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What kind of game is Avowed?
Obsidian Entertainment’s Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG set in Eora, the fictional world introduced in Pillars of Eternity. Xbox Wire announced its launch for February 18, 2025, on Xbox Series X|S, the Xbox app for Windows PC, Battle.net, Steam, cloud, and Game Pass. Xbox Wire’s launch overview describes a player envoy investigating a soul-plague in the Living Lands, an island frontier in Eora.
The official description lists Fighter, Ranger, Wizard, and Godlike skill trees, companions with abilities and personal stories, and the option to mix weapons with magic. These details outline the intended format; they do not, by themselves, establish how well the combat, story, or role-playing systems work.
Why could it feel different from an Obsidian RPG?
The name Obsidian and the connection to Pillars of Eternity can prompt expectations of a more tactical or traditional RPG. Avowed instead uses a first-person action format. It takes place in the same fictional world, but its official framing does not promise to reproduce the earlier series’ gameplay structure.
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#1 Best Overall
- Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger.
- Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.
- Explore an island home to many different environments and landscapes, each with their own unique ecosystem
- Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way
- Companions from a spread of species will fight alongside you, with their own unique set of abilities.
That contrast is about format, not a verdict on which design is better. A player looking for first-person combat and exploration may find the pitch familiar; someone expecting a game that handles play like Pillars of Eternity may find the shift surprising.
What did the official pre-release pitch emphasize?
Before launch, Xbox Wire presented Avowed as a fantasy RPG where players could approach situations through combat, exploration, or conversation. The framing highlighted player choice, companions, and the Living Lands as a distinct frontier within Eora—not simply a return to the setting’s previous game format. Xbox Wire’s Gamescom preview also connected Eora’s souls-and-gods mythology to the world’s tone and content. Game Director Carrie Patel said: “When you’re informed by those two basic facts, it guides a lot about both the kind of content you develop and the tone and flavor you give it.”
Rank #2
- Requires base game, Game Pass Ultimate, or PC Game Pass Membership (Sold Separately)
- Premium Upgrade includes: Premium Skin Packs: 2 sets of bonus skins for your companions, and access to Avowed Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack
- Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.
- Explore an island home to many different environments and landscapes, each with their own unique ecosystem.
- Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way.
Those are design intentions and official descriptions. They establish what the game was presented as, rather than proving that every player will find its choices, dialogue, or role-playing depth satisfying.
What do early reactions actually show?
Some public comments described an expectation gap: players compared what they encountered or saw with what they had anticipated from Obsidian or Pillars of Eternity. Other individual comments praised combat or exploration while expressing reservations about story or RPG depth. Discussion threads offer examples of different responses, not a representative measure of players or critics overall.
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- Premium Edition includes: Avowed base game, Premium Skin Packs: 2 sets of bonus skins for each of your companions, and access to Avowed Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack
- Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.
- Explore an island home to many different environments and landscapes, each with their own unique ecosystem.
- Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way.
- Companions from a spread of species will fight alongside you, with their own unique set of abilities.
For that reason, “not what I expected” is best understood as a personal reaction to the game’s format and to expectations brought into it—not as a consensus review verdict. The available discussion does not support an aggregate score, review count, or recommendation percentage.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to know about the Premium Edition SteelBook
Xbox Wire’s edition announcement described a physical Premium Edition SteelBook package containing a digital base-game code, early access, digital extras, a SteelBook case, and a map of the Living Lands. The announcement specifies a digital code, not a physical game disc. The edition details are useful for identifying the announced package, but they do not establish current retailer inventory or pricing. Check the listed platform and package contents before buying.
Rank #4
- L'édition Premium SteelBook comprend: le jeu de base Avowed, jusqu'à 5 jours d'accès anticipé, le SteelBook Avowed, la carte des Terres Vivantes, deux packs de skins Premium et l'accès à l'Artbook numérique Avowed et à la bande-son originale
- Vous êtes l'envoyé d'Aedyr, une terre lointaine, missionné pour enquêter sur les rumeurs selon lesquelles une épidémie se propagerait dans les Terres Vivantes, une île pleine de mystères et de secrets, de dangers et d'aventures, de choix et de conséconsés. quences, et d'une nature sauvage
- Explorez une île qui abrite de nombreux environnements et paysages différents, chacun avec son propre écosystème unique
- Mélangez et associez des épées, des sorts, des armes et des boucliers pour vous frayer un chemin
- The compagnons d'un large éventail d'espèces se battront à vos côtés, avec leurs propres capacités uniques
Game Pass was included in Xbox Wire’s launch announcement, which describes availability at launch; that announcement alone does not confirm current catalog status.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- What's in the box: Xbox Series X console, 1 Xbox Wireless Controller - Carbon Black, Ultra High Speed HDMI cable, Power cord.
- Equipped with AMD's Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures, DirectX ray tracing delivers true-to-life lighting, shadows and accurate reflections to create dynamic, living worlds.
- Memory: 16GB GDDR6 w/320 bit-wide bus; Memory Bandwidth: 10 GB @ 560 GB/s, 6 GB @ 336 GB/s; Internal Storage: 1TB Custom NVME SSD
- Gaming Resolution: True 4K; Performance Target: Up to 120 FPS; High Dynamic Range: Up to 8K HDR; Optical Drive: 4K UHD Blu-Ray; HDMI Features: Auto Low Latency Mode, HDMI Variable Refresh Rate, AMD FreeSync.
- Bundled with HDMI_Cable
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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