{{short description|2018 indie point-and-click adventure game}} {{good article}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2018}} {{Infobox video game | title = Unavowed | image = Unavowed.png | caption = Promotional image depicting Logan with KayKay, Mandana, Eli and Vicki. | alt = A promotional image of the game. It depicts Logan with KayKay, Mandana, Eli and Vicki from left to right in front of a colorful background with mystical symbols and the game's name in the upper left corner | developer = Wadjet Eye Games | publisher = Wadjet Eye Games | designer = Dave Gilbert | programmer = {{ubl|Dave Gilbert}} | artist = {{ubl|Ben Chandler|Ivan Ulyanov}} | writer = {{ubl|Dave Gilbert}} | composer = Thomas Regin | engine = Adventure Game Studio | platforms = macOS<br>Microsoft Windows<br>Nintendo Switch<br/>Linux | released = '''macOS, Windows'''<br/>August 8, 2018<br/>'''Nintendo Switch'''<br/>July 7, 2021<br/>'''Linux'''<br/>January 18, 2022 | genre = Point-and-click adventure | modes = Single-player }}{{Distinguish|Avowed}} '''''Unavowed''''' is an indie point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Wadjet Eye Games. It was released on August 8, 2018.
The game features 2D pixel art visuals and gameplay reminiscent of classic adventure games combined with an interaction system commonly featured in modern adventure games, especially those developed by BioWare. The player chooses to control a male or female protagonist who after a series of supernatural events teams up with the titular group, an ancient team of paranormal investigators. On their quest to find out what happened to them, they must solve a number of quests and puzzles in a variety of locations of a fictionalized version of New York City.
''Unavowed'' was first announced in 2016. Initially planned as a project with 3D visuals built on Unity, the developer decided on using the Adventure Game Studio engine again with 2D visuals due to a lack of programmers familiar with the Unity engine and a lack of resources to create 3D graphics.
''Unavowed'' received generally favorable reviews by critics, with most of them lauding the story and writing in particular. Many also praised the art design for its ability to paint a believable world where the supernatural exists and the background art was positively compared to classical adventure games such as ''Sam & Max Hit the Road'' or the ''Discworld'' game. Some reviewers however criticized the difficulty as too easy and some characters as underdeveloped.
== Gameplay ==
''Unavowed'' features a classic point-and-click style of gameplay reminiscent of the ''Monkey Island'' series or the various ''Quest'' games (such as ''King's Quest'', ''Police Quest'' etc.) by Sierra Entertainment.<ref name="avclub-review">{{Cite news|url=https://www.avclub.com/like-any-good-demon-unavowed-builds-its-best-temptatio-1828215487|title=Like any good demon, Unavowed builds its best temptations around choice|last=Hughes|first=William|date=August 10, 2018|work=The A.V. Club|access-date=September 9, 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823032622/https://games.avclub.com/like-any-good-demon-unavowed-builds-its-best-temptatio-1828215487|archive-date=August 23, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition, the game offers more modern elements, such as choosing teammates for certain missions and a story that is influenced by the player's choices.<ref name="paste-review">{{cite news|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/08/unavowed-points-and-clicks-its-way-to-comfort-and.html|title=Unavowed Points and Clicks Its Way to Comfort and Realistic Friendships|last=Douglas|first=Dante|date=August 31, 2018|newspaper=Paste|access-date=September 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910164809/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/08/unavowed-points-and-clicks-its-way-to-comfort-and.html|archive-date=September 10, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Players can choose to play as a male or female character and must choose one of three backgrounds: actor, bartender or cop.<ref name="gamespot-review">{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/unavowed-review-dressed-to-possess/1900-6416955/|title=Unavowed Review: Dressed To Possess|last=Rayfield|first=David|date=August 8, 2018|website=GameSpot|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910204017/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/unavowed-review-dressed-to-possess/1900-6416955/|archive-date=September 10, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=September 10, 2018}}</ref> Each background alters the interaction with other characters and the dialogue noticeably.<ref name="gamespot-review" /> The game plays out in an episodic fashion similar to television shows with the player choosing which site to visit and which characters to bring with them at the beginning of each mission.<ref name="paste-review" /><ref name="rps-francis-feature">{{Cite news|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/09/20/what-works-and-why-story-structure-in-unavowed/|title=What Works And Why: Story structure in Unavowed|last=Francis|first=Tom|date=September 20, 2018|work=Rock, Paper, Shotgun|access-date=September 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920182455/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/09/20/what-works-and-why-story-structure-in-unavowed/|archive-date=September 20, 2018|url-status=live|language=en-US}}</ref> In the mission, non-player characters have to be talked to and clues analyzed, culminating in a confrontation in which the player must decide the fate of a character or being, often with moral and lasting consequences.<ref name="rps-francis-feature" /> Then the team returns to their headquarters to start a new mission.<ref name="rps-francis-feature" /> All characters feature full voice-acting,<ref name="paste-review" /> except the protagonist, who remains mute throughout the game except when not controlled by the player.<ref name="pcgamer-review" /> Instead of engaging in combat, players are tasked to defend themselves against enemies by solving puzzles that range from deciphering code to releasing creatures before they can cause more harm.<ref name="gamespot-review" /><ref name="rps-review">{{Cite news|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/08/wot-i-think-unavowed/|title=Wot I Think: Unavowed|last=Walker|first=John|date=August 8, 2018|work=Rock Paper Shotgun|access-date=September 9, 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909150444/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/08/wot-i-think-unavowed/|archive-date=September 9, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> While there are some actions that lead to failure, the player cannot die or reach a game over; making mistakes merely resets the game to the state before the mistake.<ref name="game">{{Cite video game|title=Unavowed|developer=Wadjet Eye Games|platform=Microsoft Windows|date=August 8, 2018}}</ref> The game allows saving outside of dialogue but limits the amount of save files to 50.<ref name="game" />
Depending on the choice of companions, the dialogue and choices within the mission will be altered as will the puzzles, with each area providing different solutions based on the companions' abilities.<ref name="paste-review" /><ref name="rps-review" /> For example, a mission with Logan as a companion will feature ghosts that can be talked to and used to help solve puzzles but those ghosts will not be in the same mission if Logan is not chosen to accompany the protagonist.<ref name="rps-review" /> During each mission, one or more flashbacks of the possessed protagonist's actions will happen, allowing the player to extrapolate their next actions based on their vision of the past.<ref name="rps-francis-feature" />
== Synopsis == ===Setting and characters=== As with Wadjet Eye's previous ''Blackwell'' series, the game is set in a fictionalized version of contemporary New York City where magic and demons are real and takes place in various New York settings, such as Chinatown, Brooklyn, Staten Island and Wall Street.<ref name="paste-review" /><ref name="gamespot-review" /> In an intro, the protagonist is shown to have been possessed by a demon and run amok in New York City for a year before the events of the game; how the demon came to possess the body differs based on the chosen backstory.<ref name="rps-review" /><ref name="eurogamer-it-review">{{cite news|url=https://www.eurogamer.it/articles/2018-08-08-unavowed-recensione|title=Unavowed - recensione|last=Cucchiarelli|first=Daniele|date=August 8, 2018|newspaper=Eurogamer.it|access-date=September 9, 2018|language=it|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910164836/https://www.eurogamer.it/articles/2018-08-08-unavowed-recensione|archive-date=September 10, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Unavowed'' begins with the protagonist being exorcised by Eli, a sorcerer belonging to Unavowed, a group of supernatural investigators.<ref name="avclub-review" /><ref name="gamespot-review" /> Unable to return to their old life, they join Unavowed to reconstruct the events of the previous year.<ref name="avclub-review" />
Aside from the protagonist, the New York chapter of Unavowed consists of Kalash, a jinn and the chapter's leader and founder, Mandana, Kalash's half-jinn daughter and Eli, a fire mage who discovered his talents during the Nixon administration and has not aged since. During the events of the game, Logan, a recovering alcoholic and medium who travels with KayKay, the spirit of a dead ten-year old who helps him connect with other ghosts, and Vicki, a former police officer who also was the protagonist's former partner if they chose the cop background, join Unavowed.<ref name="hardcoregaming101-review">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/unavowed/|title=Unavowed|last=Kaharl|first=Jonathan|date=August 8, 2018|website=Hardcore Gaming 101|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911002509/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/unavowed/|archive-date=September 11, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=September 10, 2018}}</ref>
===Plot=== After the exorcism, the player's character joins Unavowed's New York branch and learns that supernatural threats have increased within the last year. The team visits the places where supernatural occurrences have been reported. When researching on Staten Island, the team encounters Vicki Santina who was suspended after questioning supernatural occurrences within the NYPD's 120th precinct. On a mission in the Bronx, they meet Logan who, together with his spirit guide KayKay, tries to calm three poltergeists. Once both problems are solved, Logan and Vicki join Unavowed. When reexamining the first site the team investigated with Logan and Vicki, the team encounters Galene, a dryad Kalash banished 400 years earlier, with whom the protagonist had made a pact and learns the demon's name, Melkhiresa. Galene captures one of the team members and challenges Kalash to fight her in a battle to the death. The player's character is forced to kill Kalash to defeat Galene.
With the demon's name, Eli is able to determine that they had returned to the place of the first possession: the Under The Bricks theater (actor background), Sammy's Bar (barkeeper background) or the Eternox Nightclub (cop background). There the team finds a closed portal and notes previously written by the protagonist indicating a total of six sites they had been interfering with. These include the three already investigated, as well as three additional sites; on Wall Street, in Manhattan Chinatown and near Prospect Park in Brooklyn. On Wall Street, the team discovers that the protagonist conspired with fae folk to kidnap Eli's great-grandson and manage to rescue him. In Prospect Park, they encounter Calliope, a muse who lost her talents to a local artist who used them to "inspire" an artist to set himself aflame and a baker to use his own blood in his products. In Chinatown, they find out that a ba jiao gui (banana ghost from Chinese folklore) haunts the neighborhood, and deal with it.
The player may tackle these three sites in any order. After finishing two of them, the player's character is possessed again but they manage to alert the team by reaching out to KayKay. The game flashes back to the opening scene, which now plays out differently: the protagonist had actually forced Melkhiresa to meld with them. The nature of this melding meant that the protagonist's memories entered Melkhiresa's mind (hence why Melkhiresa acted naturally in the protagonist's body), while Melkhiresa's boundless knowledge was available to the protagonist, allowing them to use it for their own agenda. Eli's exorcisms are not limited to demons; they can exorcise any "wicked spirit", and this includes the protagonist. After Eli exorcised the protagonist's soul in the beginning of the game, this led to the protagonist's soul being removed from the body while Melkhiresa, the demon, was left in control of their body. The team catches up with the player's character and exorcises the protagonist again, leaving Melkhiresa once again in control of the protagonist's body, but the protagonist's wicked spirit escapes and remains free. The team then proceeds to finish the third task. alt=Screenshot of the game, depicting the team plus Melkhiresa arriving in the antagonist's pocket dimension with Logan exclaiming surprise.|thumb|Unavowed arrives in the antagonist's pocket dimension.
With all six sites investigated, they return to the place Melkhiresa first joined with the protagonist and use a portal to travel to a pocket dimension to hunt down the protagonist's soul. Various obstacles have to be scaled on the way and, depending on the choices in previous missions, Melkhiresa summons creatures previously encountered to help the team. The player's character confronts the soul of the protagonist on top of the Empire State Building who pleads with them to willingly merge into one being again to create a new world based on their beliefs. The player can react in four different ways to this proposal:
#Melkhiresa threatens to kill the protagonist's body they are in, forcing the protagonist's soul to release them. By releasing Melkhiresa, the pocket dimension collapses and the protagonist, now powerless, is arrested for their crimes. #Melkhiresa takes their own life by falling down the building, killing the protagonist in the process and the protagonist's body is later found in the real world at the bottom of the Empire State Building. #If Melkhiresa decides to merge with the protagonist willingly, the Unavowed will be left asleep in the pocket dimension while the protagonist does what they plan with Melkhiresa's help. #Trying to fight the protagonist will lead to them forcefully merging with Melkhiresa and then killing the Unavowed team before setting out in the real world to create more havoc.
When choosing the first or second option, an ending sequence will play, with the other members of Unavowed narrating what happened next based on the player's choices in the game. Choosing the third or fourth option will only show the credits. Depending on whether the Unavowed or the protagonist emerge victorious after the final confrontation, the opening screen of the game changes, showing either the team or the protagonist.
== Development == The game was first announced by its designer Dave Gilbert in March 2016 on the Adventure Game Studio forums.<ref name="pcgamer-announcement">{{Cite news|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/wadjet-eyes-next-game-is-a-supernatural-adventure-called-unavowed/|title=Wadjet Eye's next game is a supernatural adventure called Unavowed|last=Chalk|first=Andy|date=March 21, 2016|work=PC Gamer|access-date=September 10, 2018|language=EN-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910165050/https://www.pcgamer.com/wadjet-eyes-next-game-is-a-supernatural-adventure-called-unavowed/|archive-date=September 10, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> It was the first game Gilbert wrote since 2014 and the first new intellectual property since 2006.<ref name="pcgamer-announcement" /> Gilbert noted that he was inspired by remarks made by former BioWare senior writer Jennifer Hepler in a 2006 interview to develop a role-playing game which offers a branching, party-based narrative, but without combat mechanics or level progression of the player characters' abilities.<ref name=Minus>{{cite web|url=https://www.tomsguide.com/us/unavowed-gdc-hands-on,news-26816.html|title=Unavowed Plays Like a BioWare Game, Minus the Combat|first=Marshall|last= Honorof|publisher=Tom's Hardware|date= March 21, 2018|access-date= March 7, 2021}}</ref> Hepler is credited as story co-designer for ''Unavowed''.<ref name=RPS>{{cite web|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/blackwell-unavowed-interview|title=Wadjet Eye Interview: Urban Fantasy Adventure Unavowed Returns To World Of Blackwell Series|first=Adam|last= Smith|publisher=Rock, Paper, Shotgun|date= March 26, 2016|access-date= March 7, 2021}}</ref>
From the beginning, Gilbert planned to have the player character being mute, with the other characters responding to the text choices, akin to earlier games developed by BioWare which also featured mute protagonists.{{Citation needed|reason=Was sourced from unreliable source as per Video game Project|date=July 2024}} Gilbert explained this choice with the complexities of having two different genders and three backstories for the protagonist to choose from which would have forced the developers to record six different voice tracks.{{Citation needed|reason=Was sourced from unreliable source as per Video game Project|date=July 2024}} ''Unavowed'' was built using the Adventure Game Studio engine, modified to allow fully voiced dialogue and groups of characters appearing at once.<ref name="paste-review" /> According to Gilbert, he tried to develop ''Unavowed'' on Unity at the beginning because of how dated Adventure Game Studio already was but decided against it because the team had no experience with Unity and not enough time to learn.{{Citation needed|reason=Was sourced from unreliable source as per Video game Project|date=July 2024}}
The game uses 2D pixel art visuals with a variety of backgrounds.<ref name="adventuregamers-review">{{Cite web|url=https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/35682|title=Unavowed Review|last=Hoover|first=Richard|date=August 8, 2018|website=Adventure Gamers|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910164902/https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/35682|archive-date=September 10, 2018|url-status=usurped|access-date=September 10, 2018}}</ref> The artwork and animations were created by Ben Chandler, who also worked on previous Wadjet Eye games, with the portrait art being created by Ivan Ulyanov.<ref name="rps-review" /> The game features twice the resolution compared to previous Wadjet Eye games using the same design and engine, allowing more details despite the pixel art look.<ref name="pcgames-review">{{Cite news|url=http://www.pcgames.de/Unavowed-Spiel-61857/Tests/Review-Adventure-Retro-Mystery-1263344/|title=Unavowed im Test: Im Bann der Dämonen|last=Schütz|first=Felix|date=August 21, 2018|work=PC Games|access-date=September 10, 2018|language=de}}</ref> According to Gilbert, the choice of pixel art was also a financial one, stating that his studio simply did not have the resources to develop a 3D game or a game with aesthetics similar to ''Life Is Strange'' or adventure games developed by Telltale Games although he would have liked that.<ref name="pcworld-preview">{{Cite news|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/3181356/gaming/how-wadjet-eyes-unavowed-weaves-modern-design-into-a-gritty-point-and-click-adventure.html|title=How Wadjet Eye's Unavowed weaves modern design into a gritty point-and-click adventure|last=Dingman|first=Hayden|date=March 18, 2017|work=PC World|access-date=September 21, 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170605133002/http://www.pcworld.com/article/3181356/gaming/how-wadjet-eyes-unavowed-weaves-modern-design-into-a-gritty-point-and-click-adventure.html|archive-date=June 5, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
A first teaser video was released in December 2017,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/unavoweds-first-teaser-sheds-light-on-a-supernatural-adventure-from-wadjet-eye/|title=Unavowed's first teaser sheds light on a supernatural adventure from Wadjet Eye|last=Chalk|first=Andy|date=December 6, 2017|work=PC Gamer|access-date=September 10, 2018|language=EN-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910164835/https://www.pcgamer.com/unavoweds-first-teaser-sheds-light-on-a-supernatural-adventure-from-wadjet-eye/|archive-date=September 10, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> with the game being released on Microsoft Windows and macOS on August 8, 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-08-08-ambitious-bioware-inspired-demonic-point-and-click-adventure-unavowed-is-out-now|title=Ambitious, BioWare-inspired demonic point-and-click adventure Unavowed is out now|last=Wales|first=Matt|date=August 8, 2018|work=Eurogamer|access-date=September 10, 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910170143/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-08-08-ambitious-bioware-inspired-demonic-point-and-click-adventure-unavowed-is-out-now|archive-date=September 10, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The game was released for Nintendo Switch on July 7, 2021 and for Linux on January 18, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-07-07 |title=Supernatural Detective Game 'Unavowed' Gets Surprise Switch Release |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/07/supernatural_detective_game_unavowed_gets_surprise_switch_release |access-date=2023-02-19 |website=Nintendo Life |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Unavowed from Wadjet Eye Games arrives on Linux |url=https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2022/01/unavowed-from-wadjet-eye-games-arrives-on-linux/ |access-date=2023-02-19 |website=GamingOnLinux |date=January 28, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
== Reception == {{Video game reviews|PCGUS=80/100<ref name="pcgamer-review" />|GSpot=9/10<ref name="gamespot-review" />|AdvGamers=5/5<ref name="adventuregamers-review" />|MC=87/100<ref name="metacritic" />|rev1=''Eurogamer'' (Italy)|rev1Score=8/10<ref name="eurogamer-it-review"/>|rev2=''IGN'' (Italy)|rev2Score=8.7/10<ref name="ign-it-review"/>|rev3=''PC Games''|rev3Score=8/10<ref name="pcgames-review" />|rev4=''4Players''|rev4Score=84%<ref name="4players-review" />|rev5=''Slant Magazine''|rev5Score=4/5<ref name="slant-review" />}}
''Unavowed'' received a score of 87/100 on review aggregator Metacritic, indicating generally favorable reviews by critics.<ref name="metacritic">{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/unavowed/critic-reviews/?platform=pc|title=Unavowed|work=Metacritic|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916185903/https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/unavowed|archive-date=September 16, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=September 10, 2018}}</ref> Commercially, it was an unexpected success: Wadjet Eye Games reported in April 2019 that the game had sold more than "everything we've done by far".<ref name=advgamersint>{{cite web | url=https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/37538 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723001818/https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/37538 | url-status=usurped | archive-date=July 23, 2019 | title=Dave Gilbert – Wadjet Eye Games | author=Cress, Laura | date=April 17, 2019 | work=Adventure Gamers | access-date=July 22, 2019 }}</ref>
The game's visual design was praised by multiple reviewers as atmospheric and making good use of lighting and colors to paint a believable world where the supernatural exists.<ref name="pcgamer-review">{{cite web|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/unavowed-review/|title=Unavowed review|last=Kelly|first=Andy|date=August 8, 2018|work=PC Gamer|access-date=September 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820192133/https://www.pcgamer.com/unavowed-review/|archive-date=August 20, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="pcgames-review" /><ref name="ign-it-review">{{cite web|url=https://it.ign.com/unavowed-pc/143794/review/unavowed-la-recensione|title=Unavowed - La recensione|last=Destri|first=Francesco|date=August 16, 2018|work=IGN Italia|access-date=September 9, 2018|language=it|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910165044/https://it.ign.com/unavowed-pc/143794/review/unavowed-la-recensione|archive-date=September 10, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Critics also liked the higher resolution, allowing more details to be displayed.<ref name="pcgames-review" /> In a 2017 preview, ''PC World'' claimed that Ben Chandler, the game's artist, "has really outdone himself" and that the design helps to strengthen the idea of New York City "as this mystical place where the supernatural hides in the shadows".<ref name="pcworld-preview" /> This sentiment was echoed by ''Rock, Paper, Shotgun'', which concluded that the game features Chandler's best work to date.<ref name="rps-review" /> ''PC Gamer's'' Jody Macgregor wrote a separate feature article just focusing on the background art, positively comparing the artwork to scenes from classical adventures, such as the carnival in ''Sam & Max Hit the Road'' or the city of Ankh-Morpork from the ''Discworld'' game.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-classic-style-adventure-game-background-art-of-unavowed/|title=The classic-style adventure game background art of Unavowed|last=Macgregor|first=Jody|date=August 30, 2018|work=PC Gamer|access-date=September 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910164934/https://www.pcgamer.com/the-classic-style-adventure-game-background-art-of-unavowed/|archive-date=September 10, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>
Most reviewers lauded the companion characters, especially their writing and voice acting.<ref name="pcgames-review" /> ''GameSpot'' noted that "getting drawn into a lengthy conversation is a joy" because of "well-rounded characters, complete with their own fears, desires, and vexes" and credits this to "incredible" voice acting and writing.<ref name="gamespot-review" /> The writing garnered praise from other reviewers as well, with many critics especially lauding the branching story and the interesting characters.<ref name="avclub-review" /><ref name="pcgamer-review" /><ref name="rps-review" /><ref name="hardcoregaming101-review" /><ref name="adventuregamers-review" /><ref name="ign-it-review" /> In a feature for ''Rock, Paper, Shotgun'', ''Heat Signature'' and ''Gunpoint'' designer Tom Francis highlighted the episodic structure of ''Unavowed'' and praised the game's approach to story-telling as a "glowing example" of how a game can even appeal to players that normally do not like adventure games.<ref name="rps-francis-feature" /> ''Slant Magazine'' on the other hand found the characters limited, especially the character of Vicki who was considered one-dimensional as well as the lack of focus on Logan who was only noted for being a recovering alcoholic with no other life outside his addiction.<ref name="slant-review">{{cite web|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/games/review/unavowed|title=Unavowed|last=Scaife|first=Steven|date=August 9, 2018|work=Slant Magazine|access-date=September 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911114534/https://www.slantmagazine.com/games/review/unavowed|archive-date=September 11, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> It also chided that interesting character narrations are interrupted by mundane quests.<ref name="slant-review" />
Many critics also credited the quality of the voice acting for selling the story and the characters, even though ''PC Gamer'' and ''Adventure Gamers'' both offered minor criticism on some voices.<ref name="gamespot-review" /><ref name="hardcoregaming101-review" /><ref name="adventuregamers-review" /> The soundtrack by Thomas Regin was regarded as complementing the atmosphere.<ref name="rps-review" /> Multiple critics praised the game's replay value due to using different companions unlocking previously unknown interactions.<ref name="gamespot-review" /><ref name="rps-review" /><ref name="eurogamer-it-review" />
Several reviewers bemoaned that quests are too easy and can be easily solved, such as by exploring the environment.<ref name="rps-review" /><ref name="hardcoregaming101-review" /><ref name="pcgames-review" /><ref name="4players-review">{{cite web|url=http://www.4players.de/4players.php/dispbericht/PC-CDROM/Test/39827/83313/0/Unavowed.html|title=Unavowed - Test, Adventure - 4Players.de|last=Wöbbeking|first=Jan|date=August 9, 2018|work=4Players|access-date=September 9, 2018|language=de|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910164916/http://www.4players.de/4players.php/dispbericht/PC-CDROM/Test/39827/83313/0/Unavowed.html|archive-date=September 10, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> However, ''Rock, Paper, Shotgun'' also remarked that puzzles become better in the second half of the game<ref name="rps-review" /> and ''GameSpot'' found the quests "varied and often unpredictable".<ref name="gamespot-review" /> ''4Players'' considered the controls unnecessarily limiting, only using the mouse and some keys when the whole keyboard was available.<ref name="4players-review" />
Despite minor criticisms, ''Adventure Gamers'' called it an instant classic.<ref name="adventuregamers-review" /> ''The A.V. Club'' called ''Unavowed'' Gilbert's best work to date, especially praising the design and the writing and comparing it favorably to the ''Quest'' games and the ''Monkey Island'' series.<ref name="avclub-review" /> ''Rock, Paper, Shotgun'' was equally impressed, especially lauding the BioWare-style story that offers many complex and complicating features successfully "in a way the genre has genuinely never seen before".<ref name="rps-review" />
The game was nominated for "Best Storytelling" at the 2018 Golden Joystick Awards but lost to ''God of War''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gaming/news/golden-joysticks-2018-nominees-announced-voting-open-now/|title=Golden Joysticks 2018 nominees announced, voting open now|last=Hoggins|first=Tom|date=September 24, 2018|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=October 6, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/golden-joystick-awards-2018-winners/|title=Golden Joystick Awards 2018 winners: God of War wins big but Fortnite gets Victory Royale|last=Sheridan|first=Connor|date=November 16, 2018|work=GamesRadar+|access-date=November 17, 2018}}</ref> It was also nominated for "Excellence in Narrative" at the Independent Games Festival Awards.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/gaming/news/igf-awards-2019-nominees-1203098551/|title='Return of the Obra Dinn' Leads IGF Awards Nominees|last=Fogel|first=Stephanie|date=January 3, 2019|work=Variety|access-date=January 14, 2019}}</ref> Writing for ''Vox'', Emily St. James called ''Unavowed's'' twist the best plot twist of 2018, commending the developers for playing with the adventure genre's tropes to lull players into believing the game was a classical redemption story.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/12/19/18140072/best-video-games-2018-plot-twist-unavowed|title=2018's best plot twist came in a video game|last=St. James|first=Emily|author-link=Emily St. James|date=December 19, 2018|work=Vox|access-date=August 2, 2019}}</ref>
==See also== *''Lamplight City''
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == *{{Official website}}
{{Wadjet Eye Games}}
Category:2018 video games Category:Adventure games Category:MacOS games Category:Nintendo Switch games Category:Point-and-click adventure games Category:Single-player video games Category:Video games about demons Category:Video games about police officers Category:Video games developed in the United States Category:Video games with gender-selectable protagonists Category:Video games set in New York City Category:Video games with commentaries Category:Windows games Category:Adventure Game Studio games Category:Wadjet Eye Games games