Avowed bucks RPG expectations by offering a quick hit of fantasy action, and I don't want you to leave 2025 without playing it

The Outer Worlds 2 is the talk of the spaceport right now, but as the winter nights roll in, it's a testament to Obsidian Entertainment's recent track record that I'm finding myself drawn to its other gorgeous RPG released in 2025.

Avowed launched all the way back in February, and while there have been an awful lot of games launched in the time between, I still find myself thinking about starting another playthrough. Here's why you should consider a trip to the Living Lands, too.

An escape

I've always gravitated towards fantasy RPGs over science fiction ones. They feel further removed from the human rat race, and while Outer Worlds and its sequel gleefully poke fun at said human rat race and the nature of capitalism, Avowed's Living Lands are something new entirely.

In a place like the Living Lands, though, I'm able to divorce the part of my brain that's worrying about bills and car insurance and channel everything into being the best damn fireball-thrower in the lands. It's a familiar setting, but not to its detriment, thanks to excellent art design and vivid colors (courtesy of the Dreamscourge's otherworldly hues).

It's escapism in the best sense of the world, and (bringing this back to the game in question), Avowed feels like a grand adventure that’s shown pre-watershed hours. There's minimal romance, not a great deal of gore, and the whole world is infectiously colorful in a way that makes its genre contemporaries look even browner than usual. In many ways, it's the kind of story that would make for a fantastic animated series for the whole family, albeit with the occasional jagged edge (like the opening cinematic of a rodent dying and being resurrected).

The point is that in a real world so dour, being able to jump into a 25-hour RPG with just the right stakes (and quippy characters) is just what the doctor ordered.

Lots to do

While Pillars of Eternity fans will no doubt pick up on references that run the gamut from cheeky nods to full-on crossing the streams with Obsidian's existing universe, Avowed's story about a plague reclaiming the dead and resurrecting them is told with enough panache (and through great acting) to keep anyone engaged.

It's magnitudes bigger than the first Outer Worlds, while being much narrower in scope than the likes of Skyrim or Oblivion, and it really does sit on a sweet spot whereby it encourages exploration without making you feel as if you're missing half the fun if you just want to push through the story.

Leaving the beaten path can often reveal a side quest, a challenging boss, or even some handy loot. We're not talking first-person Diablo here, but there is undeniably a focus on fighting - however you choose to do it.

Spellslinger vibes

For a lot of big, open world RPGs, combat is almost secondary. The Witcher 3 might be the exception, but as much as I love Skyrim and the The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, I'm not sure I can ever say I truly enjoyed the act of fighting in either of them – and don't get me started on Fallout's shooting mechanics.

With that in mind, I was so pleasantly surprised by Avowed's less restrictive combat that I can't see anything coming close within the genre. Want to wander into fights with a sword and shield, dashing between foes? It's possible, sure, but why not broaden your horizons with a gun in one hand while shooting lightning from the other?

At different points in my Avowed playthrough, I was summoning ice storms, using Max Payne-like 'Bullet Time' to clear scores of foes before they knew what hit them, or creating weapons out of thin air to deal damage. The best part is that it’s easy to respec your character, too, so as long as you have the coin, you can revamp your build pretty much whenever you want.

Could I have done with more enemy types? Definitely (there are only so many times you can fight a bear, after all), but Avowed's combat has me hoping for a sequel, DLC, or any reason to jump back in again. I'd even start it again if it came to PS5 - it's just that much fun.

In a year that hasn't been short of fantastic games, RPG or otherwise, Avowed is well worth returning to. It’s a fantasy RPG seen through the lens of a popcorn blockbuster or Saturday matinee adventure, and I love it for that - roll on a sequel.

Replaying Halo: The Master Chief Collection has become my annual tradition, and co-op makes the classics hit as hard as they did 15 years ago.