Obsidian Entertainment’s latest venture isAvowed, and even though it’s a first- and third-person RPG, the closest, most relevant comparison that can be drawn regarding map size is to Larian Studios' isometricBaldur’s Gate 3. Many eager Obsidian andPillars of Eternityfans will be jumping intoAvowedduring its early access–Avowedshares its setting withPillars– but many others may be curious about the game’s scale before committing to purchasing a full-price game.Avowed’s availability on Xbox Game Passwill make it easy for many to try as well, but the game still interestingly shirks its genre’s most common map design elements.
[Warning: Minor location spoilers for Avowed’s principal explorable areas.]
Avowedsees the player take on the role of the Envoy, a representative of the Aedyran Emperor sent to the Living Lands in order to investigate the Dreamscourge, a plague that infects its victims' souls. The Living Lands are largely a frontier continent devoid of major settlement. Communities of outcasts have sprung up in the last few centuries, but the wilds seem keen on reclaiming territory. Players will visit many regions of the Living Lands inAvowed, but the game is not a typical open world.
Avowed Is Split Into Regions Like Baldur’s Gate 3
Four Major Regions
Instead of having one contiguous map,Avowedhas separate exporable zones. As the main story progresses, the Envoy travels to four primary settlements, and adventures through their surrounding environs. These settlements and their regions, in order of appearance, are Paradis in Dawnshore, Fior mes Ivèrno in Emerald Stair, Thirdborn in Shatterscarp, and Solace Keep in Galawain’s Tusks. This effectively splitsAvowedinto chapters, though locations can be revisited after the main story has moved on.
Above is the continental map of the Living Lands. Below are two image galleries showing the regions in order with two screenshots each, first the southern half, then the northern.Avowed’s in-game map won’t zoom out far enough to see a full region on-screen.
This broadly makes it very similar toBaldur’s Gate 3’s maps, even if its gameplay is mechanically quite different. Some ofAvowed’s regions are more traditionally open-ended, but others (and certain areas within a region) feel more constrained to set paths, which very much feels like the densely packed exploration ofBG3. A similar comparison can be drawn between how these regions are populated. Just likeBG3,Avowedhas characters, hidden items, and unexpected encounters littered throughout its maps.
Avowed’s Maps Are Larger Than The Outer Worlds' Areas
The Living Lands vs. The Halcyon System
Obsidian’s last first-person RPG wasThe Outer Worldsin 2019, and it’s helpful as a comparison point simply to see the developer’s formula evolving. Their game worlds are laid out much the same, with major settlements surrounded by freely explorable environments.Avowed’s regions are not only slightly larger than theirOuter Worldscounterparts, they’re also more robust. Within each ofAvowed’s regions are multiple dungeons, numbering greater than those inThe Outer Worlds, and also some significantly larger.
On the maps above and below, the traveled routes don’t necessarily indicate the full extent of possible exploration inAvowed. There are more areas that could be thoroughly visited to remove much more of the maps' so-called fog of war.
Avowed’s cities range in size, but Paradis in particular is much larger and more complex than anything seen inThe Outer Worlds. It doesn’t quite have the same footprint as the titular city inBaldur’s Gate 3, but it’s similarly split into two zones, conceivably because combining them would hamper performance. WithThe Outer Worlds 2’srelease anticipated in 2025, it would seem that its predecessor andAvowedare following a set template for Obsidian’s first-person RPGs. The scope of each seeAvowedas the more ambitious title, with larger regions, denser settlements, and more ancillary areas like dungeons.
Avowed Does Not Have An Open-World Map
This Isn’t The Skyrim Successor You’re Looking For
Simply because it’s a first- and third-person fantasy RPG,Avowedwill likely draw many comparisons toSkyrim, but their superficial similarities are betrayed by quite different design philosophies.The Elder Scrollsgames have long been the go-to open-world sandbox RPGs, and whileAvowed’s lore, character interactions, and even certain facets of gameplay can feel similar,Avowedis decidedly not a sandbox. You can’t walk from one end of the Living Lands to the other,fill your house with cheese, or break into a shop after hours to steal all the merchandise.
Avowedis more tightly designed, intent on delivering an engaging story with considerable branching paths. There are a lot of interesting things to stumble upon in the Living Lands, but they’re not an entirely open playground like Skyrim is. Consequently,Avoweddoesn’t have the same massive map asSkyrimor other major RPGs, particularly those that are especially large, like that inThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Space is even more limited by terrain that can’t be traversed. In the Shatterscarp region especially, there are sheer, rocky cliffs that make large swathes of the map inaccessible, but the explorable area ofAvowedis still quite large collectively.
Avowed
Avowed is an upcoming RPG release from Obsidian Entertainment, the creative minds behind Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds. Avowed will reportedly take place in the same universe as Pillars of Eternity.
