Avowed Feels Like Playing Through An Entire Game Of Skyrim Caves

by

So far, Avowed is proving to be a delightful small game. I’ve only recently entered Paradis, and there’s so much more to explore in Obsidian’s latest creation. At this point, it seems to find a great balance between size and detail that keeps me eagerly anticipating what lies beyond the next bend. Its world design seems to support this strategy as well, with most locations featuring a main pathway along with numerous diversions.

It’s not a problem since the main storyline is rather dull at the moment, and I prefer to explore with the handsome fish-like character Garrus instead of discovering my true fate within The Living Lands. Similar to Fallout: New Vegas and Skyrim, this game seems to offer an RPG experience where you can freely roam and do as you please. As a result, I’ve spent most of my time in the ruins, engaging in whatever activities I find enjoyable.

Avowed Is A Game Filled With Beautiful Distractions

Regarding Skyrim, it seems that much of Avowed thus far evokes memories of the numerous caves found in Bethesda’s 2011 masterpiece. The kind of small dungeons carved into cliffs, where you can venture in for a brief spell, engage in battles with spiders, plunder dead bodies, and ultimately exit feeling much more enriched than when you first went in.

After a while, around a dozen hours or so, they became repetitive, yet I always felt compelled to delve deeper whenever I passed by one. Among ruins, outposts, and castles, the caves in Skyrim were particularly captivating, embodying the intriguing sense of exploration that makes these games truly enjoyable.

In Avowed, there are numerous smaller locations similar to this one, including a starting dungeon where I retrieved an ancient artifact while searching for a missing legion of soldiers. Initially, it seemed like another optional mission as I entered, but soon enough, I found myself pondering whether to resurrect an ancient deity or assassinate the character urging me towards that action.

Initially, I stepped inside with the intention of discovering a fresh blade and some gold pieces as rewards for my efforts; however, it turned out that I was now engaged in a quest to save the world. This predicament arose from an unassuming ruin I had stumbled upon out of indifference towards the primary storyline. Similarly, Skyrim often presents situations where caves serve as unexpected triggers for adventures, consuming substantial chunks of gameplay without players realizing it.

And All Of Them Are Worth Pursuing

In smaller locations within games like Avowed or Skyrim, although they may not always lead to major quests, they remain captivating to interact with. They encapsulate the thrill of exploration that sets RPGs apart, where even the simplest dungeons and combats can unexpectedly trigger shared stories that are unique to your gaming experience.

Despite just starting the game Avowed, it’s clear that I’ll primarily venture off the main quest lines when given the chance. My playtime will be focused on exploring unfamiliar territories while battling foes and discovering hidden treasures. However, I find myself repeatedly drawn back into the open world, following a loop where I retrace my steps to experience it all over again.

In certain instances, Avowed could be likened to a medieval version of Mirror’s Edge. It often involves me leaping around in various locations and scaling steep cliffs and roofs.

Beyond typical caves and dungeons, the layout of Avowed’s broader environment emphasizes exploration and discovery. The design encourages you to climb to higher locations or scrutinize your surroundings more carefully to reveal hidden secrets. Unlike some games that offer an expansive open world with little to do except travel from one city to another, it seems that Avowed’s entire world is accessible on foot, suggesting a compact and focused environment with minimal filler content.

The game “Avowed” isn’t aiming to dethrone Baldur’s Gate 3 as a major RPG, and I never truly anticipated it would. Instead, I’m perfectly fine with an adventure where the focus is on exploration and acquiring loot, allowing me to immerse myself in smaller narratives or create my own. If it happens to take place in a vast mushroom-filled cavern, that’s just a delightful extra!

Read More

2025-02-24 22:05