In Avowed I keep falling into the same habit as Skyrim's inescapable stealth archer, but I just can't resist

Every time I play Skyrim, I tell myself I'm going to do things differently. Rather than sneaking up on unsuspecting enemies with a bow and arrow, I'll broaden my horizons and try out other weapons and builds. But before I know it, I slip right back into my tried and true method; stealthily taking out patrolling bandits with carefully aimed shots from the shadows, or sticking draugrs with arrows before they can even rise up from their resting places in tombs. Now, I find myself adopting the very same habit in Obsidian's new fantasy RPG, Avowed.

The flexible combat is quite different from Bethesda's offering, but just like Skyrim, you have plenty of options to choose from. Even with the likes of magic wands, grimoires, swords, and guns, I keep reaching for a bow and using the tall grass to launch sneak attacks. There are certainly some pros and cons to this approach in the world of Eora, and the way fights can unfold in Avowed often demands I switch my loadout at times, but my Godlike is fast becoming another lethal archer in the making. I guess I just have to be honest with myself here: even when a combat system is made for experimentation, I just love taking enemies by surprise from a distance.

Wrapped up in a bow

I should have known I'd fall into my old Skyrim ways when I first started playing Avowed. At the very beginning, you can pick from one of five backgrounds that flesh out your character's origins and speak to some particular strengths they have. I was instinctively drawn to the Vanguard Scout, who's adept at spying and tracking, with an observant nature and a familiarity with the wilderness. With attribute points in dexterity and perception, I was already on my way to building a good Godlike ranger. The prologue also sees you washed up on a beach where you can find a variety of different weapons as you progress through it. It doesn't take long before I find a bow to shoot down some explosive plants to clear a path, and from there, my fate is sealed.

Once I arrive in the first open-zone area of Dawnshore and I'm joined by my new beefy blue companion, Kai, I really get the chance to use my time-honored approach. With various points of interest and some side quests to complete, there are quite a few enemy camps dotted around the landscape that are full of lizard-like foes. Fortunately for me, there just so happens to be a lot of tall grass, too, which I can use to hide my presence. Often opting to fire out my first shot at either the strongest-looking enemy, or a healer type in order to take them out before the others cotton on me, it's then a game of putting some distance between myself and other foes once the jig is up.

Unlike Skyrim, you're spotted almost instantly once you've fired out a shot, but that's where I can really use Avowed's loadout feature to my advantage. With just the press of the Y button on my Xbox controller, I can swap my bow out for an axe and shield should any enemies surround me. And as it turns, using a ranged weapon complements Kai's strength and melee approach as a fighter quite nicely.

As a Godlike who's mysteriously blessed by an unknown god, you also have a sort of magical backstabbing ability which lets you perform stealth kills. With a bow in hand, I often opt to sneak up and take out a foe using this tactic before jumping back and firing out shots. Stealth wise it's not quite as satisfying as Skyrim, but the bow helps me constantly take full advantage of the surrounding environment, with explosive barrels and flammable plants just begging to be shot at to inflict damage to anything nearby. And while some boss-like fights push me to swap my loadout, I'm actually glad for it, because it's making me go beyond my bow string when the occasion calls for it.

I'm still quite early on in my adventure in Avowed, but I've already been enjoying my time with one of my favorite weapon types in a fantasy RPG. You could argue that I'm missing the opportunity to try out something new, but hey, if it ain't broke why fix it? I'm going to keep on investing in my ranger build to see just how effective and lethal I can make my favored approach in this new world.

Avowed review: "No Skyrim, but an unforgettable return to form for Obsidian Entertainment".