Summary
Avowedhas been making quite a name for itself recently, even during its five-day early access period. As a brand-new IP from Obsidian, it has arrived on a sea of high expectations, with the developer’s reputation preceding it. For the most part, it seems to have delivered, but no game is perfect, and some even unintentionally work against their own ambitions. In some ways, that’s the case withAvowed, as its design doesn’t quite match its intentions in some areas, leading to some systems showing promise in their foundation but ultimately falling short in their overall structure.
One ofAvowed’s design choices, its fixed enemy population, makes sense from a certain standpoint and even benefits the game in some ways. Unfortunately, those same benefits come up against a natural counterweight elsewhere inAvowed’s design, with one particularly impacted area being one of the game’s best features. As such, whileAvowed’s fixed enemy population allows players to feel like they’re truly affecting the world, it can end up making them feel like they are equally affected by it while they pursue a true Godlike status among the inhabitants of theLiving Lands.
Avowed’s Fixed Enemy Population Makes Players Feel Like They’re Affecting the World
Avowed’s fixed enemy population means that when enemies are defeated, they are permanently removed from the game world. This isn’t a very common feature in RPGs, as many of these games want players to have a continuous supply of foes to defeat, whether that be so they can continue to level up their character or so the world never feels empty and lifeless. As such,Avowed’s choiceto prevent enemies from respawning makes it unique in that sense, offering a degree of immersion that most other RPGs tend to shy away from.
Since enemies inAvowednever respawn, players are more likely to feel like they’re actually having an impact on the Living Lands. After all, many of the monsters that inhabit it pose a much greater threat now that theDreamscourge has begun to spread, so clearing an entire region of said monsters can give players a fulfilling sense of completion. This is especially useful for when players need to backtrack to a certain area, whether they missed some collectibles in that area or simply didn’t traverse every inch of the explorable land, as they don’t have to spend time fighting through mobs of enemies that they’ve already vanquished.
Avowed’s Fixed Enemy Population Prevents Players From Farming Skill Points and Materials
Unfortunately, the immersion offered byAvowed’s fixed enemy population acts as a trade-off that works against one of the game’s best systems. There is a multitude of potential for build diversity inAvowed, as it allows players to choose abilities from any of its diverse skill trees to create a truly versatile character. However, by the time players completeAvowed’s story(and even the majority of its optional content), they are likely to only have just begun acquiring enough skill points to truly seeAvowed’s skill system take off.
WhileAvowed’s fixed enemy population allows players to feel like they’re truly affecting the world, it can end up making them feel like they are equally affected by it while they pursue a true Godlike status among the inhabitants of the Living Lands.
Normally, in a situation like this, players might simply backtrack to areas where they can farm mobs of enemies for the experience that will grant them more skill points, butAvowed’s fixed enemy population ultimately prevents this. There is also noNew Game Plus mode inAvowed, which makes the lack of enemy respawns in the game hit even harder. On top of all that,Avowed’s point of no return couples with its lack of a New Game Plus and enemy respawns by preventing players from exploring the world beyond said point, unless they revert to a save before they passed it.
Avowedlacking a New Game Plusmode might have made sense, if not for its fixed enemy population on top of that. In the end, then,Avowed’s lack of enemy respawns works against its potential for true diversity in playstyle, even if it does simultaneously allow players to feel the lasting impact of their bold exploits.
