Avowed director says it's "hard" to avoid Skyrim comparisons, but the action-RPG is more like Obsidian's "fantasy take on The Outer Worlds"

Avowed isn't Obsidian's Skyrim; it's more like the studio's "fantasy take on The Outer Worlds," says game director Carrie Patel.

Avowed has drawn comparisons to Bethesda's Elder Scrolls series since it was revealed in 2020, but more recently the developers have sought to, if not distance themselves, branch off from Skyrim specifically. Last June, Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart admitted that Avowed began conceptually as the studio's spin on Skyrim, but said it had since evolved into something fundamentally different; smaller, more "confined," and quintessentially Obsidian.

Now, Patel is giving specific examples of games that more directly inspired Avowed.

Talking to PCGN, Patel joined gameplay director Gabe Paramo to explain how Avowed's design philosophy differs from Skyrim's open-ended sandbox.

"It's hard in 2024 to escape some comparison to Skyrim if you’re making a first-person fantasy action RPG," Patel said. "But I think the model that we've looked to internally is building Avowed as our fantasy take on The Outer Worlds, not with the same tone, but a similar structure to the world and in terms of scope.

"For us, it's about having a more focused experience, something that feels a little more curated. We can be a little more intentional. Our world comprises zones that are definitely not small but certainly more constrained than a massive map that you can walk from, beginning to end, in several hours. It allows us to have a little more intentionality."

Then, speaking straight to my soul, Patel echoed what Obsidian has previously said about Avowed in relation to Skyrim. It's not as big, it doesn't have to be as big, and big does not necessarily mean better.

"I think there's an appetite for games that are big sprawling RPGs with a ton of openness," Patel said, "but also games that are more curated, but also still maintain these elements of choice, character building, and progression. I've been excited to see what we can do as a studio in mixing up those elements."

Paramo further explained that Avowed is designed to be a cross between a fully open sandbox and "something that's more curated," a balancing act between the thrill of discoverability and intentionality in world design. Fallout: New Vegas, Obsidian's acclaimed 2010 RPG, does something similar, but perhaps with a more traditional open-world framework.

"There are creatures you might stumble upon in Avowed that you're maybe not ready for, but perhaps you've found an ability that helps you manipulate that creature, and then you get an item," Paramo said. "You've found something purely through exploration that you can use in other types of encounters. I think New Vegas is also full of those moments where we don't want to handhold the player, but still, if players have the skills, they can still defeat these moments."

Obsidian was also kind enough to chat with GamesRadar+, and we were told Avowed takes Skyrim's approach to combat and evolves it, allowing players to "build the character they want to play who fights the way they want to fight."

Here's why Avowed's commitment to ubiquitous player choice could make it 2024's standout RPG.