Avowed
Reddit take
AI summary of the Reddit excerpts below — not a quote
Avowed is a first-person action RPG that has received a polarizing reception, often described as a fun but somewhat generic experience. While its combat and environmental design are frequently praised, the writing and depth of role-playing elements are significant points of contention, especially for fans of Obsidian's earlier, more complex CRPGs.
Pros
- Fun and 'slick' first-person combat mechanics
- Beautiful environmental design and graphics
- Rich lore and world-building for fans of the Eora setting
- Meaningful side content and rewarding exploration
Cons
- Polarizing writing frequently described as 'generic,' 'safe,' or 'underwhelming'
- High $70 price point is widely viewed as poor value
- Light RPG mechanics that feel 'streamlined' compared to deep CRPG predecessors
- World can feel 'soulless' or 'dead' to some players
Caveats
- There is a strong consensus among users to play the game via Game Pass rather than a full-price purchase
- Writing quality is a major point of disagreement; some find it interesting while others find it lacks the 'soul' of previous Obsidian titles
- Some users noted technical hiccups and immersion-breaking NPC reactions
Best for
- Fans of The Outer Worlds
- Action RPG players who prioritize combat and exploration over deep role-playing
- Xbox Game Pass subscribers
Avoid if
- You expect the narrative depth and complex writing of the Pillars of Eternity series
- You are looking for a revolutionary 'AAA' experience worth a $70 premium
- You prefer highly reactive worlds where NPC interactions have significant consequences
This summary uses balanced time weighting with about a 122-month half-life. The evidence comes from a window between January 2025 and November 2025, with a median age of 574 days.
Sentiment
35 positive (43%) · 21 mixed (26%) · 25 negative (31%)
Trust + time weighted score: +11% · raw score 12%
What redditors said (10 of 81)
Parent context: Avowed is the only game out of the list they made under Microsoft. And it's quality is arguable. Reply: Avowed is the only game out of the list they made under Microsoft. And it's quality is arguable.
writing is subar. the world feels souless and dead. Combat is fun. Graphics are pretty good.
It's going to be super-mid and make no splash at all.
The combat was great for like 75% of the game for me. I love using a gun and spell book, but at some point the game became either I kill everything with the opening salvo. Or I spend the entire combat running in circles trying to cast my spells
I played almost 10 hours on game pass. Decided e d not to buy the game on steam based on this. Like, please stop saying your one line over and over.
I played it at launch and it reminded me of Dragon Age Inquisition (the one from a decade ago) in that I enjoyed my time with it, but won’t recall anything about the game in a few years time.
As a fan of Pillars, Avowed was straight garbagio.
I loved the original trailer, it was very dark RPG and instead we got whatever this is. Extremely forgettable RPG.
I found the companions utterly vapid and tedious to be around. The combat and exploration were by far the most enjoyable part of Avowed for me.
All in all I enjoyed my time with Avowed. While it does have it's flaws, there isn't a single thing about the game i would say is wholly bad and overall i felt the game was both fun and interesting, though ultimately something i would be hard pressed to reccomend at its full price.
Compare
Avowed vs Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2Avowed vs Dark SoulsAvowed vs Baldur's Gate 3
Related
- Cyberpunk 2077 · related · 277 mentions
- Elden Ring · related · 165 mentions
- Red Dead Redemption 2 · related · 147 mentions
- Baldur's Gate 3 · related · 146 mentions
- Wingspan · related · 120 mentions
- Hollow Knight · related · 119 mentions