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Avowed Review: Obsidian’s Vintage RPG Masterpiece

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Only a small number of game developers can match the variety and depth of work that Obsidian Entertainment is known for, which might be why Microsoft acquired them in 2018. Their portfolio boasts some highly respected titles such as KOTOR 2, Fallout: New Vegas, Pentiment, and The Outer Worlds, making Obsidian a top-tier studio. They excel particularly well in crafting captivating semi-open world RPGs where you take on the role of an unnamed protagonist thrust into heroic deeds, as exemplified by their upcoming game, Avowed.

In the world of Pillars of Eternity, you’ll assume the role of a Godlike, essentially the offspring of a deity, serving as an emissary to the emperor in Avowed. Your mission: restore order, cure the Dreamscourge, and save The Living Lands from impending destruction. Alongside your quirky companions, you’ll engage in intense battles against evil forces across four vast open-world maps, tackling crisis after crisis. While it may not be a literary masterpiece, Avowed’s narrative is engaging enough to keep you invested until the end. The real hook, however, comes from the gameplay and the story’s branching choices and their resulting outcomes.

Initially, if you haven’t played Pillars of Eternity for a while and can’t recall much, it might have taken some time to catch up with the lore. However, fear not! The narrative is self-contained, so even without prior knowledge of Pillars, you shouldn’t feel lost at the start.

Avowed delivers everything you’d anticipate from an Obsidian RPG. It offers numerous choices to guide your journey through the storyline, along with a dash of humor and some impressive action sequences. Interestingly, Avowed seems to be reminiscent of a game that could have dominated fifteen years ago. Compared to today’s games, it may appear a bit rigid and outdated, but eventually, these qualities become part of its endearing character.

For role-playing game enthusiasts, there’s an abundance of stats and the game’s design allows for limitless character customization. You have the freedom to craft your own unique class – whether it’s a longsword-wielding healer, a self-made druid, or even an axe-wielding ice mage who summons bears and carries an old flintlock pistol as a secondary weapon! And if you fancy yourself as a stealthy archer, that option is open to you as well. Bethesda would certainly approve of the creativity.

What’s unique about Avowed is its resemblance to a classic, economical version of the legendary game, Skyrim. This isn’t meant as a criticism, quite the contrary, as Skyrim is undeniably one of the greatest of all time. I’m using this comparison more as a form of praise.

Overall, the fight scenes are fantastic regardless of your character’s build. Our character evolved from a rogue wielding two daggers and a bow, into an outright mage after approximately five hours. By the end of the game, thanks to some exceptional equipment, we transformed into something akin to a summoner, capable of conjuring a bear, a specter, and three skeletons to aid in battles – a significant advantage given that we played on the highest difficulty level, making combat much less challenging!

In the heart of Avowed lies its captivating charm. The game designer, Obsidian, has simplified the process of respecifying your character, allowing you to drastically change your playstyle after just 15 hours of gameplay. Moreover, the damage dealt remains consistent whether you’re a warrior or a mage, making it less necessary to overhaul your build significantly – although you can do so for a modest price if desired. If you’re seeking an RPG rich in intricate mechanics, then Avowed should definitely appeal to you.

Throughout the expansive maps of this game, you’ll encounter various side missions, hidden treasures, dungeons to delve into, and NPCs in need of aid for their predicaments. The vastness of the game, resulting from the abundance of choices and consequences, allows you to control every situation’s outcome. You can choose between direct confrontation or uncovering a secret underground group that could significantly change the ending of an act. From start to finish, you have the power to mold your journey, not only in terms of story but also in gameplay mechanics as well.

Regrettably, Avowed does exhibit certain peculiarities. These aren’t limited to performance issues, particularly during dialogues where the frame rate can become unstable. However, there are also some significant bugs present, one of which we encountered could potentially have caused the game to crash if we hadn’t discovered a clever workaround.

As a fan, I can’t help but appreciate the sense of exploration and freedom that Obsidian offers, enabling me to journey at my leisure without feeling rushed or constrained. However, during my adventure in Galawain’s Tusks – the final area – I stumbled upon what seemed like the critical path prematurely, which can be a tad jarring if you’re not supposed to reach it yet. It’s certainly not as unpolished as games like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 or as stability-challenged as Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, but Avowed has its own unique set of hurdles to overcome.

To put it simply, the highest praise I can give to “Avowed” is that if “Dragon Age: The Veilguard” had “Avowed’s” combat and role-playing mechanics, it would rank among the top RPGs I’ve played in recent times. Conversely, if “Avowed” possessed the quality of storytelling, production values, and world-building that “Dragon Age: The Veilguard” does, then it would be one of Microsoft’s finest RPGs. It might even be their best, though not surpassing “Skyrim,” naturally!

Overall, “Avowed” is an entertaining and meticulously designed role-playing game that exudes a classic charm. Though unintentional, it gives off an old-school vibe, which contributes to its allure. Kudos to Obisidian for creating such a gem! If only they could work on making “Alpha Protocol” playable on newer systems (or remake/remaster it), it would bring us immense joy. Is it too much to hope for?

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2025-02-23 03:12

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