GamesRPGAvowedAvowed’s Kai, who shares a voice actor with Mass Effect’s Garrus, has me hooked on the RPG after only 3 hoursWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesRPGAvowedAvowed’s Kai, who shares a voice actor with Mass Effect’s Garrus, has me hooked on the RPG after only 3 hoursWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment)
But journeys are more than just the beginning, andAvowedpromises to be an epic one. Sailing away from the island wefinallyland at Dawnshore, a harbor just a stone’s throw away from the bustling city of Paradis, and our gateway to The Living Lands. And who do we stumble upon at the docks but Kai? He cuts quite the figure.
(Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment)
Our goals align. He needs to find a claviger, and I need to find an ambassador – both of whom were last seen traveling together out in the wilds. Our tutorial pals already took off as soon as we arrived, so, hello sailor, Kai becomes our first full-time companion.
Whether it’s something slower paced likeBaldur’s Gate 3or more action-focused likeDragon Age: The Veilguard, companions really do form the backbone of a great RPG. Beyond Brandon Keener as Kai, other recognizable favorites also play roles in Avowed: Mara Junot will play Giatta; Anjali Bhimani will play Yatzli; and Scott Whyte will play Marius,PC Gamer reports.
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More than a feeling
(Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment)
AVOWED: THE BIG PREVIEW(Image credit: Future)This month, we’re diving into the highly anticipatedupcoming Obsidian game. To find our coverage, visit theAvowed Big Preview hub.
AVOWED: THE BIG PREVIEW
(Image credit: Future)This month, we’re diving into the highly anticipatedupcoming Obsidian game. To find our coverage, visit theAvowed Big Preview hub.
(Image credit: Future)
This month, we’re diving into the highly anticipatedupcoming Obsidian game. To find our coverage, visit theAvowed Big Preview hub.
Having lived in Dawnshore for about six years, Kai is a great companion to get you to grips with the land you’ve come to explore. He’s been around long enough to have connections with some of the early characters you meet – like some shopkeepers – but still has an outside perspective to bring to the table, which gives you some common ground.
So farwe love Avowed’s camp party feature, and it’s given us ample opportunity to get to learn about Kai’s history and more. Having come to The Living Lands as an expatriate drifter from Rauatai after his naval service, he’s found an off-the-grid new home here. He’s clearly been through hell in his earlier years, having served in a Rauataian campaign to try to reclaim Aonuman ancestral land in the Deadfire Archipelago while restoring order to the pirate-ridden islands and improving relations with its current inhabitants. Young and idealistic, it was something he believed in – but after constant bloody conflict he began to question the motives of his superiors and ponder the pointlessness of war.
Supporting fire
(Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment)
Kai is also a great mechanical addition from early on. Just as you have your own skills easily accessible on the d-pad or skill wheel, Kai’s own moves can become a part of that. With just a nod, he can lay down some covering fire from behind, or even assist in exploration with the power to burn down parts of the environment (you’ll need it to deal with cobwebs and ivy early on if you can’t be bothered to flick through your own spellbook).
Most importantly, his cutlass and pistol aren’t just for show. He dual-wields both in the fray. It’s an effective loadout, but serves as a handy reminder to players thatAvowed’s flexible combat systemempowers you to play with your own gear sets and switch them around on the fly – it’s super customizable. Also, Kai just plain looks cool doing it.
(Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment)
Some RPGs can really feel like they take a long time to get going. In part, that’s because you often don’t have a full party until several hours in, and that dynamic takes time to form. While it’s true that in my first few hours with Avowed the party is incomplete, its opening doesn’t feel lesser for focusing on Kai and the player character’s dynamic. If anything it feels better for it, allowing for some deep character work to come to the fore, all while Kai handily introduces you to what the deal is with The Living Lands and guides you into the flow of the game.
Also, to anyone annoyed at thelack of romance options in AvowedI say to you: skill issue. Must we lock up our hearts simply because the digital code that powers a game has limits? As those who engage with art, ashumans, our affections aren’t beholden to any such rules. Whether the game allows me to codify it or not, I already feel myself growing close to Avowed’s companions even though we’ve only traveled together for such a short time. It really is all about the journey and who you spend it with, and I for one can’t wait to see what the journey throws Kai and I’s way next. What more could I ask for from an RPG hook than that?
Obsidian’s new RPG is sure to be our next Xbox RPG favorite. Despite the Skyrim comparisons,Avowed is an Obsidian RPG first and foremost: “Let’s bring in all the greatest hits”! Want to set off an adventure and can’t wait? Ourbest RPG gameslist has your back!
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