Avowed is the new open world action RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, set in the universe of their Pillars of Eternity CRPG series. To mark its release and to promote it in a fairly unusual way, the developer has installed a living Bloomboard” on Bethnal Green Road in Shoreditch, London.
This unique display is a “living, breathing” installation, that will bloom bright and vibrant before it begins to wither and decay, to represent the effects of the Dreamscourge on the Living Lands. This corruption is the backbone of the narrative in Avowed, and curing the Dreamscourge blight is your primary goal.
Built using living organic materials such as mushrooms and fungus, the Bloomboard is designed to flourish and then rot away over the course of just two days – so you only have until tomorrow to get to Bethnal Green Road and check it out before it’s gone.
What’s more, those who look closely may spot a hidden QR code within the display, through which they can enter a contest to win a host of prizes from hardware to Avowed game codes. You can also check out the life and death of the Bloomboard on the official Xbox YouTube channel here.
If you’re particularly green-fingered you might be able to identify the types of mushrooms it uses, which include Lion’s Mane and Pioppini mushrooms as well as a variety of oyster mushrooms.
Speaking of the display, Xbox’s UK Gaming Marketing Lead, Samuel Bateman said: “The Obsidian team has a long-standing reputation for building some of the most creative and diverse worlds within the RPG genre, and we’ve taken inspiration from them in recreating Avowed in the (decaying) flesh for fans here in London. We’re looking forward to people coming to check out the installation.”
We reviewed the PC version of Avowed and said this: “Despite a few issues, Avowed kept me hooked throughout. It’s a beautiful, incredibly charming game that does its best to fill a gap where the Elder Scrolls 6 should be. Great voice-acting, likeable characters, an interesting world, and really enjoyable combat and character progression add up to deliver a superb RPG experience only held back by a few niggling shortcomings.”
Check out our video review below:
Avowed is developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studio, and is available on PC and Xbox now.
