Some pictures and thoughts based on my latest PotD playthrough
Avowed is good, simple fun and a beautiful game - I think it lands somewhere between a 6 or 7 for me.
The first half of the game (especially Dawnshore) is probably the strongest. However, as the game goes on, the gameplay gradually becomes more stale and the lack of enemy variety and repetitive quest/exploration structure becomes very evident.
Additionally, the game is probably a little too easy and "handholdy". Playing on PotD without HUD helped some, but the game definitely needs more mechanical friction - and more opportunities for the player to create solutions independently.
I think the writing is serviceable, but very uneven - sometimes strong, but other times a little lacking (see the companions as an example). But given the extremely troubled development, I still think Avowed should be seen as a minor win for Obsidian.
Now I just cross my fingers for Avowed 2 - or better yet - Pillars of Eternity 3.