On a clifftop overlooking the coast, I stumble across a peculiar scene in Avowed. A skeleton sits on a chair, facing out towards an island decorated with jagged rocks that jut out from the ocean below. I realize that I'm looking at the final resting place of some mysterious person, and I'm immediately curious to know how they ended up here. A strewn bottle lies on the ground beside their feet on one side, while a lockbox sits on the other, appearing as if they'd hunkered down in this spot in preparation for… something. But what? As I walk closer to inspect a piece of paper they have clutched between their skeletal fingers, Kai speaks, and it's as though he's echoing my own thoughts: "Wonder what they were looking at. Or who they were waiting for".
The skeleton is an effective piece of environmental storytelling in its own right, but that one line of dialogue makes it truly come alive for me. Through it, I feel like I'm really here with Kai, who's seeing what I'm seeing and responding in kind. It's not the first time my companion has reacted to the world around me, and it's what I've come to love most about my time with Avowed so far. From joining in during conversations, to directly interacting with the surroundings and reacting to the sights and sounds I come across, the party members have a tangible presence in my adventures that helps to both immerse me in Eora and bring a real sense of companionship to my travels.
What a view
At the beginning of my adventures in Avowed, I spent a lot of time running around Dawnshore. The bright, colorful landscapes are just begging to be explored, and I was determined to see every inch of the area. As I sprinted across fields, parkoured up inclines, and occasionally came across xaurip camps, I was at once taken by the way Kai constantly engages with the world. In one memorable instance early on, I'd climbed up a hillside, and my reward was a picturesque view of the lush green forest below. As I went over to the very edge to soak it all in, Kai joined me, lifting up his arm to look out over the vista. "Great view, isn't it?," he remarked. "You can even see Fort Northreach in the distance." By appreciating the view and drawing my attention to the place where my adventures began, it feels as though my companion is directly providing feedback to my exploration, and in turn, draws me closer into the world.
This reactivity also makes the entire experience feel more curated. It instills the idea that everything you see and can encounter has been purposefully put there for you to discover, and Kai and Marius' interactions with it just reinforces the tailormade feel with smaller environmental stories peppered throughout the world that they will actively interact with. Whether it be a dead soldier next to a bear who'd met its demise at the tip of a spear, or a blood splatter that denotes some greater danger lurking nearby, I appreciate that companions' observations and interjections always feed into what I'm seeing in a way that feels natural and not too overdone. Any time they react, it makes sense that they would, while also making me feel more connected to what I'm experiencing.
The feedback doesn't just apply to exploration and the random places you can stumble across, either. I love how Avowed's companions also take part in questlines outside of combat. While exploring an estate to find some crucial information, both Kai and Marius set about looking around too, making a few comments here and there instead of idly wandering around. In fact, it was thanks to Marius that I found a key, since he got to it before I did as I ambled around a room. It really conjures up a sense of teamwork, and continually makes me feel like I'm not alone when it comes to my objectives.
As a godlike who's sometimes ostracized for their peculiar appearance, or mistrusted for their connection to a deity, it matters that you have companions at your side. The way they behave and take part in my adventures just makes them feel like they really do have my back. Plus, it's often through them that I learn so much about the world and its lore. With Giatta now in my party, she's constantly giving me tidbits of information about the areas I'm exploring in Emerald Stair, or providing some extra background on notable individuals.
I've played a lot of RPGs with party members in my day, and I've always loved how they've helped me connect with the world and story I'm exploring. But Avowed has really blown me away with just how involved the companions often are in my adventures throughout The Living Lands. Whether I'm looking at the final resting place of a figure who was waiting for something, or I'm trying to find hidden clues, my companions have not only been with me every step of the way, but their presence has been tangibly felt through their actions and responses. Who knows what I might find next, or where the story will lead me, but I'm glad I won't be going it alone.
Avowed review: "No Skyrim, but an unforgettable return to form for Obsidian Entertainment".
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