Obsidian Entertainment, the studio behind Pillars of Eternity and The Outer Worlds, returns to its fantasy roots with Avowed—a first-person action RPG set in the richly woven world of Eora. While it doesn’t reinvent the genre, Avowed delivers a compelling, lore-rich experience that blends classic RPG elements with modern sensibilities.
🌍 Setting & Story
Set in the Pillars of Eternity universe, Avowed casts you as a Godlike envoy of the Aedyr Empire, sent to the mysterious Living Lands to investigate a soul-plague known as the Dreamscourge. The narrative explores themes of colonialism, governance, and identity, with a strong emphasis on local autonomy versus imperial control.
The world is dense with lore—books, letters, and environmental storytelling abound—and Obsidian’s signature writing shines through in both major plotlines and quiet moments.
⚔️ Gameplay & Combat
Combat is fast-paced and first-person, with a mix of melee, ranged, and spellcasting options. While the moment-to-moment action is satisfying, some critics found the companion combat system underwhelming, often feeling like an afterthought.
Still, the game offers versatile builds, allowing players to tailor their playstyle with a variety of magical and martial abilities. It’s not as deep as Baldur’s Gate 3 or as reactive as Skyrim, but it’s accessible and fun.
🧑🤝🧑 Companions & Dialogue
Obsidian’s strength in character writing is on full display. Companions are emotionally complex, with distinct personalities and meaningful input on your decisions. While romance options are limited, the party banter and campfire conversations evoke the best of Dragon Age and Mass Effect.
🎨 Visuals & Atmosphere
Visually, Avowed is a step up from The Outer Worlds, with lush environments, vibrant spell effects, and a painterly aesthetic that brings the Living Lands to life. However, some critics noted a lack of cinematic polish and static world elements that feel less reactive than modern RPG standards.
🧭 Exploration & World Design
The game world is semi-open, with interconnected zones rather than a fully open world. Exploration is rewarding, with hidden lore, side quests, and environmental puzzles. However, some quality-of-life features—like map markers and navigation tools—are missing or underdeveloped.
📝 Final Verdict
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Story & Writing | 9/10 |
| Combat | 7.5/10 |
| Visuals | 8.5/10 |
| Companions | 9/10 |
| Exploration | 7.5/10 |
| Overall | 8.5/10 |
Pros:
- Rich, immersive worldbuilding
- Excellent writing and character development
- Fast-paced, flexible combat
- Deep lore and narrative choices
Cons:
- Companion AI and combat feel undercooked
- Some quality-of-life and UI issues
- Not as reactive or open-ended as genre leaders
🎮 Avowed isn’t a genre revolution, but it’s a confident, heartfelt RPG that plays to Obsidian’s strengths. If you love narrative-driven fantasy with a touch of political intrigue and magical mayhem, this is a journey worth taking.
Platform Comparison
Here’s a breakdown of how Avowed performs across platforms—PC, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S—based on the latest technical reviews and benchmarks:
🎮 Xbox Series X
- Graphics Modes:
- Quality Mode: Dynamic 4K (1584p–2160p), 30 FPS, ray tracing ON
- Balanced Mode (120Hz displays only): Dynamic 4K, 40 FPS, ray tracing ON
- Performance Mode: Native 1080p, 60 FPS, ray tracing OFF
- Performance: Generally smooth, though Performance Mode can dip below 60 FPS in demanding scenes.
✅ Best for players who want a console experience with flexible performance options.
🎮 Xbox Series S
- Graphics Modes:
- Quality Mode: Dynamic 1080p, 30 FPS, ray tracing ON
- Balanced Mode (120Hz displays only): Dynamic 1080p, 40 FPS, ray tracing OFF
- Performance: Surprisingly solid, but with reduced draw distance and lighting fidelity compared to Series X.
✅ A strong showing for a budget console, though visual compromises are noticeable.
🖥️ PC
- Visuals: Capable of native 4K, higher texture quality, and unlocked frame rates on high-end hardware. Supports advanced Unreal Engine 5 features like Lumen and Nanite.
- Performance: Varies by setup. High-end rigs (e.g., RTX 4070 or RX 7800 XT) can hit 100+ FPS at 1440p or 4K, but some users report odd stuttering or shader compilation issues on first launch.
- Optimization Tips:
- Toggle ray tracing on/off and restart to stabilize performance
- Use windowed mode for better resolution control
- Lower Global Illumination for a 20–25% FPS boost
✅ Best experience overall—if your hardware can handle it.
❌ PlayStation 5
- Avowed is currently not available on PS5.
Obsidian has declined to comment on a potential PS5 release.
🏁 Final Verdict
| Platform | Resolution & FPS Options | Ray Tracing | Performance Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC | Up to native 4K, 100+ FPS (high-end rigs) | ✅ Optional | Best visuals and frame rates; some quirks |
| Xbox Series X | 1080p–4K, 30–60 FPS (3 modes) | ✅ (some modes) | Smooth, flexible, console-optimized |
| Xbox Series S | 1080p, 30–40 FPS | ✅ (Quality) | Solid for budget, but with visual cutbacks |
| PS5 | ❌ Not available | ❌ | No current release or confirmation |
Comparison with SKYRIM
Here’s a detailed comparison between Avowed and Skyrim, two fantasy RPGs that share surface-level similarities but diverge in structure, tone, and gameplay philosophy:
🗺️ World Design
- Skyrim: A massive, seamless open world where you can go anywhere at any time. Exploration is organic, with emergent gameplay and dynamic encounters.
- Avowed: Uses a hub-based open-zone structure, more akin to The Outer Worlds. Areas are large and explorable but not interconnected in a single open map.
✅ Skyrim wins for sheer scale and freedom. Avowed offers more curated, handcrafted environments.
⚔️ Combat
- Skyrim: First-person combat with real-time melee, magic, and ranged attacks. Combat can feel floaty but is highly moddable and flexible.
- Avowed: Also first-person, but with more refined mechanics, including dual-wielding spells and weapons, and smoother animations. It’s more responsive and modern, though less moddable.
✅ Avowed offers tighter, more modern combat. Skyrim is broader but less polished.
🧙 Lore & Worldbuilding
- Skyrim: Deep lore rooted in The Elder Scrolls universe, with a focus on Nordic mythology, Daedric gods, and ancient prophecies.
- Avowed: Set in the Pillars of Eternity universe, with a more metaphysical and god-centric cosmology. The lore is denser and more philosophical, often involving direct interaction with deities.
✅ Avowed is more mythologically intense. Skyrim is more grounded and accessible.
🧑🤝🧑 Companions
- Skyrim: Companions are functional but lightly written. They follow commands and offer some backstory, but lack depth.
- Avowed: Features fully voiced, story-rich companions with personal quests and dynamic interactions—closer to Dragon Age or Mass Effect.
✅ Avowed wins for character depth and party dynamics.
🎮 Player Choice & Roleplaying
- Skyrim: Highly open-ended. You can ignore the main quest, become a thief, a mage, a vampire lord, or all three. Roleplaying is sandbox-driven.
- Avowed: Offers meaningful choices in quests and dialogue, but within a more structured narrative. Less freedom, more narrative cohesion.
✅ Skyrim excels in sandbox roleplay. Avowed offers tighter storytelling.
🎨 Visuals & Presentation
- Skyrim: Dated by today’s standards, though still atmospheric—especially with mods.
- Avowed: Modern visuals with vibrant colors, detailed environments, and smoother animations.
✅ Avowed is visually superior out of the box.
📝 Final Verdict
| Feature | Skyrim | Avowed |
|---|---|---|
| World Design | Seamless open world | Hub-based open zones |
| Combat | Broad but clunky | Refined and responsive |
| Lore & Mythology | Deep, grounded fantasy | Dense, metaphysical fantasy |
| Companions | Basic | Richly written, interactive |
| Roleplaying Freedom | High | Moderate |
| Visuals | Aging | Modern and polished |
Conclusion:
If you love freedom, exploration, and emergent storytelling, Skyrim remains a classic. If you prefer tight writing, deeper companions, and modern combat, Avowed is a worthy successor to the fantasy RPG throne.
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