Avowed has been compared to The Elder Scrolls since its first moments in the public eye. As a fantasy RPG with lots of different ways to play, all set within an already-established world, it was almost impossible this upcoming Obsidian game wouldn't be compared directly to Bethesda's 2011 effort. But from its trailer at the Xbox Game Showcase, it seems that Avowed has one thing Skyrim didn't – a sense of humor.
Don't get me wrong. Skyrim had the potential to be very, very silly. But much of the time it felt like you were, at least a little bit, laughing at Bethesda instead of with it. A little slapstick and dramatic irony did as much as it could to put across the idea that Skyrim was happy to try and make you laugh, but that idea was outshone; physics glitches, emergent stories, community memes, and a chaotic modding scene combined to make sure that even the game's most serious moments didn't feel that way for long.
