The Living Lands are composed of interconnected open zones, which are full of secrets, side quests and characters, per Obsidian.

Avowed director Carrie Patel joined the Xbox Games Showcase Extended to discuss the upcoming first-person fantasy RPG. Though it’s set in the same setting as Pillars of Eternity, players don’t have to play the previous two games to jump in (though there will be some familiar things).

As an Envoy to the Aedyr Empire, players venture to the Living Lands to investigate a mysterious plague. It’s devouring the region and is described as a “unique soul plague” – part of your mission is to stop it. The Envoy doesn’t have a Watcher’s powers but does possess a “unique soul connection” to the Living Lands and the mysterious forces at work there.

In terms of combat, Obsidian wanted to take the same breadth and depth from Pillars of Eternity, where players could invest in whatever play-style appeals to them, but in first-person with attacks feeling visceral and dynamic. Though not as big as the original plans to make it like Skyrim, Avowed is “roughly comparable” to the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 and The Outer Worlds in size.

There are interconnected open zones, which are explored at the player’s own pace. You can discover every secret, side quest and character or focus more on the story.

Avowed launches in 2024 for Xbox Series X/S and PC.