GamesRPGAvowedYour choices in Avowed matter, and Obsidian promises to give players “moment-to-moment opportunities to express and explore where they’re leaning"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesRPGAvowedYour choices in Avowed matter, and Obsidian promises to give players “moment-to-moment opportunities to express and explore where they’re leaning"When 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)
Avowed promises to give you plenty of opportunity to roleplay and make important choices, but does it deliver?
Edge’s hands-on preview foundAvowed"a touch underwhelming.” The slice of the game available was only a small section however, comprised of a system of caves. Taking place within the world of Eora (the setting ofPillars of Eternity), the demo sees you tracking down a lost expedition. The first member you find is injured and you’re confronted with your first choice: give them a healing potion so that they live, or leave them to die. Not exactly the nail-biting tension you’d expect from the developer ofFallout: New Vegas.
Obsidiangame director Carrie Patel explains that these smaller decisions are designed to add up, though. “It’s about giving the player moment-to-moment opportunities to express and explore where they’re leaning,” she says. So, if you want to roleplay a meanie who doesn’t like to share, this is just one way you can do that.
Patel adds that “The choices you get and the outcomes in front of you are going to depend on what you’re able to find.” So, in the full game, if the area before the caves has somedifficult first-person combat, you may be out of potions and unable to help the injured man.
There are also bigger decisions to be made further down the line. You step into the shoes of an envoy from the Aedyran Empire, in the Living Lands to investigate a spiritual plague. You’ll have to choose which factions and politics you want to support. “Giving players things to dig into - that’s what makes it meaningful roleplay,” Patel says. “It’s about who you want to be in this world, and how these situations prepare you to express that.”
While the demo didn’t contain much in the way of character progression, Patel promises “The abilities you can scope into and the weapon loadouts you can choose give you a very different experience each time you play.” The combat in Avowed looks to be a mix of magic, swords, and guns, so hopefully these all allow you to approach situations in your own way.
Avowed is due to launch next year, February 18, 2025. It was originally going to come out in November, but there are so manynew games in 2024thatit was delayedto give it (and you) some breathing room.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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2
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”