The first-person fantasy RPG from developer Obsidian Entertainment and publisher Xbox Game Studios, in which you have to track down a mysterious plague, was released on 18 February 2025. I'll tell you more about the game in my review.
Story and plot:
Avowed is set in the world of Eora and takes place three years after the events of Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire. This time, however, the protagonist is not the Guardian you controlled in the past, but the emissary of the Emperor of Aedyr in the Land of the Living, a large island on the edge of the known world that has for some time served as a refuge for all those seeking a second chance and a new life. The Land of the Living is a dangerous place in its own right, but recently two new developments have threatened the tranquillity of its inhabitants, the first being the arrival of the Empire of Aedyr, which seeks to lay claim to this territory and has come in the company of the Garrote of Steel, an unyielding faction of followers of the goddess Woedica, led by the fearsome Inquisitor Lödwyn, who threatens the settlements of all those who refuse to submit to the empire's rule with his sword, and secondly, the emergence of the Plague of Dreams, a mysterious corruption that alters the earth, making it inhospitable and barren, as well as the spirits of animals and humans, causing strange fungal growths to grow on their bodies and driving them completely insane. After a daring shipwreck, the Envoy lands in the harbour of Dawn Shores, the first of four areas to be explored in the Land of the Living, with the aim of solving the Plague of Dreams. With the aim of solving the plague of dreams, the envoy lands in the harbour of Dawn Shores, the first of four areas in the land of the living to be explored, after a daring shipwreck. The protagonist is distinguished from ordinary mortals not only by his imperial investiture, but also by the fact that he is one of the few remaining deiformes on Eora, that is, creatures bearing the mark of a deity from birth.
First-class combat system is marred by a lack of enemy variety
Even though the game is set in the same fictional universe as Pillars of Eternity and there will be no shortage of references to events or characters you've encountered before (the aforementioned Lödwyn, for example), Avowed should be seen as a spin-off rather than a sequel. Incidentally, this can also be seen in the changed game structure, which, similar to The Outer Worlds, shows the world in the first-person perspective, although those who can't stand this type of perspective will be happy to know that you can switch to third-person at any time. As a result, combat also shifts from a tactical approach to a much more action-orientated one: Although there are elements of party control, these are rather simplistic and limited to commands on which skills to use, while most of your time is spent bludgeoning enemies and dodging their blows while keeping an eye on your health, essence and vitality bars. Regardless of which past you chose in the creation phase, the Envoy turns out to be a nimble little chap who can run, jump, parry, dodge and switch weapons quickly without any major problems. He is also equipped with unusual versatility. Avowed's weapon system is only limited when it comes to spells (to access the most advanced grimoires and therefore the most powerful spells, you have to invest a few points in the relevant section of the skill tree), but otherwise there's nothing to stop the budding mage from picking up a two-handed hammer, or the warrior with a shield and sword from reaching for a hookshot rifle to prove to an enemy wizard that no magic can beat the arcane school of gunpowder. Unfortunately, the initially good impression of the combat system is tarnished as the adventure progresses, as it is confronted with a variety of enemies that proves to be less plentiful over the course of the forty or so hours of gameplay. Although there are occasional differences between the game's four areas (in Scala Smeraldo, for example, you will encounter Delemgans, which do not exist in Riva dell'Alba or Conca Crepata), other enemy types such as Xaurip, skeletons and spiders are constantly present, which severely limits the novelty factor. Another element related to combat that I think has some critical aspects is the progression in relation to the rank of the opponent. Whilst levelling up allows you to unlock new abilities (active or passive), which undoubtedly increase efficiency in battle, it's the equipment that makes the real difference. Just like this, the enemies are also divided into five rarity levels. If you confront an enemy with a weapon that has a higher rarity level than your own, you will deal less damage to them, and the same applies to the effectiveness of your armour. For those who have played Divinity: Original Sin 2, the concept is quite similar, although thankfully the move isn't as obvious as in Larian's title and in fact seems less important in the advanced stages of the game, albeit only on normal difficulty. Upgrading armour is possible via the crafting system, but this requires a lot of resources, and this is where another of the game's problems begins: while exploration in the Land of the Living is very successful thanks to the protagonist's mobility and the design of the game world, and leads to welcome surprises, 90% of the chests you find contain three types of rewards: Money, crafting materials and a low-grade weapon.Two main strands, first-class writing
However, it's true that you play a role-playing game, especially an Obsidian game, not only to beat things up, but also to enjoy a well-written story. Without giving too much away, the story of Avowed is divided into two main strands: The first concerns the protagonist's relationship with the creature bound to his soul, which you soon learn is the deity of the Land of the Living, held captive in ancient times, and which often converses with the protagonist throughout the game, trying to understand the meaning of all his actions and learn from them. All of this, of course, has an impact on the decisions you make at the end of the game and their consequences. The second main storyline, on the other hand, is the more political one, dealing with the difficult relationship between the Empire of Aedyr - of which you are still a representative - and the inhabitants of the island, who are not always favourably disposed towards the newcomers and their idea of order. It's a political part with a fascinating premise, but I found it rather vague as it's quite linear (with only a few branches) and the really important decisions are only made in the final stages of the game. On the other hand, there is little to nothing wrong with the design of the characters. Here you immediately recognise Obsidian's handwriting and his ability to write companions who manage to be convincing and have exciting dialogues, even if you hate what they represent. In particular, I have to say that I was very favourably impressed by Kai, the first of the four companions who will be with you until the end of the world, a six-foot tall, blue-skinned behemoth, veteran of numerous battles, tormented by the way his brothers and sisters have changed, and with a burden from his recent past that he finds hard to shake off. Overall, though, all four companions are really well written, and I liked the brief conversations they exchange in camp, conversations that are occasionally infused with a genuine sense of humour that thankfully escapes the dictates of action movie humour based on off-the-cuff outbursts and overly embellished language. Avowed is thankfully not afraid to say a bad word now and again. Those in search of romance, however, will have to look elsewhere.
