New RPG Avowed is Skyrim on Steroids: First Gameplay Impressions

Obsidian's new RPG is Avowed and the game is to Skyrim, what their previous game is to Fallout. That's a good thing. We have some first gameplay impressions below.

A bunch of experts were able to play Obsidian's new RPG Avowed. No, we were not amongst them, and now, we don't want to talk about, and, yes, we still consider ourselves experts... but that's besides the point. The point is that everyone agrees that Avowed is amazing. You can almost say they all vowed on it... heh... (sorry).

The lucky ones in question are Klobrille, Jez Gordon and VGC, and we will sum up their thoughts for you here. We wish we were summing up our own thoughts, but... Obsidian didn't show any love, so what are you gonna do?

Avowed: First Gameplay Impressions

You can read Klobrille's thoughts above, but he was not the only one blessed with an early look that was collecting his thoughts of amazement. VGC and Windows Central's Jez Gordon chimed in as well, and they sang a similar song:

  • Avowed runs on an enhanced engine of The Outer Worlds – meaning that it looks better, and runs more smoothly
  • The game is said to have serious, serious Skyrim vibes, except that it's more vibrant.
  • Just like Skyrim, Avowed is a first-person fantasy-RPG, and it is said to have insanely good spell animations, as well as just fantastic first-person animations altogether.
  • Graphically – visually as a whole – the game looks fantastic
  • Avowed has destructible environments
  • The game will feature a swimming mechanic
  • Avowed will have multiple class play-styles, as well as two-handed weapons, and two-handed magic

I particularly love a quote from VGC, that I put in the intro text above, but it reads so nice that I just gotta write it twice: “If The Outer Worlds was Obsidian’s take on a Fallout-style game, Avowed is undoubtedly Obsidian’s take on The Elder Scrolls.” Love it.

Seriously, this all reads like a full-on circle-jerk, and it gives me serious Cyberpunk 2077 flashbacks. From the sounds of it, Avowed is too good to be true, so let's hope that this game actually is the promised one. All PlayStation folks, I'm gonna have to disappoint you, because Avowed is a Microsoft game, meaning it will only come to the Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Game Pass. Yup, Xbox-exclusive, just like the Elder Scrolls 6. For real though, Microsoft is starting to stack the deck, and Game Pass just got a whole lot more interesting, so if you don't have it yet, I do recommend you follow our guide and cop it for just $1.

Oh, and one more tidbit regarding Avowed: That badass spell you saw at the end of that old gameplay trailer? Yeah, those who played it confirm it that's legit gameplay, and the spell looks just like it does in the trailer. If you don't know what trailer I'm talking about... my treat:

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Amidu Njiemoun

Amidu is a Brunel University graduate, and former published novel & screenplay writer turned gaming journalist and show host. He was a Senior Content Creator and Content Co-Lead at EarlyGame....