Avowed Has a Little Bit of Romance In It After All

Obsidian's Avowed, now available in early access, has players exploring the Living Lands and encountering magic, peril, and surprisingly, romance. Contrary to earlier statements by Obsidian, indicating a focus on "thoughtful relationships" with companions rather than a dedicated romance system, at least one companion, Kai, displays romantic interest in the player character.

Prior to release, Avowed Game Director Carrie Patel, in an IGN interview, explained the decision to avoid a traditional romance system: "We are building thoughtful relationships with our companion characters," she stated. "Ultimately, I personally am a fan of making that an option, but I feel like if you're going to do it, you really, really have to commit and make sure that you're giving all to fulfilling that in a way that feels both true to the character, but also creates an engaging player experience. So not something we're doing for Avowed, but I wouldn't say never."

However, early access players and reviewers are reporting romantic interactions with Kai. Proceed with caution! Spoilers for Kai's interactions with the player character follow.

Warning! Avowed spoilers ahead.