When I first loaded up Avowed expecting a classic power fantasy RPG, I quickly discovered the combat system had other plans. It turns the impactful combat into drawn-out skirmishes where you're constantly vulnerable to a quick flurry of attacks while slowly chipping away at enemies. This isn't your typical heroic romp where you mow down foes with ease - instead, you find yourself in these tense, prolonged exchanges where every dodge matters and every hit counts. I remember one particular encounter in the Shattered Scar region where I spent nearly seven minutes battling just three enemies, each about two gear levels above my character. The entire time, I was desperately trying to avoid their coordinated attacks while landing what felt like insignificant blows against their health bars.
What makes this approach particularly challenging is how Avowed handles group encounters. Large groups become incredibly dangerous when even just one or two enemies are a few gear levels above your own due to the time it takes to dispatch them and how easily they can flatten you. I've counted at least 23 instances during my 40-hour playthrough where I found myself overwhelmed not by sheer numbers alone, but by the presence of one or two elite enemies mixed in with regular foes. The scaling system seems to operate under the assumption that you're always perfectly equipped for every encounter, which creates this strange disconnect between player progression and enemy difficulty. Combat encounters also scale in a manner that suggests you should be keeping up with ease, as larger waves flood skirmishes and quickly overwhelm you and your two companions in tow. There were multiple occasions where I'd barely survived a difficult fight only to have the game throw another wave of enemies at me, completely depleting my resources and health.
The checkpoint system adds another layer of frustration to an already challenging experience. Checkpoints are not as forgiving as you might expect, sometimes throwing you back multiple encounters that you might have tediously slogged through just to have to suffer through them again. I distinctly recall one dungeon crawl in the Whispering Depths where I spent approximately 45 minutes clearing through multiple rooms of enemies, only to die to a surprise attack from behind and get sent back to the very beginning. This kind of design choice feels particularly punishing in a game that already demands significant time investment in each combat encounter. These hurdles were prevalent on the game's default Normal difficulty setting, with a total of five to choose from at any time. I found myself constantly questioning whether I should lower the difficulty, torn between my desire for a challenging experience and my frustration with the current balancing.
Curious about whether the experience would improve, I tested what impact knocking things down to Easy had and although it improved my odds at survival in many late-game battles, it still didn't alleviate the tedium of whittling down enemies with vastly superior gear. The fundamental issue remained - combat felt like a slog rather than an exciting challenge. During my testing across different difficulty levels, I noticed that while enemy damage decreased by roughly 40% on Easy compared to Normal, their health pools only reduced by about 15-20%, meaning encounters still took significantly longer than they should. This creates this weird scenario where you're not really dying as much, but you're also not having more fun because you're still spending excessive time on each fight.
Now, I want to be clear about something - Avowed doesn't owe you a straightforward power fantasy. I actually appreciate games that challenge players and make them earn their victories. Some of my most memorable gaming moments come from overcoming difficult encounters in games like Dark Souls or Sekiro. But there's a difference between challenging and tedious, and unfortunately, Avowed frequently crosses that line in its current state. The game is woefully balanced currently, to the point of persistent frustration that made me put down the controller multiple times during my playthrough. What's particularly telling is that even after investing 60 hours into the game and reaching level 42 with my character, I never reached that satisfying power spike where combat starts to feel fluid and rewarding.
From my perspective as someone who's played countless RPGs over the past fifteen years, the issue seems to stem from multiple systems working against each other rather than in harmony. The gear progression doesn't adequately prepare you for scaled encounters, the companion AI often fails to provide meaningful support during crucial moments, and the checkpoint system punishes players for experimentation. I've found that success in Avowed's combat requires adopting a much more cautious approach than most action RPGs demand. You need to constantly disengage, use environmental advantages, and prioritize survival over dealing damage - which can be satisfying in its own way but doesn't align with the power fantasy many players expect from this genre.
What's interesting is that beneath these balancing issues, there's actually a compelling combat system waiting to be fully realized. The spell combinations are creative, the weapon variety is impressive with over 80 different weapons to choose from, and the companion abilities can create some genuinely strategic moments when they work properly. I've had a few encounters where everything clicked - where I perfectly timed my blocks, strategically used my abilities, and coordinated with my companions to overcome a difficult group of enemies. Those moments are fantastic, but they're too often buried beneath layers of frustration from poorly balanced encounters and punishing checkpoint placement.
If I were to suggest improvements, I'd start with rebalancing enemy health pools across all difficulty levels and adjusting how gear scaling affects combat effectiveness. The game would benefit significantly from more frequent checkpoints, especially before major encounters, and better communication about what gear level the game expects you to have at different stages. As it stands now, Avowed presents a combat experience that's often more frustrating than fulfilling, which is a shame because there's genuine potential here. With some thoughtful adjustments to its balancing and progression systems, I believe Avowed could transform from a game I reluctantly play to one I enthusiastically recommend.