Spiders’GreedFallwas a pleasant surprise for gamers in 2019. Hailed as a spiritual successor to earlier BioWare games likeDragon Age, it offered an impressive and fresh adventure in a well-realized historical/fantasy setting.GreedFallwas somewhat smaller in scope (at least compared to a few other contemporaries) but still provided a dense and satisfying RPG experience. Obsidian Entertainment’s forthcoming epic fantasy FPS RPG,Avowed, has been on many fans' radar since its announcement in 2020, as it marks a return to the studio’s well-known and liked designs. WithAvowedalso being a slimmer but more focused experience, many other elements about them are tightly aligned, too.
For starters, events have conspired such thatGreedFall’s sequel, The Dying World, andAvowedare now set to release in 2024, and players can expect to be able to experience both in the same year. Based upon the tale of the originalGreedFall, and fromwhatAvowedhas shown so farandThe Dying World,both series and projects can further be said to have close similarities in terms of their narrative angles and surrounding aspects, with the two exploring a number of the same major themes.
Avowedcurrently has a Fall release window, whileGreedFall 2does not yet have a firm date.Avowedwill also be a day one Game Pass title.
GreedFall and Avowed’s Setups and Other Elements Highly Resemble Each Other
Avowed and GreedFall’s Present Similarities
Avowedpromises to place players in the role of a protagonist who is “a powerful magic-wielder, sent by an emperor to investigate a devastating plague that is ‘corrupting’ the people.” This description is very much adjacent toGreedFall’s framework.
The first title followed the story of an influential merchant andambassador, De Sardet, and their mission to investigate and establish relationships with a newly discovered island culture in its pseudo-historical Age of Exploration-era world, at the onset of a pandemic in their homeland. Both franchises present characters rooted in comparably powerful positions and occupations, tasked by an overseeing organization to enact its goals in foreign territory for the same reasons.
Avowedis based on Obsidian’sPillars of EternityCRPG series, and will feature an area of its world, Eora, called the Living Lands. It is said to be a more lawless place that is pushing back against the influence and control of the Aedyr Empire, one of the dominant factions withinPillars of EternityandAvowed’s shared world.
The dangerous disease appears to be affecting the Lands themselves and the population alike, which was also the case and motivating factor inGreedFall’s plot. De Sardet’s mission to discover the source of the Malichor sickness occurring inGreedFall’s world, and return from the nation of Teer Fradee with a cure strongly resembles that ofAvowed’s main character, at least based on the information currently on hand.
GreedFall and Avowed’s Future Will Likely Build Upon Their Shared Themes and Stories
It is apparent then howGreedFallandAvowed’s use of the above components connects them in interestingly synchronous ways at the moment. Both properties see citizens of native lands set against intruding or colonizing forces, with the protagonists caught between, and working to unearth the truths behind who or what might be manipulating the grander stage, and to what ends. Finally,The Dying Worldis set to flip the first game’s script and will have fans play from the perspective of a Teer Fradee native unwillingly brought to the mainland ofGreedFall’s Old Continentregion, roughly three years before the original events, putting another spin on the structure.
It’s a good bet that they will show fans further sides and facets of their respective settings, fleshing out items like their geographies, intricacies, and more. The timeline of the two forthcoming titles will play an important part in determining their direction as well.
The Dying World’s plot is set to occur fairly close toGreedFall, while it’s still unclear exactlywhenAvowedwill take place in Eora’s history. Regardless, both are likely to add many layers of lore and characters to their already detailed worlds, and players can look forward to delving into discovering more of each sometime this year.
Avowed
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger. Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.You are the envoy of Aedyr, a distant land, sent to investigate rumors of a spreading plague throughout the Living Lands - an island full of mysteries and secrets, danger and adventure, and choices and consequences, and untamed wilderness. You discover a personal connection to the Living Lands and an ancient secret that threatens to destroy everything. Can you save this unknown frontier and your soul from the forces threatening to tear them asunder?
