Five days before the official release, the fantasy role-playing game Avowed from Microsoft and Obsidian Entertainment (the Pillars of Eternity, The Outer Worlds duology) received its first reviews from representatives of the Western press.
Image source: xbox
The aggregator Metacritic has already collected over 100 reviews of Avowed with a rating of 79% (PC) and 80% (Xbox). On OpenCritic, the picture is similar – 81% with 93 reviews (the game is recommended by 84% of critics).
Avowed thus fell behind Obsidian’s previous RPG release, The Outer Worlds (82-85%) from 2019, and both Pillars of Eternity games (89% and 88%, respectively), in whose world its events take place.
The combat system has become one of the game’s main advantages in the eyes of reviewers
Reviewers praised the surprising amount of content, the secret-filled world and exploration process, the dynamic combat system, non-linear dialogue, and the pleasing visual and art styles.
The project’s downsides included an unresponsive world, drawn-out leveling, primitive side quests, poor enemy variety, lack of truly fresh ideas, and long loading times on PC/Xbox.
Opinions were divided about the plot and characters – some found them predictable and uninteresting, while others liked them.
Critics agree that Avowed isn’t aiming to be a genre staple like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or a cult classic like Fallout: New Vegas, but it’s an enjoyable RPG to while away 30-50 hours in a fantasy world.
Avowed will be released on February 18th on PC (Steam, Microsoft Store, Battle.net), Xbox Series X and S, and Game Pass, but those who pre-ordered the premium edition will be able to play the game today, the 13th.