After Starfield, Avowed Can't Miss Its 2024 Release Window

Highlights

• Starfield's ambitious scope and vast number of planets may have hindered the game's ability to provide immersive world-building and captivating atmosphere similar to previous Bethesda titles like Skyrim.
• Avowed, the upcoming fantasy RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, has the potential to salvage the weaker aspects of Starfield by offering a smaller scale setting that can focus on vibrant life and organic interactions.
• The close proximity of Avowed's release to Starfield gives Microsoft the advantage of showcasing two contrasting but important avenues for in-game exploration, ensuring that the shortcomings of Starfield are not magnified if Avowed's release is delayed beyond 2024.

The recent launch of Starfield was prefaced with a huge amount of build-up and hype, with many fans rightfully expecting a big hit from Bethesda's first original IP in over 25 years. As well as this, many were excited to see how Bethesda could evolve upon its past formulas for newer hardware, with the sheer size of the title being one of the largest talking points around it prior to launch.

While Starfield had a fairly steady launch and a positive overall reception, it is no secret that the game left a lot to be desired by many fans who were expecting bigger things. While the scope of Starfield is undoubtedly impressive, many felt that it lacked the intimate world-building and fascination that previous Bethesda giants like Skyrim possessed, and Microsoft now needs to look towards the future to achieve this while demand is still high. Of course, Bethesda is not set to release another mainline game for some time, but the upcoming launch of Obsidian Entertainment's Avowed could be the hit that Microsoft needs to fill this gap.

Starfield's Weakest Aspects Can Be Salvaged By Avowed in 2024

If Starfield made fans realize anything, it is that a lot of Bethesda's winning game formula is contingent upon the whimsical and engaging nature of the worlds they take place within. The Elder Scrolls franchise has always had the base setting of Tamriel to work with, featuring a wide range of races and cultures packed together in diverse provinces right across the continent. While Fallout's post-apocalyptic setting lacks the same whimsy as Tamriel, it is still saturated with an aesthetic charm that fuels everything the player encounters.

In this way, Starfield was almost a victim of its own ambition, with 1000 explorable planets coming at the cost of impactful organic adventure and ambiance. While Microsoft would have wanted Starfield to have a larger lasting legacy akin to The Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises, the expected release of Avowed in 2024 could be a saving grace that can negate the missed beats of the title, leaving fans with different expectations happy.

Avowed's Smaller Scale May Be the Key to its Success

Like Bethesda, Obsidan Entertainment also falls under the Microsoft name, and fans have been drawing comparisons between Avowed and The Elder Scrolls franchise ever since the game was announced. Being a part of the Pillars of Eternity IP, Avowed is set to take place in the fantasy world of Eora, with its core gameplay having a heavy focus on classic RPG combat and exploration.

It has already been confirmed that Avowed will allow players to dual-wield magical powers and medieval-era weapons, being just one example of how the game closely matches The Elder Scrolls' main identity. Avowed will not possess the same awe-inspiring scale of Starfield, but will be able to pack more life and natural interaction within its smaller setting as a result.

This means that Avowed launching closely to Starfield puts Microsoft in a very advantageous position, with two high-profile releases showcasing two very different but equally important avenues for in-game exploration. Avowed is currently sitting on a very broad release window of 2024, and Microsoft needs to make sure above all else that the title meets this intended schedule. While the game should only release if it is truly ready to, Avowed would lose a lot of its value if its release slips into 2025 and beyond, making the shortcomings of Starfield all the more glaring in retrospect.

Avowed's current 2024 release window is a tentative one and could change as the game goes further into development.