Avowed PS5 Review. After first arriving on other platforms, Avowed has finally made its way to PlayStation in a far more complete state than the version players originally saw at launch. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios, this first-person fantasy RPG leans into focused design rather than sprawling excess. Months of iteration have smoothed rough edges and layered in features that make the game feel more confident in what it wants to be. The result is not a reinvention, but a refinement of a formula that already had strong foundations.
Avowed Review (PS5) – Gorgeous Lands And Fluid Combat With A Familiar Heart
Lavish Landscapes
Set within the Living Lands, the adventure immediately stands out through its bold use of colour and striking environmental design. Lush forests, bioluminescent growths, and painterly skies give the world a vibrancy that separates it from the usual grim fantasy palette. There is a deliberate stylisation here that makes exploration feel inviting rather than oppressive. Simply travelling between objectives becomes rewarding because the world has such a strong visual identity.
You step into the role of an imperial envoy investigating a mysterious plague-like affliction spreading across the Living Lands, a premise that drives exploration without overwhelming the player with lore. Each region is layered with side paths, hidden loot, and environmental storytelling that reward curiosity. This keeps pacing steady while offering optional discovery for players who seek it.
Exploration regularly pushes beyond the horizontal. Layered environments encourage you to look up and down as often as you look ahead. Crumbling towers and jagged rock formations can be scaled to uncover hidden loot or alternate routes, while caves and submerged spaces reward those willing to venture below the surface. These areas add texture to traversal and make each region feel more three-dimensional rather than flat. Creative solutions also come into play, such as freezing the surface of water with an ice spell to form a temporary path to an otherwise unreachable ledge.
Grimoires And Gunpowder
Combat remains one of Avowed’s most satisfying pillars. In large part because hybrid playstyles feel intuitive and exciting in the heat of battle. You can chain precise melee strikes with swords, axes, or warhammers. Flowing into bursts from pistols or bows. Then transition seamlessly into spellcasting with grimoires. The grimoire system is especially rewarding: holding the cast button and tapping directional or modifier keys lets you unleash different spells on the fly, almost like BioShock’s plasmids but more fluid and responsive. Switching between magic, firearms, and close combat. Executing parries, combos, and finishers. It gives every encounter a satisfying rhythm that keeps the fight feeling fresh, even when enemies repeat.
The expanded ability trees, introduced as part of the PlayStation 5 launch, drastically improve how these combat options can be explored and mastered. Skills now branch to reinforce synergy between weapons, spells, and defensive tools. You can focus on elemental magic, double down on survivability, or craft hybrid characters who flow between ranged, melee, and magical attacks with precision. That sense of freedom makes experimenting with different approaches genuinely rewarding, and it also highlights the game’s one lingering limitation: the limited enemy variety means you don’t always get to fully showcase these brilliant mechanics.
Capable Companions
Companions are another key part of why combat flows so well. You never really fight alone. AI allies join every encounter and can be directed in real time to use their abilities. Whether launching ranged attacks, supporting with magic, or soaking hits up close, they feel like active extensions of your playstyle rather than passive bystanders. Their presence lets you pull off combos and chain spells in ways that feel tactical and cinematic. This gives the battles a sense of coordination and teamwork. Outside of combat, their personalities and dialogue choices add narrative depth without ever taking the focus off your character, which is a hallmark of Obsidian’s strong track record for character-driven storytelling.
Progression isn’t just about skill trees and abilities; gear matters here, too. Weapons and armour come in tiered levels that you can upgrade using resources gathered while exploring. That means a sword you find early can remain relevant if you invest in it. Thus, keeping your chosen play style viable throughout. Upgrading gear isn’t overly complex, but it rewards careful planning and exploration, creating a natural loop that complements combat. These systems reinforce your choices, letting you fine-tune your loadout to match the hybrid playstyle you enjoy, without ever feeling like a grind.
New Game Plus, introduced in the PlayStation 5 launch, further enhances the depth of play. It lets players carry forward builds, gear, and decisions into a second playthrough. Opening new ways to experiment with hybrid strategies. Combined with the expanded skill trees, companions, and gear progression, revisiting the Living Lands remains engaging and dynamic. Giving combat and exploration renewed weight.
Another Day In Paradis
It’s worth noting that Obsidian has chosen to play things relatively safe narratively. While the story is solid and competent, it doesn’t take major risks with its plot beats. That said, dialogue is consistently strong, providing engaging character interactions that make the story feel alive. The same can be said mechanically. The combat shines, companions enrich both fight and story, and progression is satisfying. However, limited enemy variety prevents these systems from reaching their absolute potential. You can’t help but imagine how much more spectacular the experience would be if encounters were more varied or foes more unpredictable.
The PlayStation 5 launch version also introduces quality-of-life upgrades that noticeably improve extended play. Interface tweaks, better readability, and usability adjustments reduce friction, while performance stabilisation ensures smooth gameplay. These updates make the PS5 version feel polished and deliberate, letting the focus remain on combat, exploration, and choice rather than technical frustration.
Exploration continues to reward curiosity. Hidden areas and environmental storytelling add depth and personality, keeping traversal consistently satisfying even when enemy types don’t change dramatically.
The PlayStation 5 release of Avowed delivers the game it was always meant to be. Expanded skill trees, fluid hybrid combat, and companions who actively shape encounters all make combat feel dynamic and personal, while gear progression keeps your favourite weapons meaningful throughout the adventure.
Broadened Builds
While Obsidian hasn’t fundamentally changed areas where they’ve played it safe, like the story and certain familiar design beats, the tweaks and updates are significant enough to bring out the best in your experience. Making exploration, combat, and progression feel more rewarding than ever.
Even with those safe choices, the game’s polished systems, confident mechanics, and world-building make it a consistently engaging fantasy RPG. It consistently shows why Obsidian’s reputation for strong narrative and gameplay design remains well-earned.
Avowed is out now on PlayStation 5.
Review code kindly provided by PR.