Poll: Xbox Fans, What Review Score Would You Give Avowed So Far?

I won't give it a review score based on the very limited game time I have had. Usually, I lose interest in these Western RPGs due to the games having a significant amount of distractions once you leave the "tutorial area".

If the game still stays very focused (with a few side quests here and there), then I'd give it an 8 or 9. But if things get too distracting, it's a 7 for me.

I prefer my games have like 80% focus on the main quest and 20% focus on side content. It feels like most Western RPGs are the reverse where most of the "fun" is the player having to go out and find it for themselves.

I was really loving it out of the gate- it’s beautiful, the combat is fun, the lore is interesting. I’m about 20 hours in though and it’s kind of devolving into a checklist

I’ve played around 18 hours since last Thursday and am thoroughly enjoying it. Combat is fun, and exploring every nook and cranny is often rewarded. I’m hovering between an 8 or 9, so gave it the benefit of the doubt and voted 9.

Very early days for me but I just don't like the combat and the respawning enemies that means more tedious combat.

7 for me so far, preferred Outer worlds

Way too early for scoring for me. I have spent most of the 22 hours since it released either sleeping or working. The few hours I played of it last night were fun though and I’m looking forward to giving it a longer stint over the weekend.

I’ve played around 10 hours so far and it’s great, combat feels really good. One thing I would say could be better is the loot, every chest just gives material for crafting and a random base weapon, I’d like to see better weapon variety in chests

So far this is a 10 for me. A Fantasy game that looks great and plays great and so far a story and characters that have pulled me in. I am enjoying the combat so much which is usually the weakest of these types of games. A game made for my play style. Zelda, Elder Scrolls and Fable love child. Can’t stop playing or thinking about it when not playing. Great job Obsidian! So much fun in first person!

I'm probably a little early to be rating it, but on what I've seen so far I'd suggest PJ got it right with an 8/10. It's a good game. I'm not sure it will be great, but I'm open minded and going to play it through regardless

It’s an 8 but it’s not a bad 8. Based on early impressions I’m enjoying it as I knew I would. But playing on series S you can tell there’s a few issues.

But yeah I’ll be playing till completion I would wager!

@Prestige-worldwide
At first thought the same thing, however once i realized the base gear can be broken down to base ingredients then the base ingredients can be crafted into higher grade then nothing is wasted and everything you find is useful. Makes the unique gear really special when you find it.

Easy 9/10.

The companions are a little bit underwhelming but apart from that I like pretty much everything else the game offers.

I hope we see more of this world if not as dlc for Avowed in a future game with a similar play style.

Only 3 hours in so very hard to judge.
All I give the game and systems within the game a 10/10 so far.
I’m possibly expecting a slight drop in score as I get more play time.
So I have not scored it in the voting system.

Really really enjoying it. The one thing I never liked too much from Obsidian is the combat, and here it's amazing.

It makes me feel a little like when I played Oblivion for the first time. An amazing feeling.
Really good and honestly? I kinda wanna try different character builds.

I’m not impressed with the game at all. Voice acting is boring and the story is below average and the gameplay is not groundbreaking at all. But I have only played 5-6 hours, so it might get better. But as of now I can only rate it as a 5 or 6 out of 10

Why are people acting like an 8 is a bad score? It’s literally “great” on this website and some of my favorite games of all time scored in 80s.

Heck this is scoring better than the latest Yakuza game.

Enjoying it, it gets an 8 from me so far. It has (so far) addressed my complaints about exploration in Outer Worlds.

There is some weird clunk like some responses don't quite line up with the option I picked and I'm not doing well with "this unique gear have a story" and then it expects you to break them down for parts.

I have very limited playing but seemed fun so far but I can see why it has generally been given an 8/10… but this is my jam so I’m happy!

@Prestige-worldwide you will see better graded weapon drops the further you go in the game but @Aniscape is correct that you will be breaking down stuff for upgrade parts & using those to improve your armour / weapons more often than not.

In my first play through I found a legendary lightning pistol I think in the second zone which stayed with me for the rest of the game. It remained relevant due to continued upgrades and finished up as a legendary grade legendary weapon.

My only complaint so far is the fog of war in the map. I hate that stuff.

I logged 18 hours over the weekend. Having so much fun! I just walk around, exploring everything. It's very rewarding and addictive, loving every minute of it! Just now into the second zone, and glad there's a ton more to do.

It's bloody brilliant. Obsidian have done an outstanding job in my opinion. Sure there's a flaw here and there, but overall, it's well worth a 8-9 score.

7 for me but I expected that. Hoping it picks up a bit.

Edit: I didn’t know this was part of the Pillars of Eternity gameworld. I may stop playing and go play those. Also now that I know this I better understand what this game is. I was expecting an interactive world like a Bethesda game which focuses more on you inhabiting the world and lore than individual story. Avowed is more like a JRPG or like original Fallout. The world is a set with limited interaction and the focus is the story. As such I may put this down until I am ready to invest in the story. The gameplay is still a 7 to me but once I understand the story better it may elevate the overall experience. That being said I was hoping for an immersive fantasy game so I will head back to starfield (trying to resist the urge to replay Skyrim again).

Totally off subject again but we in late February and Xbox really have not sorted out consoles UK stock, some stores got a few in but again low or no stock in many main stores and on line.
Of course this is deliberate, but why? Seems a bit crazy to me as they do sell when stock turns up, and sell a console, sell a game pass subscription.

@Titntin I too have it at an 8. It’s lovely to look at and i do enjoy playing it but… to many times i walk into an area of enemies are double my level and smash me. I am not finding the most powerful or meaningful gear yet, again only 3.5 hours in. But i do like it a lot. It has potential to patch a few things and get me to a 8.5 in the future for sure. 😀

@OldGamer999 same in Canada. Sold out in biggest city - Toronto. Barely snatched xbox series x white open box while we had tax break. Sold my ps5 PRO btw. Pointless console and I dont care about gta 6

@RiverGenie
Loving the lightning gun. I am only in second zone and to reduce spoilers my current build is lighting gun and shield and dual yield a fire sword and ice axe. So much fun especially since the elements on the weapons help with puzzle solving. Ice axe and water make some some great platforms 🤓

I'd give it a solid 9/10, if only because the control scheme just feels 'off' to me somehow. Like I can equip a wand in one hand and a spell in the other but when I switch back to a sword I still have a spell equipped that I can't use? Why? And this stops me from blocking? What am I missing? There's been a few irritations like that - all related to the controls. Otherwise I absolutely LOVE this game.

@Reptilio to be fair 90% of modern RPGs devolve into a checklist, as they tend to have up to 5 different types of side quests that are rehashed and reskined until any joy is taken out of them..

I had a quick look at it last night, and it seems really good, but I've actually uninstalled it just now - I'm still absolutely immersed in KCD2 and know from past experience I can't play both at the same time without getting the controls all mixed up in my head.

Obsidian shows Bethesda how to release a great RPG using the Unreal engine.

@Millionski
Very strange behaviour really from Microsoft but they are keeping the games coming so that’s good.
My PS5 Pro is back in its box at the minute, may sell it.

@Aniscape I did lightning gun & grimoire with a sprinkling of grenades, a pistolero sorcerer. Yup being able to cover all the elements yourself save having to mess about with companions

I am only 5ish hours in, so too early for a rating. I am having fun.

I will say: I have a strong feeling that Avowed is very similar to every RPG I have ever played. That is not really a bad thing-part of the reason I wanted to play this is because I love games from Obsidian, and these type of games in general. But I have rarely had such a strong vibe in the first few hours that zero new ground will be explored here.

Even if that is true, I will finish the game and have fun. I just find my initial reaction interesting, as it is not one I usually have with a new game.

@RiverGenie I’ve been using a fire sword as my primary weapon haven’t found a good spell book yet unfortunately

So far a 9/10. I am enjoying pretty much everything.

@OldGamer999 The Series X has been in stock until now, Series S 512GB came back in stock early Feb and the next drop will be early March for White Series X, Series S 1TB and those who brough the 2TB variant.

@OldGamer999 im curious.

How many consoles have you bought and sold in the last year?

At Christmas you didn’t even have an Xbox. Now you have swung so far the other way you are talking of selling your ps.

Must be respond for 25m of the 30m Xbox sold!

@Millionski how come you sold the ps5 pro? My general thoughts (as someone who doesn't own one) were that it really wasn't making a groundbreaking difference, especially at normal TV viewing distance.

@PsBoxSwitchOwner
Lots of it is swapping with others and maybe selling to others or exchanging.
It’s not shop new only in the very odd occasion.
Also my uni son has a PS5 and Switch that bounces around from place to place. Also my nephews bounce their consoles about as well.
I’m from a large gaming family overall and of course I’m the oldest one 🤣 and the most daft.

@Darylb88
Gives me that feeling that maybe moving forward Xbox consoles will only be sold on line at the Microsoft store and very limited or no stock at other main line retailers.

3hrs in, initial feeling is it is an 8/10 for me. Certainly good enough for me to want to continue playing.

At least for me, better than say Starfield or Flight Simulator, both of which I had no interest in playing after a couple hrs in, but not quite as good as Indian Jones and the Great Circle

Played about 5 hours. Great graphics, but the rest of the experience is lacking compared to games going back 10 years even. Lacking physics, little world interaction, no stealing, NPCs are just there, fire and water physics are abysmal to say the least. I accidentally set 2 of my companions on fire and they just stood there… no shouting, not manifesting being in pain etc. Just losing HPs and looking at me while being on fire. Also, I get slight image shimmering when I move my character in fps mode. After Baldur’s Gate 3 this feels like a X360 game in many ways. Uninstalled.

@OldGamer999 im even more confused because at Christmas your uni son brought his series X back for you to use as you didn’t have one!

I don’t know how you keep up lol!

@PsBoxSwitchOwner
I try to keep up its hard sometimes but at least I have you to help me now 🤣🤣🤣

@PsBoxSwitchOwner That's because he makes it up according to which thread he's in at the time. Been caught posting opposite statements, sometimes on the same day. I don't believe a word he says, it's all BS.

The game is fun, definitely worth an 8 now I've put more hours into it. The writing is decent enough too, some criticism of the game picked out the writing, but I think that's harsh given my own experiences. Look forward to putting more hours in.

Whoever voted "1/10 Abysmal" really needs to grow up.

Average!
Yes there is work in this game, but... But it seems that Obsidian is now lurking around "noob / Fortnite" players. This NOT a true Rpg. NPC are not interactive, many elements scream "generic!!!", enemies are PVP sacks, you have big slowdowns sometimes (ok unreal engine 5.x fault...).
I got bored after 6 hours. You 'll get good equipments / magic elements after only 10 hours. Before that combats are dull and repetitive.
So yeah AVERAGE for me, when you knew and you appreciated Obsidian before...
This is a new departure. Sadly, the bad communication and the woke "layer" didn't do good for this game. I'll wait and see for the next The Outer World 2... I really hope for a "normal" RPG.

@TheAppEffect I agree. This game is not good. Give it time and this game will disappoint.

@johndoe89 I watched Youtube videos comparing Oblivion vs Avowed & Skyrim vs Avowed. Kinda surprising an almost 20yr old game is in many ways better than Avowed... NPCs are interactive, physics of old games are better, richer environment to interact with... Never played those two games. I will have to get around to playing those two in about 2yrs once my GPU sub runs out!

I have played about 5 hours of it and am enjoying it very much. This game is more fun and enjoyable for me then the last big 1st party title that was released.

@SMJ Usually the fanboys upset that they can't play it vote that way.

@OldGamer999 strange. I live in UK too and see them everywhere. Local Currys, Argos and even CeX have series X and S stock. Not to mention there's also stock in the MS UK storefront online. Plus Amazon has stock too. Don't know where you been looking m8, but no probs here getting Xbox.

Glad to see it's fairly enjoyable, those first couple of reveal trailers were setting off all the wrong red flags.

Be awhile before I'll get to it, but by then it should be in premium shape.

I had a day off yesterday and I managed to sink 6 hours in. I am having a good time with it so far. It is too early to give a concrete opinion though - so far it is a 7.5/10. Well worth playing on Gamepass or if it goes on sale for less than €50.

Pros -
Interesting environmental art direction
Combat is fun
Quests are engaging

Cons-
Some horrible character design
Limited loot variety
Controls on a controller are sub par

5/10 here. I'm only a few hours in, but it hasn't hooked me. Kai is a less-than-interesting first companion. There are tons of unpolished little issues with the graphics, at least on Series X. It really feels ten years old. I don't normally care about character customization, but couldn't help but notice the limited options. I am a huge Obsidian fan boy and really want to say 9 or 10, but it's just not there. Maybe once I've seen more it will improve. Right now it seems not just undercooked, but underdreamed.

I'm about 10 hours in. Feels unfinished. Stuttering frame rate is horrible (regardless of switching to Performance mode). Controls seem off, especially moving the camera around. Sometimes, the graphics look bad, almost like it's an arcade game. And far too much dialogue about just nonsense. Giving it a 7 feels fair.

@GoldenPants Oblivion is one of my favorite games of all time. Great game. I saw that video too. Asmongold was reacting to it. Funny as hell.

Very Good. 7.5. 16ish hours in. I could see it going to an 8 or falling to a 7 dependeing on completion. I dig it. Magic Wands are cool.

It's great on the PC. But I was shocked trying to play it on my Xbox that quality is unplayable and performance looks like a different game (much worse), is smeary and blurry and very variable performance. I've yet to try streaming it to the deck, so hopefully the small screen helps with the blurry smeary picture via console. Shame if it doesn't as I'm really enjoying the game it's a great and weird game.

@Gooseuk I have been playing on both my Series X & also streamed it on my ROG ally (when main TV being used by family). For me it played fine, not going to really complain. Dropped connection once in a few hours of gaming, not really a show stopper... if it was a multiplayer game, getting dropped would be a real issue

I'm playing Avowed on PC at the moment, having not tried it on Series X yet. The game world looks beautiful, and the combat is really fun, providing challenge on the top difficulty.

Right now, I am also playing Metaphor (finally), just avoiding the "Calamity". Another challenging game — I love it. A couple of weeks ago, I completed NG2B. Got go for Master Ninja and the missions before losing my edge again.

7/10. Slow pacing, ok gameplay, needs cursor thickness settings, better 3rd person elements, it's too serious, Outer Wilds even if maybe similar to play at times had more of a better tone balance.

There is a good game in here but too much dev passion & not better pacing or exciting design or quality of life needed, I don't want to say rushed as Obsidian can clearly get games out quickly with some quality to it but I mean it does seem like some cut corners at times or too much in the dev's own heads then a customer appealing product at times.

I am a gameplay missions type or modes type so to me I didn't play Avowed I can only go off footage/another playing I hear their responses from IRL. To me it seems it's quests are pretty dull, if you want dialogue and sub par quests sure. Like many RPGS I don't find the dialogue fun and the tasks boring. So I can't rate them.

It feels too PC like or too dumbed down for a audience and I think it's too much of either of those or just kind of dull. It's too focused on what the devs find passion in not what the audience finds passion in (no I don't mean the NPCs or world innovations they seek I don't even care about that at all I want other things not those in any game/genre).

This isn't even my type of game but from watching I get a sense of it already.

I respect the game but I also think it has limits, I respect Obsidian, I don't have high hopes for this game and to bash it by any means I respect the studio no doubt it's just a bit awkward of a game at times. I understand enough of what they were going for.

Avowed being like Pillars or others but different character angle or other differences is fine but it's a bit too much the artists, designers, programmers, animators and writers wanted to push the lore or the bare minimum at times, fair dual wielding combat with some odd lack of quality of life, too much dialogue choices, stiff character animations besides standing there being totally fine just the mouth and some ok but not great facial animations/expressions it's jarring.

It has moments but is still lacking. I've played PS3/360 games enough I literally beat 28 PS2/Wii/PS3/360 games that varied in genre and design (not RPGs but still) besides research in 2024, I think I know what that era feels like of shooters, platformers, racing and action adventure ones before the open world with dull aspects to them or parts of what Elder Scrolls, Fable or linear Kingdom Under Fire or others offer. Even if I didn't play western RPGs of that era I have a decent idea. I have gotten by on many of them.

A small world is not a bad thing at all but the pacing/flow/what you do isn't that exciting unless your a dialogue person. But we have seen 100s of fantasy games do the same to death things just tweaked slightly so it's not exactly that exciting is it? Comfort sure, but passion I mean the devs have it, the world doesn't show it well enough is what I think. Dialbo 4 a different game, is more arcadey, and dead looking. I've seen others with more personality for how dark they are.

Part 2:
Outer Worlds besides it's tone had more personality to be silly/serious but still balance things. Other games as well. This feels like Obsidian trying to fit in with other AAA empty worlds of dialogue/personality (or the schedule Microsoft sets besides a few throughout the year even besides no idea what Towerborne/Contraband are even I forget the marketing is so bad)

and it feels sanitized or PC audience which isn't bad but for a console audience or those wanting better dialogue/gameplay pacing it doesn't have to be arcade enough for them but the dialogue even for me as someone ok with visual novels it's pretty bad of dev passion, not some audiences pacing they'd like.

To me it's choices and dialogue pacing it felt how I do with Steam World Heist 2 recently the dialogue was so much fluff I didn't care about, odd fair jokes at times but so much fluff then I'd go oh that key word/part to know finally.

Some writers/designers care too much about the lore/their worlds and I just don't care. I want to play it not read it/have your mentality for immersion that I will never have so why force it on me with that type of pacing. XD

Avowed isn't but feels like how I do visual novel tactics games. Disgaea or Valkyria Chronicles even Diofield Chronicle besides it's uses balances it cutscenes I think.

Utawarerumono had like 3 hour visual novel scenes [even if Avowed isn't that but still enough dialogue/choices that only do so much, like who cares about good/bad news, just say it and move on or enough to justify it, it's too much a book at times] (if I'm in a visual novel mood even I can read that sure sometimes, but a tactics game too much VN scenes is too much sometimes) and few tactics parts and the tactics parts you'd have to grind at those points only, repeat parts areas sure but not mid visual novel bits.

No idea if the others fixed that but even still. It's draining depending what your seeking of pacing when like I said. Disgaea balances it's story visual novel parts and combat. Others don't and drag on to fill in gaps/have too much story.

The world (I wasn't expecting NPCs with more to their jobs I know Obsidian, I understand what this game was their ideas even if some are weak it's not the NPCs or the world it's more the eh focus on graphics and the lore push.

Had this conversation with someone else and yeah it's too much focused on telling a story then the action/arcadey feel or other priorities. Story/graphics strikes again many developers sigh.

I don't hate the stiff characters but yeah.... Some animations aren't great.

Bugs are what they are to a degree.

I don't put the 'this doesn't evolve' on every dev I don't expect that from Obsidian anyway.

Part 3:
I found Cyberpunk's AI to be pathetic and not good even besides it's fixes, them having enough tasks to do is one thing, having an economy change or actually things going on is a more alive world. That's what that is not just oh they have enough of characters pretend paying or looking like it yes more so and making things but barely doing anything.

I care more for a hive mind/gaining, losing, creating their own abilities (not just a shadow Link/Mario, I mean literally all enemies or a certain 1 or 2 classes are mimics that take attacks, remove attacks or create their own from a selection of them and have enough different kicks, punches, guns or whatever to work with from a list like a combo based game would) for robots or insects to use.

They have a good array of attacks to string together or change up on their own, that's more impressive to me and what I would care about then more believable NPCs and boring recreations of reality or fantasy/scif-i boring worlds. I want gameplay for the player in abilities, interesting level design or enemy AI, not more lived in static worlds that are boring. Quests already suck in games I want gameplay quests not dialogue/talk/collect/escort/repetitive garbage.

The industry has other priorities & boring/dull. Audiences want things. I don't care about living worlds they are boring, I hate recreations of reality. That's boring I want fiction/gameplay to actually lend themselves, be original something most people don't get.

I hate pop culture references I find it lazy writing yet people only question fan service. It's the same distraction writing excuse only one is more accessible of I know this IRL thing or tv show/movie, or recreating moments from them or reselling a song for licensing/sales not just because the lyrics or tone aligns like they want you to believe it does. It's to suit businesses more.

Yes even Indies lacking potential, not underskilled nature, potential they refuse to work towards, copy paste/nostalgia garbage & empty games/eh trends. Art teacher like standards I have for them. Not illusionary passion/easy garbage. Pathetic.

Let alone better shooter animations.

It was who cares and didn't effect much) and dialogue is too much the focus.