Now one of the most anticipated games of 2025

when declared It was first revealed at the 2020 Xbox Games Showcase, and many assumed it would be handled by Obsidian Entertainment. Skyrim. But instead of a massive open world RPG SkyrimObsidian decided to turn things back a bit: declaredCreate a more focused experience. Who worries about what this change of direction means? declared It will feel “small.” I recently spent about two hours hands-on with the beta build. declared This starts off with a tutorial dungeon before opening up an explorable area that, although the game isn't technically a full-fledged open world experience, is still big enough to scratch your open world itch.

declared It starts with allowing players to create their own characters, and as is standard with RPGs these days, players are given a variety of options. Players can spend a lot of time tweaking their abilities. declared You'll have to make important decisions about your character's backstory, as well as his or her appearance. I chose the war hero background. This setting gave me unique dialogue options as I began exploring the world and interacting with the characters.

After players create their character, they enter a tutorial dungeon where they learn the basics, including: declared As they go through it. Dungeons provide players with healing potions, armor, spears, bows, spellbooks, and more, giving players a full breadth of what they can do. declaredThe battle of should be provided.

declaredThe combat is powerful and fun. Players can equip two weapon sets at a time, and can easily switch between them, allowing for a more varied experience in any given battle. Players must choose what to equip each hand, which also affects how they approach each battle. For example, players can choose to equip a spellbook in their left hand and a spear in their right, but this means no shield, making it more difficult to block enemy attacks.

Managing your health, building your stagger bar, and choosing the right tools for each scenario are critical to success, especially when facing stronger enemies. There is also a stealth element where players can attack enemies with surprise attacks while hiding in the tall grass. With all of these options at your disposal, I found the combat to be a lot more fun than you might expect from the trailer, and I think a lot of people will come away pleasantly surprised. declared There's nothing really new about the combat, but what it does does is very good.

Avowed is all about player choice

declaredThe combat will become more interesting as the game progresses and players gain access to new types of weapons and abilities. But there's more to the Obsidian RPG than combat. Player choice is essential to Obsidian RPGs, and this is no different in Obsidian RPGs. declared. There was one interesting scenario in the tutorial dungeon where you encountered a prisoner named Illora. I was given the choice of saving Illora or imprisoning her, and despite the concerns raised by my companion Garrick, I decided to save her. Saving Ilora seemed like the right move. Doing my best to find the key to her cell and then getting her to the end of the dungeon meant I could get some extra help in the final boss battle of the area.

I don't know if saving Ilora will have bigger consequences later in the game, but I'm definitely excited to see what happens. I'm also very much looking forward to exploring more. declaredA bigger world. After finishing the tutorial dungeon, we were taken to a large open zone where we could explore somewhat at will. This included a small town where NPCs had side quests for me to complete. This side quest led me to a cabin full of enemies and contained an interesting twist that I won't spoil here. declaredThe side quest is definitely worth doing.

The person who joined me on my adventure outside the tutorial dungeon was a colleague named Kai, a fish-like man with his own personality, goals, ambitions, and helpful abilities. Players can call on companion abilities in battle to gain an advantage over their opponents, and can also chat with friends at camp to gain perspective on the events so far and learn more about them. declared There is no romance option, which is a bit disappointing, but that doesn't mean players won't continue to become attached to companions like Kai as they play through the game.

Avowed releases on February 18, 2025 for PC and Xbox Series X/S. The $90 premium edition of Avowed includes five days of early access. Those willing to wait can play Avowed in its entirety through an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass subscription.

I started tackling with Kai next to me. declaredThis is the main quest. declared It takes place in the Living Lands, dealing with the Dream Scourge epidemic. This mysterious plague leaves the protagonist haunted by mysterious voices and infects hapless citizens and creatures with a strange fungus that drives them mad. I didn't learn much about the scourge of dreams during our time together. declaredBut I'm interested to see where the story goes. I thought some of the dialogue was wordy and the information could have been conveyed in a more interesting way than an info dump, but what's here still lays the foundation for an interesting mystery.

at last, declared's main quest led me to a city called Paradis, and as soon as I entered there, I was shot in the gut by an arrow and the adventure took me on a painful cliffhanger. The time I spent with the game was only superficial, but as someone who is somewhat skeptical about games, declaredThis game is now one of my most anticipated games of 2025. Assuming the rest of the game is as fun as the first one, Obsidian fans will have another great RPG from the studio on their hands.