When theAvowedteaser trailer dropped, fans were quick to point out similarities between the apparent styles of Obsidian Entertainment’s first-person fantasy RPG andThe Elder Scrollsfranchise. The first-person shot of a hero wielding magic in their left hand and a sword in their right was extremely reminiscent of Bethesda’s flagship franchise, leaving many to wonder if Obsidian was aiming directly at taking over a key area of the market.
However, while news aboutSkyrim’s sequel is still a long way away, there is one big disadvantage thatAvowedhas because ofThe Elder Scrolls 6that could still give Bethesda the edge, especially when it comes to each games’ longevity.
RELATED:Avowed: Who Are the Engwithans?
Bethesda’s Secret Weapon
Avowedis one of the most hotly anticipated titles coming out on the upcoming Xbox Series X. Set inObsidian’sPillars of Eternityworld of Eora, the game has many RPG fans hoping to get their fix of first-personElder Scrolls-style fun. Not only that, but Bethesda has had some high-profile disappointments in the years sinceSkyrimreleased.Fallout 76in particular reduced faith in the company, leaving many to wonder if it could be trusted to deliver onThe Elder Scrolls 6.
However, there’s one big disadvantageAvowedhas. Obsidian has never been as good at Bethesda at fostering themodding communityfor its games. When the studio’s last big RPG title,The Outer Worlds, was released, it didn’t have many available tools to make modding easier and accessible.
Skyrim’s Creation Kit, on the other hand, was released just a few months after its retail release, giving modders almost complete access to the game and undoubtedly contributing toSkyrim’s longevity. IfAvowedis going to reach anything near toSkyrim’s long-term success, it will need to be as accessible to modders.
If the game is as inflexible to modding asThe Outer Worlds, it is likely that many people in the modding community will simply hop ship to another game with better opportunities when that releases, rather than sticking withObsidian’sAvowedlike many did for years with Bethesda’sSkyrim.
RELATED:3 Ways Avowed Can Make its World Feel Huge
What Can Avowed Do?
The Elder Scrollsgames are designed in part with the modding community in mind. There are very few unique humanoid NPC models, for example, which allows modders to create any imaginable character in the world using the character creation provided by the game.The Outer Worldshad far more unique character models likePhineas Welles, making this more difficult.
ForAvowedto be truly successful, it will need critical and commercial success at launch but will also need to retain the modding community, and a community at large, long beyond that time.Skyrim’s Steam sales are still impressively steady for a game nearly ten years old, but afterAvowedreleases in 2022-2023(the current approximiate), it could be only three years untilThe Elder Scrolls 6’s rumored 2025 release date. If Obsidian hasn’t been able to stick the landing with a strong modding community in the first few years, thenAvowedcould be overshadowed and forgotten thanks to the nextElder Scrollsgame.
Ultimately, the developers which will define the direction of RPGs on the next generation of hardware remain to be seen. However, ifAvowedis accessible to modders to the same extent asSkyrim, then players could have a greater incentive to stick with the game even when the next Bethesda title releases.
Avowedis in development for PC and Xbox Series X.
