{"id":92463,"date":"2025-03-22T01:40:23","date_gmt":"2025-03-22T01:40:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/22\/5-games-were-kicking-back-with\/"},"modified":"2025-03-22T01:40:23","modified_gmt":"2025-03-22T01:40:23","slug":"5-games-were-kicking-back-with","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/22\/5-games-were-kicking-back-with\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Games We\u2019re Kicking Back With"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Screenshot: Obsidian \/ Claire Jackson \/ Kotaku<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Play it on:<\/strong> Xbox Series X\/S, Windows (Steam Deck YMMV)
Current goal: <\/strong>Clear up the Shatterscarp map<\/p>\n

I really didn\u2019t think I\u2019d play Avowed<\/em> so soon. But as I was recovering from a major medical procedure, I was having some weird<\/em> dreams, one of which included a strange transformation of my home neighborhood (that being none other than Jamaica, Queens, represent!<\/em>) into some kind of fantasy village? It was\u2026oddly emotional, too. There\u2019s a lot to unpack with my therapist in that one. And it was all drenched in the aesthetic of Avowed<\/em> for whatever reason. So I woke up with a few questions and considerations for my life and a realization that I guess I should play Avowed<\/em> now. <\/p>\n

And wow, this game is a real gem of 2025. It\u2019s just vast enough in scope to feel like a large fantasy experience without becoming a burdensome open world chock full of empty busywork. The writing is just so beautiful too, with a poetic sensibility woven through its dialogue and characters having thoughtful and relatable discussions about the struggle for survival in the face of political unrest and a public health threat. It doesn\u2019t feel like escapism for escapism\u2019s sake; rather, it\u2019s like a great fantasy novel that you sort of carry with you in your mind even after you close the book, ruminating on various themes and lines of dialogue that spring to life in a magical mirror of our own world. <\/p>\n

Also, while I am finding the game a touch too easy (especially since I\u2019m playing on the hardest difficulty), the combat is hella fun. I\u2019ve got this gun-wielding ranger build going on right now (my character\u2019s also a scholar, so I feel like she\u2019s got some Indiana Jones vibes too). I was surprised at how easily my brain could just go into \u201cFPS Mode\u201d and have it work out well here. Combat, when it\u2019s not overly easy, feels exciting and heroic, with a lovely mix of gunpowder, swords, and magic\u2014and guns belong<\/em> in fantasy. \u2014 Claire Jackson<\/p>\n