Avowed Is An Admirable Spin-off That Manages To Stand On Its Own
Avowed is the newest RPG from Obsidian. As the royal envoy, players are sent to The Living Lands to investigate rumors of a plague. Along the way they will decide the fate of the world, and which god is their patron. It’s a fun story with a wide range of ways a character can be built. Players who aren’t familiar with Pillars of Eternity can still keep up. Though there are a lot of terms thrown around, which means constantly revisiting your journal.
The world is beautiful and detailed but also feels empty at certain points. There are many breakable items but they’re mostly empty. With little else to interact with outside of quest items or the occasional obstacle for a companion to deal with. While playing, the game froze or stuttered often. Sometimes during combat. It mars an otherwise great experience. Though its narrative doesn’t hold any truly shocking twists, it was still exciting to learn something new. And there were a few emotional gut punches.
Watching the companions interact felt realistic during serious moments. During more comedic moments the conversations came off as more forced than joking among friends. None of them felt useless though their skill trees were sadly limited. Combat spikes in difficulty at odd moments, but each companion is viable at any point. They each have a personal quest that can affect how they view the envoy. As well as how their story ends and if they’re satisfied at the end of it all.
Avowed does have its technical flaws. It also has immersive gameplay with choices that aren’t great yet are still impactful. These choices often haunt the narrative until the credits roll. It’s also not clear which side quests are more important than others, and none of them can be finished after reaching The Garden. A popup will alert players to this “point of no return” so there is still a chance. Though at this point there have been some big events that can’t be changed. So it may be something to keep in mind for the next playthrough. Avowed is challenging, offers enough build variety without being overwhelming, and has a story where players can even shape its past.
