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 Xbox review code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
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8.5
- + A gorgeous and vibrant world
- + Great writing and character interactions
- + An RPG that respects your time
- + Runs very well technically
- - Enemy variety and melee combat can be lackluster
- - Does little to stand out as a unique RPG
- - No romance was a missed opportunity
