When Obsidian Entertainment announced Avowed, fans of RPGs were ecstatic. As a studio known for its rich storytelling (Pillars of Eternity, Fallout: New Vegas), many expected it to be The Elder Scrolls competitor we had been waiting for. But upon release, the game fell flat, receiving mixed to negative feedback from players and critics alike. So, what went wrong? Here’s a look at why Avowed flopped.
1. Lack of Innovation
While Avowed was marketed as a spiritual successor to Pillars of Eternity with Skyrim-like gameplay, it failed to bring anything new to the table. The RPG mechanics felt uninspired, the combat was clunky, and exploration lacked depth. Instead of carving out a unique identity, Avowed ended up feeling like a watered-down version of other, better RPGs.
2. Mediocre Visuals and Presentation
Even before release, concerns about Avowed’s graphics surfaced. The shift from a dark, grounded aesthetic to a more colorful and cartoony look alienated many fans. While visuals don’t make or break a game, they do set expectations, and Avowed’s dated-looking environments and lackluster animations made it feel like a mid-tier release rather than a next-gen RPG experience.
3. Shallow Storytelling
Obsidian is known for deep narratives, but Avowed’s story felt rushed and uninspired. The characters lacked depth, dialogue choices often had minimal impact, and the world felt more like a checklist of quests rather than an immersive experience. Compared to Pillars of Eternity, which had intricate lore and meaningful choices, Avowed failed to capture that same magic.
4. Underwhelming Combat
One of Avowed’s biggest criticisms was its combat. The game attempted a first-person action RPG style, similar to The Elder Scrolls, but it lacked fluidity and impact. Melee combat felt sluggish, magic was underwhelming, and enemy AI was lackluster. Instead of feeling engaging and dynamic, battles often felt like a chore.
5. Barren Open World
RPG fans expect vast, engaging worlds, but Avowed’s open-world design felt empty and uninspired. Exploration was often unrewarding, with repetitive environments and unmemorable side content. Unlike Skyrim, which encouraged curiosity and discovery, Avowed struggled to make its world feel alive.
6. Technical Issues and Bugs
No modern RPG launches without some technical hiccups, but Avowed suffered from more than just minor bugs. Players reported crashes, poor optimization, and inconsistent performance across platforms. While patches may improve stability, first impressions matter, and Avowed stumbled out of the gate.
7. Misleading Expectations
Obsidian’s marketing made Avowed seem like a grand, next-gen RPG experience, but the final product was much more limited in scope. Players expecting an open-ended, deep RPG were met with a more linear, constrained experience. This disconnect between marketing and reality led to widespread disappointment.
8. How Avowed Compares to Oblivion and Skyrim
While Avowed aimed to position itself alongside classics like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, it fell short in several key areas, highlighting its deficiencies when compared to these older titles.
World Depth and Interactivity
Oblivion and Skyrim are celebrated for their immersive worlds teeming with dynamic events, intricate lore, and interactive environments. Players could engage in diverse activities, from joining various guilds to influencing world events through their actions. In contrast, Avowed‘s world feels static and less responsive to player choices, with exploration often leading to unrewarding or repetitive encounters. The lack of meaningful interaction diminishes the sense of immersion that Oblivion and Skyrim masterfully provided.
Quest Design and Narrative Engagement
The questlines in Oblivion and Skyrim are renowned for their depth and variety, offering players morally complex decisions and unexpected plot twists. For instance, the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild questlines in these games are often lauded for their storytelling and impact. Avowed‘s quests, however, have been criticized for being linear and lacking in narrative depth, with choices that seldom lead to significant consequences, thereby reducing replayability and player investment.
Combat Mechanics and Gameplay Fluidity
While Skyrim‘s combat system isn’t without its flaws, it offers a variety of playstyles and a sense of progression that keeps players engaged. Avowed‘s combat, on the other hand, has been described as monotonous and overly reliant on gear quality rather than player skill. The lack of combat fluidity and meaningful progression in Avowed makes battles feel more like chores than challenges, a stark contrast to the more engaging combat experiences in Oblivion and Skyrim.
Technical Stability and Polish
Despite their age, both Oblivion and Skyrim have maintained a dedicated player base, partly due to their relatively stable performance and the support of a robust modding community. Avowed launched with numerous technical issues, including crashes and performance inconsistencies, which have marred the player experience and contributed to its negative reception.
Final Verdict: A Missed Opportunity
Avowed had the potential to be a major RPG hit, but poor execution, lack of innovation, and technical shortcomings held it back. While patches and updates may improve the experience, the damage to its reputation has already been done. For Obsidian, this is a learning moment—one that reminds studios that strong IPs and talented teams aren’t enough without proper vision and execution.
What do you think? Did Avowed deserve the criticism, or did it have redeeming qualities? Let us know in the comments!
