Sometimes games get lambasted so much by gamers outlets that we ignore them because of their reception. Avowed is one of those titles, and it hardly deserves it as it’s a fantastic game in and of itself. The game has a decent 80 Metacritic average, but fan sentiment is so-so with a 6.8 rating. Some fans thought the story was lacking, and sentiment around the Xbox brand was at an all-time low after disappointments like Redfall.
I’m glad I was able to ignore the overall negative sentiment around the game and play the PS5 version, which now has the anniversary update. The reason? Avowed is a unique RPG with thrilling combat and an intriguing storyline that features a God in your head. There’s a lot of mystery, and it’s strange that people thought the narrative was lacking when the game released on Xbox and PC in 2025.
Avowed’s combat is fast-paced and implements the abilities of your party members, making each battle more dynamic than titles like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The world feels nuanced with plenty of NPCs to find and interactions you wouldn’t expect. For example, there’s a crime scene in a town, and when you take items from it, you can be scorned for your actions.
The game, despite having open zones rather than a fully realized world, is rich in detail. The fantasy architecture takes your breath away, and the scenery is cursed with colorful crops and crystallised landscapes. It stands out among the RPG pack of this generation with some gorgeous art design behind it. Avowed also rewards the player for exploring. If you take down roots with fire, for example, you can enter secret rooms with valuables inside.
Taking on sidequests is also worth the effort, as you get unique weapons and armor from your efforts. You’re also rewarded along the way with engaging stories about various characters in the world. Another cool feature that Avowed has is that your progress in side quests can actually impact your decisions in the main story. If you help a few citizens within the town, you can convince some characters to take your side. There’s even a mission in which you’re supposed to take on a person who attempts to murder you, but you can simply let them free and forgive what they’ve done.
Don’t get me wrong. The decision-making isn’t as illustrious as Baldur’s Gate 3, but it is very much welcomed within Avowed, which comes up with fascinating scenarios to solve. Attach this to an engaging storyline that has you questioning trusting a God inside your head, and you’ll be hooked.
What helps the story are the characters in the game. While they’re not quite as memorable as those from Dragon Age or Baldur’s Gate 3, Kai, Marius, Giatta, and Yatzli each have their own engaging storylines. It’s a team of imperfect heroes, and as the leader, you help them get through their problematic pasts. The unique quests tied to Kai and Marius are particularly interesting, without spoiling what happens.
The game does a great job of having the characters reflect on your past decisions, and it provides believability into why they stand with you or possibly against your actions. The voice acting, while not stretched too dramatically, is decent, and helps characterize the heroes you’re partying up with.
Some problems do arise, however. Combat scenarios and enemies can be a tad repetitive. One of the most annoying elements of battles is when a Priest appears out of nowhere and completely heals an enemy from 30% all the way to 100%. It’s a pain as it takes sometimes minutes to drain each foe’s health.
Additionally, it’s a bit strange that some bosses who come in duos don’t react to their ally’s death. Just a simple voice line would suffice. The characters don’t speak while fighting you, which takes you out of the experience in a way.
Switching party members is a slow process as you’ll need to head to a camp, sort out the squad you want, and then fast travel back to where you want to go. It’s tedious as you’ll have to go through three different loading screens. With the power of the PS5’s SSD, I would have hoped it would be faster to get into the game, to be honest.
I wish you could switch your party on the fly like in Kingdom Hearts 3 or Final Fantasy X. Each hero has unique abilities that can help you in battle and while exploring. For example, if you want hints as to where items are in the world, you’ll need to get Marius to use his Hunter’s Sense ability. It works similarly to Assassin’s Creed, which scans the surrounding area with a unique view. Without Marius in your party, you can’t use Hunter’s Sense. It would be handy if you could instantly have access to Marius or another party member instead of having to go all the way to back to camp, which could be on the other side of the map.
What also could have helped Avowed is some sort of navigation system. In Skyrim, I found the Clairvoyance skill useful. It directs you in where to go as a light guides you where to go. Ghost of Tsushima also points out where to go through the use of wind. If Avowed had something like this, it would be far more enjoyable as you sometimes don’t know how to get around sometimes confusing areas. The mini map, however, can be useful with finding dropped items as they’re marked with an X.
Almost all of the time, Avowed runs smoothly on a base PS5 in Performance Mode. However, when there are many enemies on screen in Shatterscarp, the game can slow down in a disorienting way.
I would recommend limiting the frame rate rather than making it uncapped, as that seemed to be inconsistent.
There have been a few weird bugs, such as characters looking the wrong way during cutscenes or not speaking lines of dialogue, but these are few and far between. No graphical glitches have been witnessed during my playthrough, however.
Despite the weird bugs, Avowed is quite the gorgeous game. The textures on the rocky environments are highly detailed, and the architecture is fascinating to look at. Obsidian really built this world up, and the towns all feel unique from each other. It also feels dynamic since some story events can drastically change the environment in ways you wouldn’t expect.
Battles look fantastic in Avowed. Each spell cast is grandiose and makes you feel powerful. There are finishing moves, while repetitive at times, that look cool as you fling your opponent from one side to the other with a strike of the sword. The combat system is fun to grasp as you can switch between all sorts of weapons. There is also a parry mechanic you can master once you unlock it in the skill tree.
Progression also feels rewarding. You can create the hero you want and tailor what skills you’d like for your playstyle. You can be a stealthy Ranger with a Smoke Bomb to escape or a Shadow Step that lets you take down enemies from behind. A Wizard, meanwhile, can use all manner of spells to freeze their opponents or shock them into submission. Your companions even have a skill tree. Kai, for example, can utilize a Fire and Ire attack that can stun his opponents, while Marius can bind his opponents to the ground with roots that entangle victims.
The anniversary update adds a decent amount to Avowed. It adds a new weapon called the Quarterstaff, additional races to play as (which, unfortunately, aren’t particularly referenced by other characters in the game from my playtime, unlike Dragon Age), and a Magic Mirror that lets you change your appearance. The conversations with the God in your head can also be skipped, which is a feature not present in the original version. The lighting has been improved, too, making Avowed’s mystical world more delightful.
Overall, I’m glad Xbox decided to port Avowed to the PS5. While the combat can be repetitive in parts, and there are some bugs here and there, the overall experience is stellar. Sidequests matter in a way I haven’t seen before, and the world is fascinating to explore with loot to find all over. The game rewards you to go above and beyond, and I recommend going at a slower pace, immersing yourself in the world of Eora. I was hooked, and I’m saying this as someone who may or may not have played the game until 7 a.m. one night.
I’m glad I was able to ignore the overall negative sentiment around the game and play the PS5 version of Avowed, which now has the anniversary update. The reason? Avowed is a unique RPG with thrilling combat and an intriguing storyline that features a God in your head.
Sometimes games get lambasted so much by gamers outlets that we ignore them because of their reception. Avowed is one of those titles, and it hardly deserves it as it’s a fantastic game in and of itself. The game has a decent 80 Metacritic average, but fan sentiment is so-so with a 6.8 rating. Some fans thought the story was lacking, and sentiment around the Xbox brand was at an all-time low after disappointments like Redfall.
I’m glad I was able to ignore the overall negative sentiment around the game and play the PS5 version, which now has the anniversary update. The reason? Avowed is a unique RPG with thrilling combat and an intriguing storyline that features a God in your head. There’s a lot of mystery, and it’s strange that people thought the narrative was lacking when the game released on Xbox and PC in 2025.
Avowed’s combat is fast-paced and implements the abilities of your party members, making each battle more dynamic than titles like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The world feels nuanced with plenty of NPCs to find and interactions you wouldn’t expect. For example, there’s a crime scene in a town, and when you take items from it, you can be scorned for your actions.
The game, despite having open zones rather than a fully realized world, is rich in detail. The fantasy architecture takes your breath away, and the scenery is cursed with colorful crops and crystallised landscapes. It stands out among the RPG pack of this generation with some gorgeous art design behind it. Avowed also rewards the player for exploring. If you take down roots with fire, for example, you can enter secret rooms with valuables inside.
Taking on sidequests is also worth the effort, as you get unique weapons and armor from your efforts. You’re also rewarded along the way with engaging stories about various characters in the world. Another cool feature that Avowed has is that your progress in side quests can actually impact your decisions in the main story. If you help a few citizens within the town, you can convince some characters to take your side. There’s even a mission in which you’re supposed to take on a person who attempts to murder you, but you can simply let them free and forgive what they’ve done.
Don’t get me wrong. The decision-making isn’t as illustrious as Baldur’s Gate 3, but it is very much welcomed within Avowed, which comes up with fascinating scenarios to solve. Attach this to an engaging storyline that has you questioning trusting a God inside your head, and you’ll be hooked.
What helps the story are the characters in the game. While they’re not quite as memorable as those from Dragon Age or Baldur’s Gate 3, Kai, Marius, Giatta, and Yatzli each have their own engaging storylines. It’s a team of imperfect heroes, and as the leader, you help them get through their problematic pasts. The unique quests tied to Kai and Marius are particularly interesting, without spoiling what happens.
The game does a great job of having the characters reflect on your past decisions, and it provides believability into why they stand with you or possibly against your actions. The voice acting, while not stretched too dramatically, is decent, and helps characterize the heroes you’re partying up with.
Some problems do arise, however. Combat scenarios and enemies can be a tad repetitive. One of the most annoying elements of battles is when a Priest appears out of nowhere and completely heals an enemy from 30% all the way to 100%. It’s a pain as it takes sometimes minutes to drain each foe’s health.
Additionally, it’s a bit strange that some bosses who come in duos don’t react to their ally’s death. Just a simple voice line would suffice. The characters don’t speak while fighting you, which takes you out of the experience in a way.
Switching party members is a slow process as you’ll need to head to a camp, sort out the squad you want, and then fast travel back to where you want to go. It’s tedious as you’ll have to go through three different loading screens. With the power of the PS5’s SSD, I would have hoped it would be faster to get into the game, to be honest.
I wish you could switch your party on the fly like in Kingdom Hearts 3 or Final Fantasy X. Each hero has unique abilities that can help you in battle and while exploring. For example, if you want hints as to where items are in the world, you’ll need to get Marius to use his Hunter’s Sense ability. It works similarly to Assassin’s Creed, which scans the surrounding area with a unique view. Without Marius in your party, you can’t use Hunter’s Sense. It would be handy if you could instantly have access to Marius or another party member instead of having to go all the way to back to camp, which could be on the other side of the map.
What also could have helped Avowed is some sort of navigation system. In Skyrim, I found the Clairvoyance skill useful. It directs you in where to go as a light guides you where to go. Ghost of Tsushima also points out where to go through the use of wind. If Avowed had something like this, it would be far more enjoyable as you sometimes don’t know how to get around sometimes confusing areas. The mini map, however, can be useful with finding dropped items as they’re marked with an X.
Almost all of the time, Avowed runs smoothly on a base PS5 in Performance Mode. However, when there are many enemies on screen in Shatterscarp, the game can slow down in a disorienting way.
I would recommend limiting the frame rate rather than making it uncapped, as that seemed to be inconsistent.
There have been a few weird bugs, such as characters looking the wrong way during cutscenes or not speaking lines of dialogue, but these are few and far between. No graphical glitches have been witnessed during my playthrough, however.
Despite the weird bugs, Avowed is quite the gorgeous game. The textures on the rocky environments are highly detailed, and the architecture is fascinating to look at. Obsidian really built this world up, and the towns all feel unique from each other. It also feels dynamic since some story events can drastically change the environment in ways you wouldn’t expect.
Battles look fantastic in Avowed. Each spell cast is grandiose and makes you feel powerful. There are finishing moves, while repetitive at times, that look cool as you fling your opponent from one side to the other with a strike of the sword. The combat system is fun to grasp as you can switch between all sorts of weapons. There is also a parry mechanic you can master once you unlock it in the skill tree.
Progression also feels rewarding. You can create the hero you want and tailor what skills you’d like for your playstyle. You can be a stealthy Ranger with a Smoke Bomb to escape or a Shadow Step that lets you take down enemies from behind. A Wizard, meanwhile, can use all manner of spells to freeze their opponents or shock them into submission. Your companions even have a skill tree. Kai, for example, can utilize a Fire and Ire attack that can stun his opponents, while Marius can bind his opponents to the ground with roots that entangle victims.
The anniversary update adds a decent amount to Avowed. It adds a new weapon called the Quarterstaff, additional races to play as (which, unfortunately, aren’t particularly referenced by other characters in the game from my playtime, unlike Dragon Age), and a Magic Mirror that lets you change your appearance. The conversations with the God in your head can also be skipped, which is a feature not present in the original version. The lighting has been improved, too, making Avowed’s mystical world more delightful.
Overall, I’m glad Xbox decided to port Avowed to the PS5. While the combat can be repetitive in parts, and there are some bugs here and there, the overall experience is stellar. Sidequests matter in a way I haven’t seen before, and the world is fascinating to explore with loot to find all over. The game rewards you to go above and beyond, and I recommend going at a slower pace, immersing yourself in the world of Eora. I was hooked, and I’m saying this as someone who may or may not have played the game until 7 a.m. one night.
by Chris Penwell
