Avowed

Avowed game image

Mostly Positive

Total: 8.95 ThousandPositive: 6.96 ThousandNegative: 1.98 Thousand
78%
22%
Steam review score: 6
AI Community game rating

76.63 %

Avowed is placed at number 11 under 17 analysed games!
AI Community toxicity rating

12.84 %

The Community toxicity rating was calculated by evaluating the most 443 impactful steam game reviews
Currently playing

provided by steam

AI Review

Avowed is a first-person fantasy RPG set in the vibrant world of Eora, where your choices shape the fate of the Living Lands. With a 75.84% AI Community Rating, this game offers a mix of stunning visuals, deep lore, and dynamic combat. Players praise its beautiful graphics, bug-free performance, and immersive storytelling, but some find the world lifeless and NPC interactions bland. Explore diverse landscapes, wield magic and steel, and forge alliances or rivalries in a land teeming with ancient mysteries. While the combat is engaging, critics note a lack of enemy variety and repetitive mechanics. If you crave a visually stunning RPG with meaningful choices, Avowed might be your next adventure—just be prepared for a world that could feel static at times.

History

9 events
4 SmallUpdateEvent1 PreAnnounceMajorUpdateEvent1 NewsEvent2 GameReleaseEvent1 BroadcastEvent
  • May 09, 2025
    15 days since last event
    Today
  • April 24, 2025
    28 days after previous event
    Xbox Publisher Sale - Avowed
    Event
    BroadcastEvent
    Upvotes
    213
    Downvotes
    26
    Voting score
    89%
    Toxicity before
    13.85 %
    Toxicity after
    12.69 %
  • March 27, 2025
    14 days after previous event
    Patch 1.3.1 is Live
    Event
    SmallUpdateEvent
    Upvotes
    549
    Downvotes
    16
    Voting score
    97%
    Toxicity before
    12.78 %
    Toxicity after
    17.59 %
  • March 13, 2025
    14 days after previous event
    1.3 Patch Notes
    Event
    PreAnnounceMajorUpdateEvent
    Upvotes
    1624
    Downvotes
    50
    Voting score
    97%
    Toxicity before
    9.77 %
    Toxicity after
    12.7 %
  • February 27, 2025
    6 days after previous event
    1.2.4 Patch Notes
    Event
    SmallUpdateEvent
    Upvotes
    993
    Downvotes
    53
    Voting score
    95%
    Toxicity before
    10.85 %
    Toxicity after
    9.71 %
  • February 21, 2025
    3 days after previous event
    1.2.3 Patch Notes
    Event
    SmallUpdateEvent
    Upvotes
    1204
    Downvotes
    56
    Voting score
    96%
    Toxicity before
    10.13 %
    Toxicity after
    10.73 %
  • February 18, 2025
    5 minutes after previous event
    Avowed Is Available Now – Your Journey Awaits
    Event
    GameReleaseEvent
    Upvotes
    817
    Downvotes
    92
    Voting score
    90%
    Toxicity before
    10.67 %
    Toxicity after
    10.27 %
  • February 18, 2025
    about 18 hours after previous event
    Patch 1.2.2 Notes
    Event
    SmallUpdateEvent
    Upvotes
    880
    Downvotes
    58
    Voting score
    94%
    Toxicity before
    10.67 %
    Toxicity after
    10.27 %
  • February 18, 2025
    4 days after previous event
    Game was released
  • February 13, 2025
    3 months after previous event
    Avowed Advanced Access Is Open—Start Your Journey Now!
    Event
    GameReleaseEvent
    Upvotes
    1077
    Downvotes
    189
    Voting score
    85%
    Toxicity before
    N/A
    Toxicity after
    10.85 %
  • November 14, 2024
    Pre-order the Premium Edition to Start Your Adventure Early
    Event
    NewsEvent
    Upvotes
    746
    Downvotes
    441
    Voting score
    63%
    Toxicity before
    N/A
    Toxicity after
    N/A

What the community wishes

Improve NPC interaction and world reactivity
NPCs are lifeless, with no schedules or dynamic interactions. The world feels static and unresponsive to player actions, such as stealing or attacking non-hostile NPCs. Adding dynamic behaviors and reactivity would enhance immersion.
Expand enemy variety and combat depth
Enemy types are limited, and combat becomes repetitive due to lack of variety. Introducing more enemy types and deeper combat mechanics would improve engagement and replayability.
Enhance dialogue and branching choices
Dialogue lacks depth and branching options, with minimal impact on NPC responses. Expanding dialogue trees and making choices more consequential would improve storytelling and player agency.
Add more meaningful exploration rewards
Exploration feels unrewarding, with loot chests being the primary find. Adding unique gear, hidden quests, or lore-rich discoveries would make exploration more engaging.
Improve story and character development
The story is bland, and characters lack depth. Enhancing narrative complexity and character arcs would make the game more compelling and emotionally engaging.
Address performance issues in towns
Towns are taxing on performance despite static NPCs. Optimizing performance in populated areas would improve the overall experience, especially on lower-end systems.
Add New Game Plus mode
The lack of New Game Plus limits replayability. Adding this feature would encourage players to revisit the game with their upgraded characters and gear.
Improve loot and gear progression
Loot feels underwhelming, with too many basic items. Introducing more unique and impactful gear, along with a more satisfying progression system, would enhance the RPG experience.
Increase world interactivity and immersion
The world feels dead, with limited interactivity. Adding more dynamic elements, such as unscripted NPC conversations and environmental interactions, would improve immersion.
Expand faction and reputation systems
The game lacks faction and reputation mechanics. Introducing these systems would add depth to player choices and world-building.
Improve companion depth and interactions
Companions are bland and lack meaningful interactions. Enhancing their personalities, backstories, and dialogue would make them more memorable and engaging.
Add more challenging gameplay options
Even on the hardest difficulty, the game lacks challenge. Introducing more demanding combat scenarios and enemy AI would cater to hardcore players.
Enhance alchemy and crafting systems
Alchemy feels useless and underdeveloped. Expanding crafting systems and making them more impactful would add depth to gameplay.
Improve map details and exploration
Later maps lack detail and exploration becomes tedious. Adding more intricate map designs and rewarding exploration would maintain player interest throughout the game.
Address repetitive combat mechanics
Combat feels like a clicking simulator with little complexity. Introducing more varied mechanics and strategic elements would make combat more engaging.
Reduce reliance on Adra currency
Upgrades are hard-locked by Adra currency, limiting build flexibility. Reducing this dependency would allow for more experimentation and customization.
Improve voice acting and dialogue quality
Voice acting and dialogue lines are stale and uninspired. Enhancing the quality and emotional depth of voice acting would improve immersion and storytelling.
Add more impactful player choices
Player choices often feel inconsequential. Introducing more meaningful and morally complex decisions would enhance the RPG experience.
Optimize shader loading times
Shader loading takes too long on startup. Optimizing this process would reduce frustration and improve the overall user experience.
Lower price or add more value
The game feels overpriced for its content. Lowering the price or adding more features would make it a better value proposition for players.

Reviews

Toxicity trend

N-Grams

game is mediocrecombat is shallowworld feels deadbug-free game thecombat is amazingstory is blandcombat feels fastcombat is gooddialogue is boringgame is disappointingcombat is funcombat feels goodstory is forgettablegame is alrightstory is dullcombat is repetitivegame feels lifelessworld is uniquegame is boring

Keywords

What the community loves
fun
127
combat
92
story
55
exploration
55
beautiful
42
good
30
great
27
recommend
27
enjoyed
21
lore
21
interesting
21
engaging
19
enjoyable
19
solid
18
companions
18
Where the community is undecided
combat
48
story
39
sale
33
RPG
33
dialogue
15
lore
15
choices
14
companions
12
exploration
12
upgrade
12
weapons
11
quests
11
gameplay
11
fantasy
9
world
9
What the community dislikes
boring
27
repetitive
24
crashes
19
price
17
mediocre
17
disappointing
17
story
17
bland
16
companions
13
shallow
12
expensive
11
bugs
11
disappointed
10
static
10
lifeless
10

Whats the data quality we are looking at

Persons who wrote a Avowed review on Steam have:

written on average 24.97 gaming reviews in total
own an average of 174.4 steam games
have an average playtime of 27.25 hours on submitting the review

While looking at 448 reviews we have sorted them into following categories:

419x
Gameplay & Mechanics Feedback
  • Praise for core mechanics, combat, movement, level design, controls.
  • Criticism of mechanics, AI, movement, balance, or game feel.
  • Complaints or praise about difficulty, lack of challenge, or poor scaling.
  • Game is too short, too long, repetitive, or lacks replayability.
  • Feedback on slow or rushed pacing.
  • Praise or criticism of tutorial or onboarding.
87x
Performance & Technical Issues
  • FPS drops, lag, stuttering, long load times.
  • Crashes, corrupted saves, softlocks, major blockers.
  • Small bugs (visual glitches, physics issues, pop-ins).
  • Online or matchmaking issues, disconnections.
  • Poor performance despite good hardware.
  • Not working on specific GPUs, CPUs, or OS versions.
18x
User Experience, UI, and Accessibility
  • Praise or complaints about responsiveness, keybinding, controller support.
  • Menus, HUD, inventory management, readability.
  • Colorblind modes, subtitle issues, difficulty options.
  • Poor translations, missing subtitles, regional content.
338x
Story & Narrative
  • Praise for writing, dialogue, characters, world-building.
  • Criticism of pacing, writing, characters.
  • Contains major plot spoilers.
2x
Multiplayer & Community Feedback
  • Co-op, PvP, social features, matchmaking quality.
  • Cheating, griefing, harassment, toxic behavior.
141x
Monetization & Business Model
  • Microtransactions, loot boxes, paywalls.
  • Praise or criticism of expansions or season passes.
  • Is the game worth the price? Good/bad value.
15x
Feature Requests & Suggestions
  • Suggestions for new modes, characters, weapons, maps.
  • Suggestions for UI improvements, better customization, settings tweaks.
17x
Developer Engagement & Support
  • Praise or criticism of dev responsiveness, patches, communication.
  • Feedback on progress, roadmap, or missing features in early access.
9x
Trash Reviews
  • Random, spam-like, or nonsensical; no meaningful feedback.
  • Not related to the game.
  • Pure jokes, memes, or ASCII art with no substantive feedback.
  • Hateful, harassing, or explicit language.

In-depth analysis of most impactful community reviews

Positive

Is Avowed good? Yes. Is it a masterpiece? No. Obsidian's reputation as the Western-RPG GOAT sets a really high bar. Avowed will miss that mark for many people, myself included. The story is bland, the dialogue is boring, and the characters aren't memorable. This is not Skyrim 2, Witcher 4, or New Vegas 2. So why the recommendation? This is a bug-free game. The graphics are gorgeous. The framerates are high (even on lower-end machines). The exploration is rewarding. The setting is intriguing. The world is unique. The character leveling is deep (it seems shallow at first but opens up the more you experiment and level up). And finally the combat is amazing. For me the combat was worth the entry fee alone. There hasn't been a first-person melee combat game that's felt this good since Dying Light 1, and thankfully, there's a lot of interesting enemies to fight and fun bosses to challenge. Remember what playing Ground Zeroes and PT felt like in 2014? Amazing tech demos with super fun gameplay? That's what playing Avowed feels like. Except for RPGs and 10 times longer and actually it's a full game and not a tech demo. Avowed has me excited for the future- something deeply needed in 2025. I'm excited to see what Obsidian's next games hold, and how the studio builds on this really solid foundation. If any other developer released this game it would be a slam-dunk but as an Obsidian release it's missing that special sauce.

  • Sentiments

    • I find the story of Avowed to be bland and unengaging, which detracts from the overall experience.
    • I think the dialogue in Avowed is boring and fails to capture my interest.
    • I feel that the characters in Avowed are not memorable, which makes it hard to connect with the game.
    • I appreciate that Avowed is a bug-free game, which enhances the overall experience.
    • I find the graphics in Avowed to be gorgeous, adding to the visual appeal of the game.
    • I am impressed by the high framerates in Avowed, even on lower-end machines, which makes the game accessible.
    • I enjoy the rewarding exploration in Avowed, which adds depth to the gameplay.
    • I find the setting of Avowed intriguing, which keeps me engaged with the world.
    • I think the combat in Avowed is amazing and worth the entry fee alone, making it a standout feature.
    • I feel that Avowed, while solid, lacks the special sauce that would make it a masterpiece, especially given Obsidian's reputation.

Positive

Junk Food RPG 10ish enemy types - humans(Kith), zombies, skeletons,bears, mushrooms, elementals, lizardpeople, and a splash of ogres and mechanical walkers. Combat is fun but shallow. Voice lines are very emotion focused sometime which is cool if your into talking about your feelings every time you want to upgrade your wand. Upgrade system is 2 dimensional. Story's ending is largely based upon 3 choices made in the last hour of the game. That being said it was fun. Like a roller coaster you spent 6 hours waiting in line for. Dialogue felt impactful and important to what was going on in the gameplay/ immediate story. Lesser of two evil choices throughout the entire thing. I wish I could have spent an extra couple of hours or resources to make all the npcs happy but its just not possible. Easy to digest and definitely tasty but not nutritious. *edit* not worth $70 there you happy

  • Sentiments

    • I found the combat to be fun, but it felt shallow and lacked depth, which left me wanting more complexity.
    • The voice lines were very emotion-focused, which I thought was cool if you enjoy discussing feelings during gameplay, but it might not appeal to everyone.
    • The upgrade system felt two-dimensional and didn't offer much depth or variety, which was disappointing.
    • The story's ending was largely determined by three choices made in the last hour of the game, which felt rushed and unsatisfying.
    • Despite its flaws, I found the game to be fun overall, like a roller coaster you wait hours for—it was enjoyable but not groundbreaking.
    • The dialogue felt impactful and important to the gameplay and immediate story, which I appreciated as it added depth to the experience.
    • The game presented lesser-of-two-evils choices throughout, which I found engaging and thought-provoking.
    • I wished I could have spent more time or resources to make all the NPCs happy, but it wasn't possible, which felt limiting.
    • The game was easy to digest and definitely enjoyable, but it lacked depth and substance, making it feel like junk food—tasty but not nutritious.
    • I don't think the game is worth $70, which made me feel like it was overpriced for the experience it offered.

Positive

Am i having fun? Yes. Does it just make me want to play POE? Also yes. Would I pay full price for this game again? No. Wait for it to go on sale and dont expect too much but a good time.

  • Sentiments

    • I advise not to expect too much from the game, suggesting tempered expectations.
    • I am having fun with the game, which indicates a positive experience.
    • The game makes me want to play Path of Exile (POE), suggesting it evokes a desire for a different game.
    • I would not pay full price for this game again, indicating dissatisfaction with its value at full price.
    • I recommend waiting for the game to go on sale, implying it is not worth the full price.
    • Despite its flaws, I consider the game a good time, indicating overall enjoyment.

Positive

FYI for anyone playing on the steam deck or other handhelds! ray tracing is enabled by default so be sure to disable it (i missed it in the options and was like why is the game running so bad) it also seems to turn itself back on sometimes after a cutscene. would also like to mention the performance issues in towns. i have no clue why they are so taxing despite all the NPCs being static. outside of towns the FPS is fine tho. games still good hope they fix that in the future

  • Sentiments

    • I noticed that ray tracing is enabled by default on the Steam Deck and other handhelds, which caused poor performance until I disabled it.
    • I found it frustrating that ray tracing sometimes turns itself back on after a cutscene, requiring me to disable it again.
    • I experienced significant performance issues in towns, which was surprising given that the NPCs are static and shouldn't be so taxing.
    • Outside of towns, the FPS is fine, which made the gameplay enjoyable in those areas.
    • Despite the performance issues, I still think the game is good and hope the developers address the problems in the future.

Positive

Look man, I like it. The combat is fun, the level/arena design is AMAZING, the characters are endearing (even Marius grew on me), the story is alright. I don't know what else to say, I like it. Goodbye

  • Sentiments

    • I find the combat in the game to be enjoyable and engaging.
    • I think the level and arena design is absolutely amazing and well-crafted.
    • I find the characters to be endearing and likable, including Marius who grew on me over time.
    • I feel the story is decent but not outstanding, just alright.
    • Overall, I like the game and have a positive impression of it.

Negative

20 hours in and i'm feeling insulted. I believed Obsidian when they told they wanted to do an smaller rpg in scope because "quality over quantity" but i'm still searching for the quality. Except for the fact that the world is quite beautiful (even though it does feel a bit plastic and generic) , this game is absolutely not an RPG. This game feels like i'm the last player of an abandonned MMO that never came out of early access. No reputation system, No Faction, NPCS in town are lifeless, and the few that are moving they do so at 20 fps. You will literally sometimes have fights in the city and npcs will do absolutely nothing, theres no interactions. Regarding the story : Yes indeed you will have a few choices to make but I also did notice that if you play the same moment with a different background and character you will actually get almost the same choices just written differently. I personally think the story is quite dull, everyone will tell you their problems right from the start and therefore you never care enough , you never feel engaged or connected to those people. There's nothing immersive about this game and i feel like for something that claims to be an "rpg" in 2025 thats inacceptable. Exploration could be fun ... if there were something else to find other than loot chests. Combat is pretty well done... but after a while it gets quite repetitive because the variety of monsters is quite low and on top of that they are sponges. Even the way they are placed in the world feels like an mmo. THIS GAME FEELS SOULLESS / LIFELESS and has no business being called an rpg.

  • Sentiments

    • I feel insulted after 20 hours of playing because the game does not deliver the promised quality, despite Obsidian's claim of focusing on 'quality over quantity'.
    • I find the world beautiful but it feels plastic and generic, which detracts from the overall experience.
    • I am disappointed that the game lacks essential RPG elements like a reputation system, factions, and interactive NPCs, making it feel like an abandoned MMO.
    • I notice that NPCs in town are lifeless, and their movements are choppy at 20 fps, which breaks immersion.
    • I find it frustrating that NPCs do not react during fights in the city, making the world feel static and unengaging.
    • I observe that the story offers few meaningful choices, and playing with different backgrounds or characters yields almost identical outcomes, just written differently.
    • I think the story is dull because characters reveal their problems too early, making it hard to feel connected or engaged with them.
    • I feel the game lacks immersion, which is unacceptable for something marketed as an RPG in 2025.
    • I find exploration unfulfilling because the only things to discover are loot chests, with no other meaningful content.
    • I think combat is well done but becomes repetitive due to low monster variety and their high health pools, making fights feel tedious.

Negative

I'm reviewing the 10 hours I've already spent in this game, may change the review when I finish the story. This game needed way more love and more time in the oven. i'm a die hard Pillars of Eternity fan, and the game would be pretty good as a smaller, humbler release just like the previous games. And don't get me wrong! I'm not saying the "AAA treatment" was bad for the game, especially because it plays as a rushed AA title instead of the "70 bucks AAA experience" Xbox wants you to pay for :) Is it a bad game? Nope. But as soon as a company wants to charge you extra for a big premium experience, you'd expect a certain level of craftsmanship and depth, instead of a dead "open world" with barely anything to interact with. Do you love Pillars of Eternity and had a persistent Eora itch to scratch? Wait for a big sale. If you're not into Pillars and just want a good RPG, buy anything else. Like Pillars of Eternity and Deadfire. Divinity Original Sin. Baldur's Gate 3. Pathfinder: Kingmaker. Dragon Age. Come back when this game is finished and with a deeeeeeeep discount.

  • Sentiments

    • I feel the game needed more development time and care to reach its full potential.
    • I believe the game would have been better as a smaller, humbler release like its predecessors.
    • I think the 'AAA treatment' wasn't entirely bad, but the game feels more like a rushed AA title.
    • I don't think the game is bad, but it doesn't meet the expectations of a premium-priced AAA experience.
    • I feel the open world is lifeless and lacks meaningful interactions.
    • I recommend waiting for a big sale if you're a die-hard Pillars of Eternity fan.
    • I suggest buying other RPGs like Pillars of Eternity, Divinity Original Sin, or Baldur's Gate 3 instead of this game.
    • I believe the game lacks the craftsmanship and depth expected for its price.
    • I think the game might be worth revisiting only after significant updates and a deep discount.
    • I feel the game doesn't justify its premium price tag in its current state.

Negative

Save your money because the game will go on sale within 6 months. This game is good but it feels like it has 2 teams who made it. Some aspects like level design and combat feel great, but then the details in between feel shallow and surface level. The story and lore is obviously already set up due to pillars, and that aspect is great but then the dialogue is passable and in some cases just bad. The main story is interesting enough but the companions so far are so bland and dull. Overall I am really enjoying the game despite all my cons, if the game was 80 dollars or less on launch id be singing its praises a lot more but AAA price comes with AAA expectations ( not that AAA games are good these days). Also pillars 1 and 2 far trumps this game, in every aspect - go play those.

  • Sentiments

    • I feel that the game is good overall, but it seems like it was made by two different teams, with some aspects like level design and combat being great, while others feel shallow and surface-level.
    • I find the story and lore to be great, as they are already set up due to the previous games in the series, but the dialogue is passable and sometimes just bad.
    • I think the main story is interesting enough, but the companions so far are bland and dull, which detracts from the overall experience.
    • I am really enjoying the game despite its flaws, but I believe it would be more worth the price if it were $80 or less on launch.
    • I feel that the AAA price comes with AAA expectations, and while the game is enjoyable, it doesn't fully meet those expectations.
    • I believe that the previous games in the series, Pillars 1 and 2, far surpass this game in every aspect, and I recommend playing those instead.
    • I think the game will go on sale within 6 months, so I advise saving your money and waiting for a discount.

Negative

As of right now id give it a 6.5 maybe 7. I beat the game at 40 hours. I explored pretty much every single thing possible. Tons of bugs, the game was clearly rushed out. In the 4th region It just feels like they gave up. Choices do matter if you want all achievements you will need to beat the game at least 2 times. I advise most people to wait to purchase the game until its properly patched and cheaper. This game is not worth $70 its just not.

  • Sentiments

    • I feel the game is decent but not outstanding, giving it a 6.5 or maybe a 7 out of 10.
    • I explored almost everything in the game, which took me around 40 hours to complete.
    • I encountered tons of bugs, which made the experience frustrating and indicated the game was rushed.
    • I felt like the developers gave up in the 4th region, as the quality noticeably dropped.
    • I appreciate that choices in the game matter, especially for those aiming to unlock all achievements.
    • I believe the game requires at least two playthroughs to achieve everything, which adds replay value.
    • I advise most people to wait before purchasing the game until it is properly patched and cheaper.
    • I strongly feel the game is not worth $70 in its current state.

Negative

First if all, this game doesn't deserve a lot of weird criticism I've seen. There's a lot of quality here. Exploring is fun, the zones of the world are detailed, immersive, and unique. The characters are good. It all feels like a lighthearted fantasy action game that includes some emotional beats. I enjoyed this game through two "chapters", but the third chapter turned me off. The combat became samey, and all the enemies were recycled from previous acts (although some re-skinned). The combat is fine after you get used to it, but most of the time you are wearing down HP sponges while dodging telegraphed attacks. The only thing that makes you change your approach, ever, is that sometimes there is a healer that will heal all of the enemies in the group back to full health. When these are present you have to hunt down that healer and kill it immediately. And I want to stress, that is it. That is the only variety I ever saw in the combat or the enemies. Not only was I so tired of killing the same skeleton enemies over and over again, but at the end of chapter 3 you get forced into an absurd trolley problem that makes no sense. You are forced to make a stupid choice, and then you have multiple dialogues with multiple characters scolding you for your choice -- no matter what you pick. It includes extremely boring gamer philosophy in the vein of "kill a small number of people to save a larger number of people." And of course, in the story, your character bears full responsibility for the consequences despite the choices being fully the agenda of two other NPCs. There's even a dialogue option of "both of these suck I don't want to" and the NPCs essentially break the fourth wall and talk directly to the player "no you must choose one of these". It's all so dumb so I stopped playing.

  • Sentiments

    • I think the game doesn't deserve the weird criticism it has received; there's a lot of quality in it.
    • I found exploring the game world fun, with detailed, immersive, and unique zones.
    • I enjoyed the characters and felt the game had a lighthearted fantasy action vibe with emotional moments.
    • I was turned off by the third chapter because the combat became repetitive and enemies were recycled.
    • I disliked that combat mostly involved wearing down HP sponges while dodging telegraphed attacks.
    • I found the only combat variety was dealing with healers, which forced a predictable approach.
    • I got tired of fighting the same skeleton enemies repeatedly in chapter 3.
    • I hated the forced trolley problem at the end of chapter 3, which felt nonsensical and poorly written.
    • I was frustrated by the game scolding me for choices that were forced by NPCs, with no good options.
    • I stopped playing because the story and dialogue became absurd and unenjoyable.

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