I Made The Terrible Mistake Of Using Guns In Avowed

As a gamer, I can tell you that Avowed sets itself apart from the usual fantasy RPGs by placing a strong emphasis on firearms. Unlike many games, you’ll find yourself handling some basic guns in this title, which is fitting given that the game world of Eora, where the action unfolds, has already showcased these weapons in the isometric Pillars of Eternity series. However, transitioning to a first-person perspective definitely amplifies the significance of these firearms. Compared to games like The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, where finding an arquebus is rare without mods, the inclusion of such weapons in Avowed really stands out.

As a fan who loves charging into battle with my trusty sword and shield, I occasionally enjoy mixing things up. The rich array of intriguing spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 tempted me to experiment with a wizard character, and the allure of Avowed’s guns combined with the stealth archery reminiscent of Skyrim made a ranged approach seem appealing. I’ve had a blast with this playstyle and even experienced some exhilarating moments, but avoiding my sword whenever possible has also brought to light some of the game’s most glaring issues.

Avowed Has More Bullet Sponges Than Challenging Enemies

Combat Can Be Tough Without Lasting Forever

In my opinion, while the simplicity of the guns in “Avowed” isn’t the main issue I have with them, I wish more games would adopt matchlock, wheellock, and flintlock firearms. If a game is carefully designed to make the slow rate of fire enjoyable, it can indeed be engaging. Unfortunately, “Avowed” doesn’t seem to fit this description, and it appears as though it hasn’t been designed with careful consideration for some of its ranged options at all.

One significant issue I’ve noticed in the game Avowed is its approach to difficulty level. Initially playing on Hard mode seemed appropriate with an acceptable level of challenge, but I eventually found it necessary to lower the difficulty to Normal due to the numerous bullet sponges. For instance, a minor skirmish with a xaurip camp early on could take an excessive amount of time to resolve, and this is before considering boss fights or encounters with enemies beyond my current gear level.

I’ve been gaming without the HUD active, which means I can’t see the enemy’s health meters, and at times, I still anticipate enemies to perish prematurely. The game Avowed‘s extensive health reserves also diminish the joy of ambushing opponents from a distance, as even employing stealth with a bow seldom allows me to eliminate an enemy before they can warn others. Keeping my weapons updated is crucial for many engagements to be swiftly resolved, but I rarely find ones that strike a balance between being tough yet manageable.

Despite the mastery of enemy moves early on during the first major battle, the protracted nature of these conflicts becomes tedious and repetitive as time goes by, feeling less like an engaging challenge and more like a prolonged exercise in going through the motions. The boss fights in Avowed, while not fundamentally different from those in games such as Destiny, fail to captivate me due to their lack of novelty and inventiveness in boss phase design, even for those who might be more enthusiastic about such encounters.

Enemy AI Doesn’t Work Well At Range In Avowed

Pathfinding Is A Major Issue

As a gamer, I’ve been struggling with the game mechanics where lower-tier gear doesn’t deal enough damage against higher-level opponents, leading to an uneven balance in combat length. Instead of this constant adjustment or battling the pendulum-like difficulty, I wish enemies packed a harder punch instead of prolonging fights. This issue is also a symptom of other problems with ranged gameplay, but the extended encounter duration certainly brings into focus another major concern. The more foes I engage from afar and the longer these skirmishes last, the more I become aware of the AI’s lack of intelligence.

In the game Avowed, nothing beats the thrill of employing an arquebus when an adversary is closing in on me. The hurried procedure of thrusting a ramrod back into the barrel transforms from a casual pace-slowing maneuver to a genuine challenge under such circumstances. Adversaries are equipped with various movement strategies that allow them to swiftly bridge gaps, and they sometimes possess unusual attacks capable of catching me off guard. However, more often than not, they seem to squander their time by getting disoriented about where to go or fleeing in panic, even though it doesn’t appear they are easily frightened.

Although Avowed can be played as a first-person shooter, it doesn’t fully deliver the core components that define an FPS gameplay. While having the power to restrain enemies suggests that long-range combat can be effective, playing out encounters in this manner often falls short of expectations.

Avowed’s Gun Combat Can Still Be Great

I’ve Got Both Real Options & Pipe Dreams

Instead of discarding Avowed’s firearms entirely, I’ve chosen a familiar route by selecting pistols instead. The convenience of dual-wielding these makes it simpler to dive into the action, reducing the necessity to frequently shift between cover while firing continuous shots at adversaries. I was eager to embrace the long-range strategy initially, and I’m hesitant to let go of that plan. As I progress further in the skill trees, I hope to gain more capabilities and options, but I’m uncertain if it will be sufficient.

Another potential solution to address the issue is introducing more diverse opponents. Throughout my journey in the initial game region, this aspect frustrated me significantly. I was anticipating a fresh batch of adversaries once we left Paradis, but even in the Emerald Stair, I encountered another group of spiders, which disappointed me as I had hoped for a complete change. While it’s acceptable to have simpler enemies early on, the repetitive appearance of bears in certain areas left me utterly astonished.

Above all else, I yearn for Avowed to validate its first-person perspective, as the shift from Pillars of Eternity’s isometric viewpoint brings about constraints that could potentially outweigh the advantages. This transformation has caught my attention in certain aspects, such as robust platforming and vertical exploration. Innovative concepts embedded within the combat mechanics effectively set it apart from first-person RPGs by Bethesda, and its dedication to delivering a precise sense of timing in first-person combat is commendable.

More often than not, I became quite dull while in enemy camps, so I’ve had to modify my playstyle significantly to remedy the issue. It seems beneficial that the game is compelling me to experiment with every magical weapon I acquire, and in the second region, I’m gradually getting a better feel for the encounter equilibrium. Some are still too simple and some are still too prolonged, but with a wider variety of abilities and intriguing weapons at my disposal, it’s much simpler to keep myself engaged.

Support for the game “Avowed” following its launch has begun to refine the AI of enemies, and I eagerly anticipate the addition of new difficulty settings. These options could potentially adjust enemy health in exchange for damage, or tone down the penalties for using gear that isn’t a good match. At the moment, I find shooting down enemies with the arquebus in “Avowed” lacks enjoyment, but I am willing to set aside this preference to delve into all the other engaging aspects the game offers.

2025-02-25 07:07