- Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Available On: Xbox Series X|S, PC
- Played On: Xbox Series X
In the lead-up to the release of Avowed, my excitement levels were at a comfortable seven out of ten. I was looking forward to Obsidian Entertainment’s new RPG and expected it to be a good game, but for some reason, I wasn’t as enthusiastic as I had been just a year ago. Fast forward to now and after spending 15 hours with Avowed, it’s proved to be just the fantasy gaming experience I’ve wanted and needed for years.
As someone who had no prior connection to the Pillars of Eternity franchise that Avowed is a part of, I was quickly swept up in the world of Eora. Thanks to the table setting that introduces The Living Lands and the Dreamscourge that’s plaguing the region, as well as my Envoy and their Godlike heritage, the main plot had its hooks in me from the moment I pressed start and hasn’t let up. When I play certain Western RPGs, it’s not uncommon for the main story to play second fiddle to the side quests that are littered throughout the larger world, but that’s not the case here which is a testament to its strength. The narrative threads of the central story are highly compelling and have me excited to see how they progress.
Don’t be confused though; the side quests in Avowed are excellent as well! One side quest tasked me with clearing a woman’s home of reptilian creatures known as xaurips and ended with a surprising revelation. Another saw me searching for a group of missing soldiers, and although the story here was largely predictable, it was utterly captivating and concluded with a final decision that I’ll be thinking about for the remainder of my playthrough.
As is standard in Obsidian’s games, quests regularly present you with difficult moral quandaries that aren’t always black and white. Do I hand out justice by eliminating an assassin, or let them go free after hearing their side of the story? Should I sell out a group of thieves who are stuck between a rock and a hard place, or try to help them out? Will I have regrets down the line if I don’t side with an omnipotent being right now? These are just some of the hard questions I’ve had to ask myself during Avowed’s main quest and side quests, and I love how the answers have never come easy. It can be a bit nerve-wracking, but the impact of every choice constantly has me wondering if I made the right call, which is just as good of a reward as the tangible ones I received.
Another key highlight of the story in Avowed has been my companions. As the straight man with a heart of gold, Kai is my brother in arms who I know I can rely on no matter what. Marius’ gruff persona belies a softer side to him, and his pragmatic outlook on things provides a welcome alternative to Kai’s more optimistic views in various scenarios. It’s fun seeing them banter with one another when we’re at camp as they reference previous adventures together, but it’s even better learning about their respective backstories during our one-on-one conversations. Kai’s time as a Rauataian soldier is fascinating and although I respect Marius’ desire to keep his past to himself, the pieces that have slipped out hint at an even more intriguing story.
What I find most enthralling about the narrative so far is the story and lore behind the greater world of Eora and The Living Lands. Whether it’s through dialogue, books, or letters scattered about, I’ve loved absorbing as much as I can about the history of the world and its people so I could have a greater level of insight into the interpersonal and political dynamics that are at play. There’s a lot to take in, so I greatly appreciate the presence of dialogue history and easily accessible lore explainers during conversations. Admittedly, I don’t have the strongest grasp on all the lore I’ve encountered, simply because there’s so much on offer, but I’m eating up every bit of it.
I’m not just getting lost in the political and historical details of Avowed’s world. The Living Lands itself is an excellent location that I’ve absolutely fallen in love with and a major reason why is Avowed’s stellar art direction. A wide color palette and lush flora work in tandem with top-notch lighting and intricate architectural designs to create a lively and vibrant world that’s simply picturesque. I’m not exaggerating when I say that traveling throughout The Living Lands has been one of the most transportive fantasy gaming experiences I’ve ever had.
Similar to Obsidian’s approach to world design in The Outer Worlds, The Living Lands isn’t a completely open world, but rather a series of fairly large zones, each with its own map. This might be disappointing to anyone who expected an expansive, interconnected world akin to one you’d find in a classic Bethesda RPG, but bigger doesn’t always mean better. Avowed trades size for depth by packing zones with plenty of interesting sights to see, locations to explore, and treasures to find. I’ve spent most of my time gallivanting around the Dawnshore region that your journey starts in, and every side path, cave, and enemy encampment I’ve discovered has been worth the time and effort it took to find them, so I’m eager to see what the Emerald Stair region has in store for me next.
When it comes to combat, Avowed has impressed me a lot thanks to its versatility. Standard weapons such as swords, spears, axes, wands, guns, and bows are all present, but the way you can mix and match them to fit your playstyle is where combat shines. You could go with a basic sword and shield combo or you can spice things up with a sword in one hand and a magic grimoire full of spells in the other. The best part is that you don’t have to stick with one style or the other since you’re able to make two loadouts to switch between on the fly.
Initially, I was using bows, grimoires, and spears, but soon after I gravitated towards swords, shields, grimoires, and wands. My playstyle has continuously evolved as I’ve become more accustomed to combat, and my current loadouts are my favorite ones yet. One consists of a flaming sword in one hand that deals fire damage and heals me with each kill, and an ice-infused axe in the other that steadily accumulates frost damage on enemies. The other loadout focuses solely on magic with my wand and elemental grimoire. Although this setup means I can only rely on a quick dash as a defensive measure, it’s a blast to switch between pummelling enemies with my melee weapons and their elemental debuffs, and dominating the battlefield with powerful spells from my mystic arsenal.
Deciding on a playstyle means dialing in on how you want to build your character, and just like in the narrative, the choices here are far from easy. Every new level gained grants you one point to unlock or upgrade one of many different abilities, and another point to improve your character’s stats. It’s been tough choosing how I want to allocate my points, particularly when it comes to abilities because each one offers something significant. I want to increase the distance I can dash during combat, but I also want to unlock new spells for use without my grimoire, increase my total health, improve my Charge ability, and make power attacks with my wand more potent. Weighing the pros and cons of how I spend my upgrade points is a challenge, but it’s one that I relish every single time since it makes my choices matter so much more.
Companions also have abilities you can unlock as they level up that they’ll perform on whoever they’re fighting, but you can also command your allies to use them on specific targets. As I’ve gotten farther in Avowed, I’ve become more adept at taking advantage of them in the best way possible. For example, Marius’ ability to temporarily immobilize an enemy is great for briefly lightening the load mid-fight and allowing me to focus on other targets that may be a higher priority.
Another aspect of combat that I enjoy is its speed and intensity. Between the fast attacks and enemy variety, fights are far more intense than I expected. This can be fun, but it does have its downsides. Putting distance between yourself and enemies in order to heal isn’t that easy since they’re constantly on your back. This is especially an issue when trying to switch loadouts since the amount of time it takes to do so is a bit too long for the fast-paced combat, causing me to regularly find myself in situations where I’m at a disadvantage. These issues don’t come close to ruining combat, but they are frustrating enough to detract from it a bit.
I’ve played a lot of Avowed so far and can’t get over how excellent this game is. Combat is an always exciting barrage of steel and wizardry. The Living Lands are a stunning and rewarding place to explore. The narrative is just as strong and supported by a universe that’s rich with interesting characters, difficult choices to make, and plenty of lore to dig into. The mechanics and fantasy setting will understandably draw comparisons to Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls franchise, but even if Obsidian was inspired by those titles, the team was not trying to make a large-scale 1:1 replica of them. They wanted to do things the Obsidian way. As such, the team has created a refreshing experience that’s a fun alternative to the grandiose nature of Skyrim or Oblivion. Truth be told, Avowed is all the better for it.
TheComfySpot 