Avowed is a single-player action RPG developed by Obsidian Entertainment and set in the Pillars of Eternity universe of Eora. Players take on the role of an envoy sent to the Living Lands, a frontier island plagued by mystery and conflict, where choices shape both the story and companion relationships. The Premium Edition on PS5 delivers the full experience with a year of post-launch improvements already integrated, including expanded character options and replay features.
Gameplay
Combat blends melee weapons such as swords and axes with firearms like pistols and bows, alongside magic spells drawn from a grimoire. Players switch fluidly between loadouts, combining effects like freezing an enemy before following up with a heavy strike or using a shield bash to interrupt attacks. Parry mechanics and finishers add timing-based depth, while individual weapon upgrades and enchantments allow personalization of damage output and special properties.
Four skill trees govern progression: Fighter for close-quarters power, Ranger for ranged precision and stealth tools, Wizard for spell variety, and Godlike for divine abilities tied to the envoy's background. Companions join the party with their own skill trees and abilities, contributing to fights through stuns, roots, or elemental effects while pursuing personal story arcs influenced by player decisions.
Exploration rewards thorough investigation of the Living Lands' varied terrain, from cliffs and rivers to hidden shrines. God Shrine Totems collected across the island unlock new powers, and traversal systems encourage climbing and environmental interaction. Character creation supports multiple races including humans, elves, dwarves, orlans, and aumaua, each with distinct traits, alongside extensive customization for appearance and background.
Game Modes
The core experience centers on a linear yet choice-driven single-player campaign focused on uncovering the plague's origins and navigating faction tensions in the Living Lands. New Game+ extends this by allowing players to start a fresh run after completion while carrying over unlocked abilities, unique weapons, armor, and enchantments. Enemies scale in difficulty with increased stats and modifiers, balanced by a raised attribute point cap that supports deeper builds.
Custom difficulty sliders provide granular control over player damage, health, essence regeneration, companion behavior, enemy aggression, and economic factors like merchant prices. These options let players tailor challenge levels without altering the underlying single-player structure. A photo mode further supports creative capture of the world and characters during play.
Key Mechanics and Updates
Quarterstaffs join the arsenal as a new two-handed melee option suited to magical builds, delivering close-range strikes alongside spellcasting. A camp mirror enables mid-game appearance changes, including race adjustments, without restarting. Portable workbenches and quality-of-life additions streamline crafting and exploration across the island's ecosystems.
The anniversary update introduced these systems alongside expanded skill options and companion behaviors, resulting in a more polished single-player loop. No multiplayer components exist; the focus remains on narrative delivery, build experimentation, and repeated playthroughs via New Game+.
Is It Worth Playing?
Avowed suits players who enjoy focused single-player action RPGs with strong combat variety and meaningful companion interactions rather than vast open-world checklists. The PS5 version arrives complete with all updates, offering refined performance modes including 60 frames per second targets and DualSense integration for haptic feedback during combat and traversal.
Critics have given generally favorable scores, highlighting fluid combat and replay value through New Game+ and custom difficulty. Player feedback notes improved satisfaction after the anniversary changes, particularly for those seeking a mid-length campaign of roughly 20 hours for the main story with additional time for side content and experimentation. Those preferring heavy multiplayer or endless procedural systems may find the structured narrative less appealing, but the verified mechanics deliver consistent engagement for fans of Obsidian-style choice-driven RPGs.
