Obsidian shares character, quest, and combat details in Avowed extended gameplay breakdown

Following the gameplay reveal which debuted at the Xbox Developer_Direct 2024, Obsidian shared an 'extended gameplay breakdown' for Avowed on the Official Xbox Podcast.

In a clip uploaded to YouTube, game director Carrie Patel and gameplay director Gabe Paramo speak with Xbox hosts about Obsidian's overall philosophy towards player engagement, locations, characters, combat, questing, and more in the upcoming RPG.

You can find the video below with timestamps in the description. I also have some summary bullets after that, for readers who just want a quick glance of a 25-minute video.

Avowed is set to release this Fall for Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam). 

On this bonus episode of the Official Xbox Podcast we dive into even more Avowed gameplay while chatting with Game Director Carrie Patel and Gameplay Director Gabe Paramo. Enjoy!

00:00 Introductions
01:25 What makes Avowed an Obsidian game?
03:19 Mission location
05:19 Combat and weapon loadouts
10:14 Crowd control and elemental damage
12:49 Branching dialogs and companions
16:16 What is Shatterskarp
19:07 What it's like developing the game
22:39 What the Avowed title means
23:43 Final thoughts & goodbye

• Patel states Obsidian's motto is "Your Worlds, Your Way", referencing how Avowed's skill mechanics, companions, exploration, etc is free for the player to decide, and the game will support various play styles.

• Gameplay footage shows Shatterskarp, an arid region and the third encountered in the game. Patel states "This area is entirely discoverable, which means it's also entirely missable," emphasizing discoverability and player choice in how to engage in exploration.

• Shatterskarp shows Xaurip enemies and swimming exploration.

• Combat revolves around a dual-wield system, with a main hand and off-hand weapon or shield. Paramo discusses supporting a variety of skill loadouts and equipment set-ups (such as melee, ranged, magic, homing attacks, power attacks, and luring attacks), while also noting that respeccing is an option for those wanting to experiment with their build. There are skill tress, but seemingly no classes, as Patel emphasizes flexibility. 

• There are elemental attributes, such as burning, freezing, and shock, that not only can be used in combat, but also in the world. 

• Patel then discusses quests, choices, and consequences: "So again, for us, creating these choices, like the big ones that affect the outcome of a quest or the well-being of certain characters or communities, are just as important as the smaller choices that you make in navigating a dialogue and kind of in subtle ways, influencing your relationship with another character. But all of it is really centered around letting>the player be the main character in this setting." The example quest showcased involved a soldier who deserted his squad.

• Obsidian then discusses the first two revealed companions in the game, Giatta and Kai. Kai is an Aumaua with a history in the Shatterscarp area and acts like a tank. Giatta is a human healer. 

• The gameplay demos ends with Obsidian discussion location design and having multiple paths through an area.

• The podcast segment ends with both directors discussing their roles while creating a game like Avowed.