Right, to the point. Avowed scratches an incredible itch that I didn’t realize I truly had. Video games, at their core, often show up as pretty skinner boxes – you repeat a set of activities hoping for a dopamine hit. The challenge with that construct is that the set of activities need some balance on challenge/reward in order to feel fulfilling. Ubisoft, for example, has lost sight of this where as games like Ghost of Tsushima have used the setting itself as the incentive.

I ‘completed’ the first zone over the weekend and am surprised at my joy in the process. While I certainly threw a lot of fireballs, it never truly felt the same. Each environment was different, so that the tactical portions changed. Sometimes there were a lot of big bad bears (melee who love to charge), other times well placed archers (which I can thankfully defend from), and at times summoners who have a seemingly infinite supply of minions + spells (which I cannot defend from). I had to prioritize each fight.

And the reason for each was different. Sometimes it was a random group just standing around. Others I had to collect a bounty. Others protected a cave I wanted to enter. Heck, a few times I just wanted to pick a fight because the dialogue gave me the choice. I don’t have to collect 5 bear pelts, or bring flowers across town, or some ridiculous box moving puzzle. Heck yeah!

Exploration

This is a thing that hasn’t really been discussed in open world games since Skyrim – 14 years ago. There’s an thing about world building where stuff has to have a purpose, even if that purpose is minor. I can trip over a dungeon that has a set of lore within, or read a note about some hidden mushrooms, or find a lost key in the sewers that opens a door to a shop. They aren’t actual tracked quests, I’m not directed to any of it. They are completely organic activities that serve contained but interconnected purposes. It feels like there’s breadcrumbs everywhere as a result and zero minimap cluster bombs. It’s exploration for the sake of exploration, not achievement. No Man’s Sky scratches that itch, but this world is hand crafted. Some human decided it was a good idea to put a book under a table for me to read, and then go on my own little adventure. Fascinating.

Combat

A decent amount of time is spent here, and a substantial amount of flexibility is present. You don’t get stronger with levels, you simply have more tools. You get stronger with better gear, and there’s so much gear to choose from. Now, you don’t have the enchantment system of Skyrim, so choices are certainly more limited, but it also prevents a sort of min/max situation of ‘perfect enchants’.

Where the game struggles, at least in my opinion, is the defensive portion. You will take a rightful beating at the start, which is likely to impact your playstyle. It’s certainly possible to go in with a 2 handed weapon, but you’re going to be tanking dirt quickly until you figure out the battle dance, especially with the sheer amount of enemy attackers. If the companion NPCs did a better job tanking, this would open more options. As it stands, you’re much better off to start with ranged attacks and finish with melee. Blocking + Parry are life, and a thousand times more reliable than dodging. Avowed is not an action game.

Next Steps

Into the new zone I go, tracking a pile of breadcrumbs along the way. And combating voices in my head every night. This is a truly enjoyable experience.