As somewhat of an RPG connoisseur, Avowed may be the biggest example of a solid, triple-A option going under the radar. Obsidian Entertainment’s adventure, set in the same universe as its Pillars of Eternity games, feels like a more vibrant Skyrim, with an excellent cast of characters, combat that feels great, and a villain who remains as frustrating as they are awesome. It may not be the best RPG, sure, but it’s a solid, fun adventure, and right now, it’s at its lowest price ever, so you have no excuse to not give it a try.
Without falling into the trap of the “If Avowed has no fans, I’m dead” trope, I do understand where some of the game’s issues lie. The story isn’t some masterpiece, and the enemy variety can get fairly stagnant as you explore the world. However, don’t let perfect be the enemy of great—Avowed offers a lot, and for that reason, any RPG fan should give it a shot.
You play as a Godlike, an individual touched by an unknown being and empowered with cool abilities. Your main goal is to stop a mysterious disease called the Dream Scourge, which is now plaguing your homeland and corrupting animals and creatures. But, as always, there are more elements at play, including the brutal Steel Garrote, led by Inquisitor Lödwyn (the villain I mentioned in the first paragraph—it’s a callback!).
Alongside your party of companions, including the ranger dwarf Marius and the Orlan wizard Yatzli, your Godlike character has a few tricks up their sleeve. There are your standard abilities, ranging from conjuring magical spells that rain death across your foes or freeze them in their tracks, to powerful attacks with your melee weapon of choice. However, there are also your Godlike abilities—powerful skills that can change the tide of any battle, like the Thorn of Sapadal, which sends a powerful bolt through anyone unfortunate enough to stand in front of you.
Even our own Avowed review, in which Alessandro Barbosa scored it a 6/10, has plenty of positives to speak of, while also highlighting some frustrating negatives. It’s a truly mixed game, leaning more towards the positive side, but the reality is that those are some of the games I truly recommend. For every 10 people who play it, perhaps only four will fall in love with the world, and for Avowed, I was one of the four.
If you want to give it a try, well, getting it at a discount is the best idea, and you can grab a Steam key for Avowed for just $27.49 / £22 at Fanatical. That’s cheaper than any Steam sale ever, and if you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to dive into this underappreciated RPG, now’s the time.
In all honesty, you should really buy it because my headline is arguably one of the best about the game. That’s worth it, right?
Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom. This story was created in collaboration with Fanatical’s deals team.
