If you are not new to the role-playing genre, you surely know the reputation of Obsidian Entertainment's games. They have good stories, engaging gameplay, and very often, technical issues, and all of that. This was the case with Star Wars: KOTOR 2, then Fallout: New Vegas, and to some extent, even The Outer Worlds (although that game technically broke in a later release). Has Avowed finally broken that curse?
Looking for a different kind of experience? Check out our Tails Of Iron 2 review!
The Technical Difficulties of Avowed
If you had asked me just a few days ago, I would have told you that Avowed is one of the worst-optimized games I have ever seen. I was actually considering abandoning the review altogether because the game kept crashing on startup (during shader compilation). But, to spare you the technical details, I switched from the Game Pass version to the Steam version, where the situation was much better. In the meantime, the game received a "Day 1" patch that also fixed the Game Pass version.
Aside from optimization complaints, the game is in a relatively decent state regarding bugs. Occasionally, I couldn't complete a side quest because something wouldn't appear, or sometimes, something would block the only passage, forcing me to reload the last save and repeat the fight. It's not unnoticeable, but it's also not a massive deal for an open-type game where you can sink over 50 hours of gameplay.
So, Obsidian's technical curse hasn't been completely broken, but you'll be glad to know that the other side of the coin has retained its qualities. The team at Obsidian is known for creating games with interesting and layered stories, and Avowed is a prime example of an excellent narrative. You'll enjoy Avowed's story the most if you like theological, existential, and philosophical debates, themes of social division, politics, and so on. The game takes place in the Pillars of Eternity games, and you can feel that it's a place rich in history and culture.
The Story
Avowed's story is a unique and intriguing one. As a player, you find yourself in a fascinating position, both as an envoy of the empire on a colonized island and as a member of the rare Godlike race. In both cases, you are a stranger, and that's how everyone initially treats you. Essentially, you are a being touched by a deity at birth, and it's a bit enigmatic that no one can determine which god (out of 10+ available) shaped you in their image. This ties into an interesting plot that affects the fate of an entire continent, and I won't spoil the details. The game first gives you a sense of uniqueness in the world and then makes you question whether that uniqueness is good or bad.
What I appreciate about Obsidian's games is that they present two different perspectives of the story. Usually, you can be both the savior and the destroyer of the world, and a similar situation exists in Avowed. The option to side with the oppressors is something we don't often see in modern RPGs, so Avowed gets a plus for the freedom it offers in crafting your own story. This freedom of choice is not just a feature, it's a powerful tool that empowers you to shape the narrative as you see fit.
Additionally, companions in Obsidian's games are often top-notch. Kreia from KOTOR 2, Boone from New Vegas, and Eric Cartman from South Park – are all brilliant characters. In Avowed, we have four companions, each with different backgrounds and their own worldview. They won't end up among the most famous characters in video game history, but they complement each other well, and it's interesting to listen to them debate in camp. My favorite was Kai, a deserter with PTSD, whose backstory is gradually revealed during your adventure if you allow it.
The Look And Feel of Avowed
I mentioned earlier that Avowed makes you feel that the world of Eora is more significant than just one game. They did an excellent job portraying this setting and the strange phenomena you encounter. A good part of this is revealed through conversations, and specific linguistic expressions play a significant role. The game has invented phrases and dialects, which help immerse you in its fantasy. Because of this, the world of Avowed feels far more convincing than, for example, the one in the latest Dragon Age, where BioWare, in its infinite wisdom, decided that in an exotic land, people swear in Spanish. Thankfully, there's none of that nonsense here. Avowed's world-building is not just immersive, it's captivating, drawing you in and making you feel invested in the game's universe.
However, there are some things I find lacking in Avowed's storytelling. The first is that part of the story, for some background context, is presented as static images – as if you're watching a PowerPoint presentation. This isn't unusual for Pillars of Eternity, but the previous two games had lower production values and cost less than 50 euros. Avowed costs 70 euros, and I find it strange that a game at this price doesn't have decent cutscenes to present its story. Of course, you can play it through a subscription to save money, but then it feels like buyers of this game are paying a tax because Microsoft needs to financially compensate for the game being available on a subscription.
The Class System, Or Lack Thereof
The game is based on a classless system – you can be whatever you want. You have a choice of origin that slightly affects your starting stats and some dialogue options, and after that, you're free to build your character however you want and change them at any time. Most skills in Avowed aren't locked behind branching paths, i.e., a so-called skill tree. Here, you can develop magic skills the entire time and then unlock advanced fighter or ranger skills at level 20. There are no restrictions on using different weapons and equipment; whatever you (can) pick up, you can use it whenever you want.
The classless system in Avowed is a breath of fresh air. It doesn't punish experimentation with different weapons but encourages it. I started with a sword, then used a bow, switched to a combination of pistol and magic, discovered a mace, settled for a while with a rifle, then found an interesting spear… The game has over ten types of weapons and allows for combining them. You have two sets that you can switch between with one button (or the mouse wheel), and in each hand, you can carry a different type of weapon. You can even play this game as a shooter: a pistol in each hand and a rifle in the second set.
The Combat of Avowed
Using different types of weapons and various combinations of those weapons forms the solid foundation of Avowed's fun combat. There's no bad type of weapon here, only a bad way of using it. However, this system is only interesting if you're willing to switch weapon types frequently. If you stick to just swords, one combat style becomes dull over time and inefficient. For example, you find/buy a good sword. You can upgrade and augment it to strengthen it, but the resources required for this become rarer as the weapon's quality increases. You can buy more potent weapons, but the prices are prohibitively high. So, the most logical solution is to switch to another type of weapon you've picked up, more potent than the sword you've grown accustomed to.
Combat is the best part of Avowed. It's real-time, but like in Pillars games and the recent Dragon Age, you can pause tactical. At first, I rarely used it because the fights weren't particularly challenging. Later, pausing becomes necessary as the number of enemies increases, and it's crucial to attack strategically, combining attacks and skills for extra damage. For example, you'll freeze an enemy and then charge at them, shattering them into ice shards. Or you'll order your companion Marius to immobilize an enemy to make them a stationary target for a headshot.
What About The Enemies and The environment?
The enemies are varied, and there's also elemental interactivity with the environment. For instance, you need to be mindful of the surfaces you're fighting on – if you're in the water and your weapon generates electricity, hitting an enemy will also damage you. What I liked most was the satisfying physics of the first-person combat. When you're whacking enemies, you feel your blows' impact. You get clear feedback when someone blocks your attack and when you land a hit. When you trigger a critical hit here, it's something like a Glory Kill from Doom – there's a kick, and in slow motion, you see yourself smashing the enemy. At first, it's a bit confusing when the game takes control in such situations, but you get used to it.
Avowed declares itself as an RPG, but besides the combat system and dialogue framework, it lacks depth or exceptional interactivity. This is the type of game where you can't attack anyone unless it allows it. For example, at one point, I talked to characters I could attack by choosing combat in the dialogue. I didn't do that, and after exiting the conversation, I thought I'd attack them by surprise. The attacks just passed through them as if they weren't there.
The game has a stealth mechanic that is useless 99% of the time. There's no stealth skill to allow for such gameplay, and there's no theft system for which stealth would be helpful. Whatever you see, you can steal – no one will complain even if you take it right in front of their eyes.
The Worldbuilding of Avowed
Avowed isn't a game where the world feels alive. Each region has its town, loaded separately from the main map, and you can't tell which is emptier than the other. The few inhabitants you see on the streets mostly stand still, day or night. Compared to the recent KCD2, where every character in the game has their own daily routine, Avowed feels like a game that's at least one or two generations old, if not more. The world's static nature is on par with Oblivion from twenty years ago, maybe even worse. I didn't see a single character moving in the open world. They all stand in one spot, waiting for you to come to them.
Unfortunately, the game is also visually poor. By 2025, graphics will be at a point where there are no visually off-putting games. But then, in Avowed, I came across some environment designed so repulsively that I have no idea what it's supposed to represent, what happened there, or how someone managed to pile so much garbage into one scene.
There were rare moments when Avowed looked attractive. Even when I came across a few beautiful scenes, I still felt like this was the ugliest UE5 game I've played. At first, I thought at least the characters were detailed, but that's only true for those who aren't of the human race. Human characters here look plastic, to the point where those with beards look like they're wearing masks rather than having real beards. The music in Avowed is good enough to be a constant throughout the game without getting boring; we tested it on one of our new Panther headsets.
In Conclusion
If you're a fan of Obsidian's games, most of these criticisms might feel like déjà vu. It was similar to their previous games, whether they worked on them independently or in partnership with other companies. Avowed is the first game they've developed from the ground up since being acquired by Microsoft. I had hoped that the quality of the final product would finally rise a notch, but here, at best, it has remained unchanged. Avowed has an interesting story, fun gameplay, and plenty of content. However, it's nowhere near the ambition of high-budget RPGs, feels outdated in presentation, and doesn't live up to its price range.
Avowed is a game I wanted to love from a team whose games I usually prefer to play. And although it's by no means a bad game, I can't praise it and say I consider it a must-play. This is a shame – I'd love to see more adventures in the world of Eora, so I feel guilty that I can't overlook some things here and give Avowed a higher rating.
Rating: 7.2/10
Avowed offers a compelling narrative and enjoyable combat, but its technical issues, outdated presentation, and lack of depth in RPG elements hold it back from being a standout title.
Recommended Age: 16+
The game's complex themes, philosophical debates, and occasional mature content make it more suitable for older teens and adults who can appreciate its narrative depth and handle its darker tones.