Though Avowed shares the same universe as the Pillars of Eternity franchise, the two games look as if they will play very differently. One looks to be a first person game, while the other is an isometric party-based with strong Dungeons and Dragons vibes. In many ways, the two find themselves to be complete opposites of one another.
Despite that, players may find that Avowed and Pillars of Eternity could align in some ways. Because the two games share a universe, many aspects of Pillars of Eternity such as its lore, magic system, and culture will likely make their way into Avowed. This may also mean that some features could return too, re-imagined to fit the more modern standards the game will have.
Avowed Can Follow in the Footsteps of Franchises Like Fallout
Funnily enough, this wouldn't be the first time an isometric made Obsidian Entertainments employees. Before Obsidian Entertainment existed, many of its employees worked at Black Isle Studios, the developer known for creating Fallout 1 and 2. As many may know, those isometric games would be adopted into a first person experience with Fallout 3 and beyond, which gives fans somewhat of an idea on what to expect from Obsidian Entertainment. The original Fallout games had a variety of their mechanics re-imagined for the first person experience, such as now the famous VATS system. This not only proves that it can be done, but that it can greatly enhance the quality of the game.
Pillars of Eternity's class system could easily make its way into Avowed, as it was one of its main factors behind its replayability. Its class system consisted of choosing a class that had access to a variety of skills, while also being able to tailor it to a specific play style. This allowed for a variety of combinations for every class, as well as a certain amount of personalization to them. However, much would need to change as it is unlikely that Avowed will rely on a dice roll system when it comes to things like landing hits. Avowed reimagine this by making it compatible with the first person format, while also including much of what made tailoring a class so personal, such as having directly control over base stats.
Another feature that could see a return is Pillars of Eternity's crafting system. It allowed players to craft any time the player was outside of combat. The player could craft food, potions, scrolls, and even enchantments for weapons and armor. Many of these recipes also require monster parts, which made hoarding relatively useful. Avowed could take this one step further by not only increasing the amount of options the player has, as well as allowing them to craft weapons and armor themselves rather than just the enchantment for them. A proper, re-imaginative crafting system could make Avowed stand apart from games like Skyrim and Fallout.
One of Pillars of Eternity's most beloved features was its party system. Every character had a unique backstory and motivation, making them alive and memorable. Pillars of Eternity's companions are part of what made the games so enjoyable. If that were to be re-imagined to Avowed, it would possibly have even more personality. Being able to strategize, have conversations with, and even romance some companions would help the player not only immerse themselves in the world, but care about the people in it.
Though a solid date for Avowed's release has yet to be confirmed, fans can look to Pillars of Eternity for some amount of guidance. Avowed will more than likely not be a one-to-one mirror of it, but fans can bet on seeing some returning features. If fans are really lucky, perhaps the game could see returning characters as well.
Avowed is in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.