Avowed: More Fallout 3 Than Baldur’s Gate 3, And That’s Not a Bad Thing

Discover how Avowed, the latest RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, is gearing up to face intense competition next February.

First-person view of a bear attacking the sword-wielding player character in Avowed.

Avowed

Setting expectations can be tricky, especially with beloved things. The terms ‘Obsidian Entertainment’ and ‘first-person RPG’ bring to mind a blend of Fallout: New Vegas, Skyrim, and Baldur’s Gate 3. Although nobody claimed Avowed would be such a combination, it’s easy to set high expectations. After playing the first two hours, I have a clearer picture of what Avowed aims to achieve.

As I started Obsidian’s latest game, the character creator introduced me to the concept of being a ‘godlike’—someone connected to one of the gods. Godlike characters have unique facial and hair features resembling multicolored fungal growths, often causing them to be viewed with “suspicion, reverence, or curiosity.” Being a Black man, this description resonated with me, so I chose the boldest godlike features available.

For my character’s background, there were five choices, each offering unique dialogue options. I selected the Court Augur, a character who rose from a back-alley fortuneteller to the Emperor’s personal mystic—a true rags-to-riches tale. As the Envoy of Aedyr, I’m sent to the Living Lands to investigate a mysterious plague.

Our journey begins disastrously with our boat capsizing, leaving only me and Garryck, a strange blue beast who saved my life, as survivors. We landed on Fort Northreach, an Aedyran outpost, and our ship was destroyed by the island’s soldiers. As a Court Augur, I suspected the soldiers were not in their right minds. We decided to explore the island for survivors and a new route to our destination.

Armed with a club found on the shore, I was ready for action. Smashing wooden crates and blocked pathways was simple, but oddly, I couldn’t hit scurrying lizards or NPCs. It became clear that Avowed wasn’t focusing on this type of interaction.

After some platforming, I encountered my first enemies: humanoid reptiles called Xaurips. Attacking them with my club felt impactful, and they were defeated quickly. While searching for clues, I tried interacting with various objects, only to find my attacks phasing through them, highlighting a lack of interactivity.

Judging by the physics in Avowed, I assumed there would be more interactivity, but it’s clear the game focuses on combat, dialogue, and quests. The melee combat involves typical mechanics of attacking, dodging, and managing stamina. Magic didn’t add much to the experience, though I hoped for environmental interactions like those in Bioshock. Outside of combat, magic is used to access different areas, but some interactions, like burning brambles, were inconsistent.

During my escape attempt, I found a prisoner named Ilora, who insulted my godlike features. She offered a partnership to escape, but despite my anger, the game forced me to free her and add her to my party, highlighting limited player agency.

In the preview, I noticed many dialogue options, some locked by stats, but it was unclear how impactful these choices were. Even in Paradis, a port city with impressive visuals, dialogue options led to the same quests.

My companions changed over time, with Garryck and Ilora being replaced by Kai, a Coastal Aumaua, who was more capable in combat. In Paradis, the visuals shone with vibrant flora and well-optimized performance on my high-end setup. Despite some animation quirks, the game seemed technically ready.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to delve into Paradis and its story. The main quest got interesting with a mysterious blue light called ‘The Voice’ seeking my help, ending dramatically with my character being shot by an arrow.

Now understanding Avowed’s focus, I can adjust my expectations and appreciate its strengths. While the combat is familiar, the world and story of Avowed are compelling, leaving me eager for more.