It’s not the first game of its kind. In fact, it represents a relatively popular genre set in an equally popular type of fantasy world, where magic is just as common as classic medieval-inspired melee weapons, along with antique-style flintlock pistols and arquebuses. As such, Avowed has sparked various conversations comparing its mechanics and gameplay solutions to other titles in the genre.
Today, we’ll take a closer look at Avowed vs. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. What does Avowed do better, and where could it use some improvement? Let’s dive right in.
World Structure
Skyrim’s world is fully open, which means you can go wherever you want right from the beginning. Not that you’d necessarily want to, given all the high-level enemies scattered across the map, but the option exists. There are no loading screens except when you enter a dungeon or a building.
Avowed is more restrictive in that regard and offers a world divided into smaller, more digestible zones instead. Surprisingly, this doesn’t take away from exploration, as the areas are fairly large. The main difference compared to Skyrim is the addition of extra loading screens. However, this approach has the advantage of better performance.
Story and Writing
Although Avowed’s writing may feel like a step down from what we saw in Pillars of Eternity, it’s still much stronger than Skyrim’s, mainly because story was never the top priority in TES V. Skyrim’s main storyline is relatively short and may take only a few hours to complete, leaving you with a vast number of side quests and optional guilds to join.
Avowed places greater emphasis on storytelling and delivers it in a captivating way that makes it easier to appreciate. Even if some elements feel cliché, the narrative execution largely makes up for it.
Interacting with the Environment
Skyrim’s world is highly interactive, making exploration a pleasure in its purest form. This is arguably Skyrim’s greatest strength: the sense of freedom combined with the game’s sandbox nature, where you don’t have to follow any missions at all. You can walk for hours with no objective in mind, simply exploring and interacting with the world. It’s peak immersion.
You can pick flowers and other ingredients for alchemy, hunt animals, find and slay dragons, steal items from NPCs, improve your abilities by actively using them, and experience randomly generated events that add an element of unpredictability.
Avowed lacks in this department. Although the world looks beautiful, it doesn’t offer the same level of systemic depth.
Town Guards Reactions
When you commit a crime in Skyrim, you quickly learn that your actions have consequences. If you break the law in a town and there are witnesses, not only will guards rush to stop you, but townsfolk may react as well. It feels realistic and makes you think twice before going on a criminal spree.
It also works the other way around: if guards see someone else committing a crime, they will pursue them too. You can even lure enemies into towns and let the guards deal with them. These systems enable dynamic interactions, such as witnessing members of opposing factions fight each other in the open world. The world feels alive.
In Avowed, NPCs don’t feel like they’re truly part of the world. Interaction is limited, and they tend to ignore misdeeds unless a situation is scripted.
NPC Everyday Duties
To create a believable, immersive world, NPCs should live their own lives. That’s exactly how it works in Skyrim. Characters have routines, responsibilities, and daily schedules. They go to work, move between locations during the day, and sleep—or drink at the local tavern—at night.
Avowed doesn’t feature such systems. NPCs remain stationary and don’t follow dynamic routines.
Combat
Combat in Skyrim was never particularly strong, so it’s no surprise that Avowed feels better in that regard. There’s a reason why players often gravitate toward stealth archers in Skyrim unless they’re intentionally role-playing. The combat system hasn’t evolved much since Oblivion, and some players even prefer Morrowind’s dice-roll mechanics.
Combat in Avowed is far more dynamic and fast-paced. While it’s not perfect—and other games handle combat better—it’s safe to say that Avowed outperforms Skyrim in this area. It may be less grounded, but it’s undeniably satisfying.
Facial Expressions and Body Language
In games where character interaction plays a major role, expressive animations are invaluable. Skyrim’s characters look relatively stiff. They move their mouths while talking, but beyond that, they remain fairly static during conversations, occasionally turning their heads to indicate who they’re addressing.
In Avowed, dialogue scenes feel more dynamic. Facial expressions, head movements, and hand gestures make characters appear more natural and expressive.
Arrow Physics
When an action RPG includes bows, one immersive feature is the ability to recover fired arrows. Skyrim includes this mechanic. You can shoot an arrow into the sky, wait for it to fall, and pick it up again. Arrows are not strictly consumable.
In Avowed, arrows behave differently and disappear after being shot. They may briefly stick into objects, but they vanish shortly after. In Skyrim, if you see an arrow—whether stuck in a wall or lodged in a fallen enemy—you can usually retrieve it.
Prop Physics
Skyrim also features robust physics systems. You can shout “Fus Ro Dah” at a table full of items and watch everything scatter in chaotic fashion. You can drag objects and even move bodies. You can place a bucket on an NPC’s head to obscure their vision while stealing from them.
None of this is possible in Avowed. While it doesn’t necessarily make the game worse, those interactive details add a layer of immersion that many players appreciate.
Art Direction
Comparing Avowed visually to a game over a decade old isn’t entirely fair, but art direction can still be evaluated independently of technology. Objectively speaking, Avowed looks more vibrant due to deliberate artistic choices. Bright colors and strong contrasts make the world feel lively, especially when sunlight cuts through darker environments.
It’s visually striking, particularly when compared to Skyrim’s muted and often bleak color palette.
Conclusion
Although Avowed may fall behind older games in certain areas—potentially reflecting a lack of polish—it also has notable strengths that make it worth trying. Depending on what you value most in an RPG, Avowed might be the better choice.
It’s also important to remember that the developers continue to improve the game. Some shortcomings may be addressed over time. Keep an eye on updates—you might find yourself pleasantly surprised.