{"id":230529,"date":"2024-06-10T17:47:53","date_gmt":"2024-06-10T17:47:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/10\/avowed-deep-diving-into-quests-skills-party-members-and-more-on-the-official-xbox-podcast\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:17:27","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:17:27","slug":"avowed-deep-diving-into-quests-skills-party-members-and-more-on-the-official-xbox-podcast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/10\/avowed-deep-diving-into-quests-skills-party-members-and-more-on-the-official-xbox-podcast\/","title":{"rendered":"Avowed: Deep-Diving into Quests, Skills, Party Members and More on the Official Xbox Podcast\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Yesterday, <em>Avowed<\/em> appeared at the <a href=\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/2024\/06\/09\/xbox-games-showcase-2024-recap-everything-announced\/\">Xbox Games Showcase <\/a>2024 with a brand new trailer, <a href=\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/2024\/06\/09\/avowed-story-companion-xbox-games-showcase-2024\/\">revealing more of the game\u2019s captivating story<\/a> and giving us further insight into one of your four companions, Giatta. If you came out of that wanting to see more, we have a treat for you; on a special episode of the Official Xbox Podcast, <em>Avowed <\/em>Game Director Carrie Patel joined hosts Malik Prince and Tina Amini to dive deeper into the gameplay players can expect from the upcoming fantasy action RPG.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>We got to see a <em>lot<\/em> more of the game \u2013 which arrives later this year for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and cloud (and coming day one to Game Pass) \u2013 revealing more of the Emerald Stair region, showing us two possible approaches to the same quest, the game\u2019s Party Camp, upgrade systems, an optional 3<sup>rd<\/sup>-person viewpoint, and more. You can watch the full episode below, or read on for all the key new details.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe title=\"Xbox Games Showcase Deep Dive | Avowed\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bfEdLugnpuo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Patel started by introducing the Emerald Stair region \u2013 which you\u2019ll arrive into fairly early into the game \u2013 and showed off the region at night. <em>Avowed<\/em>\u2019s dynamic day-night cycle will change the atmosphere of each of the game\u2019s fantastical biomes significantly, and Emerald Stair after sunset is particularly gorgeous \u2013 the nearby town of Fior is home to an enclave of Animancers, who study the science of souls including the Dreamscourge plague sweeping the game\u2019s Living Lands setting (<a href=\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/2023\/06\/11\/obsidians-avowed-is-coming-in-2024\/\">find out more about that here<\/a>), and their arcane equipment lights up the sky with a deep purple glow.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of Animancers, the gameplay we saw showed the player on a quest to help them \u2013 but before we got there, we met one of the game\u2019s soon-to-be companions, Yatzli. Patel describes Yatzli as \u201ca little lightning ball with a lot of personality,\u201d pointing out that she can get \u201ca little risqu\u00e9,\u201d and we see very quickly that her dialogue immediately takes a flirtatious tone. This also shows off Obsidian\u2019s trademark of engaging dialogue and choices \u2013 certain attributes or character backgrounds you choose will unlock new options, which can add more personality, or even change the outcomes of your conversations.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Yatzli sends us off to collect a Godless Vase \u2013 an artifact of the people she studies \u2013 and the player is plunged into combat. Even using a mixture of spells, ranged attacks, and melee, we saw the player struggling to take down even smaller enemies at this point \u2013 and it\u2019s here that we saw the game\u2019s Party Camp feature.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s both your narrative hub and also your upgrade hub,\u201d said Patel. \u201cThat\u2019s where you\u2019ll get to know your companions better, you can get to know their backstories and get to know them better as individuals \u2013 you can also hear them getting to know one another through their banters at camp, which is always super-fun to eavesdrop on.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Yatzli-74b0e24a387e385315f4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-202316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Yatzli-74b0e24a387e385315f4.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Yatzli-74b0e24a387e385315f4-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Yatzli-74b0e24a387e385315f4-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Yatzli-74b0e24a387e385315f4-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cOne thing we really wanted to create with Party Camp,\u201d continued Patel, \u201cwas the sense that you\u2019re adventuring and exploring together through this big wilderness, all of these different landscapes, and Party Camp is this quiet space where you can all huddle together, share a moment of respite, and the pace and the tone of everything is a lot slower and quieter.\u201d As you travel through the game, you\u2019ll hear your companions discuss their lives, share perspectives on what you\u2019ve done together, and perhaps even come into conflict about the decisions that need to be made.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But it also serves an all-important mechanical function: \u201cIt\u2019s also where we can upgrade our gear. So we\u2019ve got our Party Stash where we can stow a lot of extra equipment, we\u2019ve got our upgrade screens [\u2026] we\u2019re taking some of our older gear that we\u2019ve picked up in the previous region, and we\u2019re going to upgrade it so that we\u2019re better equipped to fight the enemies here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>With new upgrades in place, the player took down enemies far more capably \u2013 helped along by Obsidian\u2019s choice to reflect how effective your attacks are visually and audibly: \u201cWe want to make sure that players are getting clear feedback as to when their gear is effective and when, maybe, they need to go back to camp. It looks, it feels, it sounds different when you\u2019re playing with appropriately leveled gear.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>We want to make sure that players are getting clear feedback as to when their gear is effective and when, maybe, they need to go back to camp.<\/p>\n<p><cite>Carrie Patel<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>We also got a good look at the game\u2019s upgrade system for skills and abilities. \u201cYou can upgrade your skills and abilities anywhere as you level up throughout the course of the game,\u201d said Patel. \u201cOn certain level-up milestones we\u2019ll get to upgrade our attributes [\u2026] and on every level-up milestone we\u2019ll get to pick a new ability.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This quickly bears fruit, as we see the Fan of Flames skill unlocked and used to reduce a previously-blocked path to ashes. But it wasn\u2019t the only option:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe wanted to try to, as much as possible, give the different abilities that players can pick up solutions in combat, but also solutions in exploration,\u201d explained Patel. \u201cSo there\u2019s almost always more than one way through a particular barrier. You\u2019ll have weapons, your own abilities, spells, weapon enchantments, sometimes even your companions who can use their environmental abilities to help you get through barriers.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Spell-585d16be0a10fc2fb1a7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-202318\" srcset=\"https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Spell-585d16be0a10fc2fb1a7.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Spell-585d16be0a10fc2fb1a7-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Spell-585d16be0a10fc2fb1a7-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Spell-585d16be0a10fc2fb1a7-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>That openness to problem-solving is never clearer than in the other quest we saw in the demo. Having recovered the vase for Yatzli \u2013 a key part in your journey to unlocking her as a permanent companion \u2013 we saw the player set off to recover an Adragan Heart for the Animancers. This mystical object is being held by the Delemgan, a territorial species who don\u2019t take kindly to adventurers passing through their land.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Initially, we saw the player take a heads-on approach, battling through multiple Delemgan and using every combat ability at their disposal to reach their Queen \u2013 who immediately attacks the player for killing so many of her followers. This player would have to finish her off in a boss fight to claim the heart. But here\u2019s where we saw some of Obsidian\u2019s trademark of player choice.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The demo was reloaded, and we saw the player utilizing in-game currency to fully respec their character \u2013 adding multiple Ranger abilities that allow them to take a stealthy approach. Using the Shadowing Beyond skill \u2013 which renders them invisible for as long as their Essence (the game\u2019s mana) intact, and without engaging any enemies \u2013 they took multiple passages to reach the Delemgan Queen without any combat. In doing so, they found her in a far better mood, gifting them the Heart and letting them go in peace.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Party-Camp-e61f36ea6df368ccb1f9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-202317\" srcset=\"https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Party-Camp-e61f36ea6df368ccb1f9.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Party-Camp-e61f36ea6df368ccb1f9-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Party-Camp-e61f36ea6df368ccb1f9-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Party-Camp-e61f36ea6df368ccb1f9-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>It\u2019s emblematic of how open <em>Avowed<\/em> will be to interpretation, and how your choices will allow you to take different paths to get what you need. Skills in particular, are totally open to how you choose to use them:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can really mix and match freely between them,\u201d said Patel. \u201cIf you want to be all-wizard, you can build entirely throughout that skill tree; if you want to mix and match \u2013 make a battlemage, or make someone who can be a little stealthy in certain moments and a little more aggressive in others \u2013 you have a lot of freedom to do that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>If you want to be all-wizard, you can build entirely throughout that skill tree; if you want to mix and match\u2026 you have a lot of freedom to do that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>That openness extends to your cosmetic choices too. We got a glimpse at the game\u2019s optional 3<sup>rd<\/sup> person mode \u2013 players can choose to play in 1<sup>st<\/sup> or 3<sup>rd<\/sup> person perspectives \u2013 and your choices will be displayed prominently on them too. Your character is a godlike \u2013 someone who has been touched by one of the gods that reside in the world of Eora \u2013 and it shows, quite literally.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Part of creating your character will be in choosing how your godlike status has manifested. The player-character in the demo has a lichen-like growth across their face or head, but this is part of the character creation process. \u201cWith <em>Avowed<\/em> you can choose exactly what that manifestation looks like,\u201d said Patel. \u201cYou will have some that are a lot bigger and more dramatic, and you\u2019ll also have some that are a lot subtler. But either way you have a connection to one of the gods.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Characters in the world will react to your appearance too: \u201cSome people think that\u2019s very cool, some people think it\u2019s very spooky. Different cultures and individuals have different ways of relating to godlikes, so you\u2019ll get a number of reactions.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But the key mystery is that, unlike most godlikes, you don\u2019t know <em>which <\/em>god has put their mark on you. That\u2019s a story point that Patel wouldn\u2019t touch on further \u2013 we\u2019ll just have to find out together when <em>Avowed <\/em>arrives this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/2024\/06\/10\/avowed-deep-dive-official-xbox-podcast\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Yesterday, Avowed appeared at the Xbox Games Showcase 2024 with a brand new trailer, revealing more of the game\u2019s captivating story and giving us<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":230530,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230529"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=230529"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230529\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/230530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=230529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=230529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=230529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}