Read our full Avowed review
Avowed is a first-person, open-world RPG from Obsidian and it’s a spin-off of the studio’s Pillars of Eternity series, but it doesn’t require any existing knowledge of that universe. You are the envoy to the powerful Aedyran empire and you’ve just landed on the shores of the Living Lands, a lawless region occupied by outcasts, criminals and refugees. You’re a godlike, connected to a deity and marked by iridescent facial growths, and you’re on a mission to uncover the source of the Dreamscourge, a rapidly spreading illness that turns people and animals into rabid killing machines. At the same time, your godlike powers are evolving in strange ways and a booming voice starts breaking into your thoughts. There’s also a broader story about colonization playing out, a crew of fascinating companions to collect, and plenty of cool NPCs to accept sidequests from.
This complex foundation forms a tapestry of twisting, interlocking narrative threads that span politics, military strategy, religion, duty, science, trust and identity over roughly 45 hours of playtime. The lore runs deep in Avowed and each of its storylines is handled with supreme care. The dialogue system offers ample opportunity to forge a distinct personality, and the choices you make in conversations ripple across the campaign. Upgrades, enhancements, skill trees and godlike abilities are a constant consideration, and you’re able to shape a custom play style as you go. Combat feels great, and there’s a wide variety of weapons, items and spells to try out, plus endless shinies to pick up along your journey.
Though Avowed is set in the world of an existing franchise and it’s yet another entry in the stacked genre of open-world fantasy RPGs, it feels like the start of something new. — Jessica Conditt, Senior Reporter
