Showcasing The Living Lands, and how you can shape your role in it as The Envoy to your liking, the trailer is quite the highlight reel, highlighting a variety of character builds with distinct races, skill-sets, and playstyles that’s going to be music to the ears of all your RPG fans out there. You decide your approach to The Living Lands and all they have to offer, and must live with the consequences of your choices.

Aside from that, the trailer also reaffirms what’s included with the new Anniversary Update, aka, 2.0. There are three new playable races, Custom Difficulty, Photo Mode, a new weapon type in the Quarterstaff, additional presets, and more. New Game Plus is also finally available, and on top of granting unique modifiers to enemies, it’s also somewhat different from the usual offerings, allowing you to create a new character.

It’s going to be a great time to get your journey started, or perhaps start it again if you want to relive the adventure as we wait for news about new games being added to the Avowed universe. For more details, check out our review.

Time went on, updates were released, and it’s now launching shortly on PS5 – seemingly without any fanfare. Microsoft even went ahead and dropped the price from the otherwise baffling $70 to $50. No better time than the present, especially with the Anniversary Update, right? Well, it depends on what you’re looking for.

Although Avowed isn’t a terrible experience by many measures, it is surprisingly blasé. All the ingredients for a compelling first-person action RPG in the Pillars of Eternity universe, even if it isn’t a full-fledged sequel by any stretch of the imagination, should make for an incredible experience. And yet, it ends up enjoyable in a ‘play-it-while-binging-podcasts’ way, as opposed to this grand epic that should have me invested in the fate of its world.

"That’s not even getting into some of the dialogue, which feels a little too light-hearted and easy-breezy. The claviger is someone whom Kai deeply respects and owes his life in the Living Lands to. You would think he’d be a little more concerned for him, but alas."

Plot-wise, you’re an Envoy for the Aedyran Empire, which is facing some manner of upheaval. The Emperor has some interest in the Living Lands – a relatively free region where Aedryan influence has been growing, much to the disdain of the locals. However, there’s a strange plague spreading throughout – a soul plague, which you later come to learn is something known as the Dreamscourge. Your job, in upholding your vow, is to investigate.

Pretty intriguing as far as set-ups go, and that conflict of duty vs free will is something that manifests through the dialogues occasionally. The introduction with its core mechanics and premise – where you end up shipwrecked and having to fight through a fortress where afflicted soldiers killed each other – isn’t too shabby either. The problem is that I didn’t particularly care for Garryck or the smuggler lady. Maybe the other companions wouldn’t end up as unremarkable, and I was right…but only barely so.

As soon as you land in the Living Lands proper, you immediately meet Kai. A former soldier of the Rauataian, he has a common goal in finding a claviger who ventured off with the Aedryan ambassador. And that’s pretty much how you end up friends (as one-sided as it can be), which really underscores just how milquetoast much of Avowed’s interactions can be. The occasional quips, threats of violence and shady responses can be used, but they have so little effect on the bonds with companions that it’s difficult to get emotionally invested. With other NPCs, I can at least sneakily steal some coins and attack them or flex my knowledge as a Vanguard Scout, for all the good that does (and for how situational it feels).

That’s not even getting into some of the dialogue, which feels a little too light-hearted and easy-breezy. The claviger is someone whom Kai deeply respects and owes his life in the Living Lands to. You would think he’d be a little more concerned for him, but alas. Meetings with other companions feel similarly underwhelming, and the fact that they have such limited skills – three active and one passive, each with three upgrades – and no other customization is enough to give Dragon Age: The Veilguard competition. At least the voice acting is good – amid the plot lacking any real urgency, it really does feel like chill adventuring with friends, not taking things too seriously.

"The Living Lands strike a pretty good balance between feeling large while also packing enough content and interesting encounters, even if some of them – like the arena tower challenge thing, which was one single fight and nothing more – can feel somewhat underwhelming."

It’s just that the “vibes, ya know?” approach feels so antithetical to the festering Dreamscourge and imperiled lands, especially when there are some genuinely intriguing mysteries and side stories to be had. What is that mysterious voice that only my character can hear? Why is she lending me her powers, and how does this connect to the lands as a whole? Yes, I’m sure she’ll be revealed as having some role in – if not being the main reason for – the Dreamscourge, but the conversations can be intriguing at times.

It also doesn’t help that the cities feel inherently lifeless – yes, even after a year of post-launch support. Sure, some NPCs are engaged in regular conversation, and they may have a few interesting things to say. You may even see the odd demonstration or two – someone on their proverbial soap box, speaking out to a crowd about something loosely related to current events. But that’s pretty much it. You’re literally, and metaphorically, a tourist – outside of scripted events, your presence means nothing most of the time, and the interactivity is incredibly barren. I’m not saying that the game has to dip into the same well of depth of other games in the genre, but surely some manner of reaction from NPCs is possible. Instead, they stand around, mostly oblivious to your presence. It’s almost a waste of the gorgeous architecture, impressive art direction and strong world-building.

Thankfully, the larger world is much more interesting as a whole, and that’s even without taking on side quests that veer off the beaten path. Suddenly, you may discover a cave that leads into a den of spiders with explosives that require burning away webs, or clamber up a lighthouse to uncover a treasure map and really take in your surroundings as a whole. On one occasion, I discovered a memory of a past civilization – how they left their home region, built another, welcomed all-comers – all from a choose-your-style format, which resulted in a genuinely heart-warming conclusion. And I received ten percent max health from it before receiving a unique axe and facing off against a gang of reasonably threatening skeletons.

The Living Lands strike a pretty good balance between feeling large while also packing enough content and interesting encounters, even if some of them – like the arena tower challenge thing, which was one single fight and nothing more – can feel somewhat underwhelming. Still, that feeling of walking past some explosive barrels, doubling back to blow them and finding that a whole new area has opened up feels great every time.

"The fact that I can wear any armor and gear, albeit with some penalties to stamina and Essence (the game’s version of MP), is also nice, as is being able to swap between two weapon loadouts, in case I wanted to start bonking fools up close."

The other thing that Avowed has going for it is the combat, even with its various issues. You have the usual weapon options – swords, axes, maces, bows, shields, hammers, some in one- and two-handed varieties. However, there are also wands, tomes, pistols, rifles, and the new quarterstaff (which provides a strong two-handed option that isn’t as stamina-hungry).

Even better is that you can mix and match with an extensive amount of freedom. I started to rock a pistol and tome, the former for pinpoint charged shots and the latter for casting chain lightning, fireballs, and even a spell for increased damage reduction. The fact that I can wear any armor and gear, albeit with some penalties to stamina and Essence (the game’s version of MP), is also nice, as is being able to swap between two weapon loadouts, in case I wanted to start bonking fools up close.

There are also Uniques with intriguing perks, like that one pistol which causes a high amount of Shock accumulation or the ring that builds up poison with critical hits – perfect for that dagger which deals burning damage over time (or even with power attacks by axes, causing bleeding damage). Or maybe I could dual-wield them, using the unique axe and dagger together for both benefits.

If you’re someone who wants to be on the frontline, then maybe that two-hander, which can recover health on successful parries, will be ideal. Pair that with increased parry efficiency that greatly stuns foes when maxed out for even more fun. The combat system may feel pretty repetitive at first, but give Avowed enough time and it’ll really start to sing with the number of available options. And even if I lambast the companion customization, weaving in their abilities with everything else – including throwables like grenades – adds some decent spice.

I’m not a fan of the enchantment system, though. Upon obtaining the correct materials, you can unlock two other enchantments, but you can only choose one, which will then take the place of the original (and there’s no going back). Some enchantments also don’t feel especially unique from others. I can choose from Shock accumulation from the pistol spreading to nearby enemies, which seems nice, but then there’s the dagger, which can cause fire damage to hit nearby enemies with a full combo. It would have also been nice if the weapon upgrading had some more pizzazz, outside of simply gathering materials and then increasing their tiers, until you hit the next rarity for simple stat increases. Aside from this, crafting is threadbare, which is just baffling given how much loot focus there is.

Then there’s the skill progression, which is equal parts fun and cookie-cutter. Level up to earn skill and ability points – spend those to unlock new skills or upgrade current ones, and increase stats for benefits like increased hit chance, more health, etc. The amount of available skills seems cool at first, but further upgrades require increasing your character’s level. Even if they’re not all that surprising in terms of what the fantasy genre has to offer, being able to unleash poisonous knives or shield bash an enemy into the sun feels good.

"I wouldn’t necessarily rank Avowed’s combat among the 10 action RPGs of all time, but it can be satisfying. The various quality-of-life systems here, like being able to send your items directly back to camp stash when you’re overburdened, or returning to your last location after leaving camp, are also appreciated."

Then there are the straight-up boring options. Negating the stamina and Essence penalties of Medium and Heavy Armor? Sure, that sounds fine. Straight up damage increase for a weapon type? Dull and uninspired, even if there is a case to be made about the benefits of sticking to a singular weapon type or two, versus simply choosing skills willy-nilly. Still, at least the number of options is far higher than at launch, especially for those wanting to spec into the Ranger and Fighter trees. I also like that every five levels confers an additional skill point for further investing in varied builds or fully maxing out an ability, which can make the difference between Jolting Touch chaining to more enemies or dealing much more damage against a singular foe.

Throughout my time, I didn’t feel the need to min-max into a specific gameplay style, though upgrading weapons and armor becomes a necessity to deal with higher-tier enemies. Combat is very responsive, and I’ll admit to simply wasting time to run and electrocute groups with impunity, commanding Kai leap into a group of enemies, and finding some satisfaction in killer blows after an enemy has been staggered.

Enemies don’t really coordinate so much as possess their own builds, which in itself means tackling healers before dealing with everything else, or having the tank draw aggro on the frontline while you go after the ranged enemies. Perhaps the only real danger I ever faced was when backed into a corner against a bear with no stamina, but even then, there’s Second Wind for self-reviving. Simply circling and stabbing larger enemies in the back made many of the bosses feel a little too easy, but on the bright side, at least you can modify the difficulty beyond the standard options.

Tip the scales in favor of your enemies, and you’ll be rewarded with more XP (even though you can increase your own health and damage to compensate with no penalties, which I find hilarious). Coupled with the fact that more random encounters respawn in the world, and setting out to knock some heads together (if incinerating or electrocution isn’t your thing) is even more fun.

I wouldn’t necessarily rank Avowed’s combat among the 10 action RPGs of all time, but it can be satisfying. The various quality-of-life systems here, like being able to send your items directly back to camp stash when you’re overburdened, or returning to your last location after leaving camp, are also appreciated. And for those craving more customization options, the Anniversary Update does feature additional race options (each with unique starting stats), more ways to make your Envoy stand out, and several more presets to choose from.

"Whatever the case, if you can take it as an action RPG with a relatively fun world to explore, Avowed is pretty solid, especially at this price (never mind cheaper, which I have a sad feeling it’s going to be in a month or two)."

As far as the quality of the port goes, on PS5, you have a choice of three modes – Quality, Balanced and Performance. Quality, as you’d expect, offers much better image quality at the cost of a lower frame rate, while Performance prioritizes 60 FPS. The latter results in some noticeable pop-in, image quality issues (even on close-up models when switching back and forth between characters in conversations), and some frame drops during busier moments. If you want something in between, Balanced is there, and uncapping the frame rate with a VRR-compatible monitor can provide a solid in-between setting, even if the lighting feels a bit off at times.

Taken altogether, it feels like the game had a vision, faced numerous development hurdles (which is true), and then had to water down its ambitions just to get it out. On the other hand, with the news that it was meant to support co-op, it seems like so much of this was intentional to provide a looser, more streamlined experience for friends. Co-op would be removed, but many of those relatively dumbed-down systems remained.

Whatever the case, if you can take it as an action RPG with a relatively fun world to explore, Avowed is pretty solid, especially at this price (never mind cheaper, which I have a sad feeling it’s going to be in a month or two). There are several elements that I still think need improvement, but it can be enjoyable to just mess around, finding new loot, and testing out different builds while getting the lay of the land. Those seeking a deep, involving story with incredible characterization and world reactivity are advised to look elsewhere, but whatever’s here isn’t downright awful – just shockingly whelming most times and surprisingly fun at others.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

The post is a the latest iteration of the Xbox Excellence Awards, which was created last year to celebrate how players engaged with various releases on Xbox. The Store Rating category lists 2025 games with the best ratings on the Microsoft Store, with an added requirement of the title having at least 500 ratings. Player Engagements is about the average number of hours spent on a game by each player within the first six weeks of a game’s release. Daily Active Users celebrates titles, expansions or updates with the highest single-day active users throughout the year. And finally Units Sold is fairly self-explanatory.

Going down the lists, you’ll find many of the biggest releases of the year, from ARC Raiders and Battlefield 6, as well as award-winning RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Indie titles have also been well-represented, with games like Crime Scene Cleaner and Satisfactory making it into the lists. There also doesn’t seem to have been a singular genre to dominate the lists, since everything from sports games like EA Sports Madden NFL 26, to fantasy adventure life sims like Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, and even fighting games like Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics are well represented.

Curiously, none of the games was present in all four of the categories. At most, we got to see titles like Borderlands 4 being able to make it on to three of them: Player Engagement, Daily Active Users and Units Sold. Even ARC Raiders, which has seen quite a bit of success, is only on the Units Sold and Daily Active Users lists.

Microsoft has also emphasized that the lists represent a diverse collection of games developed by studios of varying sizes. All in all, it represents 48 unique developers based out of 13 countries, with 24 publishers having had a hand in their release. 19 of the games were self-published. “Taken as a whole, it’s an encapsulation of development on Xbox – we want gaming to reach you wherever you are, and for the teams making those games to find you from wherever they are,” wrote the company.

Full list of games:

Store Rating:

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Crime Scene Cleaner
• Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2
• Digimon Story: Time Stranger
• Dreamcore
• Dynasty Warriors: Origins
• Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Lies of P: Overture
• Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
• Little Nightmares III
• Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
• Minami Lane
• Mullet MadJack
• Poppy Playtime Chapter 4
• Satisfactory
• Silent Hill 2
• Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
• The First Berserker: Khazan

Player Engagement:

• Borderlands 4
• Digimon Story: Time Stranger
• Dynasty Warriors: Origins
• EA Sports College Football 26
• EA Sports FC 26
• Elden Ring Nightreign
• Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
• Farm Together 2
• Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles
• Helldivers 2
• Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
• MLB The Show 25
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• NBA 2K26
• NHL 26
• Rust
• Satisfactory
• The First Berserker: Khazan

Daily Active Users:

• Arc Raiders
• Avowed
• Battlefield 6
• Borderlands 4
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
• DOOM: The Dark Ages
• Elden Ring Nightreign
• Fortnite
• Forza Horizon 5
• Grand Theft Auto V
• Grounded 2
• Helldivers 2
• Marvel Rivals
• Minecraft
• NBA 2K26
• Rematch
• Roblox
• Rocket League
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

Units Sold:

• Arc Raiders
• Assassin’s Creed Shadows
• Battlefield 6
• Borderlands 4
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
• EA Sports Madden NFL 26
• EA Sports College Football 26
• EA Sports FC 26
• Elden Ring Nightreign
• Grand Theft Auto V
• Helldivers 2
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• MLB The Show 25
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• NBA 2K26
• PGA Tour 2K25
• Ready or Not
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
• WWE 2K25

However, it does have more content for The Outer Worlds 2 (including two story DLC), further updates for Grounded 2 (which is in early access and already a hit) and new games “big and small” in the works. Despite Avowed also failing to meet sales expectations, Obsidian is planning more titles in the same universe.

Which is interesting because it takes place in Eora from Pillars of Eternity. I doubt that Pillars of Eternity 3 is on the cards – even if director Josh Sawyer would really like to make it – but that doesn’t mean it can’t deliver other experiences. Perhaps we’ll see a return to the isometric CRPG goodness of the first two games, except with a much larger budget.

With four projects allegedly in the works, it’s tough to guess, but Obsidian is going to keep busy regardless. For those who haven’t experienced Avowed, it’s coming to PS5 on February 17th and even received a permanent price drop to $50. Check out our review for more details and whether it’s worth playing.

“They’re not disasters. I’m not going to say this was a kick in the teeth. It was more like: ‘That sucks. What are we learning?’” said Urquhart. Meanwhile, Grounded 2 emerged as a fairly sizable hit (and based on its latest big update, The Toxic Tangle, it’s only gotten better).

As a result, Obsidian is re-evaluating how it develops games, or as Urquhart says, “Think a lot about how much we put into the games, how much we spend on them, how long they take.” One such step is to reduce development time, targeting three to four per game, as opposed to the six-plus that Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 necessitated.

“I don’t think anybody really likes five-, six-, seven-year dev cycles. We’ve kind of grown into that,” says Brandon Adler, who directed the latter. Comparatively, Grounded 2 was developed in just two, and it wasn’t even on the cards until Eidos Montreal pitched the same back in 2023.

While Obsidian could look at outsourcing more work in the future, you likely shouldn’t expect it to release three titles in the same year again. “Spacing those releases helps the company manage its resources and not burn everybody out. It’s not good to release three games in the same year. It’s the result of things going wrong,” says Pentiment director Josh Sawyer.

As for what’s next, Obsidian Entertainment is reportedly working on four different unannounced projects. With rumors of a Fallout: New Vegas remaster circulating, there’s hope that it could return to the iconic RPG. In the meantime, it still has more updates for Grounded 2 and will bring Avowed to PS5 on February 17th.

After pre-orders went live on the PlayStation Store, many were quick to observe that Avowed costs $49.99 for the Standard Edition and $59.99 for the Premium Edition. Even Indiana Jones didn’t receive a price drop on PS5, so what gives? Should anyone who bought it on Xbox Series X/S or PC feel insulted?

As it turns out, this isn’t simply a PS5-exclusive offer – Avowed has permanently dropped in price on the Xbox Store and Steam. Granted, this may prove little comfort for those who bought it at launch, but alas. On the bright side, now is a good time for new players to jump in, especially with the Anniversary Patch out on February 17th to coincide with the PS5 version.

The patch adds New Game+, a new weapon type, Photo Mode, more race choices when creating your Envoy, and much more. New Game+ also doesn’t just carry over your progress while presenting higher-level foes – it also adds nifty little modifiers to them to change up your tactics.

For more details on the base game, check out our review.

“Going to a new biome, a new area in the park allows us to fully lean into what makes the park unique from the backyard [from Grounded],” said Vazquez. “For us that means that mixture of really organic structures as well as that man-made touch, that this was designed by humans at the human level.” The biome will also mark the return of wasps and black ants, each of which will have their own sets of armour and weapons. Some of the newer creatures coming to the game are crickets and two different types of earwigs.

Along with all of this new content, the update will also bring with it things like a new ladybug buggy that will allow players to travel across the map at a faster pace, as well as serve as the tank in epic battles. To help in fights, the ladybuggy will be equipped with a water cannon on its back, giving players more utility in tackling aerial insects.

While the update’s “Winter” title might indicate a release window, Obsidian Entertainment hasn’t yet confirmed when exactly it will come out.

Grounded 2 is currently available on PC and Xbox Series X/S. For more details, check out our review.

During an interview, gameplay director Gabriel Paramo and lead character artist Dimitri Berman also provided new details on the upcoming Anniversary update. Releasing alongside the PS5 version, it adds New Game+, with the character’s progress carrying over into a new playthrough. There are some caveats, like weapons resetting to level 1, for example.

However, you will encounter new challenges, including modifiers on enemies that confer resistances, among other unique twists. Other features in the update include Photo Mode, additional character presets, a new weapon type, new races for the Envoy, and more. It follows several other improvements added post-launch, including Arachnophobia Safe Mode, new abilities (especially for some of the lacking classes), and more.

For more information on Avowed, check out our review here. We gave it an eight out of ten, praising the lore, storytelling, characters, combat, level design and side content. The downside is that it may feel a little too safe, and those seeking a Baldur’s Gate 3-like experience – or something as intricate as The Outer Worlds 2 – may be disappointed.

Along with reporting that the teaser site is not leading to a shadow drop for a new Fallout game (much less a remaster), he revealed that the remaster is coming “eventually.” Interestingly, Corden added, “as well as Fallout: New Vegas on top,” which wouldn’t be surprising given the focus of Fallout Season 2.

And while it’s unknown if one of them could be a new Fallout, there are apparently four new projects in the works at Obsidian Entertainment, “some big, some small.” He also reiterated that Fallout 5 has allegedly been greenlit, and while a teaser at an upcoming showcase isn’t out of the question, it’s got a long way to go.

Of course, this is all leading up to the next Xbox Developer_Direct, scheduled for later this month. Microsoft didn’t confirm what would be shown, simply noting that Playground Games would be present. However, Corden says it’s “highly likely” that Fable and Forza Horizon 6, alongside Gears of War: E-Day and Halo: Campaign Evolved (allegedly referred to internally as the “four horsemen) could appear.

Throughout this, he discovered mentions of Project Juliet, which is a “full, modern remake of Knights of the Old Republic 2” that “is/was in development” as of March 2025. Reilly described it as offering “modern art, modern gameplay, you know, keep the story and the characters and the general—the general content of KOTOR 2, but remake it for modern hardware and modern machines with updated graphics and all those kinds of things.”

The project was discussed with Aspyr, but its current status is unknown. In a follow-up post on Bluesky, Totilo said this remake would also include Obsidian’s cut content, aka the “Restored Content DLC.” Whether it’s undergone any changes remains to be seen. With how up in the air Knights of the Old Republic – Remake is, it’s surprising that the sequel is getting a remake at all.

Perhaps the former is further along than we initially imagined and could be gearing up for a release next year. It was first announced for PS5 and PC back in 2021, and concept art of Kashykkk and early levels has since leaked. Stay tuned for further updates from The Game Awards on December 11th.