February seems to be the month of RPGs. Avowed will add color to your Xbox Series S/X, but will it be enough to really impress like Skyrim once did?
2025 got off to a somewhat slow start in terms of games. There was the success of Indiana Jones in late 2024, which trickled in for a while, but January was mostly quiet. That turned out to be mostly a lull before the storm, because after Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Avowed is now coming out for Xbox and PC.
Like Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Avowed is also an RPG, but that’s all that’s said. Although they both fit into the same genre, they are different from each other.
The colorful world of Avowed
Have you always wondered what it’s like to be a son of a god? In Avowed, you experience it a bit, because although you are not really the child of a god, you are touched by it. Partly because of that, you also have a pretty distinct appearance, with flowers growing on your face.
Because of this, you have special powers and so you are sent to the Living Lands to solve problems. There are some kind of infected creatures there that you can slightly compare to the zombies from The Last of Us. You have to find out where this problem comes from and put an end to it.
The Beautiful World. (Image: Microsoft)
The Living Lands is a special world that is very colorful. Even the creatures that live there have the most striking colors and appearances. So you really end up in a fantasy world, but one with a dark edge. Skeletons can also jump in front of you just like that. You may know this world from the Pillars of Eternity games.
Choices and story
Still, the game didn’t really grab me, but that could be mostly a personal thing. I had been playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance II for the last few weeks and that game really managed to touch me and even made me think about it. I never really managed to do that with Avowed. The game is almost the opposite. Where Kingdom Come: Deliverance II engaged me with everything, Avowed remained a bit flat for me.
Still, this doesn’t mean that Avowed is a bad game, certainly not even. The great thing is that you can combine all kinds of weapons with each other, for example. One time I was wielding a magic wand, while the next time it was axe day with a giant menace. That makes for a varied way of fighting.
And what’s also special is that cities evolve based on your choices. By the way, this is both in a positive and a negative way. In addition, you actually build relationships with your companions, which can lead to new quests, something Obsidian has thought carefully about.
Fighting a bear. (Image: Microsoft)
In that world you are involved in various things. Right from the first mission you notice that politics play an important role. Yet after a while it can feel a bit flat, because there is so much information. At the same time, it does make you think, because it affects the decisions you make. So the story is really important to the game.
A manageable RPG, but not a years-long memory
What I do like is that Avowed’s play time is not too long. After 30 to 40 hours you will be through it, which is not that long for an RPG. At the same time, it keeps the game manageable. Still, it is mainly the sidequests that really impress. I find them even better than the main story.
With Avowed you are definitely going to have fun and it looks really beautiful on the Xbox Series S/X. Maker Obsidian manages to deliver another very good game. But whether it is really a game you will remember well in a few years? I personally don’t think so, because it just lacks that magic that makes it really special. Therefore, for me it is no Skyrim, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II or Baldur’s Gate III.
Avowed
Obsidian
7
Score
Plus points
Colorful world Combination of weapons Not too long Game with consequences
Minuses
Not anything really special Story remains somewhat flat
If you are looking for a more realistic RPG then you should go for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. Looking for a colorful fantasy adventure with smooth and exhilarating battles? Then Avowed is your game.
