More hands-on time with Avowed shows how it’s truly shaping up

Anticipation continues to grow for the upcoming Obsidian Entertainment RPG, Avowed, ahead of its launch in February. After having spent an hour with the game last month (alongside Production Director Ryan Warden from Obsidian, who I got to have a lovely chat with), I felt like I had a deeper sense of what Avowed was trying to be; that said, it was only a taste of what the full game will offer, being just a lengthy side quest that was showcased in a linear sort of dungeon.

Now, I’ve been given the chance to enjoy Avowed’s opening hours in a hands-on preview opportunity that I was able to enjoy from the comfort of my couch. It continually proves to be a world I want to get completely lost in, combing through all of its lore, searching for hidden secrets, and having in-depth conversations with its well-written companions. It’s a delight, so far, and one that will no doubt satisfy RPG lovers and Obsidian faithful alike.

Before being let off the leash into a more open-zone structure, Avowed begins with a linear introduction, where your hero (with plenty of customisation options) wakes up and is greeted by companion Garryck, an Orlan, a colourful but mostly friendly face that will guide you through the opening hours. You’ll play as a Godlike, a race blessed with physical aspects associated with the gods… though some do not consider it a blessing, of course. The shape of your head is strange, and that odd look is called out by new characters you’ll come across. You may be Godlike, but you’re still easy to pick on, apparently.

Maybe you’d like to have a sword in one hand, and a magical Grimoire in the other, allowing you to cast spells of fire and ice at range; of course, that will leave you without a spare hand to block attacks, so you’ll have to rely on dodging instead. Avowed’s combat is immediately enjoyable, and the way I was learning to adapt to different combat scenarios felt fluid and interesting. Battles themselves have a satisfying thud when you’re laying into foes, lowering their own guard so that you can deliver a combo move finisher, complete with slow motion. While I only discovered a few different weapons, spells and abilities during my time, I’m eager to experiment much, much more.

Player choice and consequences, a hallmark of Obsidian, are also on full display early. Dialogue choices are available (or not) based on your background, and even the skill points you’ve allocated so far. If you haven’t added points to strength, you may not be able to go with the aggressive approach, for example. While navigating the prologue, you’ll find Ilora, locked in a prison cell with no key in sight. She’s got an attitude and is dubious about Godlike’s in general, and Garryck is quick to squabble with her, finding her kind untrustworthy. She mentions a boat of hers that can help you all escape, but you’ll need to let her out… or, you can leave her there, and steal her boat anyway.

I chose to help her (I’m a good samaritan), which involved searching for a key nearby in a simple platforming puzzle, with some additional loot rewards for searching other cells. She then joined our party, at least for now, as we continued on our way. This early decision could have a ripple effect, and the beauty of an RPG like Avowed is that you’ll make the choices that feel right to you, and see how things play out.

Once you do eventually make your way to an actual town, shops open up, side quests become available, and the gigantic world map looms large. I helped a villager whose house had been overrun by lizards (xaurips), and she needed me to clear them out for her. Delightfully, this wasn’t purely resolved in a “thank you” after I’d slaughtered them all. Instead, clues in her house led to another discovery, allowing me the opportunity to confront the villager and find out what is really going on here. So far, the distractions I’ve taken part in aren’t just cut and dry, which is a testament to the writing and overall world-building.

Setting up a party camp means you can talk to your companions in a lot more depth, and I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of dialogue here. Kai, a highlight of my last preview, had a lot of interesting insights about the political landscape of the world and is quite charming. There were many options for discussion points; for those who want to kick back and go deep with lore and get to know their companions, there’s a lot to unpack here, but it is optional for those who are more main-quest focused. The world of Pillars of Eternity is epic, and that same profundity is ever-present in Avowed.

After some further exploration, a boss battle with an infected grizzly bear and a strange conversation with a spirit later, my time with Avowed’s opening came to an end. While I absolutely am enamoured by the world in front of me, keen as a bean to soak it all up, the one thing going against Avowed is that it doesn’t feel unique. I’ve played amazing Obsidian RPGs before, and this absolutely feels like another one of those. But the pure fantasy setting – with spiders and bears and goblin things to fight off while looting equipment and upgrading my character – is somewhat by the numbers; at least for now.

Regardless, this is only my perception based on fairly tutorialised opening hours; as the universe of Avowed opens up, companions gain more complexity and the combat continues to evolve, it could still be one of this generation’s stand-out RPGs. I trust Obsidian; I just hope more ambitious surprises are lurking beneath the surface to help Avowed truly make a lasting impact.

Avowed is set for release on February 18, on Xbox Series X|S and PC.