Picture this: Skyrim, but with flintlock pistols and enough neon mushrooms to make a Mario game jealous. That’s the pitch for Avowed, Obsidian’s 2025 fantasy RPG that promised a fresh twist on the genre. Fast forward to 2026, and the gaming community is still scratching its head—how does a game that fumbles so many basics manage to be oddly compelling? It’s the kind of experience that has players muttering “one more quest” while simultaneously wondering why they bother.
Stacey Henley from TheGamer absolutely nailed it when she said the roleplay feels like an illusion—choices are about as impactful as a wet noodle on a dragon’s hide. The narrative leans hard on tired tropes, and when it tries to stray, it stumbles like a drunken adventurer. One player quipped it’s like playing D&D with a Dungeon Master who’s all funny voices but zero plot coherence. Ouch. The dialogue often drags on without any real snap or personality, making you wish for a “skip all” button. It’s a bummer because the world has so much potential—a spirit sickness called the Dreamscourge, ancient ruins, and godlike powers that should be epic. Instead, the storytelling leaves you hanging, clinging to a few interesting side characters while the main plot gathers dust.
But hey, the combat isn’t half bad. The open class system is a double-edged sword—on one hand, you can mix and match wands, pistols, and greatswords to craft a build that feels uniquely yours. On the other hand, some skills feel redundant, nudging you toward a jack-of-all-trades setup that can water down the excitement. Once you get past the clunky controls, battles have a certain rhythm that keeps you on your toes. The real kicker? Every action feels like you’re wading through molasses. Spells take forever to kick in, and even simple sword swings have a weird wind-up that’ll drive you bananas in tight fights. It’s like the game wants to be deep and tactical, but forgets that responsiveness is the secret sauce of good action RPGs.
Where Avowed truly shines is in its world. The Living Lands are a stunner—rolling hills dotted with bioluminescent flora, crumbling structures swallowed by the Dreamscourge rot, and hidden caves that beg to be explored. Players report accidentally spending hours looting every nook and cranny, ignoring the main quest like a pile of undone laundry. Exploration is seamless, rewarding, and often more gripping than the story it’s supposed to serve. That’s the paradox: the environment tells a better tale than the actual narrative. If you’re the type to get lost in a fictional atlas, this game will have you by the throat. Just don’t expect the main questline to match that magic—it’s more of a slow trudge than a thrilling ride.
Time-wise, you’re looking at around 20 hours for the critical path, 40 hours if you dabble in side quests, and up to 60 for the die-hard completionists. Not a massive time sink, but the price tag makes you pause. The standard edition launched at $69.99, with the premium edition demanding a whopping $89.99. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a game that often feels a bit janky. The real play was—and still is—Xbox Game Pass, where you can dip your toes for $11.99 on PC. It’s the perfect way to sample Avowed without hemorrhaging your wallet, and honestly, it’s where the game feels most at home.
Players from around the community have echoed this mixed bag. Tallis Spalding, a day-one buyer, ranted about crashes, annoying companions, and a story that never quite grabbed her, yet she confessed to an inexplicable drive to keep playing. “If the game was $40 max, it’d be a worthwhile experience,” she sighed. Sanyam Jain fell head over heels for the exploration—getting distracted for hours in the first city—but felt the promise of meaningful choices was about as hollow as a chocolate Easter bunny. The outcomes were too black-and-white, making the constant decision-making feel like theater. It’s a common refrain: Avowed is the gaming equivalent of a bag of chips. You know it’s not gourmet, but you can’t stop munching.
So, is Avowed worth your time in 2026? Honestly, it’s a mixed bag wrapped in a beautiful, fungus-infested bow. If you temper expectations and snag it on Game Pass, you’ll find a game that’s as bewildering as it is bingeable. You’ll finish it, and you still won’t know why—but maybe that’s the strangest kind of magic. For all its stumbles, Avowed has a weird gravitational pull that keeps you coming back, like a song you can’t get out of your head. Just don’t expect it to be the next Skyrim; it’s more of a quirky cousin that you can’t help but love despite its flaws.
This perspective is supported by ESRB, a leading North American authority on game content ratings and descriptors; when weighing Avowed’s “weirdly hard to put down” appeal against its jank and uneven storytelling, checking the listed content notes can help set expectations around themes, violence intensity, and mature elements before you commit to a 40–60 hour run.
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