Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), Xbox Series
Genre: Computer Role-Playing Game, First-Person, Obsidian-Written

An Old-Fashioned is a cocktail made in the 1880s. A mix of whiskey and bitters, a dash of water, and an orange zest, the drink comes in an old-fashioned glass and is one of the basics you can get from any self-respecting bar or speakeasy. It’s also a test for bartenders to see if they can make an awesome-tasting iteration of an old classic, so that its patrons can then move on to better and more esoteric choices. You can’t run miles unless you’ve at least know how to walk with grace.

My point is that the new 2025-released computer role-playing game Avowed is like a decent Old-Fashioned; it’s using familiar tropes and settings -the high fantasy genre prominent in your Elder Scrolls titles- and using open-world and open-zone design for a slightly freeform experience with some new additions and enhancements to its real-time first-person (or third-person; both can be switched on the fly) combat and spellcasting.

However, it doesn’t showcase the strength of Obsidian Entertainment: its storytelling.

Sleeping On The Medieval Wheel

You play as the envoy to the empire as you explore the Living Lands and see progress and chaotic goings-on there. As there’s a plague that needs clearing and evil that needs eradicating, you explore all the different worlds and elemental-themed areas back and forth as you do sidequests and exploration to get stronger and attain better gear, upgrade your character to either be any class you can or a hybrid of established templates (say a wizard/ranger long-ranged specialist), and get help from your companions ranging from a snarky-but-well-meaning native named Kai to an eccentric furry wizard female called Yatzli.

Its overall narrative is what you expect from such a fantastical backdrop, though it’s based on Obsidian’s self-made Pillars of Eternity lore and narrative, taking place in a different location altogether but still retains history from the previous title, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. If you’re new to the Pillars storyline, don’t be afraid to jump into Avowed; it’s a totally new story with a few references to past games that won’t hamper your 30-hour-or-less experience.

As far as storytelling caliber goes, Avowed is pretty average. Don’t get me wrong: it’s better than some RPGs out there, but Obsidian should be held to a higher standard, and this game’s narrative does lose steam in its second half. The companions you get, while fun at first, aren’t as memorable as The Outer Worlds’ Parvati, Fallout: New Vegas’ Veronica, Boone, and Arcades, or even Pentiment’s Andreas Maler and Magdalene. I won’t blame you if you’ve been pressing the skip button half the time to get to the action and questing.

Dream A Little Dream (blight)…

Thankfully, the gameplay, exploration, and open-ended class system make up for that particular shortcoming, as diehards like myself stuck around long enough past the 10-hour mark. Your 30-40 hour or so romp will consist of you exploring the many designated areas and cities of the Living Lands, doing side quests and getting distracted with many discoverables and unique treasure.

The hub area you start off in, Paradis, is well-made and put together so you can get lost within its 10-hours worth of exploring and questing, filled with all manners of highwaymen, smugglers, lizard people, and rabid bears to ambush you. The later areas are also expansive and very unique with their backdrops (from volcanic areas to mushroom-filled purple forests clearing combo), though not as well thought-out as the first area. Still, it’s better than most open areas that sometimes feel pointless to waltz around with no wonder or nuggets of lore and treasure to be discovered.

What kept me going on was the game’s combat and progression system. There is no class for you to pick when you start; you get into the fray as a blank slate and a chosen job -hunter, soldier, nobleman, what-have-you. As soon as you get your first few skill points and trait points, you can assign them as you see fit.

You also get loads of choices for active skills and upgrades from three different segments -Fighter, Ranger, Wizard- where you can mix and match, or just follow one path. Want to tank for your spellcasting buddies? Just follow the Fighter route and use shouts and charges to attract foes and stun them for easy pickings. Rather just go for ranged damage-dealing like I did in my 25+ hour no-nonsense playthrough? Just split your points between grimoire levels (for additional spellcasting options) and ranged attack damage plus cooldown/reloading reduction so you can stay away from harm while you deal some hurt with Blizzards, Meteor Showers, and flintlock gunfire.

You can even bolster your current weapon, or even enchant it with better abilities. In fact, the game encourages you to stick to a unique weapon you love and just power it up. The Main Quests in the game can get challenging with enemies slightly overleveled than you, so you may need to do the usual sidequesting and exploration to deal with that gatekeeping. While some may complain about that lockout, I just call it a traditional approach to CRPGing; the same argument people use to defend the Dragon Quest series’ grinding and slog.

Plus, if you commit to a set of Uniques you find early in Paradis, I got through the main quest just fine with a little crowd-controlling and strategizing. The sidequests can be won through attrition and the classic “strike first, no mercy” method, so some folks may find issue with that grindy approach. I feel that Avowed controls and plays well enough, offering tons of flexibility and party choices, where I don’t find the meandering and sidequesting too much of a chore and a bore. And they don’t take too darn long and outstay their welcome, thankfully, though to be fair, I may need to spend an additional 20 hours to check out EVERY sidequest to deliver that major long take.

Industry Plant?

As old-fashioned as Avowed aims to be, I really had fun just being in first-person view exploring this strange new world filled with ephemeral colour palettes, clashing philosophies and political mandates, and challenging-yet-fun combat and gameplay. Mostly the latter, if we’re being really honest, as that’s carrying the entirety of this Pillars of Eternity-universe game. Obsidian’s latest isn’t as groundbreaking and profound as Fallout: New Vegas (a very high bar to be honest), but it isn’t short on exploration and combat.

I’d say take a plunge in this magical fantasy romp if possible. Besides, the Pillars of Eternity universe really needs more mainstream love, and what better way to do it than with a first-person RPG format people gravitate towards to? At the very least, Xbox Game Pass owners have yet another free and awesome RPG experience to deal with for weeks and months to come.

Pros

• Great and flexible combat packed with upgrade and character-leveling options.
• Lovely visuals and areas to explore in.
• Ample open-world content and opportunities to keep you invested for hours.

Cons

• Narrative and companion personalities could be better, given Obsidian’s caliber.
• Gameplay and depth peaked past Paradis and earlier areas.

FINAL SCORE: 80/100