Obsidian makes some of the best Western RPGs on a regular basis, and hopefully its latest title, Avowed, will be no exception This first-person action/RPG was first announced at Microsoft's Xbox Series X game showcase on July 23, where Obsidian managed to woo fans with only a short trailer and some cryptic information on its website

So far, what we know definitively about Avowed is minimal As for what we know so far about Avowed and what we can look forward to finding out next: that it is a fantasy RPG, that it takes place in the same world as Obsidian's "Pillars of Eternity" series, and that it will be released on the Xbox Series X and PC, Read on to find out what we know so far about Avowed and what we can look forward to finding out next

Microsoft gave no indication of a release date for Avowed during the July 23 event Similarly, the official Avowed website says nothing about a release date for the game The trailer does not even mention the month, quarter, or year of release Thus, all we have is a bit of conjecture

First of all, Avowed probably won't be released this year; Obsidian is not a huge studio and is already working on another game, Grounded, which is available in early access completing Grounded is probably the studio's top priority Completing Grounded is probably the studio's top priority Furthermore, if Avowed is in a state to be released in late 2020, we could probably see more from the trailer than just pre-rendered cutscenes

Obsidian's publishing history, however, does not simplify matters The company has been between major releases for as long as four years ("Neverwinter Nights 2" in 2006 and "Alpha Protocol" in 2010) or five months ("Alpha Protocol" in May 2010 and "Fallout: New Vegas" in October 2010) period of time

Since the game takes place in Eora, the world of Pillars of Eternity, it might make more sense to look at the release schedule of PIllars of Eternity: the first game was released in 2015, the second in 2018, and the third in 2017 However, since Avowed does not appear to be a direct sequel to Pillars of Eternity II and requires a completely different game engine (a real-time first-person game, not an isometric one that pauses in real-time), three years may be optimistic!

For now, let's say Avowed could launch in late 2021 or 2022; we'll know once Obsidian is clearer, and we'll have to wait and see what happens

For those who missed the Avowed trailer at the July event, again:

Not much A band of archers fights off skeletal warriors, and adventurers in a dungeon prepare to fight monsters with both magic and swords The narration is vague Something about war and oaths There does not yet seem to be any direct connection to the first two "Pillars of Eternity" films

Obsidian describes Avowed as "our next epic first-person RPG set in the fantasy world of Eora" From the trailer, Avowed has a distinctly Elder Scrolls feel, with a protagonist who is proficient with both melee weapons and magic One can only surmise that combat will take place in real time and that you will probably be able to customize your character both aesthetically and mechanically to fit your play style (This was the case in both the "Elder Scrolls" and "Pillars of Eternity" series)

Beyond that, we'll have to wait for a trailer that actually shows gameplay My guess is that it is "Skyrim gameplay in the Pillars of Eternity setting," but it's pretty hard to judge from a single screenshot If Avowed is inspired by Elder Scrolls, I would expect an open world with lots of side content If it is closer to the formula of Pillars of Eternity, we would expect an open world with plenty of side content, but in a more focused format

At least we know which systems Avowed will be available on The game's website states that it will be available on the Xbox Series X and Windows 10 PC Apparently, this is not one of the next generation games that will also be available on Xbox One However, it will be offered as part of Xbox Game Pass, and we know that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Project xCloud have cross-compatibility, so you may be able to play Avowed on your tablet, phone, or non-gaming PC Since Obsidian is a Microsoft studio, a PS5 release seems unlikely

It is impossible to say for sure what the main storyline of Avowed will be, but if it takes place in the world of Eora, it is quite possible that it will continue the storyline of the first two Pillars of Eternity games

It is difficult to give a concise synopsis of Pillars of Eternity Both films are quite long and complex, and the story can change dramatically depending on the choices you make (To play Pillars of Eternity II, you will need to import or recreate your save file) In both games, you play as a "watcher," an adventurer who can see people's previous lives In the world of Eora, souls move forever in a great circle, reincarnating after death, maintaining the balance between gods, humans, and the world A sorcerer named Saos Ix Arkanon can recall his previous life and tries to stop the circle

In Pillars of Eternity II, a god named Eothas, previously thought to be dead, inhabits a giant statue and destroys your keep to the Deadfire Archipelago There you must captain an independent ship and navigate through the complex politics of wealthy trading companies, exploited natives, and profiteering pirates Eventually you learn that Eosus' goal is to destroy the "circle" and allow the human race to flourish without the help of the gods

That's all the information we have on Avowed at this time If you just can't wait, you might want to start with both the "Elder Scrolls" and "Pillars of Eternity" series, which are available on various consoles and PC digital storefronts