The Living Lands are finally open for PS5
By Paul Hunter
Since I already reviewed Avowed on Xbox Series X|S when it launched in February 2025, I was excited to check out the PS5 version to see how it performs, and what better time to check out the new Anniversary content? Obsidian Entertainment's action RPG set in the Living Lands of Eora is a great game, and the PS5 version at $50 is definitely an enticing price point. The Anniversary Update includes three new playable races (Orlan, Dwarf, and Aumaua), a new quarterstaff weapon, a magic mirror at camp, New Game+, photo mode, expanded character creation, and extra difficulty setting customizations.
Set in the same Eora universe as the Pillars of Eternity series, Avowed supports both first-person and third-person play and gives you a deep RPG system to build your character however you want. Three PS5 graphics modes let you tune the performance to your preferences. So, is Avowed the RPG you should pick up on PS5? Let's find out!
It turns out your character is a Godlike, born with a divine essence tied to the Pantheon of Eora. That gives you supernatural abilities and physical traits that shape how every NPC in the game reacts to you. A mysterious voice only you can hear connects to the Dreamscourge in ways you'll learn about as the story progresses, and I found chasing that mystery one of the strongest reasons to keep playing.
The political conflict between the Aedyr Empire's march for control and the Living Lands locals who reject it runs through most major story moments. The tension between fulfilling your duty and making your own calls is constant, and your dialogue choices have real outcomes on where you story ends up. Wrong decisions can turn city districts hostile or lock you into consequences you cannot reverse so every decision counts. Companions Kai, a former Rauataian soldier, Yatzli, a sorcerer, and Garryck travel with you throughout the adventure, and all of them respond to your choices in ways that make the relationships develop meaningfully as the story progresses.
There are three skill trees to develop across: Fighter, Ranger, and Wizard. No class lock means you put points wherever your playstyle takes you, and every five levels you earn a bonus skill point to go deeper into your favourite abilities. Your companions each develop independently with their own skill points, three active skills, one passive, and three upgrade tiers per skill. Leveraging their abilities into your build adds a fun tactical layer to tougher fights.
Two weapon loadout slots let you switch between builds mid-combat, and dual-wielding is available across weapon types. Unique weapons are worth hunting for their special perks, and the enchantment system gives each weapon a permanent upgrade choice between two options, replacing the original. Those decisions carry weight because there is no going back. Throwables like grenades fill in the gaps when you need to control a crowd.
Enemies have their own builds, meaning you will want to drop healers first and pull ranged fighters away from the frontline before engaging tanks directly. I found myself caught between a ranged enemy picking me apart and a tank absorbing all my Essence reserves, forcing me to burn Second Wind (which revives you if you die) just to stay in the fight. That kind of pressure makes encounters feel challenging, yet rewarding when you overcome them. Difficulty customization is deep with tougher settings pay out more XP, and QoL features like direct camp stash access and location fast travel after resupplying keep the game moving a brisk pace. The newly introduced New Game+ and enemy respawning in certain areas add solid reasons to keep playing after the credits.
Venus Theory's orchestral score is a strong fit for the adventure. It builds into something bigger during tough fights and dials back to quieter, more sombre territory during the story's heavier moments. The voice acting is consistently excellent. Marius sounds exactly like the gruff veteran he is, and Ambassador Falscen Hylgard has a slick, smooth delivery that makes every scene with him entertaining to watch.
PS5 gives you Quality, Balanced, and Performance graphics modes to choose from. Performance targets 60fps and runs well, with only minor pop-in and the occasional frame drop during the busiest combat moments. If you have a VRR display, uncapping the frame rate takes the smoothness up another notch. The port is rock solid overall with no game-breaking issues, and photo mode is a great new addition that gives you plenty of gorgeous backdrops to work with across the Living Lands.
Final Score: 8.5/10 - Great
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Genre: Action Role-Playing
Modes: Single-player
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
A key was provided by the publisher.
By Paul Hunter
Since I already reviewed Avowed on Xbox Series X|S when it launched in February 2025, I was excited to check out the PS5 version to see how it performs, and what better time to check out the new Anniversary content? Obsidian Entertainment's action RPG set in the Living Lands of Eora is a great game, and the PS5 version at $50 is definitely an enticing price point. The Anniversary Update includes three new playable races (Orlan, Dwarf, and Aumaua), a new quarterstaff weapon, a magic mirror at camp, New Game+, photo mode, expanded character creation, and extra difficulty setting customizations.
Set in the same Eora universe as the Pillars of Eternity series, Avowed supports both first-person and third-person play and gives you a deep RPG system to build your character however you want. Three PS5 graphics modes let you tune the performance to your preferences. So, is Avowed the RPG you should pick up on PS5? Let's find out!
Story and Narrative
In Avowed, you are an Envoy of the Aedyr Empire, and your job is to find the source of the Dreamscourge, a soul plague corrupting the minds and bodies of everyone it touches, before it spreads further across the Living Lands. You arrive shipwrecked at Fort Northreach and immediately fight through a fortress of soldiers already lost to the plague.It turns out your character is a Godlike, born with a divine essence tied to the Pantheon of Eora. That gives you supernatural abilities and physical traits that shape how every NPC in the game reacts to you. A mysterious voice only you can hear connects to the Dreamscourge in ways you'll learn about as the story progresses, and I found chasing that mystery one of the strongest reasons to keep playing.
The political conflict between the Aedyr Empire's march for control and the Living Lands locals who reject it runs through most major story moments. The tension between fulfilling your duty and making your own calls is constant, and your dialogue choices have real outcomes on where you story ends up. Wrong decisions can turn city districts hostile or lock you into consequences you cannot reverse so every decision counts. Companions Kai, a former Rauataian soldier, Yatzli, a sorcerer, and Garryck travel with you throughout the adventure, and all of them respond to your choices in ways that make the relationships develop meaningfully as the story progresses.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Avowed gives you a lot of freedom in how you fight, and I appreciated every bit of it. Combat is real-time and centres on managing stamina for physical attacks and dodges alongside Essence, the game's MP equivalent, for spells and abilities. The weapon selection covers a huge range: swords, axes, maces, hammers, shields, bows, pistols, rifles, wands, tomes, and the new quarterstaff. The quarterstaff is a solid two-handed melee addition that draws less stamina than other two-handers and knocks enemies back hard on a clean hit. It fits naturally into any build that mixes melee and magic.There are three skill trees to develop across: Fighter, Ranger, and Wizard. No class lock means you put points wherever your playstyle takes you, and every five levels you earn a bonus skill point to go deeper into your favourite abilities. Your companions each develop independently with their own skill points, three active skills, one passive, and three upgrade tiers per skill. Leveraging their abilities into your build adds a fun tactical layer to tougher fights.
Two weapon loadout slots let you switch between builds mid-combat, and dual-wielding is available across weapon types. Unique weapons are worth hunting for their special perks, and the enchantment system gives each weapon a permanent upgrade choice between two options, replacing the original. Those decisions carry weight because there is no going back. Throwables like grenades fill in the gaps when you need to control a crowd.
Enemies have their own builds, meaning you will want to drop healers first and pull ranged fighters away from the frontline before engaging tanks directly. I found myself caught between a ranged enemy picking me apart and a tank absorbing all my Essence reserves, forcing me to burn Second Wind (which revives you if you die) just to stay in the fight. That kind of pressure makes encounters feel challenging, yet rewarding when you overcome them. Difficulty customization is deep with tougher settings pay out more XP, and QoL features like direct camp stash access and location fast travel after resupplying keep the game moving a brisk pace. The newly introduced New Game+ and enemy respawning in certain areas add solid reasons to keep playing after the credits.
Presentation and Audio
Visually, Avowed is one of the better-looking RPGs on PS5 right now. The game runs on Unreal Engine 5.3, and the Living Lands look excellent especially on PS5 Pro. Forests, deserts, woodlands, and city districts all have their own distinct look, and the lighting work across all of them is excellent. Spell effects during combat are a visual treat, campfire light casts nice shadows in darker spaces, and water surface reflections look great in the open environments. I spent more time than I probably should have just taking in Dawnshore and Emerald Stair, two of the most visually striking areas in the game. Playing as an Orlan and glancing down at those furry brown hands in first-person is one of those small details that makes the character creation choices feel meaningful.Venus Theory's orchestral score is a strong fit for the adventure. It builds into something bigger during tough fights and dials back to quieter, more sombre territory during the story's heavier moments. The voice acting is consistently excellent. Marius sounds exactly like the gruff veteran he is, and Ambassador Falscen Hylgard has a slick, smooth delivery that makes every scene with him entertaining to watch.
PS5 gives you Quality, Balanced, and Performance graphics modes to choose from. Performance targets 60fps and runs well, with only minor pop-in and the occasional frame drop during the busiest combat moments. If you have a VRR display, uncapping the frame rate takes the smoothness up another notch. The port is rock solid overall with no game-breaking issues, and photo mode is a great new addition that gives you plenty of gorgeous backdrops to work with across the Living Lands.
The Verdict
Avowed is a great action RPG on PS5, and the Anniversary Update makes this the most complete version of the game available. Obsidian delivers a flexible combat system, a choice-driven story with real consequences, and a world that looks excellent on PS5's hardware. Three graphics modes give you full control over visuals and performance, and the $50 price point makes it a compelling pick up for any RPG fan. If you have been waiting for the right moment to jump into the Living Lands, that time is now.Final Score: 8.5/10 - Great
Avowed details
Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PCDeveloper: Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Genre: Action Role-Playing
Modes: Single-player
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
A key was provided by the publisher.