Pillars of Eternity, a key title from Obsidian Entertainment, is heavily inspired by traditional fantasy elements, notably drawing from classics like Dungeons & Dragons. While games like Avowed maintain a strong connection to established fantasy lore, Josh Sawyer emphasizes the importance of meeting player expectations. He states,

“To be real with you, there’s a lot of stuff that we included because people want to see them in fantasy. I understand there’s a benefit to being like, ‘Let’s turn it on its head’, but that’s also just one thing you can do, right?”

Sawyer elaborates on how familiar races and settings serve the narrative, but he also aims to introduce unique aspects to these traditional roles. For example, he emphasizes thatdwarves in their universe have a sense of wanderlust that differs from the static concept often seen in contemporaries.

In Sawyer’s view, while drawing on established fantasy norms, there’s room for innovation to keep the genre fresh. He notes:

“So I didn’t want to completely flip it and say, ‘Oh, you want to play an elf? F**k you, this isn’t your daddy’s elf.’ It’s like, no, no, it’s still pretty much an elf. But there are some things about it that are not quite as traditional.”

This balance between familiarity and innovation is a critical approach in developing engaging RPGs that resonate with both long-time fans and newcomers alike.