Character Creation

Avowed, like most RPGs begins with character creation. You initially make a few cosmetic decisions; race, gender, body type, hair etc, followed by the choice of background which can have a small impact on some aspects of the game. Choose the one which will most reflect the type of character you wish to play. Assigning points to the various attributes come next so be sure to decide what type of person you plan to play first. Your three major choices are fighter, ranged, or wizard, though it's very likely you will want focus on at least two of those. My main focus was on mage skills, though I made sure I was an effective melee fighter as well.
 
The good news is that you not only get to improve these abilities during level ups, but there are numerous items which will enhance them available to be found throughout the game. One important consideration to bear in mind is that some of these attributes will also affect the dialogue choices you are offered, often acting as a form of skill check and there is a LOT of dialogue in this game. One word of advice, don't attempt to simply balance them all out; some need to be raised more than others based on your play style.

Once you have created your avatar, you're ready to enter the game proper which begins with your being shipwrecked on the island which forms the setting for the game. You are the official envoy of the emperor sent there to discover the cause of a plague which is sweeping the island and if possible, it is your task to find either a cure, or a way to end the plague. While achieving this goal, you will travel through and explore five main areas, four of which are rather large and are where most of the game takes place. Fortunately, while you will eventually be able to travel across all four at will, initially you will explore these areas one at a time as each one builds on the previous area. Once you leave an area, there is very little need to return as most quests are self-contained in the area where you receive them. This makes exploration a little easier.

Exploration

I must admit that exploration is one of the strengths of the game and the more you explore the more you will be rewarded. There are plants to gather, chests to open and items to find, some of which are unique and offer special perks. Search everywhere and you won't be disappointed. One of the innovations in the game is the use of ‘parkour' as you leap across roofs and cliffs; climb up the outside of a lighthouse to reach some treasure, or find interesting ways to get into locked buildings. It's not only fun, but even for someone like me who is not usually fond of ‘jumping' games; Obsidian has made it an enjoyable exercise by not being too challenging and it is always worthwhile taking the time to explore vertically as well as horizontally.

Avowed offers you the choice of four companions to join you on your quest, though you will need to do some work to acquire all of them. While you are only able to have two of them with you at any one time, they bring a variety of skills to the table; some are more melee oriented with a little ranged, one functions as a healer and one is a mage. They each have different personalities and quests you may do for them. The bulk of your dialogues with them occur in your camp which in many ways is similar to the one in BG3. Here you will cook food, and upgrade your equipment among other choices. Your camp is an important part of the game and will make your quest easier to fulfil. It is also the source for certain dreams which if you allow them to continue will have a long term benefit towards the end of the game and the choices you have to make.

Choices and Consequences

One of the outstanding aspects of the game is that choices you make frequently have major consequences in the game and may totally alter the entire narrative. Some of those choices are neither simple, nor easy and in some cases you have to decide between two options, neither of which is very good. Some people are going to die and you get to choose who will bear the brunt of your choice. Not everything is roses and sunshine. Obviously, this also adds to the game's replayability.

Progression

One thing I found different from most of the RPGs that I have played over the years (and that's a LOT) is how the game progression works. While there is the traditional levelling up where you can improve your ability scores and learn new skills for both yourself and your companions, the most important progression comes through upgrading your weapons and your armour at the camp. You begin with 'common' weapons, but as you progress you slowly upgrade them with three steps for each of the five levels available; common, fine, exceptional, superb and legendary. This is the single most important thing to do each time you visit your camp.

Combat and Gear

The weapons and armour the enemies you meet in each of the five main areas will be at a progressively higher standard. If your weapons and armour do not either meet, or exceed that of the enemies you face, then you will do very little damage to them and they will be able to do massive damage to you. A clue you're given as to whether or not you'll be able to handle what you'll face during a quest is the number of skulls attached to it. Any more than one and you're in for a real challenge. If you see three skulls, forget it until you have done a major upgrade. 
One thing which helps with this is the fact that you can either upgrade an item (especially unique ones), or break up no longer useful ones into component parts which you can then combine with other items to upgrade something to the next level. It works very easily and I usually found it was better to break down no longer useful items rather than to sell them as upgrade components were often quite expensive. I never had too much money.
One of the interesting quirks of the game is that you can steal anything and everything that you're able to pick up even in plain sight. Yes, sneaking is available for back stabs, but feel free to help yourself to everything that's not nailed down; you'll probably need it.

Combat is often at the heart of a CRPG and it is here. You're offered a wide choice of weapons and armour types and you don't really need any special skills to be able to use them, though those skills are available for you to choose on level up. The skill choices are divided into three sections: melee, ranged and magic and under each of those headings you are offered a variety of skills at levels one, five, ten, fifteen and twenty. Each of those skills also has up to three ‘upgrades' you can eventually choose from to totally customise your avatar.

Weapon choices are many and varied featuring one handed, two handed, guns and bows and wands. Each has its own pros and cons and you can have any two weapon sets available for quickly switching at the press of a key. So, you might begin with a pistol in one hand and a grimoire in the other while you shoot and cast a spell or two from a distance, but if the enemy closes quickly you might switch to a two handed Warhammer which does either fire, or ice damage. For even more control you can actually pause the combat while issuing commands to your companions and then use one of your special godlike abilities for extra impact. As I said, lots of choices.

Story

The story and side quests are both interesting and varied with very few ‘fetch' quests, though the main one does tend to get a little philosophical at times. It's probably the so called 'woke' influence which does, at times, detract from the overall enjoyment of the game. I see this clearly in the choice of who is available to romance for example. Of all four companions, only one, a male, is available to romance (if desired) and the only female available is an undead skeleton death guard who spends most of her time opposing your protagonist. In my opinion, this was a ridiculous decision by the developers.

Conclusion

My only other complaint is the price of the game. Most games here where I live would average around the $80 Australian; I think Dragon Age:V was about $84. This game in Oz was $120!! It was a great game and I really enjoyed it, but I do think that $80 would have been a fairer price. That being said, if you enjoyed games like Skyrim, or PoE, then you should enjoy Avowed, just wait till the price drops.