During the Xbox Games Showcase several weeks ago, Obsidian Entertainment revealed a new project called Avowed that is currently in development. Apart from a short cinematic trailer, Obsidian didn't really provide many details about the upcoming game except that it's going to be a first-person fantasy RPG based on the Pillars of Eternity universe. Of course, this small piece of information quickly opened up conversations about another similar franchise, which is Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls.
The Elder Scrolls has been a household name in first-person RPGs for years now, especially since the 2011 game, Skyrim, is still beloved by many fans. However, with many claiming that Avowed could be bigger than Skyrim, how exactly can Obsidian surpass the success of The Elder Scrolls franchise? Of course, given that there is still basically no info with regards to Avowed's direction, it is worth noting that Obsidian has the opportunity to learn a few lessons from Skyrim and offer an even better experience for RPG fans.
A More Complex Combat System
Although it continues to captivate players despite it being released almost a decade ago, Skyrim's combat system to be too simplistic, forcing some players to use mods like Sekiro combat just to have a better experience. In the game, combat mostly revolves around players running up to an enemy, hacking them with their weapons, and repeating the process until either the enemy or the player has fallen. To switch it up a bit, players can then cast some spells mid-combat, but that involves the player entering the UI and navigating through a long list of items and spells, which breaks immersion and disrupts the flow of combat.
Additionally, Skyrim relied less on the player's character build, making it more in line with a traditional action game than an RPG. During battles, players would rarely find fulfillment in securing a rare item or honing their skills in a certain way because enemies are either too easy to kill or players can just spam potions to survive a difficult encounter. If Avowed truly wants to create a more engaging combat system, then Obsidian should design the game in a way that allows players to carefully strategize which skills to grow and what gear or item would perfectly complement their build. Furthermore, it is also important for Obsidian to create a better UI system that would allow players to easily sort through skills and items without disrupting the flow of battle.
A Better User Interface and Inventory System
Out of all the games under The Elder Scrolls franchise, Skyrim has the most user-friendly menu and inventory system. However, this is not to say that Skyrim's user interface is not without fault, given that many find it text-heavy and awkward especially when using a keyboard and mouse. Of course, it is apparent that Skyrim's menu system favors gamepads for console players, but even those using controllers are sometimes finding it difficult to navigate through Skyrim's user interface.
Interestingly enough, some players find the user interface to be so unbearable that it forced them to seek user-created mods just to rectify Skyrim's UI problem. Of course, this is another avenue that Obsidian can improve on if it wants Avowed to be a better game than Skyrim. What the studio can do is to design the user interface in such a way that it will be easy to navigate for both console and PC players. Moreover, it could introduce a user-interface system that efficiently displays what players need to see at any given time.
Unique Experiences for Different Character Types
In previous Elder Scrolls games, Bethesda implemented an emphasis on allowing certain characters to experience the game in unique ways. As an example, in other Elder Scrolls games, there are buildings that cannot be accessed without using levitation, so only those who have high magic skills could explore them in-depth. While there is still some sort of specialization in Skyrim, players who opt to focus more on melee combat, for example, are also given the chance to effectively use a bow or cast a variety of spells. Sure, this gives each character a more versatile set of skills and abilities, but it somehow makes choosing a preferred style of play unnecessary.
In the end, despite having some shortcomings, Skyrim is still a good game especially with the way it approached an open-world game. Given the many achievements of Skyrim in this regard, Obsidian faces the insurmountable task of offering an even bigger experience for players, and it is important to know that this is not limited to just a bigger map and a longer list of quests for players to explore. Instead, Obsidian should focus on how it can improve upon the problems that players encountered in Skyrim by offering unique experiences for players, a better UI, and a more immersive combat system.
Avowed is in development for the PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.