Before starting, let me acknowledge it has been a while since I last submitted an article. I have still been playing video games, don’t worry! I was just focusing on other tasks and objectives for a good while. Now, onto the topic of the article…
On February 13th, Avowed released with Early Access for those who paid a fee to get their hands on the game a few days ahead of the full release. I was one of those impatient few who couldn’t wait a few, measly more days to play. I was very eager to enter the world of Eora for the first time, never having played Pillars of Eternity before, or looked into the lore behind them at all. Despite that, ever since the initial announcement of Avowed all the way back in an Xbox Showcase in 2020 I have been keenly interested in its development.
Contextually, this was a time between RPGs for me that I really wanted to fill. I have always been geared towards RPG games, especially Western style games such as The Elder Scrolls or Mass Effect. I didn’t even consider Baldur's Gate 3 until well after the game was released and was finally coaxed into playing it. Considering I have rolled credits multiple times for Baldur's Gate 3, and already have character ideas planned for the new update coming soon… it was definitely a fit for that empty feeling where I wanted an RPG to fill. However, even after completing so many playthroughs of BG3, I had to find something else to try.
It was around the time I was winding down from BG3 that Avowed was finally getting more coverage, more gameplay videos, more content teasing the game to come. Even after the game had been delayed a few times, my interest was never deterred. In fact, the gameplay footage only made me all the more intrigued. As I will touch upon, the game looked to combine some pieces from various games that I very much enjoyed. However, I had little idea just how well it all came together. At the time of writing this, I have already rolled credits on one playthrough, and now have begun a new character and am already a quarter way through this new run. Although I am typically not a “review” kind of writer, I want to examine different pieces of the game to articulate my thoughts. Also, I will do my best to not spoil anything, story-wise. That being said, there may be some functions and abilities that expose a few story elements.
Visuals
As someone who typically is not moved by graphics all too much, it is something I noticed early on in this game. There are plenty of moments where your character encounters a stunning, fantastical view that just captures the wonder and mystique of the Living Lands, our setting for the game. The game also offers a performance or quality option for the player. I preferred going for the quality but depending on your platform and monitor, you can adjust as you wish.
The design of the world is also quite striking. Although the idea of mega-fauna and strange creatures is not necessarily unique to any one particular game or canon, the setting in Avowed leans into those tropes quite well. When you are confronted with the Living Lands for the first time, you get the sense that this land is really what they frequently describe it- a frontier. Lorewise, you understand that this is a world that is only just recently making inroads on settling this strange island. The oldest settlements belong to the “Godless” an ancient and mysterious culture that went extinct under unknown circumstances. Alongside their strangely phallic architecture, there are remains of ancient “Pargrunen” fortresses, which are an off-shoot Dwarven culture that has retreated mainly to a keep in one of the late game regions.
The lands then are not wholly unpopulated by “civilized” people. There are a few major settlements that serve as hubs for trade and quests in each region. These primary locations act as capitals, you could say, for the different regions. Visually, each area has a distinct biome, and is heavily influenced by the majority settlers to each area. For instance, the starting region has a mixed population mostly settled by a variety of peoples. These cultures mingle and influence the area, but their city has a distinct appearance from later settlements. Especially in later cities, where some cultures absolutely dominate the region, they have closely controlled the settlements and thus the construction of said settlements.
All in all, expect a beautiful game in which you can adjust the graphical qualities on most platforms. Additionally, the design of the setting is fluid and alive, each successive region will be unique- as will the people of each region are as well. And when it comes time, do yourself a favor and dive into the water. They did a fantastic job with the textures, and you may find some interesting things below the waves…
Story
Consider that when I was booting the game up for the first time, I had absolutely no background in the universe of Eora and the past video games set in the franchise. All I had was glimpses of the story from what the developers released in trailers and gameplay footage. However, this served to only enhance my experience because not only was the mystery and intrigue of the actual story capturing my interest, but the mystery of a wholly new world to me did as well. Just like any fantasy game, we come to learn about the magic, the different people, and the years and years of lore in-built to flesh out the world. This game wastes no time in showing you just how quirky the world is, with fuzzy little people called Orlans, or the gem-hued scales of the Rauatians.
The game blends two major modes of story-telling. Early on, you actually get introduced to the first mode, and one that shows up sporadically throughout the game- a sort of visual novel device. Without exploring it too much, this serves to expound on lore that can explain past events, and influence future ones as well. Initially, you explore the Godlike (the main character) and their introduction. Later visits to this story-telling medium expand on the plot.
The second major mode is somewhat obvious, which is the actual gameplay. Between the adventuring and conversations, you color in the world by conversations with the various peoples of the Living Lands, as well as find texts to read. These texts include letters, diaries, missives, and even tomes explaining historical happenings in Eora. In terms of conversation, there are a plethora of voice-acted characters in every region that have varying levels of importance who speak to you and give quests, or comment on the situation in the Living Lands. The Envoy (yet another title for the main character) has the opportunity to react and participate in these conversations in different ways. One can be particularly diplomatic, or empathetic. Or, as my current character is, far more loyal and even fanatical to the Empire which they serve.
Perhaps most importantly, the story is heavily shaped by the companions you meet. The first of which is Kai, a Rauatian, who has lived in the Living Lands for years. His experience has seen him travel to nearly all the major regions, and is proficient with sword and rifle. Over the course of the game, you get to know Kai and your other companions better, and even the ability to cultivate deep, meaningful relationships with them. This in particular reminded me of Baldur's Gate 3, where some of the best story moments come from the intimate interactions and development of the companion characters. Despite having a far smaller cadre of squadmates, their backstories are nonetheless as rich and deep as the ones in BG3. My only major critique of the squad system is that their damage seems to be relatively pathetic, and they often go down in larger skirmishes, and reviving them can be tense as the enemies swarm you. I feel strongly that they often serve more of a “distraction” purpose than actually helping slay enemies. I will touch more on their gameplay aspects later.
Lastly, the major plot of the game is bisected into two major arcs. The Emperor of Aedyr, the country your character calls home, has sent you as the Envoy to investigate a mysterious soulplague called “The Dreamscourge.” From your dramatic and violent arrival to the Living Lands, you are also beset by a mysterious entity that has some unknown, mystical connection to your character. As someone who has completed the game at least once, I maintain that the duelling arcs - attending to your duties as Envoy, and investigating the strange entity contacting you - makes for quite a compelling and dynamic experience. You have a lot of control in how you interact with both sides of the plot, and decisions you make strengthen or weaken various alliances and relationships.
Suffice it to say, that the most compelling angle of the plot is that the game's resolution depends a lot on your choice. And more so in that you are sort of the architect of the ending in a way that surpasses moments a la trolley problem situations. The effect of which is more akin to shaping the ending in your image, rather than causing X to happen because you chose to do Y. If it seems confusing, I can only say - beat the game, you will see.
Gameplay
Perhaps the most important part of discussing a game is how it actually feels in your hands. In this regard, I find Avowed has truly succeeded in a way that just feels satisfying. I truly mean that when you are deep in a melee brawl, you truly feel the weight of your hits. The impact on your shield, the shudder of receiving a heavy blow, the intensity of narrowly side-stepping a spear… All of these fast-paced moments coalesce in combat encounters that many other games can only dream of creating. So far, I have made a few allusions to other games as comparisons, and very intentionally have I resisted invoking Skyrim specifically as a point of correlation.
The reason I strained against comparing Skyrim to Avowed is because for a long time, the very aura surrounding the excitement for Avowed was that it was a “Skyrim for the next generation” or something akin to that. And to be fair, I can agree that some elements are shared or greatly similar between these games. For instance, the first-person perspective is perhaps the most apparent shared feature. Beyond that though, I think what I have sensed is that the game has improved upon staple designs in ways that need to be harnessed and respected going forward. I cannot harp enough on how satisfying combat is in this game. I played a Mage for my first playthrough, and I think that of ALL the first-person RPG’s that I have played, potentially even all of the RPG’s, this game has finally made magic feel as satisfying as any other form of combat. For one, the roster of spells is robust - I am always hungry for a variety of options, don’t get me wrong. The spells cover the typical array of magic, fire, frost, and lightning. There is also poison, which occasionally has a life drain effect too. However, where I think the game shines with the magic system is truly in the details and visuals. The game utilizes wands and grimoires as the primary Mage weapons. And I must say, the whimsy of using a wand in a fantasy video game is not lost on me. Ever since Harry Potter it has felt like wands were considered a childish or gauche magical device.
Avowed barges right in with the wands, though. Just like any other weapon class you can find rare and unique wands that can amplify your power, or even stick to the basic wand and upgrade as you desire. But perhaps the most staggeringly unique item are the grimoires. These magical tomes you can acquire across the Living Lands are varied and provide access to different spells. Consider them like a free trial pass to a collection of 4 spells. You don’t actually have to use a skill point to unlock a spell that is contained in a grimoire. Instead, as long as you train your character to access more powerful grimoires, you are able to use more powerful grimoires and their spread of spells. But, in a genius bit of design in my opinion, speccing into spells that your chosen grimoire has, actually empowers the spell. For instance, if you have “Fan of Flames” in your current grimoire, and a point spent on it in your Wizard tree, casting it using the grimoire will act as if it were a level higher. I could spend many paragraphs gushing about the magic system, because my heart will always be devoted to wizards and mages in fantasy. But suffice it to say that the magic system is absolutely robust, visually stunning, and varied enough that one could build a number of different classes and not be left wanting more.
The melee combat does not take a backseat to magic, though. As I said before, Avowed has crafted an intricate and addicting take on melee. My current character is a strictly melee fighter, using spear and shield in one loadout, and a two-handed axe in their other. Early on I made sure to invest in blocking/parrying. This is perhaps what I feel forms the core of the most pleasing element to combat. In the heat of a fight, timing your block just right to achieve a parry, sending your enemy reeling, and building up stun is supremely satisfying. It makes it feel as though the combat is less a simple brawl, and more a calculated interaction. Enemies vary, with archers or spearmen taking positions of advantage to rain fire at the edges of the gray. Shield-bearing enemies alter the flow of battles as they turtle and wait for a chance to parry you, or take advantage of a break in your defenses or stamina. If a priest or cleric type is present, you could see the enemy, and yes - even the bosses - restored to full health as you see all your work reversed.
All the while, you have the other major mechanics to balance and take advantage of as well. In battle, your stamina becomes a critical resource to manage. Dodging, blocking, and attacking all drain your stamina. You cannot spam attacks or dart around endlessly, instead you must balance how you use your limited resources to outsmart and overwhelm enemies. As stated, stamina drains faster than you might think - reserving it, or finding breaks in the fight to recharge it are crucial. Additionally, enemies when struck buildup stun, which when full sends them into a vulnerable state allowing the Envoy to strike, landing a brutal special attack based on the weapon currently wielded. Mastering these elements in the heat of battle becomes a dance, where you dodge and block blows, returning blows to open up avenues of attack that help you defeat the myriad enemy types.
This in turn brings me back to the companions. While the companions' story elements are perhaps their strongest element, they do serve some function in combat and in traversing the world. Focusing on combat, each companion brings different skill sets to bear that can be useful to changing the tide of battle. While I maintain that the companions often succumb in battle too easily, they still do have uses that can assist you as the Envoy. Able to stun, or distract enemies, the biggest function seems to alleviate some focus on the Envoy from enemies. This is great in larger skirmishes, where there may be actual dozens of enemies. It just becomes a bummer when in those more prolonged battles as you realize they’ve been downed and need to be revived, which could dramatically alter your combat flow. The nice thing though is you can opt for whatever combination of companions you want, so if a particular dynamic is not to your liking, you can instead swap them out and find a preferred mix.
In turn, this brings me to my one gripe related to companions. Three out of four of the companions have unique abilities to interact with obstacles in the world that allow you access to loot, new areas, or quest goals. This sounds fine on the surface, but when you realize that only one of these companions actually has an ability you absolutely cannot replicate when exploring, it ends up feeling quite frustrating. I of course will not reveal specifics, but having to swap in one party member just to expose certain areas feels like a piece of game design that should have been left behind. Particularly because swapping party members requires going to a camp, so there is no quick exchange, you actually have to pass through a few loading screens to get the one party member who does the one trick that you can’t replicate. And I mean that, the other two who do similar things can be circumvented with abilities you as the Envoy can employ.
One aspect of the gameplay I did not expect was the parkour. When I described the game to a friend, I initially explained it as a cross between Skyrim and Far Cry 3. The traversal aspect of this game was not on my radar at all, but quickly became one of my favorite aspects. Finding alternate routes through your quest, or simply exploring the various regions of the game, the parkour serves to enhance those aspects. In general, as well, the exploration is top notch. Puzzles are everywhere, with treasure maps, and special totems to be collected. Each region feels richly populated with secrets around every corner. It is very rewarding to poke and probe everywhere, for more resources or a well-hidden unique item.
Conclusion
By now I am certain you can perceive my stance on the game. I am confident in saying that this game, which I waited nearly 5 years for, has delivered on all that it promised and more. While I recognize that this game may not quite match the story-telling caliber of BG3, I contend that the story is still a bright spot for the 2025 gaming lineup. Furthermore, I think the game has set a new standard for the genre, that being Action RPGs. I am very hopeful we will receive DLC in the future because the most profound feeling I am left with after a playthrough is the desire for MORE. Not many games see me immediately launching into another playthrough, but this is one such game that has extracted that much energy and interest out of me. If you are an RPG fan, or an action game player who wants to branch out a bit, I recommend this game wholeheartedly. I truly believe this game will be remembered as one of the RPG greats.
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