Summary
For years, Bethesda’sElder Scrollsseries has been a gold standard for first-person RPGs, with nigh unmatched storytelling, world-building, and immersion. However, in spite of all its successes,The Elder Scrolls' combathas consistently proven to be its greatest weakness, offering clunky, weightless, and repetitive mechanics that result in it being little more than a part of each game’s world on account of necessity rather than as a core element. Now, despite initially being inspired byThe Elder Scrolls, Obsidian Entertainment’sAvowedhas taken the stage with a combat system that outshines anything its cousin has ever done in that arena.
Essentially,Avowed’s combat is Obsidian’s answer toThe Elder Scrolls. Rather intentionally or unintentionally,Avowedoffers Bethesda’s beloved series a chance to dig deeper into its own combat mechanics, showcasing a system that is far more fluid, dynamic, fast-paced, and engaging than that of the crown jewel of RPG franchises.
Avowed’s Combat Is an Example for The Elder Scrolls to Follow
The Elder Scrolls' Combat Has Always Felt Clunky, Weightless, and Repetitive
Despite the incremental improvements it has made over its lifespan,The Elder Scrollshas long been criticizedfor its clunky, weighty, and repetitive combat. This is largely due to the franchise leaning more toward a simulated approach to combat than a fluid action experience, which can result in it being seen as a series strength or weakness, depending on perspective. Its combat lacks a number of different characteristics found in other RPGs that, were those characteristics present inThe Elder Scrolls, might make it a great example of first-person combat all around.
Avowedoffers Bethesda a chance to dig deeper into its own combat mechanics, showcasing a system that is far more fluid, dynamic, fast-paced, and engaging.
For example, compared toDark SoulsorThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt,The Elder Scrolls' combat feels less precise and tactical. That might be a given, considering bothDark SoulsandThe Witcher 3are played from a third-person perspective, but there is a still a strong case for first-person combat to rely on precision and strategy. Compared toKingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s combat,The Elder Scrollslacks technical depth in its mechanics. It also lacks the verticality and dynamic mobility ofDragon’s Dogma 2’s combat, but that might be considered less of a necessity for a first-person game.
Avowed’s Combat Is Far More Involved Than The Elder Scrolls' Has Ever Been
Even so,Avowedhas managed to craft a first-person combat system that accomplishes most, if not all of these characteristics and more, requiring players to be more strategic, lighter on their toes, and more precise than they’ve ever been in anElder Scrollsgame. The enemies inAvowedare very aggressive the majority of the time, meaning players can’t simply expect to plow right through everything as long as their character is strong enough. There is a mobility it calls for thatThe Elder Scrollshas long lacked, leading toAvowed’s combat system feeling far more involved on a much broader level.
Avowedalso features a third-person mode, which can be useful for getting a better look at the battlefield.
This is especially realized inAvowed’s class philosophyand emphasis on build diversity, which allows players to choose different abilities from various skill trees and use any weapon they want. With a system like that, players can adapt to every combat scenario on a whim, rather than simply using the same setup throughout the game. It also reduces the predictability of combat, forcing players to be more engaged with every enemy mob they encounter and every initially quiet room or cave they walk into. In short,Avowedhas something here with its combat thatThe Elder Scrollsshould take a look at moving forward.
