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Avowed: What the 2024 Hands-On Preview Revealed About Obsidian’s RPG

Obsidian’s Avowed follows an envoy investigating a spreading plague in the Living Lands. The “fantastic” reaction came from IGN’s August 2024 early-play preview, not a full-game review.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Avowed is Obsidian’s first-person RPG set in the Living Lands, where an envoy from Aedyr investigates a spreading plague and an ancient secret. The “fantastic” reaction in the original headline came from IGN’s August 22, 2024 early-play preview—not a review of the complete released game. Here’s what that preview established, what the official game page says, and what remains unconfirmed.

What is Avowed about?

Avowed is a first-person role-playing game from Obsidian Entertainment set in the Living Lands, an island of varied environments and ecosystems. The player is an envoy from Aedyr sent to investigate rumors of a spreading plague. The official synopsis also points to an ancient secret threatening the region and a personal connection between the envoy and the Living Lands. Obsidian’s official Avowed page is the primary source for that premise.

What did the “fantastic” preview actually say?

IGN published its matching first-play video on August 22, 2024, after playing an early slice. Its description says the game felt and looked good in that slice and that the story seemed compelling. That is an attributed early-play impression, not a verdict on the finished game, its full story, or its current technical condition. The video description does not establish a named reviewer’s statistic or a transcript-verified direct quote, so there is no reason to turn the impression into a fabricated pull quote. IGN’s August 2024 first-play video

What does Avowed’s combat let you do?

The official overview describes a flexible toolkit that includes swords, spells, guns, shields, grimoires, and bows. It says spells can trap, freeze, or burn enemies. Those are the published ingredients; they do not establish which combinations are strongest or how balanced or satisfying the combat feels in the full game.

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#1 Best Overall
Sale
Avowed | Standard Edition | Xbox Series X|S and Windows Digital Code
  • 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.

Who are the companions?

Obsidian names four companions on the official page. Their brief introductions provide an orientation to their backgrounds, but do not by themselves establish the details of their quest arcs or gameplay mechanics.

  • Kai: an experienced coastal aumaua fighter.
  • Giatta Castell: an animancer pursuing her parents’ research.
  • Marius: a hunter and guide from Solace.
  • Yatzli: a spellcaster associated with Fior mes Ivèrno.

Do you need to play Pillars of Eternity first?

The official material cited here does not establish whether prior knowledge of Pillars of Eternity is required. The question appears in public discussion, but that is not an authoritative answer. If continuity matters to you, check Obsidian’s current official descriptions or reliable coverage that addresses the released game directly rather than treating the 2024 preview as confirmation.

Rank #2
Avowed | Premium Upgrade Edition | Xbox Series X|S and Windows Digital Code
  • 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.      

How long is Avowed?

No reliable runtime estimate is established in the sources used for this article. The early slice described by IGN is not enough to calculate the length of the full game, so a specific number would be speculative.

Which platforms, editions, and updates should you check?

Obsidian’s official page presents the base game and an edition that includes two premium skin packs plus access to a digital artbook and original soundtrack. Its roadmap also lists a PlayStation 5 release and features or changes including an arachnophobia-safe mode, gameplay and crafting changes, new gear and abilities, New Game Plus, Photo Mode, a new weapon type, and appearance options. Since release details and roadmap pages can change, check the live official page for current platform, edition, and update status before buying. No current official US retail listing was published for retailer stock, Amazon availability, physical versus digital format, or current prices.

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Rank #3
Sale
Avowed | Premium Edition | Xbox Series X|S and Windows Digital Code
  • 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.

What should PC players check?

The official support page lists Windows 10/11, 16 GB of RAM, DirectX 12, and 75 GB of available storage for both minimum and recommended PC requirements; processor and graphics recommendations differ. These are support-page specifications and may change, so confirm the current requirements at Obsidian Support’s Avowed PC requirements page before installing. For current patch notes and reported issues, use Obsidian Support and its issue tracker; a reported item’s presence there does not show that it is widespread.

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How to assess the preview today

Use the 2024 video as evidence of what IGN thought of an early slice at that time. For a decision about the released game, look for full-game coverage that discusses the version and platform tested, its story and companions, how the combat systems work in practice, and any technical issues observed. The preview can introduce the premise and its initial appeal, but it cannot answer those later questions on its own.

Quick Recap

SaleBestseller No. 1
Avowed | Standard Edition | Xbox Series X|S and Windows Digital Code
Avowed | Standard Edition | Xbox Series X|S and Windows Digital Code
Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger.; Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way
$66.49
Bestseller No. 2
Avowed | Premium Upgrade Edition | Xbox Series X|S and Windows Digital Code
Avowed | Premium Upgrade Edition | Xbox Series X|S and Windows Digital Code
Requires base game, Game Pass Ultimate, or PC Game Pass Membership (Sold Separately); Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way.      
$24.99
SaleBestseller No. 3
Avowed | Premium Edition | Xbox Series X|S and Windows Digital Code
Avowed | Premium Edition | Xbox Series X|S and Windows Digital Code
Mix and match swords, spells, guns, and shields to fight your way.
$85.49
Rank #4
Avowed – Edition Premium SteelBook – Xbox Series X|S et Windows
  • 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

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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