Initial release date: February 18, 2025
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Platforms: Xbox Series X and Series S, GeForce Now, Microsoft Windows
Engine: Unreal Engine 5, Unreal Engine
Genres: Action role-playing game, Adventure game, Shooter game, Fighting game
License: proprietary license
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
KEY TAKAWAYS
- Sublime, fluid, fun, fast interchangeable combat mechanics
- Good writing
- Pillars of Eternity’s world didn’t grab me
- Good companion dialogue
- Meaningful consequential choices
- Decent artstyle
- Needed more enemy variety
- Cities seem static with NPCs
- High fantasy setting
- Pedantic protagonist
- Decent music and sound design
- Important NPCs were memorable enough
- Needed a bigger budget?
- Multiple endings
- Decent quest design
- True fantasy RPG
- 20 hour campaign
- Good story
- Large explorative hubs
- Has enough content
- Good but not S-Tier RPG
- Not in the same league as Fallout: New Vegas or Skyrim
Introduction
Avowed is a high fantasy themed first person role-playing video game developed by the maker’s of Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds, Obsidian Entertainment. Avowed is based on the Pillars of Eternity video game series. I have to point out Avowed never “fully” grasped me.
For reference, I played Avowed via Gamepass on my Xbox Series X which ran and look pretty good at sixty frames per second. Don’t quote me on the FPS though. Okay! It’s time to get into the review. Let’s go!
Presentation
Avowed is a good role playing video game that did and didn’t grab me. For instance, I loved the seamless combat mechanics of blending classes together. I went with a grimoire and sword playing out my battlemage fantasy.
The negative side is the world as a whole, The Living Lands. Yet interesting from a story perspective the whole Pillars of Eternity, Living Lands didn’t grab me. The cities were too static as the majority of NPCs just stood in place.
Dialogue choices were great and meangingful throughout the campaign as were the Anvoy’s companion quests which tied into the main story. Writing was solid throughout. Decent visuals and fantastic gameplay really shined for Avowed. Technically, the game was pretty solid with no serious bugs or glitches.
Story
You play as a the Envoy sent to The Living Lands to investigate a plague called the Dreamscourge. The story’s core was good due to the myriad of intertwining choices coupled with good written dialogue sequences. There were plenty of twists and turns for me regarding who the Envoy was and the player agency was solid.
Gameplay
Avowd’s gameplay and player agency coupled with dialogue choices impacting it’s story is it’s best attribute. Avowd’s first person mix of weapons with magic was seamless and fun. Upgrading systems and gameplay mechanics didn’t really matter due you upgrading whatever you did in-game.
Loot was serviceable as well enemy variety were decent but carried too many bears in open maps across it’s regions. My two main combat loadouts either had two handed melee power weapon or a grimoire in left hand with a sword of pistol in the right. I really enjoyed trying different combat loadouts.
You can play Avowed in third or first person. Side Quests were very okayish depending on if they were companion based which in that case I enjoyed them. Main missions were fairly diverse in design and challenging as were the various regions.
Visuals
Avowed has a crisp static look with an art design I enjoyed and loathed if that made sense. I experienced beautiful vistas across all regions yet did not like the color palettes for some reason.
Sound
I enjoyed the companions voice acting and writing in this. Music was your standard high-fantasy fair but nothing memorable. Brandon Keener who played Kai has the chops. He voiced Garrus in Mass Effect. Just saying.
Avowed: A really good role playing game featuring some of the most engaging, fun, fast paced combat beating out Skyrim's gameplay in my opinion. The Living Lands was static in cities regarding NPCs. Solid story and writing makes this a buy or a download on Gamepass. – Jason
