Summary
- Avowed players praise the intricate exploration and guns, benefiting from rewarding secrets and smooth gunplay transitions.
- The RPG received positive reviews, with a focus on story, lore, and exploration as highlights, scoring an average 81 on OpenCritic.
Some Avowed players really enjoy how the exploration and the gunplay work in Obsidian Entertainment’s latest title. Set in the universe of the Pillars of Eternity series, Avowed is an action role-playing game with a big emphasis on exploration, and it seems that players are really satisfied with how intricate and deep this aspect of the gameplay is.
Originally announced back in 2020 during the Xbox Games Showcase, Avowed was recently released for PC and Xbox Series X/S. Avowed received generally positive reviews, and it currently stands with an average critic score of 81 on OpenCritic. For most critics, aspects such as the game’s story, lore, and exploration appear as highlights of the experience.
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Now, gamers are finally playing Avowed, and they have pretty good impressions of how the RPG handles exploration and its gun gameplay. For example, one gamer called DoctaKiD has recently praised how organic and rewarding the exploration is in Avowed. According to the player, they “feel like a child” while discovering alternative paths that lead to secrets in the game, often climbing cliffs or going underwater to discover hidden loot. The post gained over 1,300 upvotes on r/Avowed, with most people agreeing with DoctaKiD and claiming that rushing the game is a bad idea, as gamers miss the chance to get lost in such a beautiful world filled with secrets.
Avowed Players Love the Game's Exploration and its Guns
Other gamers have praised how fun it feels to use guns in Avowed. A gamer called Mr____Grim shared a short video, for example, showcasing how smooth the gameplay transition feels between using a gun and melee combat with swords. Some gamers even compared the gunplay in Avowed with The Outer Worlds, saying that Obsidian’s latest game has better gun gameplay than its previous one.
Due to the positive player feedback, it seems that Avowed is doing well in sales. Obsidian recently confirmed to be happy with Avowed’s sales, indicating that there’s potential that the RPG may eventually receive a sequel or DLC.
When looking at the RPG’s success, it’s worth remembering that Avowed could have been an entirely different experience. In a recent interview, the game’s director, Carrie Patel, revealed that Avowed was originally intended to be a multiplayer game, mixing Bethesda’s Skyrim with titles like Destiny using Pillars of Eternity’s universe. The multiplayer aspects did not pan out, though; the title was rebooted twice and ended up as the popular RPG that gamers are praising today.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 82%
- Released
- February 18, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios













Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger. Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment.
You are the envoy of Aedyr, a distant land, sent to investigate rumors of a spreading plague throughout the Living Lands - an island full of mysteries and secrets, danger and adventure, and choices and consequences, and untamed wilderness. You discover a personal connection to the Living Lands and an ancient secret that threatens to destroy everything. Can you save this unknown frontier and your soul from the forces threatening to tear them asunder?
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Franchise
- Pillars of Eternity
- Number of Players
- 1
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- PC Release Date
- February 18, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- February 18, 2025
- Platform(s)
- Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- How Long To Beat
- 17 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong