Avowed Review

The much-anticipated Avowed has gained copious amounts of attention since it came out in February, its elaborate world and rich lore making it noteworthy among the sea of newer RPGs to choose from. As a royal envoy sent to investigate a mysterious disease spreading across your world, you meet complex characters, explore both cities and wilderness, fight bosses, and all the while develop a connection to a mysterious disembodied entity that only speaks to you. But how do these elements come together in the game, and do they really result in the groundbreaking release people were hoping for?

In my eyes, there’s good and bad in every part of the game. While at points the story is so engaging that I lose track of time, at others it feels like cliche patchwork that makes it hard to stay engaged. In the same sense, the dialogue– both acting and writing– varies from great to poor. Inconsistency seems to shroud the effort and potential of the game’s cinematic side. The Voice, the being that keeps reaching out to you, certainly enhances the plot in concept, but the actual interactions with The Voice/Sapadal are nearly unbearable for me. They’re way too long and way too melodramatic for a trope that’s been done a thousand times over. It makes me feel disconnected from what turns out to be a leading story element. As for mechanics and gameplay, my feelings are mixed. While the whole experience is a bit too hand-held for my preference, I do like the combat system itself and the variety it offers. And although the environment’s graphics are gorgeous, actually interacting with it is underwhelming– I’ve walked through objects, the foraging seems like an afterthought, and so on. Looking back on Avowed, I’m most impressed with the story and the game’s fluidity, but glaring flaws do hurt my impression of a game that could have been way stronger. Still, I give it credit for how elaborate, colorful and bold it is all the way through.