Should you play Avowed in third-person mode?

In Avowed, you can press U (default PC key bind) any time to switch to third-person mode. Other than dialogue and cutscenes, there's no forced transition back to first-person, and you can play the entire game this way. But is there anything different between first-person and third-person modes in Avowed? The answer is yes, the game certainly has a design priority for the first-person mode.

In this article, we'll explore the few meaningful differences between the two modes.

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What's different between the first-person and third-person modes in Avowed?

It does give you some superhuman awareness (Image via Sportskeeda || Obsidian Entertainment)

From a baseline balance standpoint, Avowed's third-person mode is similar to its first-person mode. Yet, there are some evident visual problems to address here first.

Movement in the third-person mode does not have nearly the same level of polish. Specifically, you'll snap into position during special attacks (execution). The jump animation looks quite wonky and stiff, and movement in general feels floaty. This problem is most visible when sprinting, where it becomes janky enough to look like you're drifting on an off-roading vehicle.

Other than this, third-person attack animations use first-person counterparts as a reference to replicate the hit-frames and attack speed. This means there are no tactical advantages to third-person mode in Avowed.

While it can be said that the third-person mode offers better situational awareness, you can rotate your camera freely during the radial menu.

The only place where third-person mode has a significant edge is during some specific Fighter Skills and Ranger maneuvers, where you have a much better view of the area of effect for Power Jump and Clear Out. Likewise, you can get a better sense of the enemies you're knocking down with a Power Slide.

Sneaking also feels a bit better in third-person mode, so if you're playing a purely stealthy melee playstyle, this mode may yield better awareness of your surroundings as you pick out your targets at the right moments.

Some players experience nausea while playing first-person mode even with high FOV. In this case, Avowed's inclusion of third-person mode, albeit secondary, is a good accessibility feature. You also get to see your character and fit in all its glory.

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Check out our other guides on the game:

• Avowed Beginner Tips
• Avowed Review
• Why Avowed doesn't have romance
• All Fighter Skills in Avowed, explained