Avowed: The Hidden Gem Everyone Missed?! You Won't Believe This!

Avowed: The Hidden Gem Everyone Missed?! You Won't...

Avowed evokes this odd feeling, doesn't it? Like watching an Olympic athlete reach the finals, give it their all, but ultimately fall just short of a medal. It's still an achievement, a success by many measures, and definitely something to be proud of, but history often remembers only the victors.

And that's a shame, because the game itself is genuinely solid. It feels almost unfair that Avowed, despite its numerous merits, seems destined to be, well, an underdog. However, I think that recontextualizes Avowed in a more appealing light. It's a prime example of a modern double-A title – bigger than your average indie darling, but intentionally more focused than the sprawling, ultra-polished mega-blockbusters we're used to. Avowed isn't at the pinnacle, sure, but it's definitely not languishing at the bottom either.

Let's be honest, the visuals can feel a little dated at times, and the animations occasionally a bit stiff. But in a double-A game, you kind of cut it some slack, right? What it lacks in visual polish, it more than makes up for in sheer personality. And that's not intended as a slight at all. There are actually moments of genuine beauty, particularly in the environments, as you explore a fantasy world that seems to have overdosed on psychedelic fertilizer. Exuberantly colored plants of colossal size vie for sunlight, creating a breathtaking, almost trippy paradise – a refreshing change from the glut of melancholic grimdark fantasy that's been dominating the genre lately.

This extends to the game's personality as a whole. It's not simplistic, not by a long shot. Avowed may lack the elaborate dating mechanics of a Baldur's Gate 3 (and who can really compete with that?), but you can still forge meaningful connections with your companions, each boasting their own deeply compelling storylines. Kai, the fish-faced character from the promotional material that raised a few eyebrows, actually has a particularly touching backstory, and Yatzli, the small furry companion, is genuinely hilarious. There's a strong sense of humor that runs throughout the entire game, which I personally found incredibly endearing.

While not heavily tactical, Avowed offers ample opportunity for theorycrafting, allowing players to freely mix and match weapons and abilities in its satisfying combat and customization system. The physicality of the combat is particularly impressive. There's a real sense of weight and impact, and combining, say, freezing magic with a well-placed hammer blow leads to wonderfully destructive results. Trust me, it's deeply satisfying.

Ultimately, Avowed is preoccupied with fun, with playfulness, which is exactly what a game should be, in my opinion. Even exploring the world, divided into distinct, yet connected regions, feels like exploring purposefully designed playgrounds, filled with climbing frames (of the metaphorical kind, mostly!), hidden nooks leading to subterranean worlds, and eccentric NPCs practically begging to share their eccentricities. You can almost feel the designer's presence, a reassuring sense that adventure awaits around every single corner. And isn't that what we all really want from a fantasy RPG?