard to form any kind of attachment to the game. I can't comment on Pentiment because I haven't played it, it also just doesn't look like the type of game I'd be interested in.
Some people might be getting tired of this first person fantasy thing preferring a return to top down or good old isometric. Me, I'll take any style that isn't isometric and the rpg elitists can suck it. As for Obsidian, they are as of now officially all that is left of good old BioWare even if rumors abound how the founders including Urquheart have left, which I've yet to have proof of. Avowed might have left the gritty dark fantasy pallette behind for something almost LoL like but if they maintain the core idea of Pillars then it's all good.
The grimdark fantasy setting of POE made it the sleepy time rpg. So boring, from the setting, to the color pallet, to the music. It was the game to cure insomnia.
Too much was lost in the transition between CRPG and ARPG. Basically every piece of news about the game we got for as long as it has been in development has been negative, let that sink in.
Every entry in the world of Eora has been getting farther and farther away from the tone of the original game. Trying to tone down stuff for a broader audience may not have worked so well for them in the past, and I’m unsure if it will work now.
@@cobalt968 Sawyer said that PoE 2 would be much more exotic than first Pillars, even more exotic than BG2 in comparison to BG1 (Mulhorand vibe of vampires and their lair for example) Themes in PoE 2 were different. Hollowborn crisis from first game was pretty grim stuff.
@@Silvaren-cRPG POE is just a pure example of try hard. Meaning Obsidian tried way to hard with both POE's to make it "mature". The first game was ridiculously grim to the point it's hard not to roll your eyes because it was stupid. The second was try hard because they went over the top with the vulgarity and the stupid romances.
It doesn't seem like this game is very exciting or brings anything unique. The game doesn't bring companions that sound exciting to join. Personally, I think that the lack of romance is a missed opportunity. There is also no indication that there is any immersive interactions.
Old glories like BioWare and Obsidian trying desperately to stay relevant and appeal to a wider audience while losing fans left and right. Avowed so far seems like it can be a decent game but it's all about simplification for wider appeal and every feature I've seen is just "mid"
When EA is involved, nothing makes sense. So who know if/when a big ad push will happen. My biggest concern about this game is the length. Supposedly 40 hours if you do everything. Much less if you want something new to do in a second replay. The game is still a day 3 purchase though (so the inevitable day 1 patch is up).
I have always liked Obsidian (Alpha Protocol needs a sequel) but they don't seem to be the company they one were. Outer Worlds was kinda meh; poor art style and HIDEOUS character models (especially the women). Combat was decent while the dialogue options continued to be one of the stronger elements. I think the writing leaned too much into its satire/critique of capitalism; too silly and one-sided to take seriously. Avowed looks to have the same engine/style as Outer Worlds. Add to that it is Xbox exclusive and... well it's a pass, sadly.
What they need to do is release vid/s telling about the lore of the world. The basics about races, politics and animancy. Setting is a half of a selling point for me with this game.
i think they said that the world is somehow shared with the pillar of eternity series
@@lite20 It's the same world.
Indeed. I'm hyped EXACTLY because I played PoE1 and 2, and that world is just so cool I want to be back there, frankly I'd prefer a PoE3 cRPG, but anyway I miss that world.
Only 4? Damn, they better be written like Samwise Gamgee..
Damn right! Should have a minimum of six for more lore, character POV's, and just gameplay variety.
I will admit I think this is a good thing cause while companions are great, I remember New Vegas and I think it took me ages till I picked up a companion and even then it didn't fully distract me from the world as a whole.
All this said Obsidian does seem to be going far more into the waring factions and effects on the world sort of vibe.
If they are as good as Durance and Griefing Mother the number matters not. Let's hope they concentrated the quality in a smaller quantity.
Pillars world looks really interesting and unique.
Kai will be my righthand man.
Kai is voiced by Brandon Keener, better known as our bro Garrus.
Indeed.
Ok. Now I'm sure to use him as a companion all the time. Brandon was great as Garrus though he got some good writing to work with too.
I was getting it anyway but thanks very much. I had no idea all of this had been announced.
Of all the companions, Marius is definitely the one that interests me the most. I liked dwarves in general, and I specifically liked them in Pillars of Eternity. Sagani was one of my favourite companions in the original Pillars game, so I'm definitely going to be taking Marius with me on my first run on this game.
Dwarves are also underrepresented for some reason in modern fantasy, barely any companions, they barely participate in games. Its sad for such an iconic fantasy races with mostly fan favourite characters.
@@sanderkiki "Abandon hope and embrace the inevitable." - Harrim
@@Cynicz13 Harrim, my beloved.
@@sanderkiki Khelgar Ironfist! The last true classic Dwarf character seen in an rpg and my character's best friend in Neverwinter Nights 2. Funny it was Obsidian who made that character since they don't normally do classic fantasy. Now you could also say Ogrhen from Dragon Age Origins was the last true classic Dwarf but I don't really count him as a classic Dwarf myself being that he has an American accent and because he doesn't drink alcohol because that is Dwarven tradition but because of the trauma in his life and Dragon Age wasn't a classic high fantasy game but a dark fantasy game
@@andrewvincent7299 korgan bloodaxe from bg2 was such an awesome twist on a classic dwarf, all basic aspects are there but making him chaotic evil and bloodthirsty is pretty fun.
So much potential in this Action-RPG title! I really hope it's gonna pleasantly surprise us during this year, fingers crossed! :)
Fluffy ears, lets go!
Also Marius seems promising. Like a cool dwarf bro.
I killed the inquisitor in the poe2, don't know how I will get used to seeing her in this game alive
Unless I forgot I don't think I ever encountered her in poe2 in the first place.
Companions look good but idk I feel like 4 companions should be more like 7-8 companions
So, does it not follow the previous characters? I haven't played PIllars in 5 years, so I don't remember how it ended. Still interested, the pillars world is pretty cool.
I cant over this game being 20 hours long to complete lol that is nuts for a rpg
Closer to 30 actually. More replay value.
sounds like it will be similar length to Mass Effect or KOTOR. That sounds ok to me
@@spellandshield disagree. Replay value has nothing to do with shorter or longer games. Longer games that are packed with meaningful choices are still peak replay values.
Its just preference. For example, I got burned out on act 1 and 2 of bg3, so i only have one real playthrough, and multiple attempts to do things different, but it takes so long to get to the end that I'm fatigued before I get to the end.
Shorter stints work better for me. Outerwilds, which this is compared to, was much easier to get through multiple runs.
@SavageDragon999
@@spellandshield I hope so. I think they said 13hr main story and 13 hrs side content
PoE1 and 2 has some of the coolest companion lineups ever. I mean, PoE1 mostly, both Griefing Mother and Durance are between the best companions in videogame history imho, the only others I like as much (but in a more childish way) are Mass Effect's Wrex and Mordin Solus. Aloth and Eder aren't bad at all either, but they are closer in quality to the Deadfire crew.
4 unromanceable companions puts alot of pressure on the writing for these companions and if Outer Worlds is anything to go off of, I'm sensing a mistake.
Outer Worlds companions started off compelling but eventually became boring and it's simply because your character in that game was basically just a "cameraman" I never felt connected to any of my them it just felt like I was watching their story unfold but never apart of it. Obsidian failed to get me emotionally invested in them. Romance is an easy way to achieve this but they don't need it however if they go this route they need to find a way to get us connected to them and not just watching from the outside in.
None of them had a lasting impression, only one I do remember is Parvati and that's because I was annoyed I couldn't romance her when they gave her a romance questline.
a dwarf companion? easiest buy of my life
No romance? There is literally nothing making me want to buy this game. I guess bg3 spoiled me.
In my opinion Avowed seems like a steep back from the pillars games . IF it was a CRPG I would be all over it but has yet another action game I will just check it out on gamepass.
I love Pillar's of Eternity's world, but I will admit Obsidian's marketing for this game hasn't been nearly as exciting as The Outer World's marketing.
All this said I'm excited to play this game. I just do think Obsidian isn't the best at Marketing, they are very lore-nerd-heavy and that's amazing for dedicated hardcore fans, but casuals who just want to see what's going on are not gonna be too invested.
Then again it's probably still a win/win for them since this is going directly to Gamepass and that will give Xbox a market in the RPGS community.
I am psyched for it.
So now that “Obsidian Enetertainment” is a Microsoft 1st-party, they have a big budget, deep resources, time, and creative freedom they’ve never had before. And what do they give us with “Avowed”? “The Outer Worlds” reskinned in a fantasy setting. “The Outer Worlds” you know, Obsidian Entertainment’s LEAST ambitious, shortest, and most linear RPG they’ve ever produced. Literally every single decision they’ve made with this game is BAFFLING. From the original “Obsidian’s take on Skyrim” pitch, to the misleading cgi announcement trailer, and especially the gameplay reveal with an ugly art style, just disappointment after disappointment.
What is the point of non-romancible companions? Why would I care for their approval or disapproval? At this point you can swap them for some generic fodder hirelings.
It is something very important to have non romantic companions. Not every friend in real life is going to be a romantic partner. Sometimes the deepest friendships are platonic. Games with romances can often force players down the route of romance instead of friendship. Gale in BG3 is a great example. Or even Wyll. In BG3 every companion tries to get into your pants even if you’re playing a celibate or chaste character.
@@blackmercury48 Horny Gale was a bug on release, it's fixed now. Was a funny one though. BG3 does romances brilliantly, I never felt forced into romancing anyone on my playthroughs (though I always romance Shadowheart and will keep doing so on every playthrough).
@@blackmercury48 but the question still stands - what is the point of the approval system if it does not lead anywhere? At that point the companions just become extra bodies to carry the loot and draw the aggro.
Idk. The enemy design looks uninspired so far, everything seems like either generic Skyrim Zombies or the way that the knight swings his sword looks too telegraphed. Goblins return because who doesn’t love goblins
Only 4 Companions, non-romanceable...unless I can have all 4 in my party at once i'm not feelin' this at all. If yer gonna give me so few companions with so little content, the only way to justify that is to have no arbitrary party limits.
No romance and only 4 companions, I can't believe I'm saying this but Dragon Age: Veilguard is looking better by the day. I only played Deadfire due to its sailor theme and even being able to join and help the pirates, I doubt we'll get anything like that in Avowed.
The number one concern about this game is the performance. Case in point, The Outter World. To date that game still has terrible performance left unresolved by the devs. Considering the fact that most UE 5 games run like crap at release, I’m not touching this with a 6 month post release pole.
Reading the comments, people have been really weird about Obsidian post Outer Worlds. A lot of criticisms that I saw of that game felt like regurgitated opinions that were picked up from twitter or youtube rather than something learned from experience. It wasn't a perfect game, but takes like it was 20 hours long, have the so called "quirky millennial" writing seemed very overblown and based off of vibes that you get from the imo bland aesthetics of the game. I think even if you didn't like Outer Worlds, most people would agree that Pentiment was a phenomenal game with stellar writing (that has a run time of around 20 hours).
Outer Worlds was just very underwhelming, in both gameplay and story. It didn't help that the NPC's tended to act in a way that made me want to just kill them and move on rather than listen to what they had to say, so it was hard to form any kind of attachment to the game. I can't comment on Pentiment because I haven't played it, it also just doesn't look like the type of game I'd be interested in.
Some people might be getting tired of this first person fantasy thing preferring a return to top down or good old isometric. Me, I'll take any style that isn't isometric and the rpg elitists can suck it. As for Obsidian, they are as of now officially all that is left of good old BioWare even if rumors abound how the founders including Urquheart have left, which I've yet to have proof of. Avowed might have left the gritty dark fantasy pallette behind for something almost LoL like but if they maintain the core idea of Pillars then it's all good.
The grimdark fantasy setting of POE made it the sleepy time rpg. So boring, from the setting, to the color pallet, to the music. It was the game to cure insomnia.
Hello
Too much was lost in the transition between CRPG and ARPG. Basically every piece of news about the game we got for as long as it has been in development has been negative, let that sink in.
Why only four, though? It's supposed to be similar in size and scope to the Outer Worlds which had six companions. It's pretty big letdown for me.
Pillars of Eternity was great but this doesn't appeal to me at all.
I get it.
Every entry in the world of Eora has been getting farther and farther away from the tone of the original game. Trying to tone down stuff for a broader audience may not have worked so well for them in the past, and I’m unsure if it will work now.
@@cobalt968 Sawyer said that PoE 2 would be much more exotic than first Pillars, even more exotic than BG2 in comparison to BG1 (Mulhorand vibe of vampires and their lair for example) Themes in PoE 2 were different. Hollowborn crisis from first game was pretty grim stuff.
@@Silvaren-cRPG POE is just a pure example of try hard. Meaning Obsidian tried way to hard with both POE's to make it "mature". The first game was ridiculously grim to the point it's hard not to roll your eyes because it was stupid. The second was try hard because they went over the top with the vulgarity and the stupid romances.
It doesn't seem like this game is very exciting or brings anything unique. The game doesn't bring companions that sound exciting to join.
Personally, I think that the lack of romance is a missed opportunity. There is also no indication that there is any immersive interactions.
All the companions look boring… give me Sagani, Eder, Aloth, and co any day. They are far more appeasing in the eyes too.
Old glories like BioWare and Obsidian trying desperately to stay relevant and appeal to a wider audience while losing fans left and right. Avowed so far seems like it can be a decent game but it's all about simplification for wider appeal and every feature I've seen is just "mid"
Years of development trillion dollar studio max they can 4 characters cant even romance them xdd
When EA is involved, nothing makes sense. So who know if/when a big ad push will happen. My biggest concern about this game is the length. Supposedly 40 hours if you do everything. Much less if you want something new to do in a second replay. The game is still a day 3 purchase though (so the inevitable day 1 patch is up).
EA is not involved, Microsoft is.
@@spellandshield You're right. My bad. Cheers
Obsidian is making it soooo very easy to ignore this game. It’s 2024 are you seriously making an rpg where romance isn’t a part of the story😂?!
I'll just ignore the companions then. They don't have much use .
I have always liked Obsidian (Alpha Protocol needs a sequel) but they don't seem to be the company they one were.
Outer Worlds was kinda meh; poor art style and HIDEOUS character models (especially the women). Combat was decent while the dialogue options continued to be one of the stronger elements. I think the writing leaned too much into its satire/critique of capitalism; too silly and one-sided to take seriously.
Avowed looks to have the same engine/style as Outer Worlds. Add to that it is Xbox exclusive and... well it's a pass, sadly.
Game is made by furries for furries