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  • Audiences initially found Obsidian’s combat systems in Avowed quite disappointing.
  • Since January, the team has polished various elements of the combat, including the hit feedback, sound design, and more.
  • Many of these changes were made as a direct result of fan feedback.

It’s no secret that Obsidian didn’t immediately impress audiences with Avowed. The first gameplay trailers were far from stellar, though fans have warmed up to the RPG since then.

This has been partly thanks to the various changes made by the studio as a direct result of all the feedback. One major area that improved greatly due to fan feedback was the combat, with Obsidian taking careful steps to make it ‘more juicy.’

Why it matters: Avowed has received frequent criticism for its gameplay and visuals. However, Obsidian has used the feedback to push itself further and improve the RPG.

YouTube video

Speaking to Windows Central, gameplay director Gabe Paramo described how Obsidian thought Avowed looked good enough before its gameplay showcase in January. Following the reactions, the team quickly realized that players were not satisfied and tweaked various elements.

This is a big deal, people are noticing this, we should polish this sooner.

-Gabe Paramo

One major change made was to add a greater sense of weight and impact to the melee combat.

The team wanted to drive home the feeling of each swing and impact, and this also involved cutting out delays that may have given the whole gameplay a clunky feeling.

Other changes were made to the audio and VFX. This led to a more visceral outlook, with Obsidian tweaking the blood impacts for the same reason. The gameplay director described this version of the combat as being more juicy than before.

He also stated that the enemies were made more reactive, and various animations were reassessed to ensure combat flowed better than before.

Avowed Featured
Avowed Was First Revealed In 2020

The gameplay changes highlight how Obsidian is still polishing Avowed. This is quite fitting since this RPG marks the team’s most lengthy development cycle. Perhaps this is also why the game does not have a proper release date yet.

The RPG is currently on track to launch in 2024, but Xbox has yet to confirm a date. Similarly, Indiana Jones is yet to receive a release date. However, the good news is that both titles will launch on day one as part of Game Pass.

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Avinash Jaisrani
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