Move over, Hogwarts Legacy and Dragon's Dogma 2 – Avowed's magic combat might be my favorite in RPG history

If there's one Avowed magic spell I'd have to call my wizarding go-to, it's Jolting Touch. Watching lightning chain-zap a throng of hostile foes warms the fungus-riddled cockles of my Envoy's heart, a far more efficient way to dispatch multiple foes than using any unwieldy shortsword or even the sorely misunderstood mace. As it stands, I've only just entered the game's second location, Emerald Stair, at level 8 – but I feel far more powerful than I probably am, thanks to placing all my bets on wizardry.

The thing I love most about being a wizard in Avowed, aside from how fun and responsive spell-slinging feels, is the depth offered by the playstyle. After just 15 hours in the game, it's already beaten both Hogwarts Legacy and Dragon's Dogma 2 for me in terms of sheer build flexibility. Taking my pick from a slew of spells and grimoires allows me to immerse myself in Avowed's high fantasy world that much further, umm-ing and ahh-ing over each character and skill point on my path to becoming the greatest wizard in the Living Lands – and I can't for the life of me understand why you'd choose to play anything else.

Caster's folly

Okay, that was a bit dramatic. There are plenty of Avowed builds out there to suit your RPG tastes, but as a staunch fan of all things magical, I knew I'd be making good use of spells in Obsidian's latest. Upon examining my loadout and realizing I had two revolving ones to swap between, my initial thought was to go for a simple melee-caster playstyle. But the moment I swung about my sword like the clunky, inept Noble Scion I was, I knew I'd have to narrow that scope.

Thankfully, it was as simple as ditching the sword – or at the very start, relegating both it and a shield to my secondary loadout. I know that you can pool perks from across all of the Avowed skill trees to craft something of a homebrewed multiclass build, but I decided to hone in on the wizard perks as soon as I picked up my first Common Wand. Faster than a bow and arrow, more fun and whimsical than a blunt or bladed weapon, it's almost comical how unstoppable I felt with a tattered grimoire in one hand and a little wooden stick in the other.

I don't recall ever feeling this confident with a game's spellcasting mechanics so quickly before, even with the largely intuitive nature of Hogwarts Legacy making combat almost too easy at times. Dragon's Dogma 2 had a little more complexity going on than simply assigning spells and hurling them at friend and foe alike – especially after progressing to the Sorcerer class – but with squishy starter DD2 mages being best suited to support class territory, I quickly respecced my Arisen to a DPS-focused rogue instead.

Avowed, on the other hand, has kept the magical delights coming despite my wizarding existence proving me a glass cannon. Maybe it's the fact that I know becoming a specialized elemental wizard is one potential sitting further up the levelling ladder, whether as a storm or fire mage, thanks to my trusty new Grimoire of Embers. Perhaps I just really love the simplicity of the tool wheel, how easy it is to assign spells to quickslots in preparation for a specific kind of battle. Or maybe it really is the fact that spellcasting just feels more nimble and satisfying than any other playstyle I've attempted in Avowed, and I don't think I could give that up. All of these factors combine to reflect how Avowed's wizard combat feels both dense and simple, expansive yet effortless to get the hang of. Not to mention, it's a great relief to only be focusing on upgrading my wand, robes, and grimoires since I've no need for my second loadout.

The joys of wizardry only seem set to grow from here. I've just met animancer-in-training Giatta in Emerald Stair and am working to get her on side, though having already eyed up a number of enticing mage-specific pieces being sold around the verdant city itself, I'm intrigued. Maybe I'll dip a toe into the mystery waters of soul magic myself, a practice shunned by my Envoy's fellow nobles back in Aedyr, and see what comes of it? Being a wizard is the gift that keeps on giving in Avowed, and I can't wait to see what becomes of this overpowered sorcery.

Avowed will be in good company, thanks to all the upcoming Xbox Series X games slated to launch in 2025 and beyond