When Avowed first launched last year, I sank many hours into it and came away impressed overall. I loved the world, the writing, and the flexibility in how I could build my character, yet it felt like a game that hadn’t quite reached its full potential. Over the past year, though, it’s been steadily updated and refined. Now, with the anniversary update and its arrival on PlayStation 5, it feels like the most complete version of Avowed yet.
The headline feature of the anniversary update is New Game+. This was one of the most requested additions, and I’m glad to say it’s been implemented thoughtfully. Starting a New Game+ run lets you carry over all my gear and abilities from my previous playthrough. That alone changes the tone of the early hours. Instead of scrambling for scraps of gear, I’m stepping back into the world already shaped by my previous journey.
But it’s not a simple power fantasy. Enemies are stronger now, with increased health, damage, and resistances. They can hit harder and take more effort to bring down. Importantly, my carried over gear resets to level 1. That might sound disappointing at first, but it’s a smart move. It preserves a sense of progression and prevents the game from feeling trivial. I’m not steamrolling through the opening areas like an untouchable god. Instead, I’m rebuilding my power in a tougher version of the world.
What really changes the dynamic is the higher ability point cap in New Game+. By the time I’m deep into a second run, my character can become stronger than they ever could in the base campaign. I’ve been able to experiment with hybrid builds that simply weren’t possible before. It adds replay value in a meaningful way and provides the option to create build that simply aren’t possible to achieve in the first playthrough.
Another addition is Photo Mode, accessible straight from the pause menu. It surprises me that it wasn’t in the base game, especially given how visually striking Avowed can be. Still, I’m glad it’s here now. The mode offers a solid range of camera controls, depth of field tweaks, lighting adjustments, and pose options. If you’re someone that likes to spend more time than they’d like to admit lining up the perfect shot of their character overlooking a glowing forest or mid-spell cast in a chaotic fight, this mode has you covered. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s exactly what a modern RPG like this should have.
The biggest shift for me, though, is the inclusion of new playable races. Originally, you could only choose between Humans and Elves. Now, I can create Dwarves, Orlans, and Aumaua characters, pulling directly from the broader lore of this universe. That change alone massively expands the roleplaying possibilities.
Rolling a Dwarf feels distinct from playing an Elf, not just visually but thematically. The same goes for Orlans and Aumaua, each bringing their own flavor to the world and how I approach conversations and character backstory. For a game that leans heavily into choice and identity, this update finally gives that system more room to breathe. It makes starting a fresh character genuinely exciting again. On top of all that. If you’re a player like me that likes to roleplay mage characters, the inclusion of the new quarterstaff weapons and some new magic focussed abilities lets you live out that dream of being a powerful spellcaster in this world.
There’s also a new custom difficulty mode, and this is one of those features that quietly improves the whole experience. Instead of picking a single preset, I can tweak individual elements. I can increase how much damage I take, adjust fall damage, raise merchant prices, or make my companions more vulnerable. If I want a brutal, survival-leaning run, I can build it myself.
What I appreciate most is that increasing difficulty in specific areas boosts XP gain. There’s a tangible reward for making the game harder. It feels fair. If I’m going to suffer through harsher combat or tighter economy constraints, I level faster in return. It encourages experimentation rather than just punishing you.
That said, there’s still one feature I wish had made the cut, romance options. It’s been another highly requested addition from fans, and I still think the companions are strong enough characters to support deeper relationship arcs. While the anniversary update adds a lot, romance would have pushed the roleplaying side even further.
On the technical side, the PS5 version runs beautifully. Load times are quick, performance has been stable in my experience, and the world feels vibrant and sharp. The real highlight for me is the use of the DualSense controller. Haptic feedback adds subtle texture to combat and spellcasting, and the adaptive triggers give resistance when drawing a bow or channeling certain abilities. It’s not overdone, but it adds another layer of immersion that I genuinely missed when playing on other platforms.
Looking at Avowed now, a year after launch, it’s clear how much it’s grown. The anniversary update doesn’t reinvent the game, but it strengthens almost every part of it. With New Game+, new races, custom difficulty options, and long-overdue features like Photo Mode, it finally feels like the fully realized RPG I hoped it would become. If you skipped it last year, the PS5 release and anniversary update make this the perfect time to jump in. And if you’ve already finished it once, there’s more than enough here to justify another journey back into its world.
For more thoughts on the base game, check out my full review below I wrote for the game when it launched last year
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Obsidian Entertainment has a well-earned reputation for crafting some of the best RPG experiences in gaming. From the beloved Fallout: New Vegas to the witty, sci-fi adventure of The Outer Worlds, the studio has consistently delivered compelling narratives, deep role-playing mechanics, and engaging world-building. Now, with Avowed, Obsidian returns to the fantasy genre, bringing us back to the world of Pillars of Eternity—but with a fresh perspective.
Set in the vibrant and mysterious Living Lands, a region previously unexplored in the Pillars games, Avowed offers an adventure that welcomes newcomers while rewarding longtime fans. The game doesn’t demand prior knowledge of Pillars of Eternity to enjoy its story, but for those who have played the previous titles, there’s an extra layer of depth in understanding the gods, political factions, and historical events that shape this world.
The game places you in the role of a Godlike, a being touched by divine power, sent on a mission to uncover the secrets behind the Dreamscourge, a mysterious and deadly affliction spreading across the land. Right from the start, the setup felt a little too familiar. The idea of being born special, destined for greatness, is a trope that’s been done to death in RPGs, and it’s hard not to draw direct comparisons to Skyrim’sDragonborn. I would have preferred a more grounded approach where my character had to earn their significance rather than being chosen from birth.
That said, the intrigue of the Dreamscourge kept me hooked. Obsidian’s writing is as strong as ever, delivering compelling dialogue, morally gray choices, and twists that had me genuinely invested. Even when I saw some of them coming, the execution was still satisfying, and my decisions always felt like they had weight.
Avowed isn’t fully open-world but instead adopts a hub-based structure with large, interconnected zones. While this may disappoint those hoping for a massive, seamless world, I found this approach worked well in keeping exploration meaningful. Each area is packed with detail, offering diverse biomes, from lush forests to eerie swamps and coastal cities. The vivid color palette and stylized art direction make everything pop on screen, and creature designs are distinct, imaginative and get to utilise some creative colours thanks to the Dreamscourge curse.
One of the game’s strengths is how alive the world feels. Towns and settlements have a real sense of place, with NPCs going about their daily routines, engaging in conversations, and reacting to your presence. Taking time to speak with the locals, learning about their struggles, and choosing whether to help them or not made me feel more immersed in the world. Side quests often provide a nice change of pace from the main story, and while they’re mostly optional, they help flesh out the setting and add a personal touch to your journey.
Character customization is flexible, allowing you to tailor your build to suit your preferred playstyle. I opted for a magic-heavy character, focusing on ranged spells while also keeping a sword handy for close encounters. Slinging spells is incredibly satisfying, with each incantation having a distinct feel and impact. Whether it was hurling fireballs at groups of enemies or summoning magical shields, spellcasting felt powerful and dynamic.
Melee combat, however, is a mixed bag. While it’s certainly an improvement over a core inspirations, Skyrim, it still suffers from a lack of weight and impact. Enemies can sometimes feel like damage sponges, and while there’s variety in weapons and abilities, melee combat doesn’t quite match the fluidity and responsiveness of some other modern RPGs. A bit more polish in this area could have elevated the feel of the experience further.
Another area where the game could have improved is enemy variety. While the existing foes are well-designed and fit within the world’s lore, there aren’t enough unique enemy types to consistently keep combat feeling fresh. Having more encounters that required specific strategies or showcased unique attack patterns would have been a welcome addition.
One of Avowed’s standout elements is its companions. Your party members are more than just allies in combat—they have distinct personalities, backstories, and motivations that evolve as you interact with them. My personal favorites were Yatzli and Kai, both of whom had rich arcs that kept me invested in their fates and performances that made me want to actually interact with them regularly.
The game offers meaningful choices that shape how your journey unfolds. While some of the major story twists were a bit predictable, the way my decisions led to those moments felt natural. I enjoyed seeing how my choices played out, whether in resolving conflicts between factions or shaping the dynamics within my party.
One aspect that felt missing, though, was the ability to romance companions. For a game that focuses so much on character interaction, deeper relationship-building mechanics would have been a great addition. The emotional bonds between characters are strong, but they don’t extend beyond friendship, which feels like a missed opportunity.
Unlike many sprawling RPGs that demand 100+ hours of investment, Avowed offers a more focused experience. The main story can be completed in around 15-20 hours, but for those who want to explore every nook and cranny, engage in side content, and experiment with different builds, there’s easily 40-60 hours of content here. I appreciated this approach, as it allowed me to see the full scope of the story without feeling burnt out. There’s also strong replay value, with multiple builds to experiment with and different choices to explore in subsequent playthroughs.
From a technical standpoint, Avowed runs impressively well. In a time when many RPGs launch with game-breaking bugs and performance issues, it was refreshing to play a game that felt stable from day one. I didn’t encounter any major glitches, crashes, or frustrating bugs, which speaks to the polish Obsidian has put into the experience.
Final Thoughts
Avowed is an excellent RPG that showcases Obsidian’s strengths—fantastic writing, immersive world-building, and meaningful choices. However, it doesn’t necessarily bring anything revolutionary to the genre. While it executes its inspirations well, I kept waiting for a moment that would make it feel truly unique, something that would set it apart as a must-play experience rather than just a very good one.
If you love first-person RPGs with deep storytelling and engaging combat, Avowed is absolutely worth your time. Just don’t expect it to reinvent the wheel. It’s a solid, well-crafted adventure that stands as another strong entry in Obsidian’s catalog, even if it doesn’t quite reach the heights of Fallout: New Vegas or redefine the fantasy RPG genre.
An PS5 review code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
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9
- + Quality of life updates, NG+ and new races brings a lot to the game
- + Great writing and character interactions
- + An RPG that respects your time
- + Gorgeous and vibrant world that runs well on PS5
- - Enemy variety and melee combat can be lackluster
- - Still no romance was a missed opportunity
