When the trailer for Obsidian Entertainment's Avowed dropped last year, fans were quick to notice the similarities to Skyrim . The game's first-person perspective, medieval fantasy world, ands the history between Obsidian and Bethesda led many to conclude that Obsidian was developing an RPG with the specific intent of taking on The Elder Scrol

Many of Skyrim 's dungeons lead the player through a clear linear path to the end, which in turn loops back to the start of the dungeon. Just as Avowed 's AI could be more dynamic, the upcoming RPG's dungeons could be more open in floor plan, allowing players to approach problems from multiple angles. A dungeon could present the player with two choices, for example: tackle a difficult puzzle which leads deeper into the dungeon, or try and take another route to the same location that is guarded by more enemies. Avowed players should have to keep their wits about them, rather than simply moving forward and killing every NPC they run acr

If nothing else, the fact that Obsidian has shown that Eora has the capacity to change technologically could make it more immersive than many fantasy worlds. The Elder Scrolls Online , for example, revealed that the surface civilizations of Tamriel have been technologically stagnant for at least a millennium. It may be unlikely that players will have access to guns in Avowed , but the full extent of the game's combat system has yet to be revealed. Even without guns the spell system in Avowed has the potential to satisfy the itchy trigger fingers of players with a love of ranged combat and explosi

It appears that significant progress has already been made developing Avowed 's dungeons. Fans can only hope that Obsidian chose to keep some of the unique dungeon design found in Pillars of Eternity . It may seem risky to move away from the Elder Scrolls formula , but those risks could be just what helps Avowed step out of Skyrim 's sha

When it comes to the question of whether players will be able to use guns as a weapon in Avowed , the game's setting in time is key. If the game is set in the same period as Pillars of Eternity the answer is almost certainly yes. However, there are indications that Avowed may be set long before the events of Pillars of Eternity , in a very different period of Eora's histo

The fact that the main Elder Scrolls series has been dormant for nearly a decade puts the pressure on both Avowed and The Elder Scrolls 6 to solve some of the main criticisms of games like Skyrim . This doesn't just include the game's simple, repetitive combat and spell systems, but the weaknesses of its main narrative, the formulaic similarities between the faction quests, the lack of follower depth, and more. Avowed will take on both the advantages and risks of going first, and will likely attempt to address some of Skyrim 's main criticisms directly, to avoid the greater potential criticism that Avowed adds little to the Skyrim formula ten years

That might be bad news for fans of The Outer Worlds hoping to see the sequel soon, but it could be good news for Obsidian overall. In fact, it seems like Obsidian might be taking its time with its main projects. Avowed was expected by many to make an appearance at E3 2021, and the fact that it didn't could mean that Obsidian is holding off on revealing too much until it's really ready. If the last year has taught RPG developers anything, it's not to build too much hype too early, something Cyberpunk 2077 infamously fell victim to over its prolonged development and controversial, chaotic rele

Dwemer ruins tend to be the most expansive and varied in their design, but Avowed will need to do much more than emulate Skyrim 's best dungeon experiences. With evidence that Avowed may be further along in development than fans think, here are just some of the ways Obsidian could redefine the dungeon-diving experience for the next generat

Todd Howard recently announced that The Elder Scrolls 6 is still "in the design phase" over three years after its initial reveal, with the studio focusing primarily on Starfield , its first new IP in over 25 years. It's likely that, similar to Bethesda, most of Obsidian's resources are currently focused on Avowed weapons . The Outer Worlds 2 's trailer may have poked fun at games announced long before their development had begun in earnest, but it's also likely a self-confessed culprit of exactly t

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

Through Avowed , Bethesda could be presented with ways to address some of The Elder Scrolls ' most common criticisms without lifting a finger. If Avowed doesn't end up presenting solutions to Skyrim 's common criticisms or feel like it drags the first-person RPG formula into the current generation, it's unlikely to be much of a threat to The Elder Scrolls 6 anyway. Although The Elder Scrolls 6 is a very high-stakes endeavor for Bethesda, Avowed could reveal at least part of the path forward, even if it only manages to improve on a few aspects of the form