I cannot really recommend this game after giving it some thought. It is an average game. A bit bland. The combat system is decent, but I find the roleplaying aspect of this game lacking. The linear story progression does not help either. I would even go as far to say this game should be classified as an exploration/action game. Calling this game an RPG is being very generous.

I’ve been looking forward to Avowed ever since it was announced. I ignored all the criticism it got soon after release and wanted to give it a chance. This is the second Obsidian game I’ve played after Outer Worlds. In both games I grew less and less interested as I progressed, to the point where I was rushing through the last missions just to finish and justify the time I put into it. A lot of the things that I thought were really fun in the first 20 hours turned into the reasons why I began losing interest, and they’re all related to each other. Loot, the maps, and crafting.

First, the world seems like it rewards those who look in every corner. Like how many rpgs do for those who take the extra time to look around a little more. Much of the loot you’ll find are materials needed for crafting. Mats are so vital you don’t feel like you’re being rewarded for checking every corner because you need every mat you can get. Loot just doesn’t seem worth it or very fun to come across. There is a lot of unique gear but a vast majority don’t make sense to your specific class/playstyle or just feel situational but also not worth equipping in those situations.

Second, the maps. The maps in this game are big and beautiful. I understand Obsidian probably wanted to shake things up when things got stale by introducing us to new areas but I think this is a major reason for a lack of continued interest. There’s a lot to explore in each area and when you move on to the next it feels daunting to do it all over again. I like exploring but it didn’t feel fun here. There’s also only 3 main quests per major area, so you can move on very quickly. But if you don’t explore the entire region you’ll struggle to have enough mats to upgrade your gear. I wish they stuck with their original plan of having one giant map. Obsidian's pattern with splitting up their acts in different areas just doesn't feel good.

Third and what I think is the biggest flaw, crafting. Like I mentioned earlier, mats are vital to the core of Avowed. You are severely punished for not constantly upgrading your weapons and armor. Each piece of gear can be upgraded 4 stages (4 levels within each stage), 5 stages if it’s a unique piece of gear (an item with special perks or passives). I scoured every inch of each map, bought every single mat from any merchant I came across, and only stuck to one play style and I didn’t even max out my last piece of gear until the final stage of the game. Good luck maxing out another piece of armor and or weapon, especially if they share the same mats as your primary loadout. This is a major problem for a game that was advertised as mixing different play styles together. But is it really necessary to have all your favorite weapons (maybe a wand + spell book and sword + pistol) upgraded fully? Yes, it is. Enemies keep scaling with you and whatever gear you’re not able to craft to the same level as the enemies will be as effective as a wet noodle. At first I thought this was a unique way to keep the player engaged in crafting and to have the option to max out your favorite weapons no matter what stage in the game you find them. Instead, it feels like staying on top of your gear is more important than the main story. Obsidian seems like a studio that’s always holding back from making what could always be a much better game. The experience is definitely not worth $70. If you’re insistent on getting it, play it on Xbox game pass.

Absolutely not worth the price. Especially with so many better games out there. Get it on sale if you have to play it.