My review after the first area.

[MullyMagic]

I wasn't going to bother signing up to post but after seeing so many wildly varying reviews I thought I might give my perspective to help any old or new RPG players decide if this game is for them.

I loved my time in the first area/zone just started the second area/zone and all I can think about is playing this game any chance I get, a feeling I got playing all the old greats (Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age, Mass Effect).  It really is on par with them and an amazing first entry in what I hope will be a new series, being a slightly jaded 46 year old gamer this means a lot and that  is my review of the game essentially. 

Below I will have some points for why it stands up to those classics and a few things I would like added to bring it to an even higher level, no negatives as to be honest those would be my own preference and nitpicking.

Good things:

- The map design.  It looks amazing, has great exploration, main quest leads to side quests and discoveries very organically.

- Combat is probably one of the best I have ever played in an RPG, great freedom with classes and styles.

- Companions and NPC's are very well voice acted and most importantly believable. 

- Small details everywhere that show just how much of a passion project this was, too many to list but if you walk slowly and take in the world you will notice more and more. Bears nostrils move as they breathe, Xaurips dancing with Beetles, insects all about and so on.

- The entire game is of a very high graphical standard, lighting, water, textures, effects, draw distance, a real next gen looking game.  Taken each on their own they could be part of a next gen tech demo, but to see them all blend together is wonderful. 

- Very well optimised, playing 30fps on quality with Series X feels great and is my default for RPG's.  I had to play Kingdom Come Deliverance 60fps on performance because the 30fps on quality was handled very poorly.

Not so good things:

- would have liked a little bit more included in the early release pack.

- Would love some different weather effects, rain, storms etc.

- No map marking?

- Maybe have enemy groups respawn as of now they have not.

- A bestiary would be nice to see but also valuable as some items work vs certain enemies and reference them only as a group (primordial). I have a fair idea what enemies are in that group but not all of them and new players may not know at all.

- Ability to que up companion abilities as of now selecting one exits the menu and I have to go back in for the second companion.

- Improve stealth a bit, it's very good for opening a fight but is a bit weird after that for the rest of a fight.

My opinion on certain negative press issues:

- Game suffers from DEI, I must say where Dragon Age Veilguard shoved a few issues in your face with no nuance Avowed so far has had a few instances done more organically and believable which is how it should be done.  Also in relation to this pay no attention if previous comments made by certain staff are used as a means of hurting the game.  I feel comments like that have no place but the company will look into that, it doesn't take away the great work put in by the team and even that individual to this game.

- NPC's have no schedules, I feel this is a valid critic but it was never in the marketing to be that way. NPC's in this game still have some very interesting conversations, do some funny things on their own and when you are near them or loot their stuff.  They also move around fairly believably which is all a huge step up from Dragon Age Veilguard but obviously a huge step down from something like Kingdom Come Deliverance which is to be expected as it's going for a completely different experience.

- No crime system, Again like above they are going for something different compared to say Kingdom Come Deliverance and being the Envoy helps to believe why they would not question you stealing. 

All in all this game is a must play for any RPG fan, it is different from other games in the genre but has it's own really solid identity. 

A game I was looking forward to since I saw the first trailer and it lived up to it in every way.

A game I was glad that I paid for the early release,

A game so good that I felt a need to post on the forum to share my love for the game and hopefully get others to give it a try if they are on the fence, you won't regret it.

[MullyMagic]

An update after finishing the second area and staring the third.

More good things:

- Not as many to post now as I have mentioned them all before but they still hold up, and in a lot of cases improve beyond what I would ever have hoped for.

- Companion banter is great between themselves and responding to areas, quests and decisions you make.

- Yatzli, she is such a little boss I love her.

- Increased enemy numbers in fights with no slowdown/lag frames.

- Great environmental story telling.

- Some gorgeous dungeons in design and layout.

More not so good things:

- Some unique loot has very poor/bad attributes, other way too situational almost useless.

- I would love a compare equipped to inventory screen/tab/pop up.

- Should we be able to rebind keys on console?  I keep dodging left or right while trying to jump up and falling, no alternative to having dodge and jump on the same button.

- I love having realistic, balanced and most importantly believable and well implemented DEI/Woke (using the buzz words thrown around but you know what I mean in general) elements in games.  I have to say though so far almost every person in power/authority is a woman and often tall and strong and most of the men are the exact opposite.  I have liked all of these women and their designs and stories but it's the balance that bugs me, it's too much in one direction to the point where it starts to become unrealistic/unbelievable even in a fantasy game. Trust me if I am noticing it it's off a bit, it's like my envoy landed on Themyscira lol.

Still loving every bit of the game and I hope it gets all the love and praise it deserves, I will update this again once I settle into the next zone.

[marLeY $wOrd]

switch 2 3rd person..

[CJB]

19 minutes ago, MullyMagic said:

- I love having realistic, balanced and most importantly believable and well implemented DEI/Woke (using the buzz words thrown around but you know what I mean in general) elements in games.  I have to say though so far almost every person in power/authority is a woman and often tall and strong and most of the men are the exact opposite.  I have liked all of these women and their designs and stories but it's the balance that bugs me, it's too much in one direction to the point where it starts to become unrealistic/unbelievable even in a fantasy game. Trust me if I am noticing it it's off a bit, it's like my envoy landed on Themyscira lol.

Yeah this part of the writing is kind of glaring when you compare it to Pillars of Eternity 2. In PoE2, each of the 4 factions had a competent/strong-willed male and female leader, even if they may be morally dubious. In Avowed, all the prominent characters/leaders who are competent/strong-willed are female (Lodwyn, Temerti, Ryngrim, Mihala), while the male characters/leaders are all portrayed as feckless/cowardly/underhanded (Ambassador, Vidarro, Kostya), and used as a punching bag for the female figures (Ambassador with Lodwyn, Vidarro with Giatta).

[MullyMagic]

I am now finished the third area and have a few things to say, very little as I will probably keep most other thoughts for a quick final post here.

Even more good things:

- Lodwyn "reveals" more about herself and it was very nice to hear her reasons behind her actions, also she looks badass.

- Enemy groups are larger and seem to pull off decent basic tactics, I have been hit on multiple occasions by ranged enemies who are in great positions.  In relation to this and I know I have said it before but my companions are never/rarely using abilities.  I love commanding them myself for tough boss fights but I would like them to have a somewhat decent AI for normal mobs while exploring.  Seems worse after the latest patch.

Even more not so good things:

- I really enjoyed the quests in all areas including side quests but reactions from my companions needs some work maybe for dlc's or sequels if we are lucky enough to get them.  Yes they will comment during dialogue which is great and in the camp but I would like to see systems like BG3 or maybe even a lighter system like in DAV.  They hate a decision but are always ok following you, it would add to replayability, too much goodie two shoe vibes despite what they say.

Other that loving the game.

 

[MullyMagic]

Just a few observations after finishing the fourth area and starting what I am assuming is the last area.

Still even more good things:

- Seeing small details all the time like a different animation for opening chests with an arquebus.

- Dialogue and evolving relationship with voice in your head without spoiling it.

- Complaining to myself I will have no swimming or diving in this area and being proved wrong.

Still even more not so good things:

- No fast travel to inner district of main town where all other similar towns have it.

- Noticing now all npc's in dialogue have sparkling eyebrows?

- Needing Yatzli to be in the team for uncovering illusions in the open area like gates/vines/power boxes etc, it's ok for story quests but doesn't fit in for exploring.  We are never made to have other heroes in our team for all the other uncover mechanics like gates/ so it seems very out of place.  Yes some members have elemental ways to help but there is always alternative plants/pods to be found nearby like fire/cold/shock etc.

- As I am nearing the end I really would have liked maybe one or two more main quests in each area and maybe have some of them travel back to previous areas to see different reactions and have set pieces in familiar places.  Some side quests have nice npc interactions if you follow them from area to area but I would have loved this on a bigger scale.

- Knowing that I am nearing the end.

Loving it so far.

 

[MullyMagic]

Just finished the game and I really enjoyed the ending, it really does a nice job of bringing all your decisions together.  As a final verdict all I can say is I was dreading finishing it and was ready for more, I will play at least one more run doing the opposite of everything and I can't wait.  Below are positives and negatives that really stood out throughout the entire 65 or so hours out of the ones I have mentioned before.

The goodest of the good:

- The presentation and work gone into the game as a whole, audio, visual, technical, lore, dialogue, decisions, hardly any missteps. 

The not so goodest of the good:

The few missteps in my opinion.

- Not being able to rebind buttons on Series X or having better options.  Constant dodging left or right while just trying to climb up or not being able to dash forward when surrounded instead just slowly jumping away and getting hit.

- Audio balance has your Envoy shout too loud climbing and doing abilities compared to normal dialogue volume and I had to settle to lower voice volume entirely and put on subtitles for conversations.  I would love to separate the two somehow. 

- Strong women/girl bosses/Mary Sue's whatever term you want to use this game is full of them to the point where it comes across as unbelievable even in a fantasy game.  It must have been a consciences effort to make it this way which is a shame because each taken on their own are great but there is just so many compared to men.

All in all a fantastic first effort in bringing the world of Eora to first person and as a fan of POE 1 and 2 I will say that if they improve and learn from teething mistakes I would prefer to see dlc and a sequel to this rather than a POE3.  Bravo all involved.