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[adamsapple]

Yes, more recently, but that's only after years of letting people's expectations run wild thinking it's going to be something on the scale of Skyrim

They made the distinction pretty clear with the game's re-reveal in 2023 that it's not like Skyrim. 2 years is a pretty long time for people to drop those expectations.

Exclusive: Avowed started as Obsidian's Skyrim, but evolved to focus on depth over breadth, 'where Obsidian really shines'

"We backed up and said again: What are we good at? What's our lane?"

www.pcgamer.com

 

[Raven117]

Who the fuck wanted the next Obsidian game to be Destiny meets Skyrim?

I’m sure they did. If they made the next Skyrim with some Destiny trappings, it would make the oooogles of money and become a truly S-tier studio.

I would have like to play that if they got it right.

 

[Jigsaah]

See the responses in Jigsaah 's thread along with this nugget.



The CEO of the company said in an interview it was originally a skyrim style game, I linked that above.

Are you now saying you'd rather take Schreier's word over the CEO of Obsidian along with what we could see in the original trailer?

The first mention that they ever attempted to put anything multiplayer in to the game came in 2023, long after the original reveal and people in Xbox circles were talking about it being a skyrim style rpg:

To be honest, I didn't even know it was originally supposed to be a multiplayer game. I was more just referring to what I would've gleaned from the original trailer and then how things changed when they did the combat reveal. I did know it was supposed to be a Skyrim-style game, though.

When you act surprised by it as if you’ve been ignoring vast amounts of media on the game for years, it might not be nitpicking, but it’s weird.



Yes, this is nitpicking, because the quest isn’t about “abortion legality”, what you’re upset about is like two optional lines of dialogue in a quest with a hundred dialogue lines. And even if you go down that path and arrive at those couple of dialogue lines, it doesn’t magically change the entire purpose of the quest

This is the nonsense games deal with nowadays. People playing them not to enjoy them, people playing them to get offended at every possible instance. Be better.




But you’re ok with random comments about heterosexual relationships? Like why is that there? Why would you want backstories on characters or lore in an RPG? Also I have come across this one time (which I posted about here). You act as if every NPC is talking to you about gay relationships. Why so dramatic?



Avowed combat is not Skyrim combat.

Why do you assume that everybody has seen all the media about this game? You would think this is GTA 6 or something. I think that assumption is very weird. To say "We all knew about this since xyz time" presumes that I was aware.

Even still...this does not negate the fact that this is a problem. Yes I was surprised by it...and rightfully so. If you see a snippet of combat, a bit of a deep dive....you go in knowing they aren't showing you everything. Is it weird to think that the dungeons of the game would be darker in tone and aethetics? That the story would be more serious and gritty?

Nothing about any of the preview led me to believe the story was so flaccid and without urgency. Even when bad things happen to the characters/npcs in the game...there's no weight to it. I don't feel bad that this town got burned to the ground. Far as I can see, like one person died and everybody else is camped out just chillin. Why couldn't I see the town burn down. Why couldn't I be part of the defense that ultimately failed to save it? It's just so...mediocre and lazy and it feels like it's trying so hard to protect my fucking feelings.

Fuckin ruin me once in a while for fuck's sake. Make me feel....SOMETHING.

 

[Thief1987]

Watching the videos comparisson between Avowed and Oblivion / Skyrim is depressing to see how backwards videogames became compared to 19 year old games.

Just simple things like adding ripples in the water when you swim, fish in the water, NPC interactions, etc. Things that even gacha games do it right, are missing from Avowed. This game feels like a theatrical stage where instead of imersing the players in a virtual world, your watching a play where you notice 80% of what you see are fake props.

That's what using popular third party engine giving you. They are just doing bare minimum, provided out of the box, and don't bother much with anything else.

 

[mayham2199]

I’m sorry but if you’re pinning any hope on games like Perfect Dark following on from Forza Motorsport, Starfield and Avowed you are on crack!

Xbox couldn’t run a bath.

Their studios are in absolute disarray.

This is why I don't really care about their directs. They always have these amazing directs and show al these amazing games. It looks great but I've seen the end result of a lot of these games at the direct and it's always "this is ok". Which is fine but good luck to MS being a third party publisher.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

fish in the water

There are fish in the water.

 

[GHG]

They made the distinction pretty clear with the game's re-reveal in 2023 that it's not like Skyrim. 2 years is a pretty long time for people to drop those expectations.

Exclusive: Avowed started as Obsidian's Skyrim, but evolved to focus on depth over breadth, 'where Obsidian really shines'

"We backed up and said again: What are we good at? What's our lane?"

www.pcgamer.com

That's exactly the interview I linked previously.

When exactly did they re-reveal the game? Before or after they made the multiplayer stuff public, or around the same time?

To be honest, I didn't even know it was originally supposed to be a multiplayer game. I was more just referring to what I would've gleaned from the original trailer and then how things changed when they did the combat reveal. I did know it was supposed to be a Skyrim-style game, though.

Oh I know. Nobody knew anything about them ever doing anything multiplayer with the game outside of those who follow Xbox news closely. The expectations were still very much that it was going to be a skyrim style game, several reviews even referenced this.

The reality is that if it was never going to be a skyrim style dark fantasy game set in the Pillars universe then they should never have released that reveal trailer and they shouldn't have let people's expectations go in that direction.

 

[Buggy Loop]

2 reboots huh?

RIP in pieces to those who attempted to gaslight people by telling them it's the same as the original trailer.

Are those peoples in the room with you GHG?

 

[GHG]

Are those peoples in the room with you GHG?

Always.

 

[Aenima]

There are fish in the water.

Then its incosistent where they place them cuz saw various underwater locations without any fish in them. Same for the gun shooting splash that only show splashing in certain bodies of water while in others is absent.

 

[adamsapple]

That's exactly the interview I linked previously.

When exactly did they re-reveal the game? Before or after they made the multiplayer stuff public, or around the same time?

The MP thing etc was all part of the June 2023 window when they had their E3 equivalent showcase stream, that's the first time they had shown the game since its original announcement in 2020 IIRC, so they did a lot of interviews and revealed all that info at the same time.

 

[GHG]

The MP thing etc was all part of the June 2023 window when they had their E3 equivalent showcase stream, that's the first time they had shown the game since its original announcement in 2020 IIRC, so they did a lot of interviews and revealed all that info at the same time.

Well it's a shame they let it all run wild for 3 years then, both internally and externally.

2018 by the way:

Avellone called it. Went from being "Skyrim", to something else entirely, and then finally the POE version of the outer worlds, but worse.

 

[Aenima]

That's what using popular third party engine giving you. They are just doing bare minimum, provided out of the box, and don't bother much with anything else.

Thats no excuse. Most gachas use Unity for mobile compatibility and you have basic details like that. Im not talking all the feautures Bugthesda engine uses, Cuz most games dont use permanent items like Bugthesda engine does, but thers no excuse for the small details i mentioned.

 

[Guardian Monkey]

Well it's a shame they let it all run wild for 3 years then, both internally and externally.

2018 by the way:

Avellone called it. Went from being "Skyrim", to something else entirely, and then finally the POE version of the outer worlds, but worse.

I’m sorry, but can someone get the translation in English to whatever the hell they’re saying?

 

[adamsapple]

DF Alex emoticon all the way back in 2018?

We got some time travelers among us.

 

[Durin]

Obsidian presented prospective buyers with a pitch for Avowed, which the company hoped would be its magnum opus: a cross between Destiny and Skyrim that allowed players to adventure together in a massive fantasy world.

Honest question: has a single studio known for doing single-player story-driven RPGs been able to transition into a successful live-service multiplayer game?

I'm just sitting here wanting a game like Skyrim that is just co-op. No special shared world with a HUB, just myself and a few friends going through a big open world doing anything in whatever order.

 

[StereoVsn]

Doubt.jpg

Yep, instead of Skyrim with Obisidan’s writing we got Outer Worlds with arguably worse writing. “Mild Success” indeed.

 

[GHG]

DF Alex emoticon all the way back in 2018?

We got some time travelers among us.

You can see the original post here:

Obsidian and inXile acquired by Microsoft

Well guess what, now they will have actual fucking professionals to deal with stuff like marketing and localization, instead of relying on two people from Techland to try and come up with efficient marketing plan in exchange for a crate of kielbasa. Are these the biggest problems that held...

rpgcodex.net

That's not Alex BTW.

 

[Rob_27]

I played it for a few hours. Its OK. But went back to Skyrim. I could do with that a proper remake. Or just wait for oblivion.

 

[Jinxed]

6 years for a turd...

 

[adamsapple]

6 years for a turd...

Bruh.. these takes..

 

[xrnzaaas]

I wouldn't be surprised if games like Fable, Everwild or Perfect Dark are having similar development issues and project restarts. MS really needs to improve how their first party projects are led and constantly monitored.

 

[Banjo64]

I wouldn't be surprised if games like Fable, Everwild or Perfect Dark are having similar development issues and project restarts. MS really needs to improve how their first party projects are led and constantly monitored.

It’s a stone cold reported fact that both Everwild and PD have both been rebooted.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

Then its incosistent where they place them cuz saw various underwater locations without any fish in them. Same for the gun shooting splash that only show splashing in certain bodies of water while in others is absent.

Yeah, maybe so. Not really sure. There definitely isn't an abundance of aquatic life or anything, but there are some.

I do absolutely find my self not giving a shit about most of this stuff people are complaining about on the whole, though. Half or more I didn't even notice until I saw people complaining about it online.

 

[Astray]

Yes, more recently, but that's only after years of letting people's expectations run wild thinking it's going to be something on the scale of Skyrim.

MS Gaming does this all the time now:

1) Release vague but very, very promising-looking trailer.
2) Let the audience's imaginations roam for years.
3) Release one or more awkward-looking gameplay trailer(s) that look much closer to final product.
4) Start the press promotional tour with interviews, previews etc all focusing on what the game won't have and why that's actually good and refreshing.
5) Game comes out, most people didn't catch the above press tour and proceed to criticize downgrades from great-looking reveal trailer to mid-ish final product.
6) MS fans come out and tell people that no one ever promised the game would be as great as the 1st trailer promised.

I can tell you that this has already happened with Hellblade 2, Avowed, and even Indiana Jones to an extent, there are definitely games I'm missing there too. the way this loop keeps happening has to relate to how MS plans marketing campaigns for games now, it's impossible that the same scenario happens with 2-3 very different games unless it is.

 

[adamsapple]

5) Game comes out, most people didn't catch the above press tour and proceed to criticize downgrades from great-looking reveal trailer to mid-ish final product.

Man, come on lol ..

They've been showing this game in various streams since 2023, a whole two years ago.

No one gets to be oblivious about not seeing any media on the game specifically in the last two years and only refer the original announcement CG and then be shocked at launch.

 

[Perrott]

Wow, Jason Schreier really took a deep dive into Avowed's development and somehow made it about January 6th.

 

[nashman]

If you would have told me 10 years ago, Dragon Age 4 and Obsidians next big RPG would come out and that I couldnt be bothered to play either of them. I would spit out my drink and laugh in your face. Yet here we are. Ill keep playing KCD2 and then maybe BG3 for a second time. Zero desire to touch the other 2 games even for free.

 

[Astray]

Man, come on lol ..

They've been showing this game in various streams since 2023, a whole two years ago.

No one gets to be oblivious about not seeing any media on the game specifically in the last two years and only refer the original announcement CG and then be shocked at launch.

And the game was announced in 2020, they left people to ponder on that cool trailer for 3 years! Then they came back and the 1st big interviews started telling people how X thing wasn't gonna be in the game, and Y thing won't be in the game etc etc. So what I mentioned was literally what happened?

Also It's entirely possible to "miss" coverage, I mean apart from how our attention is demanded by every single thing out there, gaming journalism specifically is crumbling more than any other kind of journalism in part because consumers are missing or skipping more coverage than ever.

 

[Varteras]

That lies with Matt Booty and Phil Spencer. Matt Booty because he is ultimately responsible for managing the studios. Phil Spencer for not firing Matt Booty for doing a shitty job.

I feel like I am on repeat here but Phil can't spot a great game and seems like Matt is just as bad

Their line of succession doesn't give me much hope they can fix this problem either, they need to clean house

When it took them a decade to shitcan Bonnie Ross, I knew then for sure that it was pure incompetence. Not just a series of bad luck. Halo was the crown jewel and she may as well have turned it into a buttplug after a night of Taco Bell. Spencer should have axed Matt Booty right beside her.

 

[StereoVsn]

Bruh.. these takes..

Compared to games like KOTOR 2 and New Vegas, eh…

 

[nial]

Then the headlines began popping up. There was violence taking place on the other side of the country, at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. What was normally a procedural vote to certify the winner of the presidential election had turned into chaos.

It was Jan. 6, 2021, and Obsidian’s big day was being overshadowed by a riot.

Obsidian decided to reschedule the all-hands meeting for later in the week. “It was honestly a challenge on just about every front,” Patel told me during a recent interview.

It was an inauspicious start to Patel’s stewardship of Avowed.

 

[Kilau]

Jan. 6th being called out at all in this article is hilarious.

I had to stop reading there because my eyes rolled so far back into my head I could see brain cells dying.

 

[Germuso]

The director is a woman, well that's It.

 

[Dazraell]

6 years to produce this and Outer Worlds 2 while also making Grounded and Pentiment isn't too bad. Sounds like if it wasn't rebooted twice they'd be even more efficient. I'm glad MS gave them the time to finish it up properly.

Sawyer is probably also working on another game as well.

I remember reading somewhere that Grounded and Pentiment had very small teams, like only 10-15 devs per team. Avowed's team apparently had 100+ devs involved

 

[adamsapple]

And the game was announced in 2020, they left people to ponder on that cool trailer for 3 years! Then they came back and the 1st big interviews started telling people how X thing wasn't gonna be in the game, and Y thing won't be in the game etc etc. So what I mentioned was literally what happened?

They didn't 'leave people to ponder' for 3 years, the game got rebooted twice in that time, that's quite literally what the article is about. They showed the game when it was in a state to show in '23 and it still took then 2 years after that to release it. It was probably not in a state to show between 2020 and 2022.

Also It's entirely possible to "miss" coverage, I mean apart from how our attention is demanded by every single thing out there, gaming journalism specifically is crumbling more than any other kind of journalism in part because consumers are missing or skipping more coverage than ever.

The notion of missing all media on a game you're interested in playing for 5 years is absurd enough as it is ..

But the user in question talked about Avowed both in the January '24 Direct topic and the Showcase Summer '23 topics, so he definitely saw the game.

Since there's no "+" or "-" I'm gonna go with a B, but it's rounded up from a C+

HellBlade's presentation gave me blue balls. Mana is cool, but honestly felt a bit out of place for this presentation. ARA....I mean I've never been a CIv player, but I like Stellaris, so I'll try it but not exciting. Avowed...I'm less excited about than I was last year after their presentation in the summer. I like the concept of the combat...but the dry conversation...the character models, though an improvement over Outer Worlds, still seem really stiff. It's a similar complaint I had about conversations in Horizon Zero Dawn. Indy was pretty impressive though for a first showing and though I've boohooed it before, I'm actually excited now.

Is it a Killer App? I wouldn't go that far, but it looks to be shaping up to be a true blue Indiana Jones game from this generation. Best thing is it's coming out this year supposedly...very good.

I still can't get over how good the character models look for Avowed. That lizard dude? what in thee fuck Obsidian?

I'm sorry for putting you on blast Jigsaah , my inner GHG came out with the post search crawling.

 

[OuterLimits]

4 years following a complete reboot doesn't seem excessively long really. Especially since Covid craziness was occurring the first two years really.

The final product won't be winning GOTY awards, but it seems to be reviewing decently.

 

[Orbital2060]

 

[Feel Like I'm On 42]

Jason Schreier

Finally someone in the comments noticed that. If Jan 6th caused this big of an emotional upheaval for this studio then this game was always fucked.

 

[Jigsaah]

They didn't 'leave people to ponder' for 3 years, the game got rebooted twice in that time, that's quite literally what the article is about. They showed the game when it was in a state to show in '23 and it still took then 2 years after that to release it. It was probably not in a state to show between 2020 and 2022.




The notion of missing all media on a game you're interested in playing for 5 years is absurd enough as it is ..

But the user in question talked about Avowed both in the January '24 Direct topic and the Showcase Summer '23 topics, so he definitely saw the game.





I'm sorry for putting you on blast Jigsaah , my inner GHG came out with the post search crawling.

What does this have to do with the actual complaints that I had in original post of my thread? I think my literal words were "Skyrim: Candyland edition". I didn't say anything about the tone of the game. I was turned off a bit about the combat and the character models, which they improved on in the final version in terms of detail and responsiveness. The hit detection has always been a pet peeve of mine, even from Skyrim. Therefore you don't see me complaining about those aspects now. And yes, I WAS actually excited for the game, hence the early access purchase.

I dunno what kinda gotcha bullshit you're tryna pull.

Don't apologize to me because you're "putting me on blast". Apologize to me because you're quoting a post of mine with zero context, leaving me to explain myself for no got damn reason.

 

[Shaki12345]

And people wonder why these devs are in trouble.... Just for perspective, Black Isle Studios, which released many legendary RPGs in the late 1990s and early 2000s, was in existence for seven years. Obsidian is the successor to BI and now needs six years to make one mediocre game.

Did you play the game?

 

[adamsapple]

What does this have to do with the actual complaints that I had in original post of my thread? I think my literal words were "Skyrim: Candyland edition". I didn't say anything about the tone of the game. I was turned off a bit about the combat and the character models, which they improved on in the final version in terms of detail and responsiveness. The hit detection has always been a pet peeve of mine, even from Skyrim. Therefore you don't see me complaining about those aspects now. And yes, I WAS actually excited for the game, hence the early access purchase.

I dunno what kinda gotcha bullshit you're tryna pull.

Don't apologize to me because you're "putting me on blast". Apologize to me because you're quoting a post of mine with zero context, leaving me to explain myself for no got damn reason.

This is the first half of your dedicated Avowed topic.

So I said I would give it a shot. I was initially pretty hyped from the CGI teaser Xbox released as it felt like this was going to be Obsidian's take on TES V: Skyrim. Let just take a look at the CGI trailer for reference.

One could understand why I might feel like I did about this upcoming game. The atmosphere was dark, deeply serious and promised a dire situation at it's core. I was here for it.

Fast forward to the release now...let just take a quick look at what Avowed has become

I mean...where did all this fucking color come from? I thought Avowed was supposed to be this medieval, dirty, gritty unforgiving environment. I look at the original trailer, I'm thinking some real shit is about to go down.

This is not something someone who saw the presentations in 2023 or 2024 would have missed. 'Where did the color come from', 'I thought Avowed was xyz'. They had multiple long-form presentations about the game telling you exactly what it was and exactly what it wasn't.

It's like you watched it, but you didn't see it.

 

[Jigsaah]

This is the first half of your dedicated Avowed topic.



This is not something someone who saw the presentations in 2023 or 2024 would have missed. 'Where did the color come from', 'I thought Avowed was xyz'. They had multiple long-form presentations about the game telling you exactly what it was and exactly what it wasn't.

It's like you watched it, but you didn't see it.

So, are you saying that the whole game was presented at one or both of these presentations. Even with me seeing those presentations...it does not mean the whole game would look like this and the tone of the game is still ambiguous until you actually play it.

Also, keep in mind that people's expectations can vary based on the information they are given. You may, for example, have watched those presentations and had a take away fairly different than mine. "Where did the color come from" was a tongue n cheek remark that eludes to something larger, which I go on to explain IN THE VERY NEXT SENTENCE. You're latching onto the aesthetic comment like that's supposed to be the major focus. It's not....which I also mention later in the thread because apparently people read that part and completely skimmed the rest of the post...yourself included apparently.

Jesus Christ.

Everybody who says I simply don't like that there's color in the game

 

[StereoVsn]

Finally someone in the comments noticed that. If Jan 6th caused this big of an emotional upheaval for this studio then this game was always fucked.

Yep, it’s a dumb take. I mean I live like 12 miles from the Capitol, I have been there for work and I go to DC for work and recreation all the time… and I didn’t get particularly emotional, just absolutely bewildered.

I could understand folks in Bethesda games being freaked out since they are very close , but Obsidian?

As to the actual product, I am personally very disappointed. It’s more of mediocre Outer Worlds fare but now fantasy and with parkour.

They could have knocked out an on outstanding RPG in 6 years, but instead we got what we got. And I got no time for mid games with so many good titles around.

 

[drganon]

 

[bender]

I’m sorry, but can someone get the translation in English to whatever the hell they’re saying?

He used a lot of words to say this:

Yep, it’s a dumb take.

Pretty common. I had a coworker crying because of the recent election results and all I can think is that "you were alive during the first term and are so young that is highly unlikely that you wouldn't live to see who gets elected next time around." Mind you, I'm pretty far left leaning and I can't help but roll my eyes.

 

[Bernardougf]

The history of Microsoft is filled with a long line of half-ass products. I think there is a culture problem at Microsoft, honestly.

And by the looks of it .. its contagious.

 

[AJUMP23]

She landed that plane upside down.

 

[Bernardougf]

If its not clear enough what I've being saying for quite some time .. modern games is not the problem with this industry... its modern devs and studios culture.

 

[TransTrender]

It was Jan. 6, 2021, and Obsidian’s big day was being overshadowed by a riot.

Given everything up to this point in the article, a 'big day' would be massive layoffs or the company closing down. Rebooting after two years doesn't seem disastrous or disruptive.

Also that day was just a regular work day for us. Imagine the fragile tenuous grip on reality these people have where this meeting had to be scheduled a week later... Jeez