Avowed

Obsidian has proven once again that they are the masters of role-playing games. Avowed has excellent combat, lively characters, a beautiful world and the storytelling is masterful. If they just fix a couple of bugs, they’ve got a masterpiece on their hands.

By no means a perfect game, Avowed is an easy recommendation for any RPG lover, especially those invested in Eora. Simplicity is the soup served by Obsidian, and, in doing so, Avowed shines pristinely and with outstanding design. A bit more spice wouldn’t hurt, but over-seasoning risks ruining any stew. That said, the plot and physical world are anything but simple, and that’s where Obsidian has invested its talent. After all, why else are you playing an Obsidian title?

Obsidian continues to expand its formula for how a great RPG should be made. From now on, the bar has been raised a notch for fantasy RPG/FPS games.

Avowed doesn’t branch out much, doing a lot in familiar ways to other RPGs, but does them well and will nevertheless deliver a fun-to-play, story-rich RPG experience.

Avowed is so much more than Obsidian’s take on Skyrim. This game sets the standard for what future Western RPGs should strive for. Nearly every option in combat is worth exploring, the companions are fully fleshed out with backstories that beg to be uncovered, and the anti-imperialist message at the center of the larger narrative is full of thoughtful nuance and intrigue. Obsidian has created a wonderful adventure that I can’t wait to start playing again.

Avowed is an incredible RPG. Its vibrant world and stellar cast make every moment a joy to take part in, enhanced by a script that gives equal measure to drama, action and humour. Coming hot on the heels of Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, Microsoft’s software revival is well underway.

Avowed is an excellent game. Yes, it may be a bit of a bite-sized, stripped-down experience in the grand scope of epic RPGs, but in many ways, I found that refreshing, and I think others might as well in this age of too many big games and not enough time to play them. I would make time for Avowed, you won’t regret it.

The writing is phenomenal, the combat flows like an action game, the game world is worth every square centimeter, and even the smallest stories are memorable. Avowed may not be a groundbreaking, dynamic RPG, but it knows exactly what it excels at and fully commits to it. The result is the best Microsoft RPG in years.

Obsidian Entertainment has once again crafted a stunning RPG with Avowed, featuring a dynamic world that feels incredibly alive and combat that flows smoothly. Meaningful decisions are at the heart of the game, with everything reacting to your choices – whether it’s NPCs or the way the world evolves. Every aspect of the game feels carefully thought out. While the story wasn’t always equally compelling, it remained engaging enough thanks to exciting twists and tough moral choices. As a result, Avowed is a fantastic example of how a great modern open-world RPG should be designed.

Avowed is an old-school RPG at heart, allowing you to shape your character and the world around you with your choices while still providing a very modern and action packed open world to explore.

Avowed marks a significant step up for Obsidian compared to The Outer Worlds. The game retains the studio's signature excellent writing and narrative while improving the combat (especially the challenge level) and providing a lot of great content to go through. The visuals and performance are also praiseworthy. There are a few shortcomings, but if you're a fan of Western RPGs, you don't want to miss Avowed. It may have started as a spin-off, but it could go on to be the main series in Eora.

Avowed delivers a solid and accessible action RPG, with a vibrant world and dynamic combat, but without the depth or complexity that many expected. Its predictable narrative works, and exploration is rewarding, although repetition and the lack of impact of choices limit immersion. If you're looking for a successor to Pillars of Eternity, you may be disappointed, but for those who want a fun adventure without excessive complications, it could be a good choice.

Avowed is a solid title, though its appearance leans towards the conventional. It doesn't introduce particularly innovative mechanics or standout concepts, but it consistently delivers quality gameplay across all aspects-story, combat, and exploration-ranging from decent to excellent, without any major flaws. If you're a fan of traditional sword-and-magic (with a hint of firearms) settings, immersive storytelling, and the freedom to shape your own destiny, particularly in the style of Obsidian's atmospheric narratives, Avowed is definitely worth a look.

Avowed is a stellar RPG, with satisfying combat, a gripping story, lovable characters, and plenty of roleplaying opportunities. It has more than its fair share of annoyances and jank, but the heart is what makes Avowed a must play.

Despite a few issues, Avowed had me hooked throughout. It's a beautiful, incredibly charming game that does its best to fill a gap where the Elder Scrolls 6 should be.

Avowed isn’t going to be the next Baldur’s Gate 3, or this generation’s Skyrim, being closer to The Outer Worlds than either of those games. And exactly like The Outer World, it’s a great action-oriented RPG set in a bizarre but not unpleasant world that is easy to recommend despite a few flaws.

Avowed is a good game. It’s a great adventure that pleasantly surprised me! The story is engaging, the fights dynamic and they offer a real freedom since the player will not be locked in a specific style and can use skills through all classes offered, without counting those of his companions. One of the great qualities of the title is also the exploration, at the heart of the experience, and we take a crazy pleasure to explore the magnificent scenery, to discover its every mystery. Dungeons, cities, desert expanses, I loved the different atmospheres and its universe particularly neat. Bravo Obsidian!

With its well-established lore, solid narrative, and highly polished world, Avowed is a fantastic game that lives up to Obsidian Entertainment’s reputation. However, compared to other games in the genre, its world feels overly rigid and lacks the sense of being truly alive, which keeps it from standing among the very best.

Obsidian delivers an engaging RPG with a well-crafted world, impactful choices, and an enjoyable combat system that allows for fluid weapon and magic combinations. However, forced secondary missions, immersion-breaking elements, outdated design choices, and technical performance issues hold it back from excellence.

Bigger than it first appears, Avowed is an engrossing and gorgeous action-RPG set in one of the most engaging fantasy worlds going, though it lacks the complex systems of its most beloved contemporaries.

Avowed has relatively few moving parts, but they are all in place and work harmoniously. Of course, it shouldn’t be compared to the monstrous Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 or even Bethesda’s games. Avowed falls into the same weight class as The Outer Worlds, crafted several levels higher in quality.

Huge fantasy RPG that rewards exploration but is lacking when it comes to immersion. Currently mostly recommended on PC.

Despite my admittedly minor concerns about technical issues, I loved my time with Avowed. I admire that my choices, large and small, have consequences. And because the branching possibilities for how this adventure can shake out can vary wildly, I’m already planning what I want to see the next time I embark on my subsequent trips to The Living Lands.

Avowed offers fun combat, strong characters, and an engaging world, but falls short due to repetitive enemies, shallow narrative, and technical issues. Fans of The Outer Worlds will enjoy it, but don’t expect a new Baldur’s Gate 3 or Skyrim.

Avowed is a surprising title, less in how entertaining it is and more in the ways it is entertaining. Obsidian set out to take the Pillars of Eternity franchise in a big, dumb action direction and largely it succeeded. It’s a blast to play, reducing a lot of the friction in the RPG mechanics while gaining strides in the action department. It feels good in the hands in ways that its contemporaries don’t, zipping the player all around the map. Even with a less-intriguing script, the decision-making doesn’t feel compromised. Every other issue with the game feels as though it can be addressed without having to crack the foundation open, leaving curious thoughts of what a sequel might be able to accomplish. Ignoring that, Avowed is still absolutely an adventure worth the time.

Avowed is a wonderfully accessible and relatively simple RPG, making the game truly for young and old alike. Audiovisually it is enjoyable and there is plenty to discover. The gameplay in itself is also very enjoyable, making the entire package impressive. However, the AI is a bit careless at times, which can lead to some crazy situations and dialogues can feel a bit two-dimensional, but with that said, Avowed is still a game to definitely give a try. Especially if you really appreciate this genre.

Avowed is a solid RPG that modernizes Obsidian’s signature style. The writing is excellent and helps to turn a blind eye over some rough edges that, while not deal-breaking, are still noticeable. That said, the game succeeds in what it sets out to do, offering a satisfying level of depth both in gameplay and narrative themes. It also carries the charm of a classic RPG—at times feeling a bit dated, but often providing a comforting sense of familiarity.

Avowed is a great RPG, it’s as simple as that. This game made me forget about mediocre The Outer Worlds and refueled my trust for Obsidian. Their new game, though smaller in scope and not without some rough edges, is full of all the things that made New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity or Tyranny so good. For fans of a more classic approach to RPG, it's a must-see.

Accessible action RPG with lots of exploration, charming characters and stylish levels. However, it's not good enough for the upper class - and they seem to be fine with it.

Although Avowed is a niche experience, it's an RPG that any curious player wanting to discover a fantastic adventure could enjoy. Yes, it's an experience that requires many hours of gameplay. However, every minute spent will be worthwhile because all your decisions and actions will truly be reflected in the outcome, and not every game achieves that.

Avowed is exemplary of the sort of game where the more I put into it, the more I get out of it. Not in an "it gets good 20 hours in" sort of way, but more like I needed to slowly parse through the character interactions, story moments, the marriage between exploration and resource management, and the cohesive coupling between these components that all subtly contributed to my overall enjoyment. At its best, Avowed is quite precisely the sum of its carefully crafted parts, though infrequent moments of uneven execution slightly mar the overall experience.

Avowed is, as I noted above, exactly what you’d imagine a fantasy epic to be – and it’s all the better for it.

Avowed may not win the best role-playing game award of the year, but it is a great Obisidian Entertainment game that will make both old-school RPG lovers and Pillars of Eternity fans happy.

Avowed took us by surprise. While Obsidian Entertainment has an exceptional track record, they were somehow able to exceed expectations. This is a traditional RPG through and through, with highly-consequential decision-making that can literally level cities and a massively-diverse combat system that encourages experimentation. With that said, it’s not perfect, as while the story does have compelling components, the pacing is a bit off, with a stronger focus on essentially forcing the player to do side quests and explore the world before continuing. The combat also suffers from issues when it comes to dodging and enemy gap closing, causing frustration in heated battles. Regardless, Avowed ends up on top, being a highly engaging 50+ hour RPG that's well worth your time.

A very good RPG that struggles with a divided identity. It's excellent for newcomers, offering accessibility and appeal, but veterans seeking a more complex experience might find themselves craving something that is not there.

Although beautiful and rich with story, the Living Lands is not the most believable role-playing world – yet compelling to explore thanks to parkour-heavy movement and satisfyingly physical as well as tactical combat.

There are enough good ideas in Avowed for it to be a fun adventure for Obsidian fans or those who like more casual RPGs, but there isn't enough depth in its mechanics, characters or plot for it to go much further than that. The overall experience is positive, but it definitely doesn't leave a memorable mark after the end credits roll.

What Avowed lacks in gloss it makes up for with charm, depth and a playful heart. It's one of this year's most pleasant surprises.

It may not be groundbreaking, but Avowed certainly leaves one hell of a mark on the RPG genre. The game's fun, challenging, and extremely enjoyable to play from start to finish, even when you're being hounded by giant mechanical undead creatures.

It’s novel to play a game as an unsympathetic tool of power, but Avowed’s great narrative wealth — its stories of compromised leadership, of trauma, grief, ambition and faith — is confined by a generic fantasy-game wrapper.

Avowed isn't super innovative, despite being Obsidian's most ambitious project. The game has a more balanced proposal, which combines a classic gameplay style, reminiscent of the good times of Skyrim, combined with good exploration and different styles of weapons to fight with. However, it stumbles a bit due to the lack of rhythm, repetitive and uncreative enemies and a story that could be better.

Avowed may not reinvent the RPG wheel or be the next game that takes over your life but it still does a good job of giving the Pillars of Eternity universe the AAA treatment. With flexible action-packed combat, vibrant world and characters, and engaging moral dilemmas, it's a blast while it lasts.

Avowed fills a first-person void within the fantasy RPG genre, but it also stands as an immersive spin on Pillars of Eternity without losing any of the stellar storytelling and worldbuilding that Obsidian Entertainment is known for. Overlooking its forgettable party combat system and some minor quality-of-life misses, Avowed deserves to be remembered as one of this year's best games.

The studio that brought us unforgettable stories returns with another installment set in its original world, now more accessible to players who never ventured into Eora in Pillars of Eternity. With a well-written cast of characters and minimal technical and design flaws, Avowed is a joy to experience in every aspect of gameplay, shaping up to be one of the best releases of 2025.

It doesn’t get bogged down chasing the illusion of boundlessness—or, worse, endlessness—settling for something contained yet distilled, and it’s more potent as a result.

Avowed is not the deepest RPG of our generation, nor a game that will be remembered for its world-changing influence on the medium. Nevertheless, and despite its shortcomings, its gameplay doesn't fail to provide satisfying moments of entertainment.

Avowed demonstrates that Obsidian remains a studio capable of challenging RPG genre conventions. They've created a more focused experience that seeks to innovate in fundamental gameplay mechanics. The combination of vertical exploration, magical combat, and complex narrative points to a title that aims to rise above genre clichés. However, the game suffers from fundamental inconsistencies that prevent it from reaching its full potential. The lack of voice acting, fragmented narrative, limited NPCs, and reduced content variety burden a proposition that promises more than it ultimately delivers. The ability to switch between perspectives, far from being innovative, ends up undermining immersion rather than enhancing it.

Avowed is first and foremost an RPG, maybe not the one everyone wanted, not the one you'd expect from the legendary Obsidian, but it's a step forward after Outer Worlds (which wasn't bad), albeit a small one. It's a sign that the studio is still alive, even if not quite in the form they wanted. And there is hope that there will be more good games from Obsidian in the future.

Avowed has managed to build a beautiful house on an already existing world. Even though the system is old, the dialogues and story progression affected by the choices are full of details that you will be curious about. The battle system is fun. Despite all these pluses, I can say that the artificiality in the game and the fact that the production team did not offer an innovation and did not take risks made me a little sad.

Avowed nails its priorities and delivers a fun adventure full of charm, intrigue, and weighty decisions, but its RPG muscles could’ve used more work.

Avowed comes packed with a diverse combat system assisted by companions reminiscent of previous RPG games complemented by a fun exploration element in a beautiful world. However, the story here isn't Obsidian's best work to date.

Despite these issues, Avowed still manages to be an engaging and ambitious RPG. Obsidian's storytelling prowess is on full display, and the game successfully immerses players in the Living Lands. [...] If you're looking for an RPG with deep lore, solid combat, and meaningful choices, Avowed is worth playing—just be ready for a few bumps along the way.

There’s just something about Avowed that makes it feel very much like a product built for a subscription service. Not in a live-service game kind of way, but in a Netflix Original Movie kind of way.

Engaging combat, a beautiful world, and intriguing story moments ensure Avowed is an action-RPG worth exploring, but tiresome encounters, progression quirks, and dull companions keep it from achieving divinity.

Avowed will definitely not revolutionize the RPG genre, but still represents a competent title in its category that does clearly not lack of interest and depth. Its exciting story dictated by our choices is indeed in line with the true “role-playing games” so dear to Obsidian, with superb artistic direction, and its gameplay is as dynamic as it is satisfying. However, several points may be off-putting. We can indeed blame its lifeless NPCs, a shaky balancing of difficulty in the face of a bestiary which quickly falls short in terms of diversity, like the exploration of these famous Living Lands, certainly very beautiful to contemplate, but a bit redundant in the long run.

Despite expectations, Avowed is not able to compete with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Baldur's Gate 3. It is a very average work in terms of the quality of execution.

Avowed presents itself as a deliberately traditional RPG that, although it doesn't risk innovating, offers a well-executed experience. Its strengths - engaging characters, satisfying exploration and accessible mechanics - make up for its lack of originality and technical limitations. It's the kind of game that, without pretending to be more than it is, manages to provide dozens of hours of fun for fans of the genre looking for something familiar and comfortable.

Despite an inviting, off-kilter world and quality writing, Avowed abides by an almost arcane dedication to process and formula that drains it of its weird, compelling marrow. It's good, easygoing fun, though it won't linger long in the mind beyond the credits.

Avowed excels in its good pacing, vibrant zones and dynamic combat, but is ultimately let down by a weak immersive world and the illusion of choice.

You will have understood from the extra-large size of this review: Avowed has an incredible charm that deserves discussion. Obsidian delivers a beautiful fantasy epic, with a delightful troupe of companions, which does not reach the studio's peaks but still makes you want to return after the end credits to continue exploring the Living Lands. Those looking for an anti-colonialist political manifesto or a new sacred monster of Western RPGs will be left wanting, of course, as it lacks a radical idea to transcend the whole. However, Avowed remains a very solid offering that would deserve a direct sequel to go beyond its classicism. Let’s hope so.

While Avowed's successes should not be overlooked, its shortcomings highlight the need for refinement later on. If nothing else, Obsidian has something worthwhile here that might actually reach its full potential if it were given a sequel. As it stands currently, however, it is a game that will likely resonate most with dedicated RPG fans who appreciate the weight of moral decision-making but may leave others feeling like their journey through the Living Lands was cut short just as it was beginning to hit its stride.

Unfortunately, Avowed isn't that famous new Skyrim made-in-2025, with its vast, intoxicating universe, updated gameplay and narration worthy of the greatest games. The result is rather mediocre and dated, both visually and in terms of gameplay, taking us back a decade, and not for the right reasons.A disappointment considering the game's potential and the solid foundations on which it could have been built, and which is one of those games where you think “with X more months of development, maybe we've got something solid”. In any case, the PC version of Avowed is currently a failure, and fortunately the game is available on Game Pass day1, which we strongly advise you to take advantage of if you want to make up your own mind.

Avowed kinda works. The story is bland, but at least dialogue doesn’t make you cringe every time someone opens their mouth. Combat... exists. And level design is actually good: it looks quite nice, and offers interesting exploration opportunities. But it’s definitely not worth the asking price of $70. [Issue#266]

Avowed is an RPG that impresses with its freedom and diverse combat strategies but falls short in technical and artistic execution, failing to live up to the 'next Elder Scrolls' expectations set by fans of the genre. With questionable art direction, shallow puzzles, linear dungeons, and inconsistent AI, the game stumbles—yet redeems itself through a robust character creator, a captivating world, memorable companions, satisfying combat, and solid playtime. Despite its flaws, it’s a fun pick for players who prioritize choice-driven exploration over deep storytelling.

Despite a very engaging first part, Avowed disappoints and will never completely satisfy RPG fans or action-adventure fans. For a title that lasts between 30 and 40 hours, the writing is not provided enough and the action and exploration phases struggle to renew themselves. It's frankly a shame, because in the first hours, we feel that Obsidian was on to something. The adventure is still worth the detour for certain plot twists, the pleasure of seeing one's curiosity rewarded and the adversaries fly away with ragoll, and the artistic direction, capable of beautiful flashes of brilliance.

Although the land of Eora is colorful and large, it doesn't quite fulfill what many of us were looking for: a modernized Skyrim. Even with its unique mechanics and richness of characters, it fails to keep the player fully captivated like other similar titles do. When it comes to entertainment, it delivers, but without that extra element that makes us stay for more hours, as happens in other memorable RPGs.

Avowed is a weak RPG focused on monotonous action. It's hard to take it seriously after the excellent Pillars of Eternity 1 & 2.

Like poking a dream-plagued bear, not everything here is a sensible idea, but at least there's always a chance something interesting will happen. [Issue#408, p.104]

A more compact RPG set in the Pillars of Eternity universe never quite shakes off its sense of genericness. While the dynamic combat system is intriguing, it's held back by an equipment upgrade system that stifles experimentation. The storytelling lacks depth, emotion, or even a hint of epic grandeur. Deep within The Living Lands, there’s a promise of something greater—but it never fully blossoms into a truly exceptional experience.

On multiple fronts, Avowed holds so much promise that it struggles to follow through on. While its combat feels impactful and gives you options to experiment with, it's hamstrung by an overall reliance on gear upgrades and scarce resources that prevent you from fully enjoying the creative freedom it initially advertises. Its world is fun to explore and navigate, but its story fails to wrap this in a captivating tale with a satisfying conclusion. It's an experience that routinely swaps between exhilarating moments and frustrating slogs, and often leans towards the latter the closer you get to the game's climax. Avowed might present itself as the new age of the fantasy role-playing games that it borrows so much from, but it's unlikely to have the same lasting impact.

Avowed moves Obsidian Entertainment even further toward the action side of Action-RPG with a satisfying combat system and vibrant world stapled to an unengaging narrative and surface level roleplaying systems. Despite its initially promising setup, Avowed never rises above a binge and forget experience.

Beneath Avowed’s mycelium-covered surface lurks a good RPG stifled by a lack of real stakes. The Living Lands feel anything but alive, and while the combat strikes the right balance between fun and challenge, it doesn't offer anything new. If you’re looking for a comfort-food fantasy RPG, then Avowed’s got you covered, but you need to set your expectations accordingly.