Avowed is a big project coming from Obsidian Entertainment. The developer entered the world of first-person action RPGs with The Outer Worlds, and this new project looks to be this studio's next foray into the first-person perspective. Initially, it drew comparisons to Skyrim, owing largely to the first-person action and fantasy setting. What some players might not know is that the game is set in the same world as Pillars of Eternity, Obsidian's CRPG revival series. With this association, there is ample reason for gamers to play the Pillars series first.
The Pillars of Eternity games were critical successes and contain a well-fleshed out lore and world. The first Pillars of Eternity game was a record-setting Kickstarter fundraiser at the time, which saw Obsidian exceed its financial goals required to develop the game. Obsidian Entertainment is now owned by Microsoft and could have access to far more financial backing and resources for Avowed. There is a lot from Pillars of Eternity that could inform Avowed, which could make playing the Pillars games worthwhile for those who are looking forward to the forthcoming action-RPG.
Avowed, Pillars of Eternity Are Set in the Same World
Avowed and Pillars of Eternity are set in the same world, Eora. The land of Eora is a versatile place containing many different races and locales, including the exotic Deadfire Archipelago and the Dyrwood, a heavily-forested region. Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire expresses the lore of Eora well through various means, such as in-game books, conversations with NPCs, and scripted events. Obsidian Entertainment crafted in-depth mythology for the series that will undoubtedly serve Avowed as well.
To get an idea of what Eora is like before Avowed is released, gamers could play Pillars of Eternity 1 and Deadfire. While the gameplay is bound to be very different than Avowed, having a deeper knowledge of Eora could benefit playthroughs of Avowed by understanding surrounding events and the history of the world.
The Soul and The Wheel
One of the most essential pieces of lore from Pillars of Eternity relates to the soul and a phenomenon known as The Wheel. In this series, a soul is a form of energy that creatures are bound to. When an individual dies, the soul energy enters a cycle of reincarnation, known as The Wheel. Souls first enter the In-Between, where countless souls wander until they're moved to the Beyond, a realm where the gods dwell. It's from here where souls are rebirthed and returned to the living world in another vessel. It's not known when Avowed takes place, but it's all but certain that The Wheel and souls will be important.
This cycle of reincarnation is a natural occurrence and should have a bearing in Avowed regardless of when the game takes place. Even if it's years before the first Pillars of Eternity game, this cycle would still exist and could be referenced frequently in Avowed. Similarly, if it takes place after Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, this cycle could be even more important after Eothas, one of the Pillars of Eternity's gods irrevocably changed the process of reincarnation. The soul and The Wheel are heavily explored in Pillars of Eternity, with the player character having a special role concerning souls and could prove to be extremely informative for gamers planning on playing Avowed.
Pillars of Eternity Elements in Avowed
While the gameplay will be completely different, Avowed is likely to keep some elements from Pillars of Eternity. As seen in the debut trailer for Avowed, magic is going to be involved in the title significantly. Pillars of Eternity has a robust magic system containing dozens of spells, and Avowed could easily see an adaptation of this magic and the spells contained within it. Gamers who have played Pillars of Eternity could have an advantage in Avowed by already being familiar with some spells and abilities.
Additionally, Pillars of Eternity enemies stand a chance of appearing in some form in Avowed due to the game being set in the same world. While these mechanics and characters would need to be restructured to suit an action RPG playstyle, it's not unlikely that there'll be some familiar elements in Avowed.
With Avowed potentially being some way off of launching, gamers have a chance to catch up on the world of Eora. For gamers on Xbox and PC, both Pillars of Eternity games are available on Xbox Game Pass, making it easy to access the titles. Eora is a world filled with developed lore and history, and diving into the Pillars of Eternity games could give gamers greater context heading into Avowed. The soul's role could unavoidably impact Avowed, making the Pillars of Eternity games worth exploring for that alone.
Avowed is currently in development.