Avowed review: Wait, are we the baddies?

Avowed‘s quests almost all boil down to venturing from a city to some far-off spot on the map to talk to a key person or retrieve some McGuffin-style relic. Usually, that trip involves confronting and/or avoiding one or more groups of hostile forces along the way, though sometimes it just means jumping across rooftops or ledges in some surprisingly smooth and forgiving platforming (especially for this kind of RPG).

The moment-to-moment battle action here is fast-paced and thrilling, with tight, responsive controls that feel like the polar opposite of the more deliberate attacks in a game like Elden Ring. While you can briefly pause the action to choose items or spells from an on-screen menu, these battles are primarily reflex-based positional dances of attack and counter-attack, which you can undertake just as well in either third-person or first-person.

Avowed offers the standard selection of melee, ranged, and magical weapon options, as well as a handy button to instantly switch between two weapon sets mid-battle as the need arises. And the game’s leveling system lets you focus on a particular combat style—I ended up with a glass cannon wizard—that you can pay to re-spec later for a change of pace.

With friends like these…

You’re also aided in combat by selecting up to two allies, who act as damage-sponging distractions that are particularly helpful in allowing you to flank large groups of enemies. As the game goes on, these companions also offer genuinely helpful protective or offensive combat abilities.

And outside of fighting, your companions are always ready to offer some welcome contextual wisecracks or pithy advice in all manner of situations. Don’t get your hopes up about romancing your allies, though; it’s not that kind of game.