If you’ve been keeping an eye on the RPG space lately, you’ve probably heard the name Avowed tossed around more than a stray fireball in a wizard academy. Developed by the legends at Obsidian Entertainment—the same folks who gave us Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds—this game has had a lot of weight on its shoulders.
It was originally pitched (at least in our heads) as “Obsidian’s Skyrim,” but now that it’s been out for a while (and just hit PlayStation 5 today, February 17, 2026!), we can finally see it for what it actually is. Spoiler: It’s not Skyrim, and that’s actually a good thing.
Welcome to the Living Lands (Watch Your Step)
The game drops you into The Living Lands, a wild, frontier island in the world of Eora (the same setting as Pillars of Eternity). You play as an Envoy sent by the Emperor to investigate the Dreamscourge, a nasty soul-plague that’s turning the local flora and fauna into kaleidoscopic, fungal nightmares.
The first thing you’ll notice is the color palette. This isn’t your typical “fifty shades of brown” medieval fantasy. It’s vibrant, neon, and occasionally looks like someone spilled a bottle of highlighter ink on an H.R. Giger painting. It’s weird, it’s beautiful, and it gives the world a personality that feels fresh.
The Gameplay: Simple, Not Shallow
The combat is where most of the pre-release anxiety lived. “Will it feel floaty?” “Is it too simple?”
The truth? It’s snappy. You aren’t locked into a rigid class system. If you want to hold a sword in one hand and a magical grimoire in the other, go for it. If you want to dual-wield pistols like a fantasy John Wick, you can do that too.
What Works:
- The Mix-and-Match Logic: Switching between a bow, a two-handed axe, and a shield feels fluid.
- Environmental Interaction: You can use the environment to your advantage—kick a skeleton off a cliff or shatter a frozen enemy with a heavy mace.
- The Length: Unlike those 100-hour behemoths that feel like a second job, Avowed respects your time. You can wrap the main story in about 20-25 hours, though if you’re like me and have to check every nook and cranny, you’re looking at more like 45-50 hours.
What Might Bug You:
- Loot Fatigue: After a while, the chests start to feel a bit “algorithmic.” You’ll find a lot of the same crafting materials and common swords.
- First-Person Depth Perception: Aiming some of the larger area-of-effect spells can be a bit wonky in first-person view.
The Obsidian “Secret Sauce”
You don’t play an Obsidian game for the combat alone; you play it for the choices.
Avowed excels at making you feel like a bit of a jerk, a saint, or something in between. The political tension between the Aedyr Empire and the local factions is thick, and the game rarely gives you a “perfect” ending. You’re going to have to make calls that leave people unhappy, and the consequences often ripple out in ways you won’t see coming until hours later.
The companions are also a highlight. You’ve got Kai (voiced by none other than Brandon Keener who also voiced Garrus Vakarian in Mass Effect), the battle-weary soldier, and Yatzli, the chaotic wizard, among others. They don’t just stand there; they argue with each other, comment on your choices, and have personal quests that actually feel tied to the main narrative rather than just busywork.
The “Anniversary Update” & PS5 Launch
If you’re just picking this up today on PS5, you’re actually getting the “definitive” version right out of the gate. The Anniversary Update (which hit all platforms today) added some much-requested features:
- New Game+: For those who want to take their high-level Godlike back to the start.
- New Playable Races: You can finally play as an Orlan, Dwarf, or Amauan.
- Photo Mode: Essential for capturing those purple-tinted vistas.
The Verdict
Avowed is a “focused” RPG. It’s not trying to be a life simulator or a massive sandbox where you can get lost for a year. It’s a tight, well-written, and visually stunning adventure that proves Obsidian is still the king of player agency.
It feels a bit old-school in its structure—almost like an Xbox 360-era RPG but with 2026’s bells and whistles—and honestly, that’s exactly what I wanted.
Final Score: 8/10 – Great
Quick Tip: If you’re playing on PC or Xbox, make sure to download the 1.5GB update that went live to get the New Game+ and Photo Mode features!
