Avowed has a thievery problem, there is none - Preview

If you were to ask my Divinity and Baldur’s Gate party about my playstyle, you would probably hear two things: I tend to get us in bad situations, and I like to steal things. The fantasy of being the devilish rogue, pilfering wares from the unsuspecting, and reaping the rewards is one that I have had for as long as I have been interested in CRPGs and Western-style RPGs. I loved doing it in Pillars of Eternity and its sequel, and when it was announced that Obsidian was going to be revisiting this beloved world of Eora in Avowed, I was excited to continue my legacy of thievery from this new first-person perspective. However, after getting a chance to explore and play around with the opening hours of Avowed recently, my dreams were dashed. I could no longer steal things, and there seemed to be an odd lack of loot.

Before I dive into the loot situation, the demo took me through the opening couple of hours of the game, starting by letting me create my character and running him through the tutorial area before dropping me off at Dawnshore, outside the city of Paradis where, among other things, I had to track down and rescue the local Ambassador I was sent to meet. Much of Avowed impressed me—one could say it A-Wow-ed me even—with its beautiful visuals, lots of crunchy RPG numbers to enjoy, seemingly robust skill trees, and generally solid gameplay. I had a fun time with what I played, and I want to be clear that I am still looking forward to this game. But as I began to explore the shops and interacted with the people, my brow furrowed at the distinct lack of a little hand icon as I was sneaking around, letting me know I could steal stuff.

For me, stealing in a game such as this and its peers (Elder Scrolls, Baldur’s Gate, Pillars of Eternity, Fallout, etc.) has always felt like such an intrinsic aspect of this style of RPG that finding it to be missing genuinely bums me out. Perhaps it is the risk involved, the avenues it can open up to try and get better gear, or just the outcomes that can result from botched attempts, but stealing from NPCs is just fun. Considering that Avowed doesn’t include a way to try and barter with shopkeepers either for reduced prices, it makes them all just feel like sterile and generic affairs, an experience that I don’t expect—or want—when I boot up a game like this. It baffles me to some degree that it has been omitted, seeing as Obsidian has included it in both of their Pillars titles and their legendary Fallout: New Vegas game, and yet has done away with it here.

To be clear, Avowed does a fine job in sprinkling little treasure chests and bags around for you to discover, filled with resources to craft with and other goodies. When I say “a lack of ‘stuff’ and loot,” I’m speaking more of generic things and drops from foes you beat. I would say that perhaps one out of every five enemies I fought could be looted, and even then, the rewards felt lacking. With generic stuff around, outside of those chests and bags I mentioned previously, don’t expect random wheels of cheese or other superfluous trinkets around to discover and hoard. That point in particular, I understand, will be very much a non-issue for many folks, but for me, finding and getting these random items that don’t have much in the way of viability or simply take up space in my inventory helps make the world of these games feel lived in. Do I need a complete serving set of silverware I found in a cupboard or ten torn tunics and rusted swords from monsters I’ve killed? No. Do I think there are people that may or would use this to build their character’s personality? Yes, I do.

In the scheme of things, do I think that the inability to commit theft or loot everybody I see makes Avowed a bad game? Not at all. From everything that I saw and experienced during my demo, I have come away from it even more excited than I was going in. But I will say that they do make the game feel less immersive or rich than other Obsidian offerings in the past. Out of my issues, I do think that the game really could use a tweak to the frequency with which enemies can be looted. It is also possible that my issues with the loot may be due to it being an early part of the game, and the more you advance through the game, the more things balance out; I can’t say.

Regarding the thievery, searching through the abilities and character tabs of the menu, nothing leads me to believe that this may open up or become available later on, but I can keep hoping. After all, this was just a demo, and the game isn’t due until February. While I may not be able to rob people blind, I think this will be a highlight of all of Microsoft’s releases next year.

Check out our GamesCom build preview for Avowed, along with our interview with Obsidian’s Carrie Patel and Gabe Paramo, for more from RPGSite on Avowed!