Revolutionizing Gaming: Avowed's Gunplay Takes Things to the Next Level

The highly anticipated first-person fantasy RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, Avowed, made its debut at the Xbox Games Showcase in 2023, providing fans with a glimpse of its world and gameplay. Among various other fantasy RPGs like Fable and The Elder Scrolls 6, Avowed is set to differentiate itself with a unique gameplay element - the ability for players to utilize guns in addition to traditional weapons such as swords, axes, and magic. The latest trailer showcased the seamless integration of guns with other ranged options like bows and magic, setting the stage for Avowed to raise the bar for the genre. As the game is set in the same world as Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity franchise, the existence of guns has already been established within the game's lore. While the concept of "Skyrim with guns" is a popular meme, Avowed appears to be taking this idea quite literally, providing the game with its own unique identity.

How the Use of Guns Could Enhance Avowed's Combat

The combination of gunplay and fantasy may seem like an odd pairing, but the Pillars of Eternity series has proven otherwise. Avowed follows in its predecessor's footsteps by offering a range of combat options that include traditional ranged weapons like magic and bows, as well as firearms. This addition not only expands the gameplay possibilities but also enhances the RPG character-building aspect of the game. The recent gameplay reveal showcased a variety of weapons, but the glimpses of gunplay were particularly intriguing. Building upon the foundation laid by Pillars of Eternity, Avowed's firearms offer a great deal of diversity, potentially making them a formidable option for players. While the trailer only showed the player dual wielding pistols, there's a possibility for other firearm types, such as the shotgun-like blunderbuss or rifle-like arquebus, to make an appearance. By blending typical FPS weapon archetypes with established fantasy weapon types, Avowed creates an innovative and genre-bending arsenal of gear for players to choose from and tailor to their preferred playstyle.

Obsidian's history of developing solid FPS combat in previous titles like Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds should ease concerns about the implementation of firearms and FPS-like gameplay in a fantasy RPG. In fact, the studio's ability to develop competent gunplay within the RPG genre and use weapons to enhance storytelling capabilities is a promising sign for Avowed's approach to gunplay. The inclusion of firearms in Pillars of Eternity also establishes a precedent for their use in the world of Avowed. Success in Avowed's gunplay could potentially set a new standard for first-person fantasy RPG combat, inspiring other developers to explore the combination of genres and push the envelope in terms of weapon variety. The addition of firearms opens up new possibilities for build variety, combining elements of two genres that Obsidian has excelled at in the past. Overall, Avowed's unique approach to combat has the potential to set a high bar for future titles to strive towards.

Avowed releases in 2024 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.