Avadon 2 is a game designed to be faithful to the old RPG's of gaming's founding years. The likes of Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Knights, the old days where games took pride in being challenging, where difficulty was often arbitrary, but nonetheless part of the charm. As a world, and as a story, Avadon intrigues me - I've thoroughly enjoyed reading the dialogue, understanding the mysteries to the best of my ability, and immersing myself in the world that it tries to create. However, as much as I've come to enjoy it, i would be remiss not to point at the game's shortcomings.
Due to achievements, i had to play through on torment - and I would not suggest it to anyone, at any point. This game delights in hitting you with enemies that can throw you around like footballs, stunlock you into oblivion, obliterate you with insane DoT's and AoE, all the while acting before you even get a chance to take a move. Misses are frequent, and evasions are almost never, while the game barrels down on you and beats you into the ground. It lived up to it's namesake, but it also served to highlight the flaws with Avadon 2's enemy and level design - it's cheapness. While Avadon can be quite challenging, it can oftentimes feel like an unfair fight. It's based on a principle of trial, error and a good amount of luck. You can't know, oftentimes, what an enemy will do before it does it (as is somewhat usual), but Avadon takes that to the extreme by punishing you for something you didn't even have a chance to avoid yet. Will the AI decide to immediately nuke your mage? Or will they try to punch your summoned wolf? It seems to be a crapshoot.
Balancing wise, the game is also extremely wonky. Don't be decieved by high bonuses, as diminishing returns are real, so no way to become completely resistant or immune to something. The Blademaster, my hero, was a functional tank - though melee in Avadon is like trying to kill an Incubus with a spoon. Tinkermage is incredibly strong by virtue of summoning walls of very angry turrets to draw enemy ire and murder everything, to such a degree, that they're hands-down the best class. Shaman is a jack of all trades, master of being useless, Mage is a phenominal glass cannon - but is ultimately in a game where you will be snapped in two by a strong gust of wind, and Shadowwalker is... well, not much of anything, really.
Despite what might sound like condemnation of the actual combat of Avadon, in truth, i expect most of my issues are caused by some glaring flaws of game design, but also because of the difficulty that I myself selected. I expect on normal, a far more manageble challenge that - while obivously easier - would still prove a worthy adversary for the vast majority. Avadon 2 stands as a game i respect for it's world and story, that was ultimately a source of as much intrigue as frustration.
I enjoyed Avadon 2, when the game stopped obliterating me long enough for me to admire the scenery, and take in the world that had been created. If you do decide to play this game, be forewarned, it is not afraid to absolutely decimate you - but, if you're fine with punishment and pain, Avadon 2 is something you should experience.
