Obsidian snuck goodies and secrets around every corner to make exploring Avowed feel worthwhile: ‘If you have a lot of dead ends that lead nowhere, you learn the lesson as a player: This game doesn’t have much to offer me’

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During my recent conversation with Berto Ritger, the regional director of Avowed, I found myself pondering: Every corner, alleyway, blind spot, rooftop, and water body in the game seemed to contain something of interest that warranted my attention. Even seemingly insignificant items like vendor junk or upgrade materials placed strategically seemed to convey, “We anticipated you’d search here, we see your meticulous eye.

In simpler terms, the rural landscapes and towns of the Living Lands might not have given off the realistic, game-like feel found in games like Deus Ex or Elder Scrolls. However, the constant incentive to explore in Avowed ignited a unique sense of pleasure, stimulating my mind differently.

In simpler terms, Ritger was responsible for coordinating the designs related to region setup, visual aesthetics, and storytelling within the universe of Avowed, making sure all elements harmonized with the unique character of each zone. Occasionally, he also contributed directly to the design process.

In this project, Ritger played a key role, particularly focusing on Dawnshore, Emerald Stair (during part of its development), The Garden, and the concluding sequence. However, he took a more active part in shaping the prologue island and the beginning of the intriguing quest known as Dawntreader – that’s the one featuring the magical crystal mech and the strange golden priest.

One significant factor contributing to Avowed being rich with intriguing hidden treasures, as Ritger explains, is its parkour system. This feature was present in early versions of the game and persisted despite a development overhaul in 2021. The elaborate parkour system required levels that were designed vertically to accommodate it, but also made it simple for testers to exploit the game and access areas that the designers hadn’t anticipated.

Hey, player, we see you. You came up here, and we put a little bird’s nest, a little coin in it.

Ritger stated that instead of fighting the urge with barriers like invisible walls or surfaces that can’t be scaled, they decided to embrace it and encourage it by offering rewards for exploration. As he put it, “People will find a way to climb onto the rooftops anyway. So let’s enjoy that spirit of adventure and promise to make the experience even more enjoyable since it’s such a blast to traverse all these structures!

Ritger explained that it didn’t necessarily need to be a grand or groundbreaking addition, but rather small, thoughtful details like a bird’s nest or a hidden coin, which would serve as acknowledgments to players saying, “We notice you, player. You took the effort to come here, and we appreciate it.” Such gestures would foster a sense of satisfaction in the players, encouraging them to continue exploring throughout the game.

As construction progressed, team members would perform test runs and occasionally explore unexpected areas or corners. We aimed to fill in blind alleys with purposeful items or block them off so they didn’t appear as potential passageways. The result was often a surprise: “Oh, it’s just a wall, oops.” Our goal was to ensure that all these unintended discoveries seemed as intentional and well-planned as possible.

A secret is revealed

Among Avowed’s hidden features, some are surprisingly significant. One particular gem I discovered by chance is a small sewer or cistern, concealed beneath the initial docks. This area teems with difficult specter adversaries in tight spaces, and upon successful completion, it bestows one of Avowed’s potent unique artifacts.

Locally situated characters may comment on noises coming from below in casual conversations, yet significantly, there’s neither a journal entry nor a quest or formal dialogue guiding you towards that location. This lends an air of mystery and exclusivity to the experience, something that game designer Ryan Torse of Obsidian is said to have brilliantly incorporated.

In Shatterscarp, there’s a small lock box hidden near the Leviathan hollow, as Ritger shared with me about his favorite details in Avowed. This intricate chest appears to be surrounded by several dismembered hands reaching for it. If you explore and collect its contents, they vanish into the ground, leaving nothing behind. This cleverly designed detail is the work of Bre Seale, the game designer who created that memorable little scene.

Ritger not only shared, but also loudly announced a rather poor Orlan (furry Hobbit-person) poet hidden near a waterfall within one of Avowed’s areas. The dialogue for this character is penned by Obsidian narrative designer Katie Tenney. In an undisclosed mission, you can assist in improving his poetry to help him win the affection of a female Orlan residing in town.

According to Ritger, scattered around every nook and cranny are small, thoughtful touches intentionally placed for players to discover. He emphasized that such details are crucial in encouraging exploration and active engagement with a game’s world throughout an extended role-playing game experience.

If you keep encountering paths in this game that don’t seem to lead anywhere, it’s clear that there isn’t much of value here for me. I’ll find myself wasting time on things that don’t matter, so I might as well focus on what appears to be the main route.

Ritger differed from his approach as an RPG enthusiast, which is similar to mine and many other players: Hurrying to complete the main quest or crucial objective first, then exploring everything else later. The Avowed team aimed to clearly mark the critical path within a dungeon or zone, assuring us that the side paths you encounter branching off will still be worth investigating.

According to Ritger, their goal is to guide or provide you with something that will make you think, “This was worth it, I’ll continue doing this,” each time you attempt it. Furthermore, in every setting he visits, he plans to halt and take a moment to observe and explore before diving into the main task.

My encounter with Avowed was undeniably memorable, and it’s still a strong contender for my Game of the Year. The team lead, Carrie Patel, hinted at potential DLC, but we also have another complete game from Obsidian to anticipate in 2025. The second installment of The Outer Worlds is expected to debut before this year concludes.

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2025-03-29 23:33