The Game Awards 2025 nominees’ announcement has ignited some strong debates. One question that’s echoing all throughout the community is, did Avowed, a fantasy RPG, earn its nomination for the Best RPG category? While the game’s inclusion has definitely been celebrated by many players, a few audiences are crying foul. It is leading to some significant controversy over which games truly deserve the recognition.
Is Avowed a deserved pick or a controversial one?
Reactions coming from fans have been divided sharply. On one end, there are players who feel Avowed’s nomination comes at the expense of their other beloved titles. “Why the hell is avowed or the outer worlds 2 there? Trails and dragon quest was definitely more popular than the mediocre rpgs,” questioned one of the X users. The user, with his words, voiced the statement shared by those who believe that acclaimed JRPGs are getting overlooked.
The sentiment got further expanded by another fan who said, “There is a huge controversy about Avowed taking the nomination spot for Trails in The Sky 1st Chapter.” The fan argued that while Avowed does serve as a great entry-level Western RPG, with an intuitive battle system, the 80/100 Metacritic score of it creates unfair contrast when compared to some other legendary titles. It leads them to conclude that it “did deserve the nomination but definitely not over some of my favorite JRPGs.”
However, not all voices seemed to be critical. Another player on X expressed pure admiration for this game. The comment noted, “It’s crazy we’re not gonna see Avowed on GOTY lists this year for any category. I lovedddd that game. I just wish others found the magic.”
Beyond fans and critics, did Avowed secure its nomination?
Beyond all controversies, so what earned Avowed its place? Well, the game has been praised by many for its accessible and vibrant escape. Its players celebrate the Living Land, its world for colourful art design. As per them, it offers quite a refreshing alternative to the often-drab landscapes of some other fantasy titles. Together with it, its cast and offered 25-hour focused runtime, creates a compelling adventure. It feels like a blockbuster movie to players.
A major part of this game’s appeal lies in its flexible combat system. Unlike many other RPGs, where fighting feels secondary at times, Avowed encourages creative experimentation. Here, players can seamlessly mix magic and gunplay, using a pistol in one hand and spells from another. Also, Avowed’s easier respec system allows for constant tinkering with the builds. It ensures action is dynamic and engaging, start to finish.
The Game Awards 2025 nomination has strong RPG competitors
Avowed nomination has placed it in a competitive category. It stands alongside some of the best RPGs like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, The Outer Worlds 2 and Monster Hunter Wilds. The lineup alone highlights the RPG label’s broad nature. It encompasses everything, including scripted narrative, open-world adventure and more. So, how to fairly compare?
The category has brought different design philosophies that stand against one another. It makes nomination of Avowed not just some judgment of quality. It instead reflects on the ongoing struggle of defining what truly makes role-playing games great in 2025.
