When I first stepped onto the shores of the Living Lands in Avowed, I was immediately struck by how the Game Plus feature transforms subsequent playthroughs into entirely new adventures. Having spent over 80 hours across multiple saves, I can confidently say this isn't just your typical New Game Plus implementation - it's a carefully crafted system that respects your time while adding substantial depth to the experience. The moment my Godlike character washed ashore with those distinctive facial features marking my divine connection, I realized how different this journey would be compared to my initial playthrough.
What truly amazed me was how Game Plus handles the plague narrative. On my first playthrough, I rushed through the main quest about tracking down the source of the plague turning people into bloodthirsty creatures. But with Game Plus, I discovered layers I'd completely missed. The game preserves all my discovered glossary entries about important names and places, which means when characters reference historical events from the Pillars of Eternity universe, I actually understand the context now. It's like reading a complex novel for the second time and catching all the foreshadowing you initially overlooked. The tension between the distant monarch's influence and the local inhabitants feels completely different when you already understand the factions involved.
The character progression system in Game Plus deserves special mention. Unlike many RPGs where you simply restart with your levels and gear, Avowed introduces what I call "narrative carry-over." Your relationships with factions don't reset completely - certain characters remember your previous actions, and this creates fascinating roleplaying opportunities. I found myself making different choices not because I wanted to see alternative outcomes, but because my understanding of the world had fundamentally changed. When that merchant in the coastal village mentioned events across the ocean, I actually grasped the significance this time around rather than just nodding along pretending I understood the reference.
Combat in Game Plus introduces what I consider the smartest difficulty scaling I've encountered. Instead of just making enemies damage sponges, the game introduces new enemy behaviors and environmental interactions. During my third playthrough, I noticed enemies using combination attacks I'd never seen before, and the plague-transformed creatures exhibited different movement patterns that forced me to rethink my entire approach to encounters. It kept the combat fresh and challenging without feeling artificially difficult. I estimate that subsequent playthroughs reveal approximately 40% additional combat mechanics that simply aren't present in the initial experience.
The way Game Plus handles the Godlike abilities particularly impressed me. Those distinct facial features aren't just cosmetic - they tie directly into gameplay mechanics that unfold differently in subsequent playthroughs. I discovered that certain NPCs react to my character differently based on choices I made in previous saves, creating this wonderful sense of continuity across what are technically separate playthroughs. It's these subtle touches that demonstrate how much thought the developers put into making Game Plus feel meaningful rather than just repetitive.
What surprised me most was how the Living Lands themselves changed in Game Plus. Areas that seemed straightforward initially revealed hidden pathways and secrets that I'm convinced the game intentionally hides from first-time players. I stumbled upon an entire underground network beneath the main city that I'd completely missed during my initial 50-hour playthrough. The environmental storytelling becomes richer, with visual cues and background details taking on new significance when you already understand the broader context of the world's politics and history.
The plague narrative hits differently when you replay it too. Knowing the eventual outcome of certain characters' transformations adds this layer of tragic dramatic irony to interactions. There's one particular side character who I knew would succumb to the plague, and watching their gradual deterioration while trying different approaches to save them created one of the most emotionally engaging gaming experiences I've had this year. Game Plus transforms what could have been a simple monster-hunting quest into this profound commentary on fate and desperation.
I particularly appreciate how the game handles knowledge progression. That handy glossary system becomes increasingly valuable in subsequent playthroughs, with new entries unlocking based on your expanded understanding. It's like the game recognizes that you're becoming more knowledgeable about its world and rewards that investment with deeper insights. I found myself actually reading through the lore entries more carefully in Game Plus, whereas during my first playthrough I mostly skimmed them while eager to get back to the action.
The faction dynamics shine brightest in Game Plus. Understanding the historical tensions between different groups allows you to navigate conversations with much greater sophistication. I managed to achieve diplomatic outcomes that simply weren't available to me initially because I lacked the contextual understanding of why certain factions distrust the distant monarch's influence. It's remarkable how the same dialogue options take on different meanings when you comprehend the subtext and history behind them.
After completing three full playthroughs totaling around 180 hours, I can safely say that Avowed's Game Plus feature represents one of the most thoughtful implementations of the concept I've encountered in modern RPGs. It respects your time while rewarding deeper engagement, creating this wonderful cycle where each playthrough feels both familiar and fresh. The way it builds upon the established Pillars of Eternity universe without requiring encyclopedic knowledge demonstrates how to handle legacy IP while remaining accessible to newcomers. For anyone who enjoys deep roleplaying experiences, skipping Game Plus would mean missing at least half of what makes Avowed special. The developers didn't just create a game - they created a world worth revisiting, with each return journey revealing new depths and perspectives that transform your understanding of everything that came before.