Avowed - new Obsidian RPG

[Mannginger]

It's great!

I got it last week under pre-order but it launched fully earlier this week on all platforms (Game Pass on Xbox)

I've put about 25 hours into it so far and just left the first zone. There's so much exploring to do with a really satisfying vertical/parkour type mechanic and pretty satisfying combat.

It's its own thing but a little Skyrim-esque with it's exploration and companions.

I'd give it an 8/10 so far, really recommended

Edit: forgot to link: https://avowed.obsidian.net/

[Shadow R1]

I've been playing on gamepass.
The endless dialogue clicking through is getting annoying. Going out exploring is great.

[FourWheelDrift]

A lot of lazy design and stupid NPCs though.

Comparison with the 19 year old Oblivion.



And worse when compared to Skyrim - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK1wH1YHvaQ

And Obsidian is the company that created Fallout New Vegas. I guess a lot of people have left.

[IanH755]

Whilst many might want to blame "lazy dev's" for fiascos like this, I think that the most reasonable explanation for the very obvious drop in quality between older releases and this can't be "current dev's don't work as hard" but maybe that, despite all the hard work they put in, current dev's just aren't as technically proficient any more, and therefore all the hard work that they boast about when people complain about their low quality AAA games, is simply wasted effort.

Hard work doesn't necessarily equal "good quality" work after all.

[Mannginger]

IanH755 said:

Whilst many might want to blame "lazy dev's" for fiascos like this, I think that the most reasonable explanation for the very obvious drop in quality between older releases and this can't be "current dev's don't work as hard" but maybe that, despite all the hard work they put in, current dev's just aren't as technically proficient any more, and therefore all the hard work that they boast about when people complain about their low quality AAA games, is simply wasted effort.

Hard work doesn't necessarily equal "good quality" work after all.

Fiascos? It's a really solid game? I'm confused

[Altrezia]

Im finding it a bit meh, to be honest. Only a few hours in but so far it's been killing a lot of lizard guys, and not much else. Boring conversations.
Weird to hear Garrus' voice, too.

[IanH755]

Mannginger said:

IanH755 said:

Whilst many might want to blame "lazy dev's" for fiascos like this, I think that the most reasonable explanation for the very obvious drop in quality between older releases and this can't be "current dev's don't work as hard" but maybe that, despite all the hard work they put in, current dev's just aren't as technically proficient any more, and therefore all the hard work that they boast about when people complain about their low quality AAA games, is simply wasted effort.

Hard work doesn't necessarily equal "good quality" work after all.

Fiascos? It's a really solid game? I'm confused

From your comment could we assume you've played it, but maybe no other similar game in over a decade to compare it too because, as the videos above show in detail, the graphics, physics, gameplay, Voice work, story choices, event scripting etc etc etc are all noticeable worse on this modern game than similar games from over a decade ago.

Now that doesn't mean people can't or shouldn't enjoy this game - a point often lost on those who automatically jump to defend something they like when its being criticised - but enjoying a game doesn't make it a well made game, as those videos showed.

Just for reference - there 2x more people still daily playing a 14 year old game on Steam than there is playing this game on Steam, and there's a 5x difference from Peak Players for both game - thats a fiasco to me.

Edited by IanH755 on Friday 21st February 23:23

[Matty_]

Altrezia said:

Im finding it a bit meh, to be honest. Only a few hours in but so far it's been killing a lot of lizard guys, and not much else. Boring conversations.
Weird to hear Garrus' voice, too.

I've done about 4 hours, and I'm struggling. It kinda reminds me of Starfield, in that it lacks any real charm or sense that they've really 'crafted' anything - it's like they've created the bare-bones of the world and needs to have the character and characters added in. Feels very empty.

Maybe I just need longer with it....but not sure I can find the interest to go back to it.

[Altrezia]

Matty_ said:

I've done about 4 hours, and I'm struggling. It kinda reminds me of Starfield, in that it lacks any real charm or sense that they've really 'crafted' anything - it's like they've created the bare-bones of the world and needs to have the character and characters added in. Feels very empty.

Totally! Just like starfield. I think maybe I was just spoiled by BG3.

[Trustmeimadoctor]

im about 30 hours in now and onto the 3rd land, its quite good looking, but there isnt much variation in character models past colour

but i do think the lands are very well done and i like the fact things dont re spawn

BUT!

so much talking!!!

i have no real idea whats going on and ive started pretty much just pressing anything and killing things is just far too easy now.

i will carry on until something else distracts me

[Matty_]

I've done about 30 hours - I found it picked up once you got a few talents and recruited two to make up the team. I'm kind of enjoying parts of it, and determined to finish now I've started Very much a game about running around, killing stuff and finding loot, leaning more into the "A" of ARPG.

Trustmeimadoctor said:

i will carry on until something else distracts me

As SkillUp review said "It's the kind of game you play while you wait for something else to come out"

Agreed on the dialogue - there's sooo much exposition and information dumping. Add on that the characters really aren't that interesting, the "God" talking in (often gibberish) riddles and it means the spacebar is getting a hammering. I will say, I was impressed at how much things change based on your actions, and how much your team (and NPCs) comment on it.

[Jinx]

Not sold on this so far - think this will be a steam sale bargin buy sometime in the future (after all that furore over DA: Veilguard - it is now free on my PS5). Still have BG3 to finish (only 100 hours in at the moment) and Civ VII is waiting to be played. Hopefully something else (hmm kingdon come deliverence 2? well once I've played through number one first) will be along.

[Matty_]

I rushed through to finish before my gamepass ran out - it does get a bit repetative around Act3/4 especially as the enemies never change.

Overall - it's alright. 7.5/10 or there abouts. As above, just so much dialogue which is a real juxtaposition against what is essentially an action-RPG. I can't imagine many who want this style of gameplay also wanting tons of dialogue.

Also some weird choices they've made - you get a boatload of unique weapons right at the end, like 30-60 mins before it all wraps up, at which point are utterly useless as you've probably already built around your current weapons. Really strange...like they'd planned for NG+ but never bothered.

So yeah, either play it on GamePass, or wait for about £20.

[Actual]

I'm playing as I'm always searching for the next Skyrim.

I hate it but I can't stop playing.

In real life I was walking round the village and I saw a colourful plant and I felt the urge to grab it and yesterday I was in my car driving past a farm shed which had a hole in the roof so I thought that there must be a treasure chest inside...

[Ekona]

Finished this yesterday, and genuinely enjoyed it.

I felt a tad over powered at the end, with no enemy giving me any real headaches (most were one power-hit kills), but the art design is utterly beautiful. I agree with the too much talking comments above, so much so that I skipped a lot of the dialogue and didn't feel like I was missing out on anything at all. 38 hours to do everything bar collecting all the totem bits and only got about half the treasures, but that's still a good amount of playtime for one month of Game Pass.

I think the ending could've done with some work, as it felt like the final boss should've had something after it rather than just dropping to the final summing up (as tbh I didn't even know it was going to be the final boss!) and maybe I made the wrong choice as it felt underwhelming. Still, very enjoyable romp in a well-crafted world, although I suspect we'll never see a sequel to it.

[Actual]

Done and deleted.

I did like completing every level and I would have liked a counter like found 30 out of 35 chests and how many enemies left to kill as I would he searched and searched to get it done.

It was all the dialogues that did for me and in the end I just hated very minute and just wanted to get it finished.

Just in time for Atomfall.

Edited by Actual on Thursday 27th March 10:53