Avowed is NOTHING Like Skyrim, and That's a Good Thing - Hands on preview, new gameplay

[@Theinvalidmusic]

Getting Jim onto the Eurogamer team was a goddamn excellent decision. Quality content every time.

[@kephalai]

i thought it was guillermo del toro 🤣 fun guy

[@Daktangle]

Is great to see Bratt's dad is doing so well.

[@lobstrosity7163]

- and that's a good thing - journalism

[@ShiningEyeBrigade]

Yes! I am not familiar with this gentleman, first time seeing him, but love his takes, his style, his voice. look forward to more! What is Jim’s last name, so I can find more?

[@SamahLama]

When I read this comment at the start at the video I was scared I was gonna see Jim Sterling

[@TheatreKallum]

If Avowed is a warm blanket, this video was equally warm, I learnt about the game and the presenter was funny and warm. Had a good few chuckles. Great insight into a game I felt I knew little about too.

[@JazzzRockFuzion]

The fact that Jim's got a Pentiment screensaver behind him speaks volumes. Brilliant preview, great work, mate. February can't come soon enough!!

[@TMV420]

i mean, it is a video about Obsidian.

[@gaminggentleman2334]

New to seeing this new guy at eurogamer (apologies not knowing your name) very entertaining, so funny and just straight to the point , loved the video really got me excited for Avowed that I wasn’t originally

[@nightcatarts]

That's Jim

[@freeofgreed]

It literally says it right at the beginning of the video lol.

[@TheLeibnitz]

And a nice voice and lovely accent 😊

[@lobstrosity7163]

@@gaminggentleman2334 He deserves a better place than Eurogamer of all places.

[@tribalstyle138]

Not sure if he writes his talking points but whoever did is a good writer. At least the opening was good.

[@dylan_oby0284]

Knew I heard "Mass Age" and "Dragon Effect" 😂

[@statixfear]

I had to replay that part a few times to see if I was just hearing things 😅

[@CBrown]

​@@statixfear Ditto 😂

[@Vub.]

Mass Age Dragon Effect would be an insane game

[@larsmuldjord9907]

This dude is really good.

[@callumreilly9107]

This vid felt like a breath of fresh air ngl. There's so much negativity nowadays about new games and some reviews are so clearly bought

[@Reel___]

Yeah, I just block out the haters, they don't enjoy anything and want all of us to not enjoy anything. It's better to just let those morons be miserable.

[@callumreilly9107]

@ So real. The whole gaming review format needs to come crashing down imo, there are too many people out there that will spread misinformation or hate about games if they personally don’t like them. It’s so important to approach games as individuals and think “what do I like in games?”

[@AWILDWALSH]

I'm not familar with Jim but he has the same quality as Danny O'Dwyer at conveying his feelings about the game he played in such a descriptive way that you feel as if you played it yourself, incredible preview.

[@michabruk9998]

That’s a great comparison! Come to think of it, Jim really does feel like Danny in this regard 😊 More game content creators like them, please!

[@ronuss]

I think it does have an identity , its Eora, its the deep world, races and characters that make such a unique fantasy world like nothing else. Otherwise a pretty solid in depth look at a 2 hour build.

[@fuegoultra2818]

I agree, I’m a Pillars fan, probably 500 hours into both games and I think (I hope) the identity of Avowed will come shine when we get into the meat and potatoes of the game. It’s the really gritty stuff that Obsidian put into the first two games that kept me interested. The characters you think are insignificant that turn out to be irreplaceable allies, the little actions that have major consequences.

[@Abdi-c3l]

Just lacks a visual identity unfortunately. Looks incredibly generic from art direction POV. Hopefully the world building compensates

[@pgabrielrr]

One of the details that I loved in Pillars of Eternity was the "this travel will take 22 hours" when moving into a zone to another. It leaves space for the mind to think, it makes you feel in a tabletop rpg. Walking step by step into a forest in Skyrim is a nice experience, for the first time. After a few years you just fast travel after realizing you need something new, and a not-so-open world might be just that. I loved Pillars of Eternity and can't wait to try Avowed.

[@dougmasters4561]

In Might and Magic 7 the travel times between areas was part of how you aged. As you became older warriors and knights got weaker while mages and such got stronger.

[@Jm_m808]

So I need to go play pillars of eternity now? I’ve had it in my “play later” group for awhile

[@merovekh]

@@Jm_m808 It's a great game. The first in the series was made on a budget, resulting in a somewhat more limited scope - but it's still absurdly rich in story, content & lore and the gameplay is great too. PoE 2 builds on that. Very, very good games. I'm so happy I picked them up. Played them both years ago but the world is still a fixture in my head.

[@Jm_m808]

@ so I should start with the first one even though the 2nd is better?

[@merovekh]

@@Jm_m808 Yes, 100%. But the first one is great too! Just a more compact experience.

[@thetrin]

When I heard "it's a warm blanket, like watching Star Trek TNG", I knew exactly what that meant. It's very much a warm blanket to me as well, and I'm excited for Avowed to be similar.

[@Skenderbeuismyhero]

I would say that Obsidian's Fallout is actually Fallout.

[@Tuningforks85]

Luckily that isnt what was said

[@steamin661]

Man, this guy is great. And this game looks amazing.

[@ragnabot9000]

Great seeing Jim back reviewing games again.

[@ThePhoenixReviews]

Ah Jim, you were fantastic back in the videogamer UK years , So glad to see you back. great preview :)

[@theAwakenedOne007]

My son and I both really liked Outer Worlds. I wanted more. I've been impatiently waiting for Avowed. I wish I could beta test for them.

[@monsterjuanster]

Hopefully, the character creation lets us choose where to put the mushroom spore on our character.

[@eurogamer]

I can't show the char creator but I can tell you there's loads of options for this, you can also have it turned off (NPCs can still see it)

[@Chasodey]

@@eurogamer I hope this character creator will be really good and flexible, pale elven girls for life.

[@5226-p1e]

@@eurogamer those things are uncanny ugly lol. i hope in those options they allow the player to have some that are hidden but still have an effect on the player's character. kind of like how transmog systems work, so you don't have to wear ugly looking clothing and armor just to get the stats you want, when most ppl want to wear whatever they want but still get the bonuses they want from the ugly clothing and armor choices.

[@DriniVula]

@@eurogamercan you fully change to a godlike like poe2 which will also be visible

[@Chasodey]

@@solenegro Your source is that you just made this up?

[@Allaiya.]

I generally prefer third person so I'm glad there is an option. Hopefully they allow us to adjust the camera distance a bit like Skyrim does on consoles

[@lucasmilitao]

Tired of 3rd person rpg games, we need to change the formula a little bit. Same thing with Indiana Jones. It's important for the game to be unique.

[@zanite8650]

If nothing else, we get to admire our characters!

[@smreason]

Honestly, hard pass if wasn’t some 3rd person (1st person only combat would be acceptable).

[@5226-p1e]

@@lucasmilitao i think it's best to focus on having the option rather than limiting it out of games, i don't like games that are only first person or only 3rd person, i like having both options.

[@tragic_light]

@@5226-p1edisagree. You do not need to give players an option all the time. There’s advantages and disadvantages to each perspective and sometimes it’s best to stick with just one to ensure you can polish it to its finest. Because such an option is just unnecessary for most games. At the end of the day, games should be allowed to be presented how they want. If people don’t like first person games, that’s fine, but we shouldn’t be forcing developers to add that option and in turn make sacrifices just because some people won’t feel like playing it. Games shouldn’t be made with the goal of pleasing everyone in mind.

[@connoratack7467]

What a joy it was to listen to this gentleman in this video. Witty yet concise. Will be looking out for him more!

[@penttikoivuniemi2146]

The combat is finally looking really good. They have definitely been improving it based on audience reception every single time they have showed the game off.

[@troy8420]

Always good to see a company responding to criticism

[@nathanielc.1699]

I'm new to the eurogamer channel but this guy is fantastic. He's hilarious, incredibly well-spoken and you can tell that he's well versed in what he's talking about and great sat communicating that knowledge, great stuff

[@timhutchinson8485]

TIL that Avowed is a Pillars of Eternity game.

[@cornking6]

I noticed the Sleeping Dogs poster behind you as well as the Pentiment wallpaper on your PC. Exquisite taste.

[@tecsunpl-6802]

The fact you just made an analogy to warm comfort food and Star Trek Next Generation has totally sold me. That is the best example I always give. Thank you.

[@nathanmarineau3993]

"Lovely warm blanket of an RPG" followed by, "It's a bit like sitting down of an evening to watch some Star Trek TNG": SOLD!!

[@thembill8246]

I didn't realize this was part of the pillars of eternity series. That and the comparison to the other world, you have mine undivided attention with this.

[@Rauzwel]

Thank you, Guillermo, I love your movies

[@EddieDean1]

Top Jim content

[@CombatMonkey11B]

The irony of, “that’d make a good tweet actually.” 😂😂😂 I see what you did there!

[@VaughanDavies]

Well, I've gone from being interested in Avowed to being excited again, looking forward to it

[@victimUK]

I'm more impressed they let so many people try it. That spells CONFIDENCE and that's fucking great

[@pauloskinner]

Seems to me, after Veilguard, people are hungry for meaningful dialogue on an actual RPG and Obsidian is the master on that field, so this game should do pretty good. I really can’t wait tbh.

[@SamahLama]

That tweet joke killed me. That alone would’ve made this worth watching hahahaha

[@malibar1]

dont know who this guy is talking, but I like him a lot. really fun reviewer god damn

[@janecotton1623]

Keep on bit socketin jim

[@mck_21]

I love this presenter's body-language. It nicely compliments his speech :)

[@pdpandion4931]

So good to see some love for Obsidian. They’ve been overshadowed lately by Larian (no shade on Larian of course) but Obsidian deserves recognition too.

[@Eckister]

perfectly valid ending there, I wouldn't change a thing.

[@NOLNV1]

A blue wild Orlan! Serafen representation (though he was green ofc)

[@aoidahlia]

Yep, a moment of appreciation for him 😄

[@MegaRamster]

everything is up my alley accept that bottom left corner, and damage numbers. if we can get a setting to hide those things, then this gonna be great.

[@dudeguybro]

I'm not really a guy to extensively dive deep into open worlds. Really, they have just ended up disappointing me with filler content. I like this style Obsidian has implemented - hand-crafted, large, semi-open worlds for me to explore. I know what I find will be interesting and make it feel worth my time.

[@colingrogan111]

Huuuge relief that this game is good. Been looking forward to this one for a while and now I’m even more excited!

[@adamdavidsoddities8573]

I too thought the melee combat looks like Dark Messiah.

[@GoogleLogin-xi8sy]

Great to see this game coming along. Glad they got extra time to make sure it’s going good

[@mr.selfimprovement3241]

Boy, I am so glad that George R. R. Martin is playing some inspiration to fuel finally finishing that book series!

[@Chrysamer77]

To me, 2 circles hitting eachother is good enough combat (Icewind Dale, Baldur's Gate, Pillars of Eternity). So all I care about in this game is, if the story is good

[@cholo1990]

Jim is brilliant. Had pretty liw expectations for this but good to see positive feedback.

[@mightyn8]

Loved your analysis and commentary - very informative as well as fun! Was already excited for Avowed, but really glad to see such nice content about it!

[@ReforgeGaming]

I just want the 3rd person gameplay to feel good in Avowed gameplay

[@ayeitburns1]

Great video, starting the get hyped about Avowed. Enjoyed your style of video too, looking forward to more from you.

[@dv3982]

More of this guy please, clearly knows his stuff, covered everything I’d been wondering about the game, great preview. And Jim, talk about Star Trek, just please not new Trek(except Strange new worlds, that one works).

[@glowinTHX]

I loved your impression dude. This is my most expected game.

[@Oozaru85]

Why is no one allowed to talk about or show the CC? Thats very suspicious.

[@nightcatarts]

Likely it's just not finished yet. The option of first person makes it semi-redundant anyway so no reason to prioritise it.

[@chancewilkerson63]

I don’t want avowed to be like Skyrim I want it to be the fantasy RPG version of outer worlds

[@straypadawan]

The world building from the last two games all led to this and I'm here for it.

[@natenobrakes6292]

Very nice preview Sir. I will certainly be watching the full review when it comes out.

[@Wokytoxin]

I love how articulate you are and how you explain things

[@MickSaladin]

will there be a real physical release which has a disc? that £90 steelbook code in a box thing just completely turned me off :(

[@OrangeLightning]

Probably from LRG if it ever comes to PlayStation and/or Switch 2.

[@Golemoid]

So they copied the brain parasite plotline from BG3 and just made them mushrooms

[@nightcatarts]

Well, no not really. The fungus was a thing from the Pillars Of Eternity games that came out long before BG3 (but if you enjoyed BG3 you'd probably like them a lot too), & it doesn't influence a person the way an Illithid worm does.

[@mattanderson3927]

That was a great preview format. Loved what I'm hearing about Avowed and Jim's humor had me cracking up at times. Nice one!

[@MrBillygoatgriff]

Twitter analogy to people leaving diary entries everywhere was very good. You looked proud of it, and so you should be.👍

[@BillB808]

Half Life 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, ICO, Super Metroid, Breath Of the Wild, Burnout 3, Dragon Age Veilguard....can it really live with THE ELITE?

[@mattball8622]

This video is littered with amazing jokes, but "It's not believable, it's just cheap. That'd make a good tweet actually" was so perfectly delivered that I had to pause the video.

[@StimmyTurner]

I'm so happy to see Avowed is getting good first impressions. I was pretty disappointed by the shift in tone between the teaser and gameplay trailers, but I'm definitely coming around now. The combat and exploration were pretty rough in Outer Worlds so this actually has me really excited again.

[@aoidahlia]

Loved this review and will remember whose reviews to look forward to, a pleasant manner of speech and nice bits of humor. I've played both "Pillars" games quite recently and will now eagerly wait for this game too, thankfully not a very long wait for me in comparison to the older fans of this universe (who have got to be very excited too).

[@CFarrer10]

All for more next gen references!! Loved this video and the presenter! Have a nice Christmas right back at you!

[@whosaidthat84]

I'm really loving the semi-open world approach. It makes each zone feel unique.

[@Rostovgenchik]

Please tell me, what kind of music is in the beginning? It sounds awesome!

[@Snuggbugger]

This is the best review I've ever seen! You sir are a natural speaker and your mannerisms with your hands and glasses kept me involved and was ultimately incredible engaging. Thank you for your knowledge

[@grandsome1]

they should release a demo along the game, especially if the game feel cannot be accurately be depicted in the trailers.

[@bearVshark100]

This game is exciting for me because I love Obsidian’s writing which can be transplanted into almost any type of gameplay. I finally get to play an immersive fantasy action first person wizard game without a compromised story.

[@cargorunnerUK]

Great preview, covered so many of my questions. Much better than the other previews I have watched that just tell you "it's fun" and "the combat is fun"

[@HylianTicipated]

Hey Jim, good job, buddy.

[@sommer4570]

the yellow circle damage number needs to be changed ngl

[@zrii71]

you can turn the damage numbers off and even turn off enemy health bars if you want. Source = Obsidian Avowed stream last week

[@georgeobama6167]

Love using this music (these tracks) for these scenes.

[@tombomb00s]

Yo, I could listen to Jim talk for hours.

[@tessa63627]

I was really looking forward to Avowed but have mild mycophobia. I couldn't play a game where there's fungus growing out of my character.

[@nightcatarts]

You can hide it on yourself, though not on others you might encounter.

[@tessa63627]

@@nightcatarts oh thank goodness

[@tomastomasi975]

Hey Jim, who is stopping you from talking Star Trek? Is it Higton? I for one would like to hear your views on how good Trek is.

[@Ellerbeetimes100]

Very articulate with excellent word choice. Enjoyable to listen to.

[@chadphillips354]

It looks great, I think the only thing that is currently killing it for me is just the 'Ken Doll' hands. Like the way the pistol is just held out so stiff, or the sprinting seen at the end. Maybe a small gripe but it's what killed Outlands for me.

[@stoneagepig3768]

It's quite a pathetic gripe to be fair pal. You may not like the hands, but for something so small and inconsequential to completely ruin an entire game? Really? Very petty

[@LumberDAK]

Is it only mushrooms?? For the character creation? Great video!!!

[@zenergy01]

Erudite and in-depth, thanks for your impressions. Really looking forward to this, and I bounced off Outer Worlds hard.

[@louisbrown3793]

Great review mate! They need to keep you doing all reviews

[@Gyokan7]

Sleeping Dogs framed poster spotted = credibility up.

[@Tyrany42]

“Imagine writing down notes and leaving them somewhere for someone else to read. It’s just not believable. I’ll make that a tweet, actually.” That has to be the wittiest observation I’ve ever heard.

[@SuperMunkeh]

This chap has an amazing voice and this is a GREAT preview. Really great stuff - more from this fella!

[@nsu300zx]

Best of both worlds was one of the best cliff hangers of any show.

[@kury2620]

Man this is actually a top good review, somehow feels like the OG game reviews love it, absolutely great job master Jim

[@BigBadWolframio]

Good to know tou can play in third person. I don't like first person and often it makes me sick. The movements also feel so mucjh smoother than in the first previews :D. Great review, thanks!

[@nightcatarts]

Try increasing the FoV when possible; a narrow setting on that (which is still common for consoles for some reason) can cause motion sickness.

[@chipsinatube]

Awesome Review/first impression. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[@scheeseman486]

Oh geez. This has got me pretty hyped.

[@Leowulfs]

$20 mic arm, grainy webcam, dark room, 2012 game poster, monitor on the desk with no arm. This feels so unbelievably special. It's like being in the family computer room looking up games with your friend or talking about them. This is one of the best reviews ever and thankfully the game seems extremely compelling too I'm officially on a hype train for a game I hadn't even heard a thing about prior. On the bright side, time is flying and the release will be here before I know it.

[@rshandle]

Really great presentation and communication by the reviewer here. Easy to follow and understand

[@OniLink97]

I just wish I wasn't restricted to playing as either an elf or a human

[@millbrook33]

The spirit of TotalBiscuit compels me to ask if there will be an FoV slider because goddamn is that FoV painfully restricted. Ouch!

[@crisp_sleeves]

Everyone’s talking about Jim and I can’t blame them. Loved this preview.

[@petesmart1983]

Combat reminds me more of dark messiah of might and magic(pc/360 ) game looks really fun

[@ronuss]

for sure, game has dark messiah vibes, which is great

[@TheBrick534]

This is what I thought too which is a huge compliment imo

[@JustinCoats-o6q]

I am around the end of The Outer Worlds at the moment, and it has me so excited for Avowed. The game has made me laugh out loud so many times, my wife wants to play it just to see what all the fuss is about. There have been several combat encounters that left me thinking how much fun I had and how great the shooting and movement felt. I'll finish the game in the next week. I decided to skip Veilguard and play The Outer Worlds, and I am very glad I did. Here's hoping the best for Obsidian.

[@sub-jec-tiv]

Looks like a better Dragon Age game than Dragon Age.

[@oddb3n380]

I could listen to this dude all day. Great video my friend!