The wait for Avowed just got a little longer

Timing matters in the gaming industry, especially with The Game Awards in December. If Xbox can target a fall release, it would set the stage for Avowed to not only earn a nomination but potentially clinch the award for Best Role Playing Game. More importantly, releasing Avowed earlier in the year might offer a competitive edge to rivals of Xbox, something it will be hoping to avoid.

Set in the fictional world of Eora, which was previously introduced in the Pillars of Eternity series, Avowed is a first-person, single-player fantasy RPG. Players will step into the shoes of an envoy from the kingdom of Aedyr, sent to investigate rumors of a spreading plague on a far-off island known as the Living Lands.

In Aedyr, players will be able to create their own characters, choosing between the Human and Elf races, and engage in battles using a mix of swords, spells, guns, and shields. With a flexible combat system, you can freeze enemies, cast spells, make melee attacks, or use a combination of all three to dispatch foes.

Given all these elements, you'd think the gameplay trailer released during this year's Xbox Games Showcase would be met with cheers. Sadly, that was not the case, as many players agreed that Avowed was disappointing in the graphics department. Fortunately, the developers have assured us that the gameplay trailer we saw does not represent the final product.

Starfield did not yield the outcome Xbox Game Studios expected, but there's a chance that there were some painful lessons learned that can help make Avowed a game worthy of accolades.