When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Heres how it works.
I can’t show you any of that.
But less than the most detailed character creators in gaming.
My small adventure in Avowed mostly pitted me against xaurips, lizard-like creatures with nasty tempers.
You also have more options than I expected for your godlike attributes.
You pick one of each from a variety of facial and head features.
Either way, these godlike attributes ensure your character will lookveryunique but you don’t have to see them.
I can’t show you the prologue or character creator, so enjoy this beautiful vista of an oceanside city instead.
Once your character’s appearance is locked in, you might choose your Aedyran background.
Once I was given freedom, I wasted no time exploring Dawnshore and the immediate area.
Of course, Avowed isn’t a graphical or technical showcase.
Here’s a decent look at the character I created. I wish Avowed had a photo mode to take better screenshots, but perhaps that’s planned for release (or after launch).(Image credit: Windows Central)
This art style is full of character and perfectly compliments the unique environments and architecture of The Living Lands.
I also love Avowed’s colorful, clean interfaces and impeccable audio design.
Of course, playing Avowed’s opening hours also meant being introduced to its narrative.
Avowed’s inventory menu felt a little awkward to navigate, but overall provides clear information for the benefits and cons of all the gear you’ll collect.(Image credit: Windows Central)
There’s no co-op, no romance, no complex systems to simulate a living world.
It’s a personality we don’t often see in RPGs anymore, and I love Avowed for it.
Avowed officially releases onFeb.
Avowed features free skill trees, meaning you can mix and match any abilities from any skill trees however you like. The “Wizard” skill tree, in particular, has a lot of options.(Image credit: Windows Central)
There are two digital editions, with the premium version including exclusive cosmetics and five days of early access.
For the mega fans, there’s even a special steelbook edition with some extra goodies.
Here’s the screen you’ll see when you gain a new companion, giving you a brief overview of their history and unique abilities.(Image credit: Windows Central)
Throughout The Living Lands you’ll find locations to set up camp, where you can talk to your companions, upgrade your gear, and enchant your weapons.(Image credit: Windows Central)
Here’s another view of that oceanside city but, well, as seen from the ocean.
Even Avowed’s most boring environments bring something unique to the table.
Avowed’s combat is refreshingly simple, but still gives you plenty of flexibility in how to play.
Avowed’s map didn’t let me place custom markers, but it does a good job of highlighting important points of interest, like the cluster of merchants in this area.(Image credit: Windows Central)
I had a lot of fun with a grimoire in one hand and a sword in the other, and improvements to dodging made giving up blocking a perfectly suitable strategy.(Image credit: Windows Central)
I’ll say it again: The Living Lands are beautiful. Even in a few hours I saw a lot of diversity, too.(Image credit: Windows Central)
I wish dialogue options that force the conversation to move on were highlighted, but I do love that you can open up the conversation history at any point and see explanations for all in-game lore mentioned in that conversation.(Image credit: Windows Central)
I was able to access basically any rooftop I could find in Avowed, leading to plenty of treasure and pretty views.(Image credit: Windows Central)
Avowed’s character models aren’t the most graceful or detailed (and the lighting engine in this preview build still needs some work), but facial expressions and voice acting are on point.(Image credit: Windows Central)
Scattered throughout The Living Lands are ancient ruins left by the “godless,” a mysterious civilization that vanished before written history began.
Your companions provide passive assistance in combat, but you can manually activate their unique abilities, too (and each companion has its own skill tree).
I’m very excited to return to The Living Lands next year, but I’ll have to keep myself busy the next few months to make the wait more bearable.
