Gaming in recent years has proceeded to become more and more competitive as companies attempt to create the next iconic franchise.
Obsidian Entertainment games are one such company that has helped to create many amazing works in the past including “Fallout: New Vegas,” “Outer Worlds,” and the “Pillars of Eternity” series.
On Feb. 18, Obsidian games welcomed audiences to explore the world of Eora in their new game “Avowed.” While they already have met controversy about the mechanics of the game, they are highly regarded for the game’s beautiful visuals and audio.
The story takes place in the same world as the “Pillars of Eternity” series on the far-off island known as the Living Lands in Eora. The events of the game take place only a few years after the events of the “Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire” game.
Although within the same narrative world, you don’t need to play the previous two games to understand the story as almost everything in the game is covered in detail for the player as a sort of encyclopedia.
“Avowed” is a fantasy role playing game centered on the character known as the Envoy. The Envoy has been tasked by the emperor to discover the secrets of a plague running rampant through the Living Lands. As you search through this land you will find many intriguing characters to travel with and buy supplies from.
The Envoy is a humanoid race known as Godlike. Godlike is a race chosen by the gods who exhibit special abilities and physical features. Godlike can be recognized by the fungal spores that grow from their head.
However, through exploring the world you learn that the plague also causes a similar reaction to the entire bodies of the infected.
The enemies faced in the game range from violent fauna, as well as highly enraged corrupted specimens who have been made subject to the plague of the Living Lands. These plague-ridden specimens range from various mutated looking animals and unfortunate humans and humanoids who have found themselves infected.
“Avowed” unlike the rest of the “Pillars of Eternity” series is less mechanically intense. Players receive less character building options, leading the combat to become repetitive and sometimes lethal. The game also is paced very haphazardly having low level character face enemies that are well beyond their ability to fight.
Although the mechanics leave much to be desired, the character is still in for a captivating experience as the various biomes, caverns and city landscapes throughout the game are visual masterpieces.
Being a first-person game, Obsidian put great emphasis on the game looking and sounding cinematic. It puts great emphasis on the details of each scene with things even as small as the blades of grass in the wind.
Unlike many of their other games, “Avowed” has been received as a hollow lifeless experience. Audiences show their disheartened feeling as many non-playable characters will simply stand around, speaking a quip or so as you pass. The cities feel more like points of interest rather than actual communities.
The game allows you to collect every item as if it is free to you. There is no reaction or consequences to stealing anything.
The story is extremely linear and regardless of your choice of dialogue; the character will follow the exact same path as if their choices didn’t matter.
The game is available now on all mainstream gaming platforms, with nearly 6 million players worldwide.
