Obsidian's 2025 action-RPG Avowed features a design choice where most slain enemies do not respawn, sparking debate among players. While some criticize the resulting empty areas and limited farming opportunities, the mechanic enhances the sense of consequence and player agency in the game world. Author Kenneth Seward Jr. praises it as one of the title's best aspects in a Best of 2025 review.
Obsidian's Avowed, released in 2025, stands out among action-RPGs for its engaging campaign, fun combat systems, and charming characters, despite occasional bugs and an excess of aggressive bears. A key mechanic at the center of controversy is the absence of enemy respawns for most foes, including outlaws, walking mushrooms, crazed bears, Xaurips, Spiderlings, and skeletons.
In typical RPGs, players expect areas to repopulate with enemies upon return visits, allowing for repeated battles, experience farming, and loot grinding. Avowed diverges from this norm, making the world respond meaningfully to player actions beyond major story decisions. Cleared bandit camps or lairs remain empty, facilitating easier backtracking for missed items like chests requiring specific keys or lockpicks. NPCs acknowledge these changes, such as safer travels after eliminating threats to their towns, fostering deeper role-playing immersion.
Critics of the feature argue that areas feel too empty over time and lament the inability to farm enemies for XP or loot, which intensified gear upgrade grinds before a day-one patch. However, Seward highlights positives: the design eliminates unnecessary XP grinding by emphasizing quest rewards, weapon and gear upgrades, flexible build-crafting, competent AI companions, and varied combat systems. This allows players to progress without feeling under-leveled, even in high-threat areas marked by skull icons.
Seward appreciates how Avowed respects players' time, enabling flexible pacing—whether min-maxing through side quests and bounties or focusing on the main storyline. "I've also gotten to a point where I can better appreciate a developer's efforts to respect my time as a player," he writes. By altering the standard RPG formula, the no-respawn system contributes to a balanced experience that makes every action feel impactful.
This review is part of GameSpot's Best of 2025 series, reflecting on the year's gaming highlights.
