In the world of RPGs, there’s always something that can slip under the radar, but that’s precisely what makes these games so compelling, according to one developer from Avowed.
In recent times, video games have seen a surge in the drive for completionism, primarily due to the lure of trophies and achievements that justify the hours sunk into exploring every nook and cranny. However, if you rewind a few years, players routinely missed significant aspects of games. For Berto Ritger, Obsidian Entertainment’s region director and senior area designer, this isn’t just a sideline quirk; it’s the essence of RPGs. In a conversation with GamesRadar about the much-anticipated Avowed, Ritger expressed his belief that “the core of RPGs that makes them special is missable content, to be honest, and it makes the experience feel so much more personal to how you play the game.”
Ritger argues that these myriad options enrich discussions about RPGs because no two players’ journeys are exactly the same. Imagine chatting with a friend and telling them, “Hey, I stumbled upon this hidden spot under the docks. On the eastern side, there’s a neat secret you can uncover. Oh, and if you climb up to the top, there’s even more up there.” When you stumble upon such discoveries while your friends uncover others, it sparks fascinating conversations about the game.
That said, there are particular elements that Obsidian is keen for players to experience. Ritger elaborated, “We want to draw your attention to things that we want you to engage with. The lighthouse is very tall, and so everybody’s going to see a big, tall thing and want to go climb. And so we want to support that as well. And you can do that, and you can jump off into the ocean, if you like. And so we try to draw your attention that way.”
I often reminisce about the days when gaming secrets weren’t laid bare across the internet. It was genuinely enjoyable to compare notes with friends, sharing stories of what we’d discovered. So, if you’re planning to dive into Avowed, consider veering off the beaten path and see what hidden treasures you can unearth.
