NPR's first review roundup of the year
From Avowed to Zplit Fiction
Time to pass the mic.
I edited a review roundup that published today, wherein NPR staff and contributors opinionized on Split Fiction, Avowed, Monster Hunter Wilds, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. I’ve already shared my impressions of these games, but my fellow writers dove deeper. Take Andy Bickerton’s trenchant review of Avowed, for instance:
Let me be straight up with you: Avowed is not a game for everyone. That's paradoxical because Obsidian Entertainment made critical choices during development to make it a game for everyone.
Avowed is based on the lore-drenched world of Pillars of Eternity, an old-school role-playing game series packed with deep tactical combat. As beloved as the Pillars series was, it didn't exactly set the world on fire; despite critical acclaim, Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire initially launched to disappointing sales.
So what does Obsidian do? It marries the exceptional writing and world-building of the Pillars series with action elements with broad appeal, particularly for fans of Skyrim (which, cough, sold over 60 million copies, cough).
That's where things get complicated. Avowed exists at the intersection of two very different design philosophies. Its individual pieces range from good to exceptional — but as a whole, it feels like a square peg in a round hole.
Combat is visceral and satisfying, especially when dual-wielding a gun and magic. Vertical exploration is surprisingly fun (you'll be climbing a lot). But the middle section drags, losing so much narrative momentum that I considered giving up multiple times.
I'm glad I didn't — because Avowed ultimately resolves into a fantastic ending. One of its main story threads explores trauma and redemption in ways I haven't seen before in a game. Regrettably, the journey there isn't cohesive enough to fully deliver on the promise of its best ideas.
— Andy Bickerton, contributor
Read more — including Ahmad Damen’s nuanced appraisal of the massive Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 — here.