Avowed vs The Outer Worlds 2

Obsidian's two 2025 RPGs serve different appetites — one for tight fantasy lore, the other for satirical sci-fi companions.

Updated 11d ago

Avowed cover
Avowed 8.0/10 Strong

Dual-wielding a wand and a flintlock is genuinely great — but the open world is empty and the choices never branch, so it misses the Obsidian reactivity you came for.

The Outer Worlds 2 cover
The Outer Worlds 2 8.3/10 Strong

Obsidian writing is back at full peak — Outer Worlds 2 sharpens what the first game whispered, with companions and corporate satire that finally feel essential.

By the numbers

Prices checked Aug 7; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.

Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Aug 7.

Measure Avowed The Outer Worlds 2
Value Avowed wins on value
Price now $29.99 −40% · Steam $69.99 Steam
All-time low $29.99 $34.99
Cost / hour $1.49/hr $29.99 · 20 h main story $3.78/hr $69.99 · 18 h main story
Off its low At its low low was Jun 2026 +100% low was Jun 2026
Main story 20 h 18 h
Health Avowed wins on player health
Steam reviews 77% 13k reviews 74% 9k reviews
Recent reviews 72% 242 votes · vs 77% lifetime 64% 235 votes · vs 74% lifetime · souring
Peak players 1,007 Jul 2026 · ↑ 16% MoM 1,268 Jul 2026 · ↑ 20% MoM
Launch peak 5% of Feb 2025 launch peak · as of Jul 2026
All-time peak 19,161 Feb 2025 18,187 Nov 2025 · now at 7%
Support
Last patch 5 months ago 3 weeks ago
Patch cadence 0 in last 90 days 2 in last 90 days
Steam Deck Gold Gold

Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.

Avowed
Feb 2025 – Jul 2026
The Outer Worlds 2
Nov 2025 – Jul 2026

What players say

Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.

Avowed

Love

The combat's magic toolkit — dual-wielding wands, guns, and swords with flashy spells — keeps long-haul players coming back.

Struggle with

The open world feels big for no reason, and choices don't matter, leaving progression gated and exploration unrewarding for many 100-hour vets.

from our August 2026 verdict

The Outer Worlds 2

Love

The witty satire, memorable characters, and goofy tone keep players engaged for hundreds of hours.

Struggle with

Frequent fatal crashes and unstable saves after patches plague long-term playthroughs.

from our May 2026 verdict

Key differences

World scope
Avowed offers a tighter, hand-crafted ~35-hour playground with focus on Eora's lore.
The Outer Worlds 2 uses zone-based maps, not a seamless sandbox, with corporate satire.
Combat style
Avowed's first-person combat relies on stamina, stagger, and a loot loop that takes hours to click.
The Outer Worlds 2's FPS gunplay is competent but a notch behind 2025's dedicated shooters.
Companion use
Avowed has companion AI that can feel stiff, with dialogue trees not reacting to full character history.
The Outer Worlds 2 makes companion writing a load-bearing system with banter, quest reactivity, and romance.

Which one is for you?

Pick Avowed if

  • You prefer a tighter fantasy RPG with hand-crafted world and lore from Pillars of Eternity.
  • You enjoy first-person combat with stamina management and gradual skill unlock.
  • You have about 35 hours to complete a focused RPG experience.

Pick The Outer Worlds 2 if

  • Fallout New Vegas is your favorite RPG and you want more Obsidian satire.
  • You crave deep companion interactions and dialogue reactivity as core.
  • You prefer zone-based exploration with light corporate dystopia humor.

Bottom line

Choose Avowed if you want a focused fantasy lore dive; pick The Outer Worlds 2 for standout companion writing and satirical sci-fi.

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