MY FIRST STEPS IN THE COLORFUL FANTASY WORLD OF AVOWED

I just started playing this game that came out last year. My initial plan was to replay The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion with many mods, but then I came across a video talking about Avowed. I saw a bit of the gameplay, got immediately intrigued, and so I decided to try it. After being immersed for days in science fiction, horror, and whatever Assassin's Creed is (a mix of historical fiction and scyfy, I supose), I felt the urge to spend some time in a world that gets into the fantastical in a more whimsical and unrestrained way.

Only a few hours in, I can confidently say that this game surpassed my expectations, and I'm totally immersed in the world and its inhabitants - well, the couple of them I encountered so far.

The reviews are generally mixed. Some really like the game; others acknowledge its inspired visuals but have a lot to criticize about other aspects of Avowed. Had I let myself be guided by the reviews, I would probably have skipped this one, becouse it looked like the reviewers were talking about some mediocre game that felt like a thousand other fantasy adventure RPGs.

From what I see, that isn't the case. The look of the game is pretty unique, extravagant; it resembles The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind in some aspects.
I'm pretty sure that in five to ten years from now, it will be regarded as a cult classic. Maybe not perfect, but very exciting.

For the most part, this post will showcase a series of screenshots I took at the beginning of the adventure, on the short walk from the beach I reached after a shipwreck to the nearby city of Paradis, but ...

... but before that, I wanna say a few words about another thing this game does very well in my opinion - the character creation.

It's great to see such character creation options that allow considerable changes to the facial features, but still somehow manage to prevent exaggerations that can make your avatar look extremely stupid, as in the original The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, for example.

Here you can take a good look at the distinctive nose I gave to this elf of mine.

This was my first choice when it comes to the hairstyle, but ...

... but I didn't want those lovely curls to hide his fairly big, pointed ears, so I put something more combed on his head.

I really love the character creation process in RPGs. It's like an addictive mini game that can make me delay the start of the real game, sometimes for hours.

This is the final version of our hero. His name-Argo Velurian. Why Argo Velurian? I don't know, it sounded fitting for a fantasy setting, like a comic book name or something. In the following screenshot ...

... the freshly created elf is on the beach, ready to start the adventure.

This furry litlle humanoid is the only other survivor that came ashore after the shipwreck.

We decided to walk up the cliffs, to the city, and see what the hell is going on there.

This screenshot can give an idea of how good the environmental light is in Avowed. Yep, it's pretty good and highly atmospheric.

Here you can see me in the shade of some tunnels. I don't know if tunnel is the right word here, maybe these are just some kinds of passages that connect the city to the coast.

Big, twisted roots and interesting mushrooms are very prominent in the landscape.

When this screenshot was taken, we had just reached some ruined buildings. It looks like a batlle or a massacre took place here not so long ago.

These mysterious green crystals are very photogenic, don't you think?

Take a look at the interior of one of the damaged buildings situated between the coast and the city. There are so many details on display, and the scene is beautifully lit.

You can see some cool, old-fashioned cannons and cannonballs in this screenshot.

To be able to continue, I had to find a way to burn the roots that are obstructing the doorway shown in this picture. The player can do that in quite a few different ways.

Another interior with some cool details ... and a very big chest.

Here you can see more mushrooms. When it comes to their shape, the mushrooms in this picture look like fairly ordinary chanterelles and black trumpets. Their size, however, is quite extraordinary.

Along the way we had the oportunity to release a smuggler locked in a jail of a prison that the guards abandoned due to the batlle, so we did it. Now, there were three of us on the way to Paradis.

I took this screenshot when we stopped to admire the scenery from the top of the cliff.

Here you can see a small cave we found a few minutes later.

The same cave, only from a different angle.

We were quite close to the city when I took this screenshot.

Here you can take a look at the city from the piers in the nearby harbor. Yep, Paradis looks great in the warm light of the warm afternoon.

Here you can see the loading screen that appears when you enter or exit the city, and in between major outdoor areas.

And now, at the end of the post, I wanna show you the beginning of the game, the first cutscene that plays after the OBSIDIAN's animated logo. It all starts ...