Fantasy That's Far Out

One of the most anticipated games of 2025, Avowed is a high fantasy epic for PC and Xbox Series X|S from Obsidian, creators of classics like Fallout New Vegas and South Park: The Stick of Truth.

Avowed takes you to the Living Lands, a wild frontier island dotted by several settlements strung together by valleys, deserts and volcanoes. You’ve been sent to tame it on behalf of the Aedyran Empire as their envoy.

Before you know it, you’re traipsing across the island with an eclectic bunch of allies that liven up the proceedings. These range from a washed-out mercenary with a penchant for self-pity to a permanently aroused historian of a dead civilisation.

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Along the way, you deal with mutated bears, sword-toting skeletons and other enemies. Thankfully, your arsenal never runs short. From flintlocks that shoot bullets equipped with lightning to grimoires that cast blizzard spells, Avowed gives you a welcome degree of flexibility in combat, with your allies joining the party as well.

Your choice play a major role in the way the game's story shapes up. Every possible consequence you can dream up (even those you can't) are on the table.

I often found myself blasting foes with a matchlock at range before closing in with a fireball or two. Every now and then, I’d freeze them from a distance and use a bow and arrow to shatter them effortlessly. Your allies have their own prowess in battle, making the game’s combat a slick, breath taking spectacle.

The biggest draw is how your choices play a major role in the way the game’s story shapes up in a unique setting. Without spoiling much, every possible consequence you can dream up (including some you can’t) are on the table—some of which don’t come to fruition until the end of the game.

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But it does have some gaps. For one, there’s no Photo Mode, which has been a staple in video games since Spider-Man (2018). Its absence here is felt given how vibrant the Living Lands are. Often, I’d just take a moment to admire the scenery ruing that I could only grab a screenshot rather than capturing a proper immersive shot courtesy of a dedicated Photo Mode.

There’s also no New Game Plus. That means you cannot play through the game a second time with the gear, abilities and skills from your first playthrough. Considering that the main quest takes about 20 hours to complete, this feature could have allowed for greater replayability, offering a more enriched experience.

It didn’t help that it crashed several times on start-up and while exiting the game on PC. Thankfully, it’s generous enough with its auto-saves that I didn’t lose progress.

There’s also the question of availability and price. Aside from being on Xbox Game Pass, you can buy Avowed digitally for ₹4,999 on Steam and ₹6,499 on Xbox Store. There are no physical copies of the game, which likely would have been priced lower (Xbox games at retail don’t usually cost more than ₹5,500 before frequent discounts).

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Nonetheless, Avowed is still worth checking out. The unique high-fantasy medieval setting fraught with gods meddling in the affairs of the living, themes of reincarnation and imperialism make it a joy to play. Just not at its current price and performance on PC. Your best bet would be to wait for a price drop or, if you are not suffering from subscription fatigue yet, the Xbox Game Pass.

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