We find out if Avowed is the only RPG you need to play this year, then go hands on with Magic: The Gathering Aetherdrift.
You’ve got to hand it to Obsidian, they’re certainly one of the biggest drivers in Xbox’s studio family. So despite the fact that fans are patiently waiting for the arrival of Outer Worlds 2 later this year, first up is Avowed and it’s an enjoyable first salvo for Xbox’s software line-up for 2025.
Taking place within Obsidian’s own Pillars of Eternity universe, Avowed is coming chock full of its own lore. If you’re not well-versed it initially feels overwhelming but the game does well to bring you up to speed with the main points you need to know. That includes the fact that as a Godlike (imbued with magical powers) and a representative of emperor (otherwise known as an envoy) are sent to the wild Living Lands to investigate a dastardly plague known as the Dreamscourge that is capable of quickly sending people mad.
In typical RPG fashion that sounds like a much simpler, speedier task than it actually is. Avowed is a surprisingly immense game, filled with locations to explore, quests to undertake and companions to meet. It’s arguably a little too meaty for its own good and not all the companions are as engaging as I would have liked, especially when it comes to their consistent reactions depending on your actions.
Avowed’s biggest winner though is its combat. From bash-heavy melee weapons to dual wielding magical implements or pistols, there’s a lot of flexibility at play, and mixing and matching to suit your own preference or the situation at hand is a lot of fun. That’s a good thing because there’s a fair number of encounters as the game trucks along and they’re not always as easy as you might think.
All in all, Avowed might not be the game-changing RPG experience some might have been hoping for, but its an enjoyable, incredibly pretty adventure that has the benefit of coming out at just the right time for you to sink your teeth into. Plus, if you have an active Game Pass subscription, there’s absolutely no reason to not swing past the Living Lands.
Avowed is out now for Xbox Series X/S and PC.
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Magic: The Gathering Aetherdrift
It still feels like we’ve barely kicked off 2025 but Wizards of the Coast are already getting well underway with the first expansion of the year, Aetherdrift.
But while previous releases have focused on fantastical critters and horror mansion woes, this time you’re feeling the need for speed. That’s because Aetherdrift sets its sights on the multi-plane Ghirapur Grand Prix where competitors strap in to win the Aetherspark, an artificial Planeswalker Spark. That leads well-known Planeswalker Chandra to compete for said Aetherspark for her darling Nissa.
It’s an interesting tale and an unexpected theme for Magic: The Gathering to embrace, and will likely prove to be divisive for fans. I’m not sure I entirely gel with it, but I respect that the team is trying something fresh and new. It’s also a theme that the cards themselves embrace wholeheartedly. The new Max Speed mechanic, for instance is cleverly intertwined with your life points. Lose life during a turn and you’ll gain a speed level in return – gradually granting you access to linked cards that demand particular speed levels. It creates an interesting strategy to your game as you lean closer to defeat while in turn gaining increasingly powerful attacks.
Likewise cards packing Exhaust allow for one-shot moves that can only be called upon once a game, leading you to tussle with the perfect time to hit the accelerator on your game plan.
As you may have noticed, it’s all a bit on the nose. I certainly respect Wizards of the Coast for trying something different, and enjoyed the new mechanics Aetherdrift allows, but it certainly feels at odds with the rest of the Magic: The Gathering line-up, especially as the series gets ready for some truly banger crossovers like the hotly anticipated Final Fantasy release.
No matter how you feel about it though, Aetherdrift’s art remains top notch, and I especially enjoyed the series’ rift on classic racing fare, from goblin engineers to some fun quirky vehicles.
Magic: The Gathering Aetherdrift is fast, frantic and full of colour. For most players that’s good enough to hop into the hot seat and give this new set a test drive.
Magic: The Gathering Aetherdrift is out now. You can pick up the set from $9.95 from The Gamesmen.
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch)
It might sound like a joke, but the fact of the matter is that many people slept on the original Citizen Sleeper. Released in 2022, the story-heavy RPG won over almost anybody who gave it a chance, which is why this sequel a few years later is so enticing. The good news is that the magic has not been lost, despite being a much larger affair this time around.
If you never caught the original fear not because Citizen Sleeper 2 tells its own story. You play as a sleeper – an emulation of a human mind housed in an artificial body. When you awake in the game’s early moments you manage to escape the undesirable clutches of the organisation that made you and before long you’re leading a ship and attempting to forge a life for yourself.
It’s a well-written text-heavy adventure, but also filled with dice rolls galore which impact many of your decisions, interactions and general direction. Add on the management of your stress levels which can impact said dice and it often leads to some pretty tense exchanges,
Much like the beloved original Citizen Sleeper 2 is not going to be everybody’s cup of tea, and this sequel is arguably a little too long, But if you’re looking for a thoughtful, introspective experience than this is one experience you simply can’t look past.
For more on this topic, follow the Gaming Observer.
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