Written by: CMoney and Doodle (Original Review Posted to YouTube on February 13, 2025)
Avowed Review – Xbox’s First 2025 Game of the Year Contender
CMoney: Hello, hello, and welcome to another OnPoint Review! Today, we are reviewing Obsidian’s Highly anticipated RPG set in the world of their Pillars of Eternity series, “Avowed”. I am CMoney, and I am joined by the always lovely, Doodle.
Doodle: What’s up, everyone? Thank you so much for rocking out with us today. Shout out to Xbox and Obsidian for providing us with the game for review! There is so much to dive into, so let’s hop in!
Graphics
CMoney: The graphics of Avowed have been a topic of conversation since the first trailer. When it was first announced, everyone was blown away by how good it looked, but the next trailer seemed like a step back, which was concerning. Later trailers showed improvement, but there was still skepticism about the final look.
Doodle: But here’s the thing – they’ve delivered one of the best-looking games out there. Using Unreal Engine 5.3, the visuals are stunning. The lighting, the textures, the hair and fur, are all rendered beautifully, and the pops of color used throughout the world really sell the fantasy setting.
CMoney: The technical beauty is there, with what I can only assume is Ray-traced lighting and global illumination in quality mode. It’s so realistic looking, especially when you go from the bright daylight into a dark cave, where your eyes adjust just like they would in real life.
Doodle: The art direction is where Avowed truly shines. They’ve taken what seemed like amazingly detailed concept art and made it in the game. The world is just so unique and visually varied. Every new corner, inside or out, is just stunning. The lighting and interiors are so real, with an attention to detail that’s insane. Different types of foliage, densely populated interiors, and beautiful vistas make this game a visual treat.
CMoney: Day and night cycles are more than just a time change; they transform the game’s atmosphere and feel. At night, the sky is filled with stars, and the world’s fungi glow, creating a magical experience. You feel transported into this stunning world. The Clouds are also stunningly detailed. Staring out into the world, there is so much beauty on your screen at any given time!
Doodle: Each biome you progress to has its unique visual style, and it’s about making the world feel alive and interactive. Which they’ve 100% nailed.
“You feel transported into this stunning world.” – CMoney
Story
CMoney: As a Godlike in Avowed, you are on a mission to rid the island known as, The Living Lands, of a plague that’s spreading at a fast rate called the Dreamscourge. Your status as the Emperor’s Envoy gives you a unique perspective, leading to some humorous moments like people letting you take their stuff because of who you are. Doodle: The story delves into deep themes – regret, power, forgiveness, and self-acceptance. It’s not just about the big plot; your choices shape the narrative, from small decisions like getting someone out of jail to major world-altering choices later on.
CMoney: Character creation is top-notch, with tons of options. Your Godlike birthmark is a cool touch, and while you can hide it, it’s part of what makes your character unique.
Doodle: There’s a richness to the narrative where you can be as deep or as surface-level as you want. The side missions and bounties expand the world, providing hours of content with characters that have their own compelling stories.
CMoney: The writing is well done, with each character feeling fleshed out. The four main companions each have unique skills that affect gameplay like Kai using fire to reveal hidden paths. Their personal stories are worth exploring, giving you insight into their motivations.
Doodle: The world feels alive with so many characters to meet and interact with. There’s always something new to explore, making every playthrough unique based on your decisions.
CMoney: I love how You can spend as much or as little time in this world as you want. It took me 70 hours to finish the game, but I could have easily put another 30 hours just in side missions. And of course, Each town has different merchants that specialize in weapons, armor, items, and the normal variety, so there are plenty of places to spend your money.
“The world feels alive with so many characters to meet and interact with. There’s always something new to explore, making every playthrough unique based on your decisions.” – Doodle
Sound
CMoney: The Sound in Avowed is beautiful. The environmental sounds, from the wind to the wildlife, create an authentic atmosphere. The music is well-composed, rising and falling with the action, perfectly fitting the game’s mood.
Doodle: The sound effects are spot on, especially the gentle sound for nearby items that guides you through exploration without being intrusive. Getting out of the water and hearing those wet footsteps is nice.
CMoney: Voice acting is exceptional here. While your character isn’t voiced, the cast for the NPCs is top-notch. Each character has a unique voice, and even at camp, you can overhear companions chatting, adding life to the world.
Doodle: The music highlights specific instruments at key moments, like the guitar or violin, enhancing the emotional impact of scenes. The sound of waves crashing or diving into the water adds to the serene quality of the game’s environment.
CMoney: One cool feature is how sound reacts to the environment, like the squishy sound of wet feet or the natural ambiance of different biomes. It’s all part of what makes Avowed’s world feel so immersive.
Doodle: There’s a harmony between the visuals and the audio in Avowed, where every sound contributes to the game’s atmosphere, making exploration and storytelling even more engaging.
“There’s a harmony between the visuals and the audio in Avowed, where every sound contributes to the game’s atmosphere, making exploration and storytelling even more engaging.” – Doodle
Love the Banter back and forth both in the review and shown in the transcription posted here. Also, love the different views of opinions from two people in the same household playing the game. The review is honest and having started playing it myself I can agree with the graphics it is visually beautiful and handcrafted in the pillars of eternity universe. While the Art direction is something to behold and beautiful, the sounds are superb and unique telling you “hey there an item around here” or immersing you into the beauty of the world. The gameplay is smooth and unless you are looking for stutters you hardly ever see them if at all and the balance between melee, ranged, and casting magic the buildup of stun giving the finishing moves a very unique feel along with the feedback of hitting the enemies and allowing them to cancel the frames of the enemy making you able to permanently stunlock them while the variety of swarms of enemies provides a unique challenge also given the difficulty you are playing on. The fun is out of this world great in this game. The equipment matters and if you know how to manage your inventory it fully depicts how much fun you’ll have because it can possibly change your entire playstyle midgame sometimes even mid-combat switching to your offset.
Me personally i give it a 9.5/10. It gives you plenty of options to play the game you as a player want. it doesn’t handhold you through tutorials after tutorial but you can view them all in the menu if you ever need a refresher. It’s not a “perfect” game but it’s extremely damn close. I do also agree this is the first of many xbox games to release this year that will be a contender for game of the year.
Thanks for checking out our Review!
Bewbs
Love the Banter back and forth both in the review and shown in the transcription posted here. Also, love the different views of opinions from two people in the same household playing the game. The review is honest and having started playing it myself I can agree with the graphics it is visually beautiful and handcrafted in the pillars of eternity universe. While the Art direction is something to behold and beautiful, the sounds are superb and unique telling you “hey there an item around here” or immersing you into the beauty of the world. The gameplay is smooth and unless you are looking for stutters you hardly ever see them if at all and the balance between melee, ranged, and casting magic the buildup of stun giving the finishing moves a very unique feel along with the feedback of hitting the enemies and allowing them to cancel the frames of the enemy making you able to permanently stunlock them while the variety of swarms of enemies provides a unique challenge also given the difficulty you are playing on. The fun is out of this world great in this game. The equipment matters and if you know how to manage your inventory it fully depicts how much fun you’ll have because it can possibly change your entire playstyle midgame sometimes even mid-combat switching to your offset.
Me personally i give it a 9.5/10. It gives you plenty of options to play the game you as a player want. it doesn’t handhold you through tutorials after tutorial but you can view them all in the menu if you ever need a refresher. It’s not a “perfect” game but it’s extremely damn close. I do also agree this is the first of many xbox games to release this year that will be a contender for game of the year.
Agree with everything. Only encountered 1 bug and that was patched out in their first patch this Tuesday when the game got its full launch.
GREAT REVIEW FOR A GREAT GAME! but seriously, no matter the metacritic, this game will be remembered as a great game as time goes on.