Compare Avowed vs The Outbound Ghost

Reviewers noted useful accessibility and comfort controls such as camera, subtitle, difficulty, and arachnophobia-related options, though colorblind support was called out as missing.

Granular difficulty controls are one of the game’s strongest features, including damage, experience, encounters, and special modifiers. Visual accessibility is weaker, particularly color reliance and tiny or blurry Switch text.

One reviewer specifically framed Avowed as more appropriate for older teens and adults because of its complex themes and mature material.

Despite themes of death and the afterlife, the tone stays cute, gentle, and approachable enough for younger players who are comfortable reading substantial dialogue.

Enemy AI was considered serviceable but not especially smart; later impressions suggested fights remain engaging without feeling brain-dead.

Enemy behavior is usually straightforward, but some field encounters show unexpectedly sharp tactics that can contribute to sudden difficulty spikes.

Aiming and first-person spell placement drew criticism when ground-targeted abilities were hard to place precisely.

Animation feedback was mixed, with stiff NPCs and less impressive presentation keeping the game from feeling fully modern.

Character movement and presentation are smooth, appealing, and well suited to the papercraft style.

Most reviewers praised the bold, colorful, alien fantasy art direction, though a few disliked the cartoony look or felt presentation was uneven.

The papercraft characters, expressive designs, and colorful 3D environments are the most consistent source of praise. Even strongly negative reviews usually call the game charming, gorgeous, or visually distinctive.

The Living Lands’ vivid tone, music, and dreamlike spaces were repeatedly praised for creating a distinctive atmosphere.

Whimsical music, colorful environments, and gentle ghostly humor create an appealing adventurous mood even when the story turns darker.

Boss design was criticized as disappointing, with bosses feeling like tougher versions of regular enemies rather than unique encounters.

Bosses are inconsistent: the better fights reward clever status strategies, but others arrive without warning, have enormous health pools, or become long healing contests.

Bug reports varied widely: some reviewers found almost none, while others hit quest bugs, map-edge bugs, or issues that required reloads.

Graphical anomalies, stuck characters, broken map elements, and at least one game-breaking issue were reported, although several problems were patched quickly.

Camera-related options were appreciated, especially the ability to adjust head bob and camera shake for comfort.

The fixed camera can hide patrolling enemies near the screen edge, forcing unwanted encounters that players cannot reasonably anticipate.

Character creation was generally praised as solid or deep, with later updates adding more races and appearance options.

Character development split reviewers: some found companions distinct and engaging, while others thought characters were bland or hard to care about.

The ghosts’ personal burdens and chapter-specific arcs can make the cast lovable and emotionally meaningful. Uneven writing keeps that growth from landing consistently.

The companion roster was often seen as small or limited, though some reviewers still liked the four supporting characters.

The large Figment roster supports many party roles and build experiments, but the sheer number of characters and abilities can feel daunting.

Losing a fight immediately offers a retry or reload option, making experimentation forgiving and reducing lost progress.

Build and class flexibility was praised because Avowed lets players mix archetypes freely, though balance sometimes favored magic or specific styles.

The Figment roster covers many roles, but numerous characters and status types feel unnecessary when a few reliable strategies handle most encounters.

Combat was one of the most consistently praised elements, especially magic, responsiveness, and build variety, despite repetition and gear-gating complaints.

Combat is highly divisive: timed inputs, Figment roles, and build experimentation can be exciting, but regular fights often become repetitive, shallow, or poorly balanced. Bosses range from clever tactical puzzles to padded wars of attrition.

Companion combat AI was mixed: some found companions self-sufficient or improved by patches, while others called them weak or unnecessary in fights.

Reviewers liked the dense zones and amount of side content, although some felt the scope was restrained rather than sprawling.

Outside combat, exploration, a small lock-picking game, and occasional torch puzzles, the game offers few meaningful diversions. More minigames or side activities would help break up the repetition.

Controls and combat feel were commonly praised for responsiveness, impact, and keybind flexibility, with a few targeting frustrations.

A D-pad bug on PlayStation made menu navigation unreliable until patches addressed it.

The core loop was divisive: strong combat and exploration were often undermined for some reviewers by gear-tier repetition and open-zone structure.

The repeated cycle of walking, battling, and waiting through loads loses momentum once combat settles into familiar patterns.

Crafting was mixed to negative, with several reviewers calling it threadbare, expensive, or too tied to gear-tier progression.

The Aspect system supports flexible builds and strong synergies, earning high praise from enthusiastic players. Others found it poorly organized, unnecessary, or filled with niche upgrades that never justified the effort.

Crash stability varied by platform and version: some reviewers reported no crashes, while another had severe startup crashes before fixes.

The Switch version was reported to crash randomly to the dashboard, making frequent saving important.

Dialogue quality ranged from standout and well acted to overly wordy, forced, or limited in the options it offered.

Tender exchanges and character humor occasionally land, but repetitive misunderstandings, overlong conversations, and unclear motivations wear down the cast’s appeal.

Difficulty balance was one of the most debated areas, with some finding it fair and flexible and others criticizing gear checks, sponginess, or uneven scaling.

Extensive sliders let players tailor damage, experience, and enemy presence, but the default curve can swing from trivial encounters to sudden spikes and lengthy bosses.

Resource balance divided reviewers: some liked the meaningful economy, while others felt crafting materials and upgrade resources were too scarce.

Crafting resources can feel unevenly distributed, with desired Aspects sometimes blocked by one missing material and no clear bestiary or shop to help locate it.

Emotional impact came mostly from moral choices, consequences, and companion moments, though some endings or fallout felt muted to critics.

When the themes of regret, mortality, and moving on connect, they create genuine empathy and a heartfelt payoff. These moments are among the story’s strongest qualities.

Endgame content was criticized because the original experience did not allow continued post-story play and lacked New Game Plus at launch.

Post-game play adds superbosses, remaining Figments, and collection cleanup, but almost no new story. Chapter 5 is especially disappointing for anyone seeking answers.

Enemy variety was a recurring concern; many reviewers felt the same bears, spiders, skeletons, and humanoids appeared too often.

The broad range of colorful ghostly apparitions stays visually distinct across regions and gives the bestiary plenty of personality.

Environmental detail was strongly praised through dense secrets, vistas, caves, and handcrafted spaces, even by some otherwise mixed reviewers.

Distinct biomes, dramatic lighting, and picturesque set pieces make many areas memorable. Pop-in and repeated assets sometimes undermine that detail.

Exploration was one of the strongest consensus positives, with dense maps, secrets, vertical paths, and constant rewards keeping reviewers engaged.

The scenery often invites exploration, but the rewards rarely justify it. Many areas feel too large and empty, with side paths commonly yielding crafting materials that some players barely use.

Facial animations were criticized in later impressions as not matching next-generation expectations.

Character expressions communicate emotion effectively within the simple papercraft style.

Returning Eora fans often felt Avowed was faithful to the Pillars of Eternity world, while still accessible to newcomers.

The wholesome presentation, mild tone, and adjustable difficulty make it suitable for families, though the game is single-player and text-heavy.

Fast travel was viewed as convenient and generous, making it easy to revisit areas without friction.

Frame-rate stability varied: some reviewers saw stable performance, while others reported hitches, drops, screen tearing, or stuttering.

PC and PlayStation 5 can run smoothly, but heavy drops may occur when entering or leaving areas and battles.

Fun factor leaned positive overall, especially for combat and exploration, though some reviewers found the experience merely solid or underwhelming.

The charming world, customization, and active combat can be highly enjoyable. Repetition and weak story structure can make the same experience feel dull despite its presentation.

Gameplay mechanics were generally praised as streamlined and flexible, but a few reviewers felt RPG systems lacked depth or reactivity.

AP banking, timed attacks, and status combinations can create clever tactical moments, but the timing gimmicks and status rules can also feel cumbersome or exploitable.

Graphics quality was divisive but often positive, with praise for stunning vistas and vivid visuals alongside criticism of poor or compromised visuals on some platforms.

The core visual design is excellent on PC and stronger hardware, but console versions—especially Switch—can look blurry, fuzzy, or low resolution.

Grind level was a common complaint tied to gear upgrades, resource hunting, and spongy combat loops.

Shared party experience reduces routine grinding, although poor boss balance may still push players toward extra battles on harder settings.

Steam Deck suitability was considered playable and verified, but the visual tradeoff was significant.

Steam Deck impressions are positive, but Switch handheld play is repeatedly criticized for blurry graphics, tiny text, and unreadable menus.

Haptic support was platform-dependent: one PS5 review praised DualSense vibration, while another noted missing haptic and trigger use.

HUD clarity improved through options to reduce clutter, adjust opacity, and toggle display elements.

Status icons, maps, and battle text can be difficult to understand or read, particularly in handheld mode where text may become nearly illegible.

Immersion was helped by dense worldbuilding and atmosphere but hurt for some by static NPCs and limited world reactivity.

For receptive players, the blend of exploration, mystery, music, and heartfelt themes makes Outbound easy to become absorbed in.

Innovation was usually described as limited; reviewers saw Avowed as confident and enjoyable rather than genre-changing.

Figment roles, Aspect combinations, and flexible status builds offer creative tactical possibilities even though the broader structure remains familiar.

Learning support was helped by reference and lore systems that made Eora’s terminology easier to understand.

Basic combat is easy to grasp, but the huge number of Figments, skills, statuses, and Aspects can overwhelm less experienced RPG players.

Level design was praised for verticality, density, handcrafted routes, and spaces that felt larger than their footprint.

Some zones reward curiosity with hidden routes and colorful spaces, while others feel oversized, padded, and difficult to navigate.

Post-launch support was viewed positively, with free updates improving stability, customization, build options, and quality-of-life features.

Long black screens before and after battles are the most consistent technical complaint. On consoles, waits of roughly eight to eleven seconds repeatedly break the flow and sometimes look like crashes.

Loot opinions were mixed: unique items and progression could be satisfying, but many chests and rewards felt predictable or unexciting.

Loot is useful for players who engage deeply with crafting, yet many pickups feel repetitive or worthless once Aspect forging loses its appeal.

Lore depth was consistently praised, especially the in-game books, history, politics, and reference systems that made Eora feel rich.

Environmental signs, background details, and scattered clues invite players to reconstruct the town’s history, though the main story leaves many larger questions unresolved.

Map and navigation design was mixed, with missing custom markers criticized before later updates added them.

Maps and minimaps are widely criticized as tiny, unclear, or nearly useless. Missing objective direction and poor location tracking often lead to getting lost or backtracking.

Menu and ability-wheel usability was mixed; some quality-of-life systems helped, but radial wheels and limited hotkeys disrupted combat for others.

Aspect management is cumbersome, with long unalphabetized lists and awkward steps required to remove or replace equipment.

Mission design drew criticism when quests felt repetitive, fetchy, or like back-and-forth errands, though some standout missions remained.

The campaign repeatedly funnels players from one location to the next through enemy waves and cutscenes, making objectives feel overly linear and repetitive.

Much of the campaign follows the same pattern of crossing large areas, chasing the next character, and fighting enemies, with little variation in objectives.

Movement feel and parkour were strongly praised for making exploration fluid, vertical, and enjoyable.

Large areas can feel slow to cross, and faster movement would reduce the drag of repeated backtracking.

Narrative quality was usually a strength thanks to mystery, choices, and world stakes, but some reviewers found the main plot predictable or underwhelming.

The premise of unresolved ghosts and an amnesiac protagonist is strong, and parts of the story feel heartfelt or engrossing. The meandering chase, shifting perspectives, unresolved mysteries, and abrupt ending undermine the payoff.

Onboarding was praised when it taught by doing, though lore-heavy openings could feel steep for newcomers.

Systems are introduced gradually instead of through a long opening lecture, helping the game feel approachable from the start.

Open-zone design split reviewers: many liked curated, dense hubs, while others found the world restrictive, lifeless, or not interactive enough.

The world offers side paths and gradual unlocking within a mostly linear structure, giving players limited freedom without becoming a true sandbox.

Originality was limited; reviewers often described Avowed as familiar comfort-food fantasy rather than a bold genre evolution.

The Paper Mario influence is unmistakable, and the game rarely develops a strong identity of its own. Emotion-based Figments add an interesting idea but do not fully overcome the imitation.

Pacing was mixed, with slow starts, downtime, filler quests, and late-game repetition weighing against an otherwise easy-to-follow story.

The story’s momentum is a major weakness. Long chases, uneven chapter lengths, repeated events, and heavy backtracking make the middle and final acts feel padded.

Performance optimization varied sharply across versions, from stable and improved after patches to demanding, stuttery, or poorly optimized on some PCs.

Performance varies sharply by platform. PC and Steam Deck reports are mostly smooth, while Switch and some console versions suffer pop-in, blurry visuals, long transitions, and other port-specific compromises.

Platform-specific support was praised for PS5 performance modes, Sony-platform feel, and PC features such as DLSS.

The Switch version is the clearest weak point, with blurry handheld text, crashes, and severe loading that make other platforms easier to recommend.

Platforming precision was a pleasant surprise, with simple mantling and vertical puzzles adding a welcome exploration layer.

Polish improved over time but remained uneven, with reviewers citing jank, lack of gloss, or presentation limits alongside strong craftsmanship.

Text glitches, interface scaling problems, bugs, and rushed narrative structure leave the game feeling less finished than its attractive presentation suggests.

Progression systems were divisive: some liked flexible builds and added points, while others found midgame growth stagnant or too gear-dependent.

Shared experience across all Figments is widely praised because reserve party members stay useful without extra grinding or constant rotation.

The emotion-based Figments provide mechanical roles but little personality, weakening attachment to the protagonist’s battle party.

Puzzles were generally light but appreciated when they used environmental elements, timing, and exploration paths.

Torch puzzles and lock-picking provide occasional breaks from combat, but they are usually simple, repetitive, or increasingly trivial rather than progressively more interesting.

Quest design ranged from excellent side stories and meaningful follow-ups to fetchy, inconsistent, or repetitive tasks.

The focused main path avoids traditional side-quest clutter, but the absence of meaningful optional quests can also make the world feel empty.

Replay value improved with choices and post-launch New Game Plus, though some reviewers felt repeated runs changed too little.

Difficulty modifiers, randomized Figment order, hidden Figments, and alternate Aspect choices encourage repeat runs. Weak post-game payoff and the unresolved ending can reduce the desire to return.

Sandbox freedom was limited compared with full open-world RPGs, though some reviewers still appreciated freedom in story choices or builds.

Save reliability was a concern for at least one reviewer who needed more careful saving because of bugs.

Frequent save points make it easy to stop without losing progress, though a temporary PlayStation save scare required a restart.

Side characters and companions were highly divisive: some found them memorable and heartfelt, while others thought they were shallow or uninspired.

The cast is colorful and often charming, yet many supporting ghosts receive too little development or dialogue for players to form strong attachments.

Skill trees were praised for flexibility but criticized by others as simple, shallow, or uneven across archetypes.

Sound design was praised for impactful effects, combat feedback, and strong weapon audio.

Sound effects are mixed: many are timely and charming, while others feel sparse or irritating.

Soundtrack reception was generally positive but often stopped short of calling the music unforgettable.

Jazz, blues, and whimsical battle themes are catchy, relaxing, and memorable. Repetition can become noticeable, and some combat tracks could carry more urgency.

Stealth was criticized as underdeveloped or nearly useless, with little support for stealth-focused play.

Bush hiding is a simple but useful way to avoid encounters or start battles with an advantage, without turning the game into a demanding stealth experience.

The tutorial was praised for teaching systems naturally and creating meaningful choices early.

The mandatory tutorial is brief and unobtrusive, with deeper explanations left in the help menu for players who need them.

Upgrade systems were sharply divisive, with some liking gear longevity and many others criticizing tiers, scarcity, or number-go-up design.

Aspects offer many options, but their effects can feel too subtle to meaningfully change combat outcomes.

UI options such as text sizing and subtitles were appreciated as useful interface support.

The interface generally matches the papercraft style and can be clean and readable on stronger platforms. Poor sorting, cut-off assets, and Switch scaling issues create notable friction.

Value for money was mixed: reviewers praised Game Pass or lower pricing but questioned the original premium price for the scope.

Value depends heavily on tolerance for technical issues and narrative disappointment. The roughly 15-hour RPG can feel worthwhile to genre fans, while others may prefer a sale.

Visual effects, especially magic, were repeatedly praised for impact, color, and satisfying feedback.

Dramatic lighting and colorful effects enhance the papercraft environments, although occasional spell stutter and console blur can reduce their impact.

Voice acting was mostly praised as strong or outstanding, though one reviewer found performances unable to save weaker writing.

Weapon balance and variety were mostly praised for experimentation and flexible loadouts, but some reviewers felt magic outclassed melee or guns.

World-building was one of Avowed’s clearest strengths, especially its politics, cultures, history, and Eora continuity.

Colorful regions, environmental clues, and small visual details can make Outbound feel rich and mysterious. Reused assets and unresolved lore prevent the world from feeling fully realized.

World interactivity was one of the most common criticisms, with many reviewers finding NPCs, theft, objects, and systems too static.

There is surprisingly little to do in the attractive environments beyond gathering materials, fighting enemies, and completing a few basic interactions.

Writing quality was widely praised for lore, companion dialogue, and sharp prose, but a minority found it wordy, pretentious, or mid.

Writing is the clearest narrative weakness. Dialogue, motivations, humor, and the final resolution often feel amateurish, underdeveloped, or confusing.