Impressions - Avowed & Eternal Strands
Quick look at games I'm playing
The two games I’ve been playing are Avowed and Eternal Strands. I finally got to the point where I could consistently play them as the start of my year was busy putting down new flooring and dealing with some bad colds that hit me. I want this to be my best year yet for playing and completing games, so I hope this is a solid start. While I can tell I still have time before finishing both of these, I wanted to get my general impressions out.
Eternal Strands Impressions
Thanks to Game Pass, I was able to start playing Eternal Strands after it piqued my interest from some social media posts I saw. I was even more intrigued when I discovered that Mike Laidlaw, formerly of BioWare, was involved. I also admit that I’m in a fantasy epic kind of mood lately, possibly as a way of escapism with all the crap in the news these days. Overall, I liked what I’ve played so far from this game, but it does have some wrinkles.
The main thing I really like about this game is the innovate ideas around its combat. It focuses on climbing, similar to the recent Zelda games, and uses it in combat specifically. Climbing dragons and living ancient statues to hack away their weak points feels right. You’ll explore the land around you by climbing as well. The main combat is pretty good, too, and I think I’m starting to reach that point where it starts to feel natural when executing your moves. I like the art style in the animation that advances the story and the gameplay portion. Not everything needs to be hyperrealistic, and sometimes a timeless art style works - ask Nintendo.
That being said, the game does tend to feel floaty and maybe have too much air to it when you move. I think this is because of the climbing mechanics, and it just becomes noticeable when moving and fighting. It's one of those feelings that many indie titles tend to have, and I’ve never been a fan of it. The story is also pretty generic. There is a lot of lore here, and you can read up on it in the game to get a feel for the world and its history, but the main story so far is by the book. Now, I’m pretty early on, so maybe it picks up, but it's a passable story with nothing too earth-shattering.
The game also has a big cast of characters, and the performances are really well done. Each character feels different and has their motivations and personality. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to have arcs and are there to talk to and upgrade weapons. Again, it is early on; maybe that changes a little bit, but I think it's a shame these characters can’t have a larger role in the story. As for the protagonist, Brynn, she has promise, and the player controls a lot of her answers in the dialogue, but like the main plot, I’m not wowed away just yet.
From what I’ve played, this game has a lot of promise. I love the fights with the bosses and larger creatures; the combat can be fun. I especially love the art style and the ideas with the world and story are there. But it does have that annoying air-like feeling when moving and attacking. There are great characters, but there is not much to do with them, and the main plot so far is generic. We’ll see where things go as I keep playing. My hope is to finish and release a review by the start of April at the latest.
Avowed Impressions
This is the main game I’ve been playing, and this past week is when it really started clicking, and I reached a point of constantly thinking about it. Avowed isn’t just a Elder Scrolls copycat, you can see some inspiration but its very much its own game. You’re not just going on a fantasy epic, you’ll be parkouring and exploring like of mish mash of Breath of the Wild and Mirror’s Edge. You'll take on the role of a Godlike, a special person who has had one of the world’s gods touch their soul. Sent by the emperor to investigate a rumored disease taking over the Living Lands, a place with a Wild West personality inside a fantasy world.
First things first, this is a surprisingly beautiful game. Despite the concerns I saw from many as the game went for art style over realism, this world is easy on the eyes, and I’ve bumped into some gorgeous areas. The art style works for me because it feels like the type of style Metroid games tend to have, which is a mixture of animated and realistic.
The combat is a weird mix of like it to love it but with some annoyance. That sounds all over the place, but that’s how I feel. When you get used to playing it and know where to go for what, it can be pretty fun to fight and play in the world. However, it is a bit of a busy UI, and it took me some time to get a handle on where to click and go to do the specific actions or use the right items I wanted. I guess it probably handles better on a PC than a gaming controller because the game screams made for PC in mind. But playing can be fun when you get a handle on it. I have a book of spells to use magic on my enemies on one hand, and the other has a flaming sword. If I want to, I can switch on the fly to my iced axe and shield for more up close fights. I’m also starting to get a hold of the dodging, which is leading to some fights that make me feel like a badass. But again, this took me a bit, and I’m sure I have some more tricks to learn.
The story for Avowed is interesting. You're investigating a plaque they call the Dreamscourge. As an envoy to the emperor, you’ll find yourself in the Living Lands and quickly realize there is much more here than just a disease to deal with. You also get some companions, and I’m early enough that I just got my second recently. Still, my first companion, Kai, is already becoming the first contender for personal favorite character of the year the more I talk to him and see his reactions to my decisions. You’ll be making decisions that can affect the world and story, but it never feels like you made a choice the game doesn’t want you to make, which I appreciate because it lets my character indeed be the way I want them to act. You can be a total asshole and still get what you need, and I can still be a typical hero that doesn’t mind being a bit rebellious when it calls for, and I won’t feel punished for it.
But my absolute favorite part of this game is the exploration. There are some games that really make me feel like I’m an explorer in a land that is discovering areas and getting rewarded with treasures and unexpected stories, like Elden Ring, Breath of the Wild, and the Fallout series. Go ahead an add Avowed to that list. I can explore and search every nook and cranny of the world and get rewarded for it. I’ve doved from a high place to the water and instantly found a chest underwater. I’ve seen random caves that add some world lore and valuables. You’ll also find lore items like letters and books to help fill out the world and understand it better. But what really makes the exploring fun is the unexpected parkour gameplay. I am baffled that this wasn’t highlighted in the lead-up to the launch. You’ll be platforming and parkouring to get to necessary areas, reach high places, and get rewarded with chests or important items. As I’ve explored, I find myself looking at rocks and buildings and figuring out how to parkour and climb up to the top. It’s one of the most explorable games I have ever played, and that, in my view, is the secret sauce to the game.
Overall, I really like Avowed. I finally have the time to sit down and really play it this month, and I’m looking forward to it more and more every time I play it. This is looking like a solid contender for my top ten list at the end of the year. Hopefully, the full review will be ready by the end of March.
Be Nice to All