Avowed Hands-On Preview: Eora From a Whole New Perspective
Five years after the launch of The Outer Worlds, Obsidian Entertainment is back with Avowed, a new RPG set in the vibrant world of Eora, previously explored in the Pillars of Eternity series. During a recent hands-on preview event hosted by Microsoft, I delved into the game's opening hours and explored its gameplay, world, and narrative. While it won’t redefine the genre, Avowed looks poised to deliver a deeply engaging role-playing experience.
Setting the Stage: A World of Mystery and Danger
The story begins with a shipwreck, setting a classic stage for adventure. As the envoy of the Aedyran Emperor, players are tasked with investigating the Dreamscourge plague in the Living Lands, an island north of the Aedyr Empire.
Character customization is robust, offering players the chance to tweak attributes like Might and Intellect, which open unique dialogue options and gameplay pathways. You can play as humans or elves, with the added intrigue of being Godlike, touched by Eora’s deities, granting mysterious powers and distinct facial features. While these features can be toggled off, NPCs will still reference them in dialogue, maintaining narrative immersion.
Combat and Exploration: A Step Up from The Outer Worlds
Combat feels significantly improved over The Outer Worlds, with enhanced hit feedback and smoother animations. The dual-wielding system, reminiscent of Skyrim, allows for creative loadouts such as a wand and grimoire, or a greatsword for melee enthusiasts. Each weapon type has unique properties, but grimoires stand out as they rely on a limited Essence resource instead of stamina, potentially limiting their utility in prolonged battles.
Exploration in Avowed is semi-open, with distinct areas connected in a hub-and-spoke model rather than a sprawling open world. The Living Lands offer secrets, loot, and hidden quests, though navigation feels more engaging in first-person view, as third-person animations are clunky in this build.
Companions and Narrative Depth
Players are introduced to Kai, a Rauataian naval deserter with tanking abilities and a charming personality. Voiced by Brandon Keener (Mass Effect’s Garrus), Kai’s dynamic interactions and contributions to dialogue elevate the storytelling. Companions’ abilities can be directly controlled in combat, a welcome improvement from The Outer Worlds.
Camps provide respite and utility, acting as hubs for crafting, enchanting, and one-on-one companion conversations, which deepen the narrative experience.
Visuals and Performance: Unreal Engine 5 with Some Hiccups
Avowed leverages Unreal Engine 5, and while the game looks good, it falls short of greatness. Lighting occasionally feels off, and the art direction may polarize players. However, NVIDIA DLSS Super Resolution and Frame Generation ensure smooth performance even in this early build.
Final Impressions
From its immersive worldbuilding to its refined combat, Avowed is shaping up to be another solid addition to Obsidian’s RPG legacy. It might not reach the monumental heights of Skyrim or Baldur’s Gate 3, but it promises a memorable adventure in a richly layered fantasy setting.
Release Information
Platforms: PC (Steam, Xbox app, Battle.net, PC Game Pass), Xbox Series S|X (and Xbox Game Pass), Xbox Cloud Gaming
Launch Date: February 18, 2025
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