Summary
Obsidian Entertainment’sAvowedis one of the most anticipated games of 2024, as fans of the developer’s past work, likeThe Outer WorldsandPillars of Eternity, eagerly await the release of the upcoming action RPG. Set in the Living Lands of Eora, the same fantasy universe asPillars of Eternity,Avowedaims to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor, including an emphasis on player choice.
Avowedis shaping up to be a rather unique experience, even if it appears to be bringing some ofThe Outer Worlds' DNAalong for the ride. While itsPillars of Eternityinfluence can be clearly identified in its unwritten rules, it is already setting itself apart from the franchise it is based on. However, based on what has been showcased so far, some fans have expressed their concern about the game’s seemingly limited dialogue choices — a feature thatPillars of Eternitytakes to the utmost.
Avowed’s Dialogue Needs Plenty of Nuanced Options
Dialogue options in role-playing games are infamously tricky to master. Some games have been known to include only the illusion of choice in dialogue, as each option essentially produces the same results. On the other hand,the dialogue options found in other games, likeBaldur’s Gate 3, are not only vastly numerous but also have a lasting impact on the game’s narrative. This is somethingAvowedneeds to be sure to consider, as the gaming industry is constantly setting new standards of player choice for the role-playing genre.
One wayAvowedcan ensure its dialogue is thoroughly nuanced is to allow a character’s race and/or faction to provide choices in addition to the default options. Unfortunately, as the player character inAvowedhas been confirmed to come from the Aedyr Empire, this means players will only be allowed to choose between a human and an elf as their race. Still, as usual in Obsidian games,Avowedwill likely include various factionsfor players to join, which could also be useful for implementing varying dialogue options.
Obsidian Says There Is More to Avowed’s Dialogue Than It May Seem
Based on what was showcased inAvowed’s game overview during 2024’s Xbox Developer Direct, it first appeared that certain skills may add unique dialogue choices, much likeStarfield’s skillsand dialogue. During the conversation with Private Nauki shown in the footage, the player is given three dialogue options. The first option is presented as the most empathetic of the three and is marked by an arrow symbol to the left of the text, which originally seemed to be indicative of a specific skill the player has unlocked that is influencing the choice behind the scenes. However,Avowed’s game director, Carrie Patel, disclosed the truth about the icon in a recent interview.
During Episode 377 of the Dropped Frames podcast, Patel divulged some information about what the developer is doing to improveAvowedafter receiving feedback from fans following theXbox Developer Direct. Apart from improvements they are making toAvowed’s combat, Patel refers to the conversation with Pauki in the game overview and says that the “option with a particular icon next to it [is] background-locked.” For role-playing fans, this is great news, as it means theirAvowedcharacter’s background will influence their dialogue choices in the game.
Just how far Obsidian is going to ensure there are plenty of nuances inAvowed’s dialogue is currently unknown. InPillars of Eternity, there are ten backgrounds available for characters from theAedyr Empire, so that could translate over toAvowedas well. The hope, however, is that players will be given a healthy list of options for influencing their character’s interactions withAvowed’s NPCs, but that won’t be known until the game releases or more information is disclosed as its release approaches.
