Obsidian's Avowed shows off a 25-minute deep dive—revealing a 3rd person mode, a first look at its RPG mechanics, and a flirty wizard in need of a vase

I've been carefully tempering my expectations of Avowed—an upcoming RPG made by Obsidian, the creators of Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity, and The Outer Worlds.

I'm a fan of all of those games, though The Outer Worlds felt like it fell a smidge short of the studio's usual CRPG pedigree—failing to get its hooks in me with its worldbuilding, characters, or RPG mechanics in the same way that Pillars did. I remember Aloth and Durance pretty vividly, but I couldn't tell you a single thing about The Outer Worlds' cast and crew from memory.

From what we've seen about Avowed, I was worried it might stumble into the same forgettable pitfalls. However, after seeing what Obsidian's been working on during a 25-minute deep-dive that took place after the Xbox Games Showcase, I'm a hair more optimistic than I was before. Compared to the January direct, the game's combat has far more heft overall—and we get to set eyes on a much prettier environment than a bland desert with some kobold-looking mooks mucking about in it.

In the preview, the game's director Carrie Patel walks us through a couple of quests in the Emerald Stair, which is the home of a group of Animancers researching the local Dreamscourge phenomenon. Yatzli, a saucy Orlan (who is moments away from, as your companion Kai puts it, climbing you) needs you to get a vase for her, but it's protected by mushroom people at the top of a cliff—and wouldn't you know it, she forgot to bring a ladder. Happens to the best of us.

It does seem like there's a marked improvement in the game's combat feel when compared to what we saw in January, at least once your gear's up to snuff. While the sword-swings Patel shows off seem to be thudding dully into the dense, mushroomy hide of her enemies at first, that's actually the game telling you that you need sturdier weapons.

After dipping back to the Party Camp—a Baldur's Gate 3-style hub where you can upgrade your gear, chat to party members, and «huddle together to share a moment of