Avowed Review

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Regardless of whether it was justified or not, the game “Avowed” had a considerable amount of anticipation surrounding its launch. Given the abundance of outstanding RPG games in recent years and Obsidian’s frequent comparison to Bethesda due to their success with “Fallout: New Vegas,” which surpassed “Fallout 3,” it’s no surprise that such comparisons have been made.

Since Avowed is a role-playing game in the first-person perspective with a fantasy setting, it was only natural that comparisons to The Elder Scrolls were made, especially considering it’s been more than a decade since the launch of Skyrim.

In that aspect, it’s a contemporary role-playing game in the fantasy genre that we’ve been eagerly awaiting, and it excels at expanding upon the mythos initially introduced in Pillars of Eternity, making it accessible to those who may not have played the previous games.

An Accessible, Streamlined RPG

What immediately caught my attention about Avowed is its simplicity. Many developers cram their games, particularly RPGs, with an abundance of skills and options, creating a confusing experience. It’s enticing to boast about providing numerous classes, countless abilities, endless worlds to discover, and infinite possibilities. This makes for an impressive game sales pitch.

Rather than focusing on creating a game that surpasses all others in size and quality, Obsidian remains faithful to their creative vision, offering an immaculately crafted experience that captivated me deeply.

When you manage to get a child to purchase and play this game, it seems like an overly complex experience that can frequently appear superficial. The variety of endless combinations is insignificant when only a few optimal class and skill configurations exist; they merely give the impression of choice. The same critique applies to the supposed “thousands” of worlds to discover. Frequently, they come across as shallow or repetitive.

As a gamer, I find that in Avowed, instead of the usual open-world game where you zip through various locations, you delve into The Living Lands of Eora piece by piece. This method offers a more streamlined experience since it minimizes the need for frequent fast travel and backtracking.

As a devoted player, I circle back to the locale, tick off each mission on my list, and zip back to town in no time. This game design strategy effectively keeps me hooked and actively involved in the gaming experience.

The truth also applies to the offered classes and skills. You have a choice to specialize in three skill branches: Warrior, Hunter, and Mage. Selecting an ability within the Warrior branch doesn’t prevent you from utilizing the other two; you are free to combine them according to your preference.

For each class, you’ll find numerous skills to select; however, the grand total is just 100. This might seem limited, but it’s a strategic design that prevents information overload. Each skill is useful within the game, even though it may appear fewer compared to the “hundreds of spells” found in other RPGs. Nevertheless, given their practicality, it’s worth experimenting with them all.

Companions Carry The Narrative

In your team, you’re free to adapt your gameplay strategy according to the distinct abilities of the four allies that join you. Each ally specializes in a specific area: defense, long-range attacks, healing, and magic.

Your allies aren’t merely additional players to aid in slaying skeletons and spiders more efficiently; they’re complex characters with rich histories and driving forces that make them fascinating to explore. Unfortunately, this depth isn’t as apparent within the main plot.

In “Avowed,” despite the dialogue being well-crafted, particularly when interacting with your companions, the main storyline seems to fall flat due to the presence of a plot device known as a MacGuffin. It’s an engaging MacGuffin that uses real-world metaphors without being too heavy-handed, but it remains a MacGuffin nonetheless. This is disheartening because the character growth, including your own, is captivating. I find myself uninterested in saving The Living Lands and Eora from impending dangers.

1. I’m curious to delve deeper into my own history.

2. I aim to assist Kai in moving past his troublesome past.

3. My goal is to help Giatta conquer the negative connotations associated with being an animancer.

4. Over time, these characters have grown on me due to their well-crafted personalities; I’ve even found myself chuckling at some of the witty exchanges.

What makes me let down by Obisidian’s main story is how captivating they are with their dialogue and characters. Frequently, I find myself rushing past the main events to return to camp and engage in deeper discussions with my companions instead.

Combat: The Stuff of Dreams

Thankfully, the one thing to keep me going through the main story is Avowed’s combat.

This game offers a delightful blend of classic first-person RPG battle systems reminiscent of titles such as The Elder Scrolls, yet it also incorporates contemporary elements and fresh ideas to keep things interesting.

In this game, combat isn’t just about wielding a sword and retreating. You can skillfully evade enemy attacks, boost the power of your sword for a stunning impact on foes, employ magic spells to control large groups of enemies (whether they are yours or from an ally’s party), and finally, deliver a crushing blow when the stun gauge is full, bringing down the opponents.

It seems as though there’s a fantastic blend of the style and gameplay from “The Elder Scrolls” series and FromSoftware titles. Whether this is the true inspiration or not, I can’t say for certain, but one thing’s for sure – it works so effectively that I found myself completing every side quest available, not for the prizes, but to experiment with different skill combinations.

In one hand, I’m proficient with a pistol for swiftly dealing with adversaries at close range, while in the other, I brandish a dagger for immediate response. Alternatively, I can summon magical abilities from a grimoire and follow up with powerful sword strikes that also restore my health upon successful attacks.

Here, the simplicity of Avowed shines. I don’t have the luxury to learn and perfect numerous weapon combinations, just to discover one is excessively powerful. Instead, it all feels too potent.

Keep Your Favorite Weapons, But At A Price

In Avowed, you can maintain your preferred weapon and armor configuration all through the game, thanks to its weapon and armor upgrade system. It’s incredibly annoying to spend time enhancing a rare, high-tier weapon, just to stumble upon another superior one lying around in less than half an hour.

In this game, the enemy levels are connected to the assumed level of their gear. For instance, enemies might be equipped with “Tier IV” items, implying that for a fair fight, you should also have “Tier IV” equipment. If your level is lower, you’ll likely sustain more damage than intended while dealing less than expected. The upgrade system isn’t flawless in this setup.

Improving your gear involves scavenging materials from various locations globally, or dismantling the equipment you come across. However, this isn’t always straightforward, as investing in crucial upgrades can sometimes be bothersome (and costly).

Most frustratingly, overcoming certain tough adversaries in this game can be achieved primarily by enhancing your gear, a process that might require a significant amount of time.

I really like delving into games and tackling additional missions, yet there’s a point where I draw the line. I’m not too keen on having to carry out numerous errands just to reach the part of the game that truly interests me.

A Work of Art

Frankly speaking, what truly worried me prior to the launch of Avowed wasn’t so much about its gameplay, but rather its graphics. Frankly, some of the initial screenshots didn’t exactly wow me, but I’m glad to say that the complete game has been a real visual treat.

The Vital Realms boast a myriad of distinct ecosystems, ensuring an ever-fresh and captivating experience. A hearty salute to the game’s artistic crew; this is truly one of the most vividly colored and lively games I’ve had the pleasure of playing.

The music in this game complements the overall gaming experience beautifully, never overshadowing the main aspects. It subtly adapts to the game’s atmosphere, providing a perfect accompaniment.

Among the characters, you’ll recognize a few familiar voices, with Brandon Keener standing out as Garrus/Kai being one of them. The entire voice acting crew (Mara Junot, Scott Whyte, and Anjali Bhimani) bring these characters to life, making their narratives even more engaging.

Closing Thoughts

Unlike what I anticipated, Avowed was a delightful surprise; every moment was captivating. It’s the kind of game I wouldn’t hesitate to play repeatedly, thanks in part to its relatively brief duration. Avowed demonstrates that size isn’t everything. Rather than creating a game aimed at outdoing others in terms of scale, Obsidian remained faithful to their vision and produced a well-crafted experience that won my heart. As someone who revisits Oblivion annually, it might be challenging for me to return to the older Elder Scrolls games after enjoying Avowed’s combat and characters. This is the RPG experience I’ve been longing for on Xbox, and Obsidian certainly delivered.

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2025-02-21 16:39