Avowed Review – Steady Eddy RPG

In a nutshell, Avowed isn’t revolutionary when it comes to redefining the role-playing game (RPG) genre, but it undeniably understands its core principles exceptionally well. Each individual feature may seem predictable or commonplace, yet they harmoniously blend together in an impressive manner. From the combat and exploration aspects to world creation, storytelling, player decision mechanisms, and beyond, all crucial elements of RPGs immediately resonate with players from the start in Avowed. This is another feather in Obsidian Entertainment’s cap.

In the realm of Eora, the game “Avowed” delves deeply into the rich and captivating tapestry of lore and background that Obsidian established through the “Pillars of Eternity” series. For players who have previously encountered this universe, the benefits of maintaining the game within the same world are immediately evident, not only due to the abundance of knowledge to be discovered, but also because “Avowed” skillfully utilizes all of this information. Simultaneously, it does not demand that players possess any prior understanding of the setting or the lore. For seasoned “Pillars” enthusiasts, there’s a wealth of content here that will be highly rewarding, yet “Avowed” still manages to be self-contained enough to stand on its own merits even for those unfamiliar with terms like “Deadfire” or “Aedyr.

In terms of battle, discovery, environment creation, narrative, character choices, and other key aspects, everything that defines a great Role-Playing Game (RPG) seems instantly appealing in the game called “Avowed“.

A significant portion of the game’s uniqueness is due to the fact that Avowed primarily takes place in the unexplored region of Eora, known as the Living Lands. This new setting is connected to a rich history, allowing Obsidian to enjoy both novelty and familiarity. The Living Lands offer a perfect blend because they are both a fresh landscape and a part of an existing narrative tapestry. Moreover, the game benefits from this setting as the Living Lands are not only intriguing in themselves but also plagued by a horrifying affliction called the Dreamscourge. This plague corrupts victims – people, plants, and animals of all races – transforming them into crazed monsters with fruiting fungal growths.

In the midst of everything, you assume the role of an emissary for the emperor of Aedyr, dispatched to the Land of the Living to explore and handle the Dreamscourge, with the aim of strengthening the empire’s influence in the area, eventually incorporating it into its territories. It is within this context that Avowed‘s story unfolds, revealing its most intriguing aspects. As an emissary and a representative of the emperor’s power, you are granted the authority to make choices that will shape the Aedyr empire’s overall strategy towards the Land of the Living.

Are you inclined towards aiding the empire’s aggressive colonial strategies or preferring to prioritize combating the Dreamscourge and re-establishing tranquility within the Living Lands? This question is a key aspect of the game, and it’s one of the most engaging elements, especially considering the complex political landscape and internal struggles in the Living Lands. While Avowed’s choice and consequence mechanics might not rival those of Obsidian at their best, or even compare to Baldur’s Gate 3’s reactivity, there’s still enough depth here to make you ponder over your actions and consider their potential short-term and long-term effects.

In another aspect, Avowed truly shines with its well-crafted characters. Characters in Obsidian RPGs are often standouts, and Avowed is no exception. The game consistently demonstrates its writing prowess through character dialogue, interactions, and more. Each of the main characters is a distinct, finely tuned, and superbly portrayed personality, while even the supporting cast occasionally adds depth with engaging characters. It’s clear that Obsidian’s strengths lie in writing, world-building, and storytelling, and Avowed continues to uphold this tradition.

For a long time, Obsidian has excelled in writing stories, creating worlds, and telling them. This is no exception with their new game, Avowed.

What strikes me as particularly unexpected – at least from my perspective – is how entertaining I find the combat in Avowed. Now, I’m not suggesting Obsidian is on par with Bethesda Game Studios. However, it’s important to note that Obsidian has demonstrated competence in creating engaging combat, which they’ve proven time and again. In comparison to their previous works, Avowed takes the cake when it comes to combat. I must admit, first-person combat in fantasy or medieval settings is usually a miss, but not in this case.

At a core level, every strike, defense, evasion, and counterattack feels incredibly well-tuned. There’s an instantaneous and rewarding feedback for all actions, making the weapons feel just right in terms of weight, force, and agility, while attacks deliver the perfect impact and movements respond appropriately. Furthermore, the sheer abundance of weapon choices – from daggers to shields, hammers, maces, axes, bows, greataxes, greatswords, pistols, arquebuses, grimoires, two-handed hammers, wands – is truly vast. This variety isn’t just cosmetic; each weapon handles distinctly in aspects such as attack animations, speed, damage output, stamina consumption, and more.

As a fervent admirer, I must say that the excitement escalates significantly when it comes to dual-wielding in the game. Unlike traditional two-handed weapons, Avowed grants me the freedom to wield not just two, but any type of weapon simultaneously! The possibilities are endless; I could be swinging a sword and shield one moment, and holding a mace in one hand and a pistol in the other the next. Or perhaps I’d opt for an axe and hammer in each hand, or even wield two wands to unleash a torrent of spells at my foes with delight! The combinations are limitless, and yes, the combat becomes not just fun, but incredibly enjoyable. Add in abilities, companions, grenades, and other features, and every single fight in Avowed surpasses my initial expectations of entertainment.

Regrettably, the game’s development seems to lag behind in terms of its combat aspects, making it seem somewhat simplistic and linear. For years, the RPG genre has faced the issue of triple-A commercialization, with games like “Dragon Age: The Veilguard” from last year being a prime example, and “Avowed” unfortunately follows this trend when it comes to its progression mechanics. Upon leveling up, you can distribute points into various attributes, along with multiple skill trees, but the process feels overly restrictive and formulaic.

Avowed gives you the freedom to carry two weapons simultaneously, allowing for a wide variety of combinations. You could opt for a traditional sword-and-shield setup, or try something unconventional like a pistol in one hand and a mace in the other, or even wield an axe and hammer in each hand. For those who prefer magic, casting spells with a wand in both hands could be a delightful option too. The possibilities are endless, and this versatility certainly adds excitement to combat.

It’s fortunate that exploration in Avowed will work well. During the development of Avowed, Obsidian Entertainment chose not to create a vast open world as originally planned, opting instead for a smaller, semi-open world like The Outer Worlds. In my opinion, this was the correct decision. There are multiple maps to explore in Avowed, each with sufficient size and offering diverse environmental landscapes. What’s more crucial is that the environments are meticulously designed.

Avowed skillfully captivates your focus and engages you in a subtle manner by highlighting points of interest within your environment, side quests, and optional content without overwhelming you with symbols, compasses, or other UI elements. Instead, it allows the design of the surroundings to tell its own story. You’ll rarely find yourself staring at something mundane for long as there’s always something unique or intriguing to catch your eye. Plus, you’re likely to be rewarded for being curious and venturing off the main path more frequently than not. The added bonus is that the gameplay mechanics of movement and traversal in Avowed are enjoyable, with a simple moveset consisting of running, jumping, and vaulting, inviting players to explore vertical and intricately designed environments brimming with secrets.

In the game “Avowed,” there’s quite a bit going on, maybe even more than you’d initially anticipate. It doesn’t exactly break new ground or revolutionize anything we’ve seen before, but it does an impressive job of sticking to the core principles that make a great RPG. It’s not the most innovative or intricate game out there, and it doesn’t have the interactivity of “Baldur’s Gate 3” or the richness of “Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.” However, for individuals seeking an immersive fantasy action RPG experience, “Avowed” is definitely worth a try.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox Series X.

2025-02-16 19:41

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