Being viewed as both Obsidian’s ‘Skyrim’ and also a way for the developer to re-ignite their, what was thought, dormant lore and world they build across Pillars of Eternity and its sequel, there’s been a mix of feelings coming into Avowed. Preview coverage was good, but there was always an eerie feeling of confusion anytime it was shown in Xbox Showcases. So, how would it perform when reviews started to drop?
Set in the same world as Pillars of Eternity, Eora, you play as an Envoy who is sent to ‘The Living Lands’ to look into and hopefully stop some mysterious disease that is spreading and also help claim it for The Emperor of Adyr, the largest empire in the land.
Avowed has launched for anyone who picks up the Premium Edition, and the game will be released for everyone and will be on Xbox Game Pass and PC next week on February 18.
Here’s what Australian critics are saying about the game.
KOALATY CRITICS – AUSTRALIAN CRITICS
Checkpoint Gaming – 9.5/10 (Luke Mitchell)
“Where many games falter in offering “bigger and more”, Avowed smartly focuses on its strengths, making for a breezy yet vibrant RPG that feels polished and intelligent, offering lots to do but never outstaying its welcome.”
Explosion Network (Dylan Blight) – 9/10
“Its narrative is engrossing from the start, with ideas about religion, colonization, racial inequality, and more brimming at the surface, making for one of the most full and unique RPGs I’ve played in years.”
Gadget Guy – 8/10 (Chris Button)
“Never does it try to do too much by introducing superfluous gameplay elements or overcomplicating matters. Although initially daunting to anyone lacking a degree in Pillars of Eternity lore, Avowed is a slick RPG that feels right at home alongside Obsidian’s revered catalogue of hits.”
GamesHub – 4.5/5 (Leah J. Williams)
“Marius, Giatta, and Yatzli follow – all intriguing companions in their own right, helping to shape your journey across the living lands, pointing out the flaws in your direction, questioning your leadership.”
Maxi-Geek – 9.5/10 (Luke Henderson)
“It is not hyperbole to say that I honestly think this world is one of the best I have ever had the pleasure to explore in a game.”
NextPlay – 7.5/10 (Brad Goodwin)
“Obsidian propels a lot of lore and proper nouns at you in the first hour of the game, which, for me initially, was cumbersome in getting a grip on the underlying plot of Eora. While the story had its purpose, and I had an adequate time with it, it is far from memorable if you weigh it up next to its peers.”
Player2 – B+ (Jess Zammit)
“No choice I made in Avowed ever felt quite like the ‘right’ one, or the ‘correct’ one – and this seems to be my design. Your Envoy, as well as being a character aesthetically moulded by you in a solid character creator at the game’s start, is whoever you make them.”
PowerUp Gaming – 9/10 (Leo Stevenson)
“It’s a deep, complex and though-provoking RPG from masters of the genre. It revels in being played and tugs at the back of your lizard brain beckoning you back when you take a break.”
Press Start – 8.5/10 (Brodie Gibbons)
“It’s definitely a nerd’s fever dream when it comes to the story possibilities, politics, and combat fluidity, however so many of its systems feel pared back enough that I kind of see it as Skyrim-lite—which is by no means a condemnation, I’m more surprised Obsidian—the team who made geeky ass shit like Pillars of Eternity and Pentiment—would take refuge in the safety of ease of entry rather than double down on stat sheets and min-max mastery.”
Progress Bar – 7.5/10 (Darcy Tranter-Cook)
“While it builds upon an already established IP, the genre shift is so significant that it perhaps makes more sense to treat it like a debut game in a new series. From this angle, Avowed is an impressive achievement.”
Stevivor – 7.5/10 (Jam Walker)
“Avowed is a truly strange game from top to bottom. It’s one that I’m sincerely glad that I got to play, but also one I don’t think I’ll remember well down the line.”
The Beta Network – 8/10 (Anthony Culinas)
“The world of Avowed is constructed in a way that encourages exploration, and it’s one of the biggest assets that keeps this game so captivating. However, moving through major towns and cities in the PC version dramatically dropped my frame rate from 60FPS, all the way down to the 40s and 30s.”
WellPlayed – 6/10 (James Wood)
“Avowed seems uninterested in being anything but escapism, its potentially sharper edges smoothed to a fault while its revolving door of forgettable, entirely too pleasant, characters prattle about you with proper nouns and lore in place of depth and vitality.”
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