Summary
Obsidian Entertainment showcased a considerably deep dive into its upcoming fantasy RPGAvowedfor the recent Xbox Developer Direct, and while the footage has led to some fans becoming skeptical of the game, others have been pleased to get a more in-depth look at its world, its colorful visuals, and its combat in action. In the combat footage shown, Obsidian revealed thatAvowedplayers would be allowed to “mix and match” their loadout to suit their playstyle, and this feature simultaneously lends itself to the ability to wield magic and guns simultaneously — a character archetype that is arguably more underused than it should be.
The “magic and guns” fantasy RPG character archetype has been around for decades, but it is nevertheless often discarded due to the stark differences between the two combat styles. Implementing the ability to use both magic and guns in a game’s combat requires a specific type of fantasy world that follows a particular set of rules, which ultimately leads to it being underused in the RPG genre. Thankfully,Avowedincludes the character archetype by offering players a diverse array of combat options, which will likely be useful in a variety of situations.
Avowed Will Let Players Wield Magic and Guns Simultaneously
Obsidian has made one very important thing clear aboutAvowed’s combat: it is designed to be a thoroughly customizable experience with a “flexible combat system” that allows players to swap between various combat styles on a whim. In addition to being able to swap between a variety of combat options,Avowedwill also allow players to dual-wield weapons, even if the two items offer drastically different combat styles than one another.
According to what has already been revealed, players can arm themselves withwands and tomes for spellcasting inAvowed, whereas sharpshooting allows them to wield pistols. Although it has yet to be explicitly shown in the gameplay footage released thus far, it’s likely players will be able to wield spellcasting items in one hand and a gun in the other, and this is based on footage of a player dual-wielding a wand and a sword. Additionally, it’s currently unclear whether there will be other gun types in the game, as only pistols have been revealed at this point.
Past Games That Allowed the Simultaneous Use of Magic and Guns
Although it is one of the more recent games to allow its players to wield magic and guns simultaneously,Avowedisn’t the first, nor is it guaranteed to go down in history as the one that did it best. Many popular RPG titles that came prior, includingthePillars of EternityseriesAvowedshares a universe with, managed to blend the combat practicality of guns with the fantasy of magic and spellcasting, to the delight of fans.
Avowedmay not be the only RPG to couple guns and magic, but the list it shares that feature with is quite short — not to mention the fact that two of those games take place in the same universe asAvowedand were both developed by the same company. This is proof of just how underused the “magic and guns” fantasy RPG character archetype is, which is a shame considering the layers it so often adds to combat mechanics and diversity. The hope is thatAvowedproves to be a successful addition to the library ofgames in the RPG genreand the gaming industry sees this archetype added to more and more titles for years to come.
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?
