Avowed Review – A Glorious Return to Eora

Pillars of Eternity is one of the earliest Kickstarter success stories. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, the studio behind cult classics such as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2, Fallout: New Vegas, and Alpha Protocol, PoE was a throwback to genre darlings like Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale. 

Despite a great reception by critics and gamers alike, Pillars of Eternity never became mainstream. And following its sequel, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, the series’ future was uncertain. In the age where isometric CRPGs are considered niche, how could Obsidian Entertainment continue the saga of Eora in a more approachable, mainstream fashion? 

Their answer is Avowed, a first-person/third-person RPG set after the events of Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. While it’s not considered a proper third game in the series, it’s Obsidian Entertainment’s way of testing the waters and expanding the series into a new genre. A genre they’re quite familiar with and comfortable telling stories in. So, how does Avowed stack up in 2025 and successfully attract mainstream gamers’ attention where Pillars of Eternity unfortunately fell short?

TL;DR

Avowed is an excellent spin-off to a series with deep, intricate lore bursting with storytelling potential. With an engaging and dynamic combat system and high-quality writing, Avowed offers a worthwhile adventure to both Pillars of Eternity veterans and series newcomers.

Story – Wrapped in Thousands of Years of History

Avowed takes place after Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. However, the studio is hedging its bets on one day revisiting the series with a proper third entry. This means that while Avowed takes the second game’s story and ending into consideration, it doesn’t directly advance its plot. 

Instead, it takes place in The Living Lands, a previously unexplored but often mentioned part of Eora. You take control of the King’s envoy to The Living Lands with the task of investigating recent rumours of a plague ravaging the island. 

Before you can land, however, your ship is destroyed in a storm and you wash up on the beach without any friends or resources. The opening of Avowed is a charming homage to RPG classics, allowing you to discover The Living Lands alongside your protagonist, one dialogue choice at a time.

Keeping Up with the Lore

Pillars of Eternity is known for its expansive lore. So when it came to creating a third game in the series, Obsidian Entertainment was met with a challenge. To ensure both newcomers and series veterans feel right at home, the team built a lore encyclopedia feature into the dialogue system. 

Every time a character mentions a name, phrase, or reference specific to the world, you’ll get an option to learn more about it. This is an elegant way to let new players dive deep into Avowed and its lore while making sure that Pillars of Eternity fans don’t have to deal with excessive exposition. Final Fantasy XVI did something very similar and it’s a great way to make the game’s lore accessible to as many people as possible.

Apart from that, a helpful Documents section is nested within your pause menu, letting you revisit any letters, books, or notes you collected so far. Avowed is just as dense with lore as Pillars of Eternity and the studio didn’t sacrifice any of its identity when shifting the game to first person.

Gameplay – Pillars of Eternity Translated into an Action RPG

Avowed is a first-person RPG. When it was announced that Pillars of Eternity would be shifting to first person (at least for this spin-off), fan reception was mixed. Pillars of Eternity was a series intended as a callback to the ‘good old days’ of CRPGs, so how could such a shift be justified? 

Luckily, Avowed retains most of the original series’ gameplay systems but on a more personal scale. Since you’re controlling only one character (and issuing orders to others), you have more freedom to fine-tune your character as you see fit. This lets you truly express yourself as a player and guide your character’s growth much more intricately compared to an isometric RPG. 

The game never locks you into a character class or a profession and you can go between ranged, magic, and melee weapons at a moment’s notice. While there are dedicated skills present for all three playstyles, you’re free to reassign skill points and play Avowed however you like.

Combat takes place in real-time as opposed to Pillars of Eternity’s pause system. While you can pause the game to issue orders to your companions, they’re smart enough to use them independently. So, you can safely focus on your character and the two weapon sets you’ve customized based on your preferences.

Customizing your Godlike

Your journey through The Living Lands begins by customizing your Godlike. Godlikes are individuals unique to Pillars to Eternity. They’re connected to certain gods within the world, allowing them access to certain special abilities. However, being Godlike also means being physically altered to a certain extent, exhibiting the fact that you’re gifted. 

Avowed leans heavily into this idea, prompting different characters to react to your physical appearance in positive, negative, and other interesting ways. While the character customization isn’t as deep as in games such as Dragon Age: The Veilguard, it’s intricate enough that you’ll create a unique Godlike without much effort. 

Curiously, Avowed doesn’t let you explicitly choose your character’s race, but it does allow you to choose different physical appearances to match it anyway. It’s a small discrepancy and it won’t affect your enjoyment in any way.

Mixing and Matching Your Toolset

Because the game doesn’t feature dedicated classes, you’re free to optimize your playstyle for different scenarios. And with two separate weapon slots, you’re free to mix and match four different weapons, shields, and items. 

For example, you can dual-wield swords, guns, or magic items. You can also use a sword in tandem with a pistol. Or, you can use two-handed weapons like hammers, axes, and firearms. Avowed gives you a combat sandbox to experiment with and expects you to get creative. 

Different enemies have specific elemental weaknesses and it’s up to you to attack them with the right weapons. This gameplay system feels very rewarding and you’ll never get bored of fighting because you have so many different tools at your disposal.

An Open World that Respects Your Time

In the age of open-world games, it’s refreshing to play a game that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Avowed is an RPG with a brisk pace, clocking in at 25 hours if you mostly focus on the main story. While you can easily double that count with side quests, the game doesn’t force you to do anything you’re not comfortable with. 

This is in stark contrast to modern open-world games that demand dozens and dozens of hours of your time without giving you a proper ending. Its side quests are sparse but offer unique stories with great writing. 

Bounties, treasure hunts, and collectables are here but they’re measured and never feel like a chore. Avowed won’t take nearly as long to complete and you’re always welcome to replay it with different choices, combat preferences, and companions.

A Themepark Approach to World Design

One element that leaves something to be desired is found in the world’s overall design. Avowed is a Pillars of Eternity spin-off and it shows in how its world is designed. Your surroundings are not as reactive to player input as in some other popular RPGs. 

All you can really do is break pre-determined plans, burn spiderwebs, lockpick chests (but not doors)…and that’s it. There’s also no penalty for breaking into houses or going into ‘forbidden’ areas because Avowed doesn’t have a Wanted system. You also cannot hurt NPCs or your party members, which makes the world slightly less believable. 

The game features a gorgeous, atmospheric world that pulls you in from the moment you hit ‘Play’. But, it also takes you out of it just as easily when you realize that the world is beautiful to look at but very simplistic to interact with, which is a shame.

Visuals – Eyecatching Style over Realism

Avowed is built on Unreal Engine 5 and it shows in every pixel. The Living Lands are a strange and foreign place that’s brimming with life and creative world design. The team has done a remarkable job translating Pillars of Eternity’s world into a first-person RPG. 

All of the races, factions, and magical elements you’ve come to know are present here and look better than ever. The same can be said for the game’s combat, which is reactive and visually engaging. Every weapon feels different and every magic spell has unique properties and uses both in and out of combat. While there isn’t any form of mounted transportation available, you can quickly travel throughout the world in only a few seconds from anywhere on the map. 

Avowed opts for a stylistic approach to its characters and world as opposed to hyper-realism. This fits with the themes of The Living Lands and doesn’t feel out of place. Moreover, it’s the best choice Obsidian Entertainment could have made considering the lush, plant-like world design.

Technical Launch Hiccups

Unreal Engine 5 has been a blessing and a curse for many games, and Avowed is no different. While the game often features breathtaking visuals, vistas, and effects, it’s also not perfect in terms of performance. 

We tested the game on Xbox Series X and all the available modes featured slight dips in FPS, uneven frame-pacing, and visual artefacts. We also experienced several crashes during our review period, mostly during combat encounters with numerous NPCS interacting with one another. Despite that, the game’s load times are lightning-fast and you’ll never have to wait more than a few seconds to jump right back into The Living Lands.

Here’s Avowed official performance breakdown, as provided by Obsidian Entertainment:

• Xbox Series S: Quality Mode
  • 1080p / 30fps / Optional Unlocked Framerate /
  • Supports Ray Tracing
• Xbox Series S: Balanced Mode
  • 1080p / 40fps on 120hz TVs only / Optional
  • Unlocked Framerate / Supports Ray Tracing
• Xbox Series X: Quality Mode
  • 2160p / 30fps / Optional Unlocked Framerate /
  • Supports Ray Tracing
• Xbox Series X: Balanced Mode
  • 2160p / 40fps on 120hz TVs only / Optional Unlocked
  • Framerate / Supports Ray Tracing
• Series X: Performance Mode
  • 1800p / 60fps / Optional Unlocked Framerate /
  • Does not support Ray Tracing

The team has pledged to continue optimizing the game post-launch with a series of updates. This means that any performance issues we’ve experienced during our review period may be eliminated by the time you get your hands on the game.

Audio – Voice Acting Powered by Industry Veterans

Avowed’s sound design is in line with Pillars of Eternity when it comes to audio effects and music. The game features an instrumental score that’s both atmospheric and magical, perfectly fitting every area you travel through. 

The game’s combat also feels satisfying from an audio standpoint, especially when you use various magic spells that cause burn, freeze, or lightning effects. When it comes to voice acting, Avowed is on another level. Paired with excellent writing and veteran gaming industry talent, you’ll love simply interacting with your companions and listening to their conversations. 

Standouts include Brandon Keener (Garrus, Mass Effect) as one of your first companions and Matthew Mercer (Cassidy, Overwatch/Levi, Attack on Titan) as one of the game’s villains. In terms of writing and voice acting, the game feels like a throwback to games from two decades ago in the best possible way.

Conclusion – Should You Play Avowed?

If you’re a fan of Pillars of Eternity and are waiting for a third game in the series to arrive, don’t be disappointed, because Avowed is exactly what you’re looking for. While it’s technically a side story set in a brand-new part of Eora, its narrative continues to expand the lore of Pillars of Eternity in exciting new ways. 

The first-person RPG perspective was the perfect choice for the story Obsidian Entertainment set out to tell in Avowed and it’s built to be inviting for both first-time and veteran Pillars of Eternity players. 

This is a solid, 25-50 hour RPG with plenty of player freedom and narrative choices for you to enjoy. Avowed is now available on PC and Xbox Series X|S. It’s also a day-one Xbox Game Pass game, so if you’re a subscriber, there’s no reason not to give it a try!

Huge thanks to Assembly Inc., Obsidian Entertainment, and Xbox Game Studios for sponsoring our review!