Windows Central: An early working build of Avowed is almost ready, the game will be shown no later than E3 2022 - a lot of new details

Windows Central editor Jez Corden shared new insider details about the large-scale fantasy RPG Avowed in the Pillars of Eternity universe from Obsidian Entertainment, created exclusively for the Xbox Series X|S and PC.

• The game will have many elements familiar to Pillars of Eternity fans, including magic spells such as Jolting Touch (roasts enemies with chain lightning), as well as two-handed spells created using complex hand gestures, like Fireball (destroys enemies with a storm of magma and fire), and spells with a status effect, for example, Fetid Care (poisons enemies with caustic poison).
• An important feature will be the strengthening of weapons with the help of charms. Magic-enchanted swords and frozen arrows were given as examples. Pillars-style cannons similar to muskets and arquebuses will also appear.
• Familiar creatures such as the lizard-like Xauripes will also return, but there will also be much larger and more deadly threats, up to wyverns and dragons.
• The project will offer several classes with their own game styles and a two-handed combat system. Players will be able to secretly wield two daggers or shoot with two hands from a bow, as well as use a combination of swords and magic or two-handed magic, which is necessary for powerful spells.
• The action is more complex than in The Elder Scrolls. Warriors will have access to a large number of melee attacks, such as fencing, powerful kicks and shield strikes, while spellcasters will be given the capabilities of a magic book to customize and adapt their fighting style, with spells being tied to certain buttons.

• Despite the comparison of Avowed with The Elder Scrolls, the Obsidian game looks more colorful than Skyrim. Players will visit glowing mushroom caves, majestic green forests and huge sun-drenched temples with tombs and skeletons.
• The interactivity of the environment is slightly higher compared to The Outer Worlds. It will be possible to swim, set fire to blocked passages with torches and spells.
• Whether the game will have a full-fledged open world or a hub system, as in The Outer Worlds, is still unknown for sure. Studio vacancies suggest that this may be the first.
• The project is in the process of transition from the pre-production stage to the state of a playable alpha version. The studio is close to creating an early working build of the game, in which many mechanics and basic principles of gameplay will be implemented.
• Corden has seen pre-alpha materials with unfinished lighting and textures, but even in this state, the game already looks very good.

There is a high probability that Avowed will be presented in a playable state no later than E3 2022. Perhaps the project will appear at the December The Game Awards. Senua's Saga: Hellblade II should also appear there.

There is no release date yet.