After Obsidian’s unexpected ventures into insect-based survival games and 16th-century detective stories, Avowed marks a return to the type of action RPG that fans have come to expect. Set in the Pillars of Eternity universe, this title delivers on the familiar RPG experiences I love: gathering around a campfire to hear the backstories of party members, looting defeated enemies, and diving into battles against reanimated skeletons and dangerous lizardfolk while picking up shiny loot. In true Obsidian fashion, the world-building, narrative, and open-world environments are well-crafted, and while the experience is engaging, it feels like a blend of previous RPG giants like Skyrim and Dragon Age, rather than something fresh.
As the Envoy of the Emperor, your character is bestowed an immense amount of power, tasked with investigating the mysterious Dreamscourge plague in the wild continent of the Living Lands. Along the way, you’ll be solving personal problems for the locals while exploring caves, forests, and ruins in search of loot, XP, and the occasional random encounter. This familiar structure works well, and Avowed does it with competence, even if it doesn’t break new ground in terms of originality.
Banter with your companions, each with their own quirks, is another highlight. Similar to The Outer Worlds, you can bring two characters with you at any given time, allowing for a dynamic mix of combat and witty interactions. The sarcastic mercenary Kai, with his love of woodworking, and the flirtatious mage Yatzli, who never misses a chance to throw in a suggestive comment, provide ample entertainment. However, the lack of romance options and shallow social interactions is a missed opportunity for deepening these bonds. It would have been nice if these relationships had more substance beyond the occasional playful banter.
Leveraging Obsidian’s expertise in worldbuilding, Avowed is a lore-rich experience that builds on the existing Pillars of Eternity universe. The game allows you to dive into its world through books, scrolls, and conversations with NPCs, and it’s made even more accessible with a reference guide that provides real-time context for the many unique concepts you’ll encounter. If you’re ever unsure about a particular faction, place, or character, you can quickly look it up before making an important decision, which significantly aids in navigating this intricate world.
The combat is solid but familiar. Players can choose to wield magic or melee weapons, each with their own skill trees. I spent a lot of time as a mage, using spells like a black hole that lifts enemies into the air and a lightning storm that wreaks havoc on crowds. Alternatively, the martial classes let you focus on blocking, attacking, and breaking through enemy defenses. On higher difficulties, the game is challenging, and even a small mistake can lead to a swift defeat. While combat is engaging, the lack of enemy variety is one of the game’s major drawbacks. Throughout my 50-hour run, I faced the same handful of enemies repeatedly. From skeletons and spiders to an absurd number of bears (seriously, there are bears everywhere), the combat grew repetitive. The occasional new monster or more interesting enemy encounter was a welcome surprise but felt too infrequent.
Despite the combat’s predictability, there’s plenty of other content to keep you busy. Avowed features four open-world hubs, each with distinct regions like a forested port town, a corrupted countryside, a desert, and a volcanic wasteland. The maps are visually diverse and packed with side quests, hidden treasures, and puzzles, giving them personality and charm. However, once you’ve cleared a region, it can feel a bit lifeless as enemies don’t respawn, making backtracking somewhat dull.
One of the more unique aspects of the game is its emphasis on mobility. The parkour system, allowing your character to jump, climb, and mantle over obstacles, is a fresh addition to the genre. It’s a fun and useful mechanic for finding hidden loot and avoiding traps during your adventures, offering a break from the usual combat and dungeon crawling.
Although the game doesn’t present groundbreaking ideas, there are several thoughtful design choices that improve the overall experience. For example, the stamina system doesn’t penalize you for running around, whether you’re in combat or not. Additionally, the inventory system is more forgiving than most RPGs, with generous encumbrance limits and the ability to instantly send items to your camp stash. These small but significant changes make exploration and looting less tedious, allowing you to focus on the fun parts of the game without being bogged down by traditional RPG annoyances.
What stood out the most to me, however, was Avowed’s technical stability. Over the course of 50+ hours on Xbox Series X, I encountered very few glitches or technical issues. The game ran smoothly with only a handful of minor bugs, and I didn’t experience a single crash, which is a rarity for RPGs of this scope and ambition.
Verdict
Avowed brings back the core elements of traditional RPGs—action-packed combat, rich worldbuilding, and meaningful character interactions—while playing it relatively safe with a familiar fantasy adventure. While it doesn’t revolutionize the genre, it’s a competent, enjoyable experience with strong writing and worldbuilding. The combat can be repetitive, and the lack of variety in enemies hampers long-term engagement, but the overall world and gameplay mechanics are solid. If you’re a fan of Obsidian’s work, you’ll likely enjoy exploring the world of Avowed—just don’t expect it to push boundaries.