Avowed is an ARPG set in the world of Eora, blending deep role-playing mechanics, strategic combat, and a gripping narrative. Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying.

Avowed Review Overview

What is Avowed?

Avowed is an ARPG developed by Obsidian Entertainment, set in the world of Eora, the same universe as the Pillars of Eternity series. This game blends deep role-playing mechanics, engaging storytelling, and strategic combat to create an experience that feels both fresh and familiar to fans of Obsidian’s work. Players step into the role of an envoy sent to the Living Lands, a region teeming with danger, mystery, and political tension. Here, you’ll navigate a complex world filled with factions, magical afflictions, and ancient forces while making choices that shape the story around you.

Avowed features:

　⚫︎　Party Camp
　⚫︎　Crafting and Enchanting Weapons and Armors
　⚫︎　Upgradeable Skill Tree: Fighter, Ranger, Wizard, Godlike
　⚫︎　4 Companions: Kai, Marius, Giatta, Yatzli
　⚫︎　Rich Character Dialogues
　⚫︎　Flexible Playstyle
　⚫︎　Beautifully Crafted Environments

For more gameplay details, read everything we know about Avowed's gameplay and story.

Digital Storefronts
Steam			Xbox
Price		$69.99

Avowed Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Deep and Engaging Narrative Meaningful Player Choices Flexible Skill System Visually Stunning World	Quest Structure Feels Repetitive Harsh Difficulty Spikes If Under-Leveled

Avowed Overall Score - 88/100

Avowed is a standout RPG that delivers an immersive world, a gripping story, and deep role-playing mechanics. Its narrative complexity and character depth elevate it beyond the typical fantasy RPG, making it a must-play for those who love a story-driven experience. While the essence/mana system and quest structure repetition may present minor frustrations, the game’s strengths far outweigh these issues.

Avowed Story - 10/10

Avowed’s story is its crowning achievement. The intertwining mysteries of the Dreamscourge and the Voice create an engaging narrative that keeps players hooked from start to finish. The political dynamics, rich character arcs, and deep world-building ensure that every conversation and choice matters. The protagonist remains a key figure throughout, avoiding the common self-insert protagonist's pitfall of feeling like an errand-runner. Every decision carries weight, making for an unforgettable narrative experience.

Avowed Gameplay - 8/10

Avowed’s gameplay shines in its flexibility. The ability to mix and match skills from different classes allows for creative character builds, and combat is rewarding when approached with strategy. However, there are difficulty spikes that can be punishing for unprepared players, and the mana system makes magic-based characters more resource-dependent than necessary. Still, the ability to swap weapons and skills on the fly adds depth and adaptability.

Avowed Visuals - 9/10

Obsidian has crafted a visually stunning world in Avowed. The Living Lands are vibrant, filled with diverse environments, detailed cities, and atmospheric lighting. Character designs, particularly the Godlike features, are visually striking. Technical performance is stable, with smooth animations and an intuitive UI that enhances immersion.

Avowed Audio - 8/10

The game’s soundtrack complements the world beautifully, enhancing the emotional weight of key moments. The OST, albeit similar to one another, is well-crafted, with the instruments blending seamlessly into the game’s atmosphere, pulling you into the world without you even realizing it. Voice acting is strong, with well-delivered performances that bring characters to life. Sound effects, from combat spells to environmental ambiance, contribute to the sense of immersion. While not revolutionary, the audio design is consistently solid throughout.

Avowed Value for Money - 9/10

For $69.99, Avowed offers a 40-hour main story packed with rich storytelling, in-depth role-playing, and engaging combat. The amount of content justifies the price, with multiple choices and build options providing replayability. While it lacks multiplayer and post-game content, the depth of the experience makes it a worthy investment for RPG fans looking for a well-crafted adventure.

Avowed Review: The Next Big Adventure

There’s something special about stepping into a fantasy world that truly feels alive—one that challenges you, immerses you in its lore, and refuses to hand-hold you through its trials. Avowed is that kind of game. It doesn’t just present a narrative; it pulls you into a deep, layered mystery wrapped in political intrigue, prejudice, and personal discovery. From the very beginning, it makes one thing clear: this is your story, and it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

Story That Truly Shines

The strongest aspect of Avowed is, without a doubt, its narrative. Obsidian has crafted a story that isn’t just compelling—it’s multifaceted. Two core mysteries drive the plot: the Dreamscourge, a mind-warping affliction caused by spores that render their victims into something akin to husks, and the mystery behind the Voice, a collective entity calling out to the protagonist from beyond. These define your journey, shaping your role in this world and your choices moving forward.

But that’s not all, political tension is just as integral to Avowed’s storytelling. As an envoy and trusted advisor to the Emperor of Aedyr, a colonizing force in the world, you step into the Living Lands only to be met with disdain and hatred. And, honestly? The people have good reason to feel that way. Avowed doesn’t paint a simple picture of good and evil; it forces you to confront both the colonizer’s burden of maintaining control and the colonized population’s justified resentment. Every encounter with an NPC reminds you of the weight of your position, as their reactions shift depending on who they are and what their experiences with Aedyr have been.

This tension isn’t just something you witness; it directly affects the protagonist. On top of facing political hostility, you must also grapple with prejudice against the Godlike. This isn’t just a throwaway title—it’s an identity that carries both power and stigma. Depending on who you talk to, Godlike individuals are either blessed or cursed, with their divine traits manifesting physically and thereby setting them apart from the rest of society. The character creation process reflects this deeply, allowing you to choose how these features present, from coral growths to tree branches sprouting from your hair. What makes this all the more impressive is that these aren’t just cosmetic choices, NPCs react differently depending on how you look. It’s rare for an RPG to weave identity into its mechanics so seamlessly, and Avowed does it masterfully.

Protagonist Remains at the Center

This layered world wouldn’t be as impactful if the protagonist felt like a mere bystander. Thankfully, Avowed ensures that your journey remains personal. One of my biggest gripes with self-insert RPGs is that while they start strong, they often fall into the trap of reducing the protagonist to an errand-runner—someone who merely pushes other people’s stories forward rather than their own. Avowed avoids this completely. Your character isn’t just an observer; they’re deeply tied to the world’s events, with their own development happening alongside the overarching narrative. That connection with the Voice? It’s more than just a plot device, it’s a driving force that ensures the main character remains the focus, rather than being overshadowed by the world’s conflicts.

An early example of this is one of our first tasks—tracking down the ambassador for Paradis to deliver a message from the Emperor. While this initially seems like a diplomatic mission, the conclusion of the quest not only propels the larger narrative forward but also serves as a key moment in the protagonist’s personal journey. It is here that the Voice finally reaches out, helping us toward clearing an area afflicted by the Dreamscourge’s rot. This moment seamlessly intertwines the world’s greater conflicts with our character’s own story, keeping the protagonist central to the experience.

This is further reinforced by how much attention was given to the protagonist’s role in the world. Unlike other RPGs where the main character’s agency diminishes over time, Avowed ensures that you remain relevant. Every choice, every interaction, and every narrative beat ties back to you. This creates an experience where you’re not just reacting to the world, you’re shaping it.

Character Creation That Feels Meaningful

This strong sense of identity begins the moment you create your character. I spent more time than I care to admit in Avowed’s character creation screen, but I have no regrets. The level of detail is fantastic. Beyond simply customizing your appearance—complete with makeup, scars, and those striking Godlike features—you also get to pick a background. And these aren’t just for show. Choosing between Arcane Scholar, Court Augur, Noble Scion, Vanguard Scout, and War Hero isn’t just about flavor text; your background influences dialogue options and how the world perceives you. The game encourages you to think about your origins and how they shape your journey, making every choice feel impactful.

And that leads right into one of Avowed’s strongest design choices: dialogue.

Dialogue That Doesn't Mislead

If you’ve ever played an RPG where a seemingly neutral dialogue option unexpectedly leads to your character saying something cruel or wildly out of context, you’ll appreciate Avowed’s approach. Dialogue options are clear, direct, and stay true to their intent. When I pick an answer, I know exactly what my character is going to say, and that reliability makes conversations far more enjoyable.

Not only that, but many conversations can end differently depending on the choices you make. One particularly fun example is our first encounter with Marius, a dwarf tracker and one of our companions. We meet him at a bar where he’s in the middle of a dispute, and we have multiple ways to handle the situation—we can step in, choose to fight, or simply watch things unfold. I chose to wait and see what would happen, and Marius, ever the sly trickster, bluffed his way out of the situation by convincing his opponent that he’d been poisoned. Panicked, the man ran off to find help, ultimately throwing up behind the bar, and the dispute ended without violence. These interactions add a layer of personality to the world, making conversations feel organic and reactive to player choices.

And speaking of conversations, NPCs in Avowed are vibrant and full of personality. From companions to random townsfolk, everyone has a distinct voice and perspective, making the world feel truly lived-in. These interactions enhance the role-playing experience, reinforcing the weight of your choices.

A System That Rewards Planning

Of course, a strong narrative and character-driven experience need solid gameplay to support them, and Avowed delivers. The game offers three main classes: Fighter, Ranger, and Wizard. But the best part? You’re not locked into a single path. If you want to be a spell-slinging archer or a heavily armored warrior with a few magical tricks up their sleeve, the skill tree allows for hybrid builds. However, leveling up isn’t easy. Ability points are scarce, and spreading yourself too thin can leave you underpowered, so specializing tends to be the smarter choice.

Aside from the classic skills, there are also the Godlike skills, which you don't really upgrade but they unlock as you move forward, which makes sense narrative-wise since these skills are supposed to be gifts from the gods and are completely out of our hands. Another thing is the companion skills! You upgrade your companions here as well—you don’t get to control them directly, but they have skills that you can add to your radius dial, allowing you to coach them on when and who to attack. This especially became helpful to me, a wizard main who constantly ran out of essence/mana, and there was still a strong enemy standing.

Brutal and Strategic Combat

Combat in Avowed can be tough. Enemies don’t really scale with you, but if you don’t keep up with leveling, things can get brutal fast. The first time I tried to rush through the main story without focusing on gear upgrades and XP, I quickly found myself struggling against bosses that felt nearly impossible to beat. The game demands preparation, whether that’s leveling up, maximizing your gear, or using the right loadout for each encounter.

Since the game is mostly in first person, combat feels intense and immersive as you fight head-on, dodging attacks and reacting in real time. However, you can switch to third-person if you prefer. I personally found first-person better for combat—it allowed me to focus on enemies without the protagonist’s body blocking too much of the screen, and navigating quick-access buttons and the additional radius dial felt smoother. On the other hand, I preferred third-person while exploring, as it gave me a better sense of my surroundings and helped with movement across difficult terrain.

In combat, you can toggle an aim assist feature. It doesn’t really fully auto-aim, but the on-screen scope provides helpful guidance for targeting. As a wizard main, I initially assigned several spells to my quick-access buttons but eventually removed them, leaving them in the spell dial to free up space for potions and companion skills. Managing spells also requires consideration of your grimoire, as the spells available in the dial change depending on which grimoire you have equipped. This encouraged me to carry different grimoires for specific situations rather than relying on a fixed spell loadout.

Exploration is encouraged, not just for loot but also for leveling up. The world is filled with enemies that grant XP (something hard to come by if you’re strictly playing the main story), and side quests introduce new characters and opportunities for progression. If you only follow the main story, you’ll visit a good variety of locations across the map but the game doesn’t push you to every nook and cranny—that’s left for you to decide, whether you’re motivated by curiosity, side quests, or the need to strengthen your character.

One feature I appreciated was ‘Second Wind,’ a passive skill that allows you to revive after being downed. It’s a small detail, but it makes combat feel a little less punishing. Additionally, the ability to interchange weapon loadouts by clicking the Y button on the Xbox controller, keeps combat engaging. Being able to switch from an essence/mana-depleted wizard to a bow-wielding ranger on the fly provides an essential level of adaptability in fights.

Mana Management Can Be Frustrating

Now, let’s talk about something that got on my nerves—essence/mana management. As a wizard main, I quickly realized that essence/mana doesn’t regenerate naturally, and that meant constantly stocking up on potions. In other RPGs, attacking enemies with basic attacks might give you a small essence/mana restoration, but not in Avowed. Here, you either have to slay an enemy to regain a tiny amount of essence/mana or chug a potion. Early on, before you figure out crafting or potion vendors, this can be downright frustrating. It slows down combat flow and can leave you feeling underpowered if you run out of potions in the middle of a tough fight.

Sure, eventually you’ll unlock a passive skill where you can still cast magic when your essence/mana depletes, but that’s at the cost of your health. I wish there was at least a passive way to recover a small amount of essence/mana over time or through normal attacks—it doesn’t break the game but would make magic-focused builds feel a little less punishing.

Repetitive Quest Structure

As much as I enjoyed Avowed’s world, I did find the quest structure a bit too repetitive. At first, it isn’t too obvious, but as you progress you see the standard RPG loop—start a quest, head to a location, and before you can resolve it, the big bad guy appears to give you a hard time. It’s not predictable when you’re in the moment, there’s no set rhythm that signals "this quest is about to conclude, so an enemy must show up". But over time, the pattern becomes clear. Whether it’s a dispute between NPCs or finding a missing important person, many quests follow a structure where the final step introduces a last-minute confrontation. While this isn’t inherently a bad thing, RPGs thrive on conflict, it does make the progression feel formulaic after a while.

That’s not to say there aren’t standout moments. Some quests break the mold by introducing unique objectives, such as mediating political disputes, solving environmental puzzles, or uncovering lore that changes the context of your mission. However, these feel like exceptions rather than the norm. Because even some of the side quests follow a familiar path of "travel, investigate, fight". Fortunately, Avowed’s strong world-building helps keep engaging. Even when the structure becomes predictable, the writing, character interactions, and lore ensure that each journey still feels meaningful.

Beautifully Realized World

With all these elements working together, Avowed’s world feels incredibly rich. The Living Lands feel wild and untamed, with a chaotic beauty that’s reflected in every environment. Paradis, the main city in the Living Lands, is bustling with activity, and NPCs genuinely feel like they have lives outside of your interactions. Sure, sometimes their dialogue triggers are a little too proximity-based, but when you’re not actively listening for it, the world feels convincingly alive.

The UI is another highlight. It’s clean, intuitive, and easy to navigate. After just a few hours, everything feels second nature, making for a seamless experience.

What makes Avowed’s world stand out isn’t just its scale but its sense of history and purpose. The Living Lands feel lived-in, shaped by centuries of conflict, colonization, and mystery. Every ruin, settlement, and cavern tells a story, whether through environmental details or conversations with locals. Even the smallest corners of the map feel thoughtfully designed, rewarding those who take the time to stray from the beaten path. It makes Acowed feel genuinely alive, as if it existed long before you arrived and will continue to change long after your journey ends.

Is Avowed Worth It?

It's A Must Play

When considering its $69.99 price tag, Avowed is a worthwhile purchase if you value high-quality storytelling and deep role-playing mechanics. Avowed is a game that excels in crafting an immersive world filled with compelling narratives, meaningful character choices, and engaging combat. While it does have its flaws—such as its sometimes frustrating mana system and a quest structure that can feel formulaic—the sheer depth of the story, the richness of the setting, and the strength of its role-playing elements more than make up for these shortcomings. Every quest feels purposeful, reinforcing the story and making each interaction with NPCs significant. Avowed ensures that players who appreciate story-driven adventures will find plenty to love.

The 40-hour length ensures that you’re getting a solid amount of content, and its replayability comes from the various choices and builds you can experiment with. If a well-crafted narrative and immersive world are what you’re after, then Avowed is absolutely worth your time and money.

Digital Storefronts
Steam			Xbox
Price		$69.99

Avowed FAQ

Can You Change From First Person to Third Person In Avowed?

Yes! You can switch between first-person and third-person in the settings, allowing you to experience the game from different perspectives. Obsidian has ensured that both viewpoints are well-integrated into gameplay.

Since Avowed Is Set in the Pillars of Eternity Universe, Do I Need Prior Knowledge of the Franchise?

Not necessarily! Obsidian has confirmed that Avowed is designed to be friendly to newcomers, so prior knowledge of the Pillars of Eternity universe isn’t required. However, those familiar with the lore may appreciate deeper connections and references throughout the game.

What Are The Latest News About Avowed?

Just before the game's launch, Avowed showed up in Times Square as part of its marketing campaign. A few days later, the game shared that it can run at 60 FPS on Xbox Series X. For more news about the game, make sure to check out our Avowed News Page!

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Avowed Product Information

Title	AVOWED
Release Date	February 18, 2025
Developer	Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher	Xbox Game Studios
Supported Platforms	PC (Steam), Xbox Series X|S
Genre	ARPG
Number of Players	1
ESRB Rating	M
Official Website	Avowed Website

Allisandra Reyes

I find joy in the adrenaline rush of horror games, but my thrill-seeking doesn't stop there. Beyond the digital realm, I like to take on the role of designated GM in TTRPGs.