Avowedhas many fans ofThe Elder Scrollsseries hoping that Obsidian Entertainment could be developing the spiritual successor toSkyrim. The new game will be set in Obsidian’s world of Eora, first featured in the twoPillars of Eternitygames.
To step out from underSkyrim’s shadow,Avowedwill not only need to deliver on the open-world first-person RPG formula fans have come to know fromThe Elder Scrollsgames, but will need to give them some entirely unique and original experiences as well. Fortunately for Obsidian,Pillars of Eternity 2has a feature which could be included inAvowedto provide just that.
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Ships
Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfiretakes place in the Deadfire Archipelago, and the player has their own ship to navigate the dangers of the high seas. Not only does the player’s ship count as their base, but it’s also used for ship combat. Ships inDeadfirehave their own stats independent of the player character, including things like speed and cannon strength.
Deadfireplayers can also come acrossrandom encountersat sea, including pirates that they have to avoid or engage in combat with. Ship combat inPillars of Eternitywas far from the real-time swashbuckling experience of a game likeSea of Thieves, but was instead turn-based. The player had to give their crew orders and repair parts of the ship to come out on top. Nonetheless, the ship provided a unique roleplaying experience in a game genre that has often shied away from sea adventures due to the difficulty of realizing them mechanically.
IfAvowedcould include ships in the game, then players could have access to a movable, customizable base of operations that would allow them to explore theworld of Eora, rumored to be far larger than Skyrim, while still building up their own customized space. Instead of returning home every now and again to store items like inSkyrim, the player’s home could feel like a meaningful part of the adventure inAvowed, and could be the setting for important story moments in a similar way to the campsite inDragon Age: Origins.
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Setting Sail in Avowed
Actually creating a working sea travel and combat system in a first-person game could be difficult, though games like the aforementionedSea of Thieveshave made it work. However, Obsidian has multiple options. Ships could be used as a more immersive form of fast travel, where the player, upon entering their ship, can choose to dock it at a series of coastal locations or to simply take it out to sea, allowing them to talk to their companions and crew on the journey itself. It could be this interchangeable “at sea” space that random events take place in.
UnlikeSkyrim, where the player is limited to one main companion at a time while others return to their homes, the ship could also be a place for the companions who aren’t on the current adventure to stay. This could help the player character feel more like they are building a party with meaningful relationships more akin to the belovedMass EffectsquadmatesthanSkyrim’s follower system.
No matter which path Obsidian tries to go down and the limitations placed on the various options, including ships and more dynamic world elements is one way thatAvowedcould overcome direct comparisons toSkyrimand forge its own identity. Not only would including ships allow for immersive travel and a mobile base, but it could be just the feature to helpAvowedlink itself to itsPillars of Eternityhistoryand draw players into a new experience with unique roleplaying opportunities.
Avowedis in development for PC and Xbox Series X.
