Avowed may be officially set for release on February 18, but for those who own the Premium Edition, the adventure has already begun. A technical exploration is warranted to unpack the game’s performance and features.
Performance Insights
Having engaged with the game extensively prior to its official launch for review purposes, I was immediately struck by its robust performance. Among titles developed using Unreal Engine 5, Avowed stands out as one of the smoothest experiences to date. While it may not push the limits as an open-world game, its expansive zones are impressive, and the visual fidelity is commendable.
Although it lacks the path tracing capabilities seen in titles like Black Myth: Wukong, Avowed excels in its ray-traced reflections, particularly on water surfaces. The ray-traced lighting and shadows further enhance the overall aesthetic. Notably, stuttering issues are minimal, especially when a frame rate cap is applied—an aspect often concerning for Unreal Engine games.
Obsidian has implemented a best practice by generating shaders during the initial loading of the game. While this process may take some time on high-end NVMe SSDs like the WD Black SN850X, it ultimately leads to a smoother experience, avoiding the stuttering that can mar the initial gameplay. Subsequent loads are quick, requiring shader checks only after driver updates.
During the review period, access to NVIDIA’s DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation was not available, as the game was not listed for support in the NVIDIA app. However, I utilized the DLSS Swapper tool to address subtitle ghosting issues. The game defaults to an older version of DLSS Super Resolution and Frame Generation, but upgrading to DLSS 4 resolved these concerns, although Multi Frame Generation and DLAA remained inaccessible until the recent GeForce Game Ready driver update.
[embedded content]
With no built-in benchmark available, I devised a custom solution to assess performance. Using NVIDIA FrameView, I explored Paradis, the largest city in Avowed, populated with numerous NPCs. The testing was conducted at 4K resolution with all settings maxed out, categorized as Epic:
- View Distance
- Shadow Quality
- Texture Quality
- Shading Quality
- Effects Quality
- Foliage Quality
- Post-Processing Quality
- Reflection Quality
- Global Illumination Quality
The specifications of the testing rig included:
- AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
- MSI MAG B650 TOMAHAWK WIFI
- 32GB DDR5 6000 MHz G.SKILL Trident Z5
- 2TB NVMe SSD Western Digital Black SN850X
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founder’s Edition
With DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation set to 4x, I achieved an impressive average of 200 frames per second while utilizing DLAA. Switching to DLSS Quality provided a 30% increase in the average frame rate, reaching 260FPS when upscaling from 1440p to 4K. However, this adjustment also resulted in a rise in stuttering time, from 7.30% to 13.29%, likely due to the greater disparity between maximum and minimum frame rates. Interestingly, the 0.1% Low metrics for DLAA and DLSS Quality were nearly identical (118 and 123 FPS, respectively), with latency being slightly lower for DLSS Quality, though the difference was marginal at just over 8 ms.
It is important to note that frame rate variance would be significantly reduced when capping the frame rate, a recommendation I strongly endorse for an optimal gaming experience. During my review, I capped the frame rate at 120FPS, resulting in a notably smooth gameplay experience, even without the benefits of Multi Frame Generation.
Visuals and Features
Avowed faced its share of scrutiny regarding its graphics prior to launch; however, the final product is visually striking, showcasing beautifully rendered biomes and intricately detailed characters and armor. While facial animations may not always hit the mark, few studios have truly mastered this aspect of character rendering. The ray-traced reflections are a highlight, complemented by Lumen’s advanced lighting, which elevates the overall visual experience.
Nevertheless, a notable shortcoming is Obsidian’s omission of native High Dynamic Range (HDR) support. In an era where HDR is becoming increasingly standard, this oversight is surprising, especially considering that the Xbox version supports both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. To enable HDR, I resorted to a workaround involving modifications to the GameUserSettings.ini file, although this is not a substitute for proper native support. A future patch addressing this issue would be welcome.
On a positive note, Avowed seamlessly supports the DualSense Edge controller, despite the absence of a PlayStation 5 version. While players may encounter incorrect icons and miss out on features like Adaptive Triggers and Haptic Feedback, the standard rumble functionality operates effectively. Additionally, my Dolby Atmos setup performed admirably when upmixing via the Dolby Access app, indicating a strong surround sound implementation. The game also includes adjustable sliders for Field of View (ranging from 90 to 105) and motion blur, allowing for further customization.
As I scrolled through Avowed’s credits, I noted the involvement of several supporting studios, including the Xbox Games Technology Group, established in 2023 within The Coalition. Their expertise in Unreal Engine undoubtedly played a pivotal role in helping Obsidian realize their vision for the game. The collaboration with Xbox’s teams has certainly enhanced the overall experience compared to The Outer Worlds.
