The process of translating monsters or characters from an isometric standpoint to a first/third-person 3D one sounds incredibly interesting, and it’s something that Obsidian Entertainment is now well experienced in. Everything about the world of Eora, seen isometrically in the Pillars of Eternity games, had to be translated into the world of Avowed: a first/third-person RPG. This means everything from sporelings to orlans had to be considered carefully.
In the past, I’ve spoken with Avowed devs about this process as it relates to monsters, specifically sporelings. To this day, I constantly think about the fact that developers had to imagine their undersides for the first time ever. And as happens in game development, Avowed‘s sporelings ended up with “juicy booties,” according to art director Matt Hansen. For Game Rant Advance, I also asked about this translation process as it relates to the companion Yatzli and the orlan race, who are among the most unique denizens of Eora. And according to Katie Tenney, Associate II narrative designer at Obsidian, orlans had to be reworked at least once.
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As Tenney highlighted, players only see orlans in Pillars of Eternity through tiny isometric models and painted portraits. Orlans essentially had to be entirely recreated for Avowed, and as Tenney explained, “that process of translation wasn’t always perfect.” This not only highlights the need for iteration in game development, but also comes with a funny story:
“The first batch of orlans had to be reworked because a lot of the devs were genuinely scared by their looks. They’re in a great place now, though. These days, a few of the team’s more beloved characters are orlans – like Yatzli and Garryck.”
It’s not hard to imagine how orlans could end up being genuinely terrifying, and I’m just imagining a bunch of Gremlin-like people running around Eora. Of course, developers worked on their designs until they reached a point they were happy with, hopefully meaning these terrifying orlans never see the light of day. Luckily, Yatzli and other orlans in Avowed all fit the iconic look of orlans, only slightly adjusted for the new perspective.
It’s not uncommon for PoE‘s orlan companions to be risqué and flirty, “so Yatzli isn’t treading new ground there,” according to Tenney. But she is doing it from a new perspective, and it’ll be interesting to see that physical, mental, and verbal dynamic play out in a non-isometric view for the first time. Of course, even though orlans are one of Eora’s more unique races, all of them feel human to their core. That was Tenney’s point when it comes to character design in Avowed and the greater franchise:
“One of the best things about the Pillars universe is that a lot of the characters are very human: even with elf ears or blue scales, they’re very human to their core.”
Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger. Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.
You are the envoy of Aedyr, a distant land, sent to investigate rumors of a spreading plague throughout the Living Lands – an island full of mysteries and secrets, danger and adventure, and choices and consequences, and untamed wilderness. You discover a personal connection to the Living Lands and an ancient secret that threatens to destroy everything. Can you save this unknown frontier and your soul from the forces threatening to tear them asunder?
- Released
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February 18, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence
- Publisher(s)
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Xbox Game Studios