Avowed is the Elder Scrolls formula in a Pillars of Eternity world

It feels like ages since Xbox and Obsidian Entertainment first unveiled Avowed, a first-person action-adventure set in the world of Pillars of Eternity. Even with so much time having passed, there's been a lot of curiosity regarding gameplay. This was an itch that Shacknews was finally able to scratch at a special remote Gamescom event held by Xbox in Los Angeles, CA. After taking this first opportunity to try out Avowed, it was hard not to feel like this had some of the best elements of the Elder Scrolls formula mixed together with some of Obsidian's tried-and-true RPG flair.

There were three classes playable during this Avowed demo. It didn't take long for the developers to intimidate attendees away from selecting the Mage, noting that it had some complex spells and little in the way of defensive capabilities. Rather than select the mindless melee methods of the Barbarian, I opted for the Ranger. The Ranger has a pair of abilities that taps into the power of the earth, a specific one able to bind enemies with entangling vines. In terms of weapons, this Ranger was equipped with dual pistols, able to strike at foes from a distance with light and charged shots.

After selecting the Ranger, the demo began in earnest with a mission to search for the remnants of the Aedryan Expedition Team. Obsidian dropped me into one of the more scenic corners of the Pillars world filled with flowing waterfalls and lush plant life. While there were several points during this demo that reminded me of Bethesda's Elder Scrolls franchise, the bright color scheme and vibrant environments made Avowed stand out by comparison. There were even beautiful underwater sections where the game's art style got to flourish.

The first part of the demo's quest led to a wounded explorer named Caedmon. The young man is convinced he's at death's door and pleads for help. This is where Obsidian's penchant for humor starts to shine through. Panicked by what has happened, Caedmon worries about dying a virgin, which brings up several dialogue prompts. It's possible to give him a potion, but it's also possible to ask your companion, a green-skinned being named Kai, to help the kid with his problem and mirthful misunderstandings ensue. The writing makes Avowed feel closer to a fantasy version of some of Obsidian's past work, like The Outer Worlds and Fallout: New Vegas.

Like those two previous efforts, character-building is key to unlocking certain dialogue choices. There was no opportunity to craft a specific build in this demo, but players will have an option to grant their character various traits like Intelligence, Perception, and the like. These traits will offer various passive advantages and disadvantages in combat, but they can also be put to work when speaking to the game's different characters. Perception dialogue options were available to me during this demo, but a different character without points assigned to this trait wouldn't have that selection available to them.

The encounter with Caedmon showed that companions will do the bulk of the vocal work. While player characters can communicate through dialogue selections, characters like Kai will recite fully voice-acted lines and help push the narrative forward. Companions are also handy in combat, as evidenced by Kai helping dispatch numerous bugs during a later quest.

After helping Caedmon with his problem (though not that problem), the next part of the demo introduced an abandoned oracle named Sargamis. This is where it should be noted that player characters are part of a group called Godlikes. In the Pillars of Eternity world, Godlikes are a rare race believed to be blessed by the gods and are either greatly revered or greatly feared. Sargamis is also a Godlike, one looking to restore the fallen god Eothas. He believes he can bring him back, but needs a relic known as the Splinter of Eothas, which is hidden in the ruins of a nearby temple.

The nearby temple is where most of the demo's combat occurred. While Kai can lend a hand, players must be aware of their surroundings when fighting enemies in large numbers. Unlike the bugs from an earlier section, skeleton enemies came in different class varieties with different functions. For example, a skeleton ranger would try and snipe from afar while skeleton priests would attempt to heal the party. Determining which foes should take priority is a big key to victory, especially when smaller foes are flanked by a much larger boss. Of course, when all else fails, there's an option to toss explosives, which can come in different elemental varieties.

The tail end of the demo dealt with the fallout of the quest for the Splinter of Eothas. Players have a decision to make here. They can see this quest line through and attempt to help Sargonis resurrect the god Eothas or they can decline. If they decline, Sargonis will become hostile and another fight will begin. While it's possible that violence could have been the solution, I ultimately helped Sargonis with his plan. The dialogue and player choices would do the heavy lifting from here with each selection leading the story down a different path.

This early demo offered only a small taste of what to expect in Avowed. The final product could go any number of ways given the multitude of dialogue options. I'm also eager to experience the game's other classes, meet other companions, and the character-building interface. Not everything looked totally rosy during my hands-on, as I looked through the game's various equipment menus and found them to be more complex than I'd like. As I picked up loot, it was hard to determine if any of it was worth equipping and I couldn't tell if I had picked up anything more powerful. Of course, it was a short demo and I was thrown in fairly cold, so this is an issue that's likely easily fixed by spending more time with the game.

So far, Avowed feels like a perfectly competent adventure that could prove to be comparable with the best of the Elder Scrolls franchise. More importantly, it could fit in alongside some of Obsidian's best work like the aforementioned Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds. Obsidian appears to be confident enough in its work that it's taking a few additional months to give it some extra polish. Look for Avowed to come to PC and Xbox Series X|S on February 18.

This preview is based on an early PC demo played on-site at the Xbox @ Gamescom event in Los Angeles, CA. The final product is subject to change.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?