The full release of Avowed is still a few days away, but those who ordered the Premium Edition got their hands on the game a few days early. With Avowed Early Access starting on February 13th, players have had a couple of days to sink their teeth into the game. Naturally, that means they’re sharing their opinions. Avowed snagged an 80 Metacritic score from reviewers, but gamer scores don’t always align. Thus far, it seems most Early Access players have favorable things to say, particularly when it comes to the RPG’s exploration elements.
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These days, most any new RPG winds up compared to Skyrim. Bethesda’s open-world juggernaut has maintained a space in many gamers’ hearts even all these years after release. There’s just something about it, bugs and all, that gamers can’t quite seem to get anywhere else. Exploring the massive world and uncovering what hides in its many nooks and crannies is a big part of what gamers love about Skyrim. Just walking around can be a good time. And now, Early Access players suggest Avowed just might do exploration even better.
As beautiful as the realm of Skyrim is, the graphics are getting on in years. Avowed has that on the fifth Elder Scrolls game, in spades. Players are already praising the beautiful landscape, particularly how immersive the waterfalls and swimming can be. There’s lush vegetation, ruins, and caves the explore aplenty, with many gamers spending their time just exploring for hours. It’s not just the graphics that are drawing praise from players, however.
Avowed Rewards Players for Exploring
Exploration in Avowed isn’t captivating players just because of the game’s stunning landscapes. Fans are also impressed with how the game encourages exploration by making it rewarding. Going swimming isn’t great just because of how real the water sounds – you might also stumble upon hidden items in the depths. There’s plenty of loot to find throughout the different biomes, and that loot actually feels worthwhile (sorry to all those Skyrim barrels full of random produce).
As much as players love finding cool stuff while they roam, there can be too much of a good thing. One player is impressed with how well-balanced the loot in Avowed seems. In many RPGs, much of what you find is “unrewarding garbage” that just results in extra time with inventory management. In Avowed, Obsidian seems to have struck the right balance for many players, offering a compelling reason to look around without filling those inventory slots with potatoes and rusty old swords you’ll just keep forgetting to sell to the nearest shopkeep.
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Avowed also encourages exploration with how quests are (or aren’t) marked. For certain quests, no marker is provided. That leaves players to roam the lands themselves in search of their goal. While that could easily get frustrating, it also forces opportunities to engage with the world – and find that quality loot the developers left for adventurers to find. For many, that’s a plus, though a few gamers note it starts to get old for them after sinking a good chunk of time into Avowed.
While the Living Lands aren’t a true open world, with different zones that have a loading screen between, each zone lets players explore freely. And encourages them to do so. With the improved graphics that immerse players in each area, it looks like Skyrim just might have some real competition when it comes to giving players somewhere they’ll want to keep exploring for years to come.
Do you plan to play Avowed when it launches on February 18th? Or are you already in with Early Access? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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