Within the world of Eora is the Living Lands, an island of diverse landscapes teeming with ancient magic and under rule of the Aedyran Empire. Recently, the Dreamscourge, a mysterious plague, has been spreading across its midst. Those affected by it are turning onto each other and there are signs that it might even be affecting the wildlife of the Living Lands.
To investigate this growing threat, the King has sent you, his trusty Envoy, to the Living Lands. You won’t be alone in this mission as you are joined by characters with overlapping aims, but your resolve will be tested through tough choices as this critical investigation spirals into a web of political intrigue and personal discovery. The effects of your decisions will resonate across the Living Lands; so choose wisely as you edge closer to the truth behind the Dreamscourge.
A Godlike in a fantastical land
While Avowed is set in the same world as Obsidian’s Pillars of Eternity, the location is a new one and this new adventure is accessible even to newcomers in the universe of Eora. With the Living Lands, Obsidian provides players with a varied and richly detailed open world that invites exploration. The environmental storytelling is on point, with every ruin and market square offering a glimpse of the land’s storied past. If you poke further, you will be rewarded with a satisfying level of world building as Avowed isn’t shy to indulge the curious player, whether it’s by talking to NPCs or finding notes and books in the environment.
While you might occasionally feel overwhelmed with some Eoran lore terms, Obsidian has included a very handy in-dialogue glossary. It lets you quickly catch up with in-game terminologies that you might not be familiar with. This mechanic is a boon in a fantasy world like Eora where you encounter new words every now and then. In fact, I think this should be standard practice in RPGs to ease players into each universe’s own jargon.
While there’s no lack of fantasy RPGs, I found the Living Lands to pack a charming visual design. Its colourful, detailed and varied vistas contrast the darker themes hanging over the plot. The Envoy, being a Godlike or a rare individual born with a connection to one of the gods, has fungal-like facial growths to which characters react to. This can elicit interesting conversations, while breathing life to the universe.
Further immersing the player in the Living Lands is the excellent voice acting and atmospheric soundtrack. Your unique companions, with personalities crafted after the classic Obsidian quirkiness and wittiness, are brought to life with actors who deliver their lines with conviction. A personal highlight was when I found out that one early companion, Kai, is voiced by Brandon Keener, who portrayed Garrus in Mass Effect.
An RPG that focuses on Obsidian’s strengths
While Avowed is an open world RPG, it is not as systems heavy as other games such as Kingdom Come: Deliverance II or Skyrim, as this game has been likened to. You can steal items without expecting bounties on your head and you cannot attack anyone at will. If you expected a game with a wide range of immersive simulation mechanics, then this might be a downer. Instead, Avowed focuses on Obsidian’s strengths in narrative design, engaging exploration and layered combat. In this sense, this game might even be better compared to Obsidian’s own The Outer Worlds.
Being an Obsidian game, there is indeed a heavy focus on the narrative and the studio’s expertise is on display here. The truth behind the Dreamscourge holds more than meets the eye and the narrative branches based on certain in-game decisions you make. These will get you to rethink your allegiances but you might face harsh consequences down the line. Furthermore, it’s not made explicit which dialogue choices will carry such weight, forcing you to pay attention to how you reply to certain characters.
I came to really appreciate the open world layout of the Living Lands with areas that feel more purposefully designed and don’t overstay their welcome. You can easily explore your current area on foot without feeling like you are wandering aimlessly. While following a quest, it is not uncommon to have your interest piqued by an interesting dialogue that you overhear or an abandoned structure that you notice. Indulging in such curiosity might lead you to discover rare items or undertake an unexpectedd side quest. Such instances encourage exploration, especially when the outcome of some side quests neatly weaves into the main storyline.
While the Living Lands’ areas can feel contained, they pack a noticeable level of verticality. For example, while on a quest to find a particular resource, you might encounter some environmental barriers such as a cliff that push you to take a different route. This adds a layer of challenge while also encouraging exploration.
As a fully-fledged RPG, Avowed features the whole gamut of skill trees, equipment upgrades and inventory management. Based on your in-game choices and areas you uncover, you can even get specific Godlike abilities to boost your skills or find unique weapons with special abilities. Avowed further lets you respec your skill upgrades (for a small fee). This allows you to experiment with its welcome range of diverse combat styles which range from spellcasting to gun wielding.
This freedom of playstyle can lead to interesting encounters, provided you are equipped well enough against your opponents as they do offer a fair challenge. Moreover, being able to issue commands to your companions, in a fashion that reminded me of Mass Effect, lets you leverage their unique skills to complement yours, further enhancing the dynamic. For example, you might have Marius slow down enemies from a distance with his bow and magic while the Envoy handles melee combat with the classic sword and shield, supported by Yatzil’s explosive magic spells. However, engaging in combat heads-on isn’t always the only option in Avowed. You can stealthily take down some enemies or even talk them out of combat entirely.
One notable aspect of encounters is the lack of enemy diversity. This is especially the case if you are focused on forging ahead in hostile areas, without much exploration. By balancing exploration, combat and side quests, this downside is somewhat less noticeable but the novelty in encounters wanes over time. I also found that combat could use more mobility. This would allow players more freedom of experimenting with their playstyles. This could partially address the familiarity of encounters.
For these reasons, I found Avowed to be better enjoyed by taking your time exploring the Living Lands, talking to its inhabitants and aid them in their quest, and occasionally engaging in combat. It has a slow burn nature that doesn’t make the experience as enjoyable if you are rushing through and this might be a noteworthy aspect.
Avowed: a return to Obsidian RPG greatness
It might sound like Obsidian played it safe with Avowed as it doesn’t really try to introduce any major new concept or mechanic in its gameplay. But by playing on the studio’s strengths, it ensures that they crafted a game that is not out of their scope. The final result coalesces into a well-crafted RPG with an engaging narrative that encourages and rewards exploration. It’s well worth heeding to this call for adventure if you are a fan of narrative-driven games, especially considering that this game is available on Game Pass.
Avowed – Official Launch Trailer
Verdict
What We Liked …
- Rich branching narrative mechanic
- Engrossing universe with interesting characters
- Balanced overall gameplay experience
What We Didn’t Like …
- Lack of enemy diversity
- Slow burn nature
- Plays it safe in terms of gameplay
Gameplay
Avowed plays on Obsidian’s strengths to treat players with an engaging, branching narrative and a decent level of freedom of playstyle.
Presentation
The visual design of the Living Lands is noteworthy for its colourful originality, with the excellent voice acting bringing its characters to life and extensive world building fleshing out its universe.
Lasting Appeal
Fans of story-driven games will be drawn to this fantasy RPG thanks to its branching design and well-crafted narrative.
8.5 out of 10
Overall
With Avowed, Obsidian plays on its own strengths to deliver a compelling, engaging and well-rounded RPG experience.
