Obsidian Entertainment's Avowed: A Development Odyssey
Bloomberg recently interviewed Carrie Patel, Avowed's second game director, revealing a tumultuous development journey marked by a complete project overhaul. Initially conceived as a blend of Destiny and Skyrim, Obsidian's vision involved a vast, open-world experience with cooperative multiplayer components.
The 2020 teaser trailer, while generating considerable fan enthusiasm, belied the game's actual state of incompletion. A decision was made to scrap the entire project and begin again from scratch just months later, leaving the initial trailer as a testament to a discarded prototype vastly different from the final release.
Patel, stepping in as director after the reboot, fundamentally reshaped Avowed. The Skyrim and Destiny influences were jettisoned, along with the open-world design and multiplayer features. Obsidian returned to its established zone-based structure, prioritizing a captivating single-player narrative deeply rooted in the Pillars of Eternity universe.
This mid-development restart presented monumental obstacles, comparable to filmmaking without a script. Teams navigated uncertainty and intense pressure as the leadership solidified a consistent vision. Despite these setbacks, development continued for another four years before Avowed's eventual launch.
