Obsidian’s Avowed Is the Smaller-Scale Skyrim I Didn’t Know I Needed

Despite having never played any of the Pillars of Eternity games, I found myself weirdly excited for Avowed. I’ve never been able to get into another massive open-world RPG after 2011’s Skyrim, and I had hoped that Avowed would be able to grab me as Bethesda’s landmark RPG did.

After spending a couple of hours with an early beta build of the game, I’ve come to the conclusion that Avowed isn’t necessarily the Skyrim-esque successor I thought I wanted, but it might very well be the RPG that I need. Let me explain.

You play as the Envoy of Aedyr, sent to investigate a strange plague spreading across the Living Lands. And as these games are wont to do, you’ll get sidetracked by a multitude of sprawling side quests that all come with important decisions that could affect the outcome of various side stories. The good news, however, is that the Living Lands are not quite as massive as something like Skyrim or even a Fallout game.

Obsidian Entertainment has previously stated that Avowed is more similar to something like The Outer Worlds in terms of scale, which means fewer towns and cities to visit, but you can likely expect a richer, denser world with elaborate side quests to go along with it. From what I’ve seen in this beta build, there’s plenty of potential here.

I started my adventure by creating a new character and choosing a background for her. I opted for the Noble Scion background, though there are a handful of other origin stories you can choose from. You’ll also have the opportunity to reallocate your stat points if you wish, and your background and stats will determine the kinds of dialogue options you have access to when interacting with NPCs.

So far, so good. Avowed has all of the usual role-playing elements you’re used to. The game really begins when you arrive at the Living Lands, and it’s not long before you’re thrown into a combat situation to help you get acquainted with the basics. As a longtime Skyrim enjoyer who never even had any complaints about the combat in that game, I have to say that Obsidian has done a fine job in making Avowed‘s combat feel weighty and punchy.

Fighting in Avowed requires you to pay attention to a stamina meter. You’ve got your light and heavy attacks, and you can also equip a shield in your off-hand to help mitigate damage, though blocking attacks does consume stamina as well. I opted for the classic sword and board fighting style for this go-around, and combat becomes a dance of shielding only when necessary and looking for the right moment to swing your sword while ensuring you always have enough backup stamina in case of emergencies.

Every connected hit felt good and crunchy, serving as a major step up from Skyrim‘s combat that I never knew I needed until I actually experienced it. What’s even more exciting is that there are so many other fighting options and layers to Avowed‘s combat that I’m sure will make it even more dynamic and complex. There are companions you can summon to help execute a unique ability when you need it, as well as more interesting weapon types like wands and guns to shake things up. I was already having fun with just the boring ol’ sword and shield, which makes me even more excited to see what else the combat system has to offer.

Related: All Pre-Order Bonuses and Editions for Avowed

During my playtime, I also got to check out a handful of side quests. While it’s still early days, if Avowed‘s quests are anything like the ones from The Outer Worlds, then there should be plenty to look forward to here as well. It’s clear right off the bat that many of these quests will have far-reaching consequences. One early quest forces you to decide between letting a prisoner go or keeping them locked up and things are only made complicated when a trusted companion straight up advises you to leave them be, even though every bone in your body is probably telling you that setting them free is the right thing to do. I wish I could’ve seen more of Avowed‘s side quests in the beta build, but for now, they seem alright.

Truth be told, what excites me the most about Avowed is that it’s clearly going to be much smaller in scope than your typical Bethesda RPG. As I’m sure most other people entering their thirties can relate, I’m quickly realizing that I simply no longer have the time or bandwidth to commit myself to a 100-hour-long open-world RPG with a main story that I may or may not see through to the end. I’m increasingly finding games like Avowed — with a more condensed world and story — to be much more appealing because it still feels like you’re getting that immersive RPG experience, just in a smaller, more manageable package.

There are some aspects to Avowed that will turn off potential players, I’m sure, such as its overly cartoonish art style and smaller selection of weapon types and play styles. That being said, for the player who wants something they can realistically beat while still getting that complex narrative and quest structure you want from a role-playing game, Avowed is an RPG that should absolutely be on your radar.

Avowed is set to be released on Feb. 19, 2025.