Avowed PS5 review: Obsidian’s fantasy action-RPG is better than ever on PlayStation 5
Why you can trust TechRadar
We spend hours testing every product or service we review so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Learn more about how we test.
SIn the footsteps of Stalker: Heart of Chernobyl And Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Declared is another former Xbox exclusive that made its way to PlayStation platforms a year after its initial release.
Exam Information
Revised platform: PS5 Pro
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release date: February 17, 2026
Solicitors arrival on Sony consoles not only benefits from a year of additional refinements and bug fixes, but also plenty of recent content and PlayStation-specific features, like brilliant DualSense wireless controller integration.
Combat powered by DuelSense
As I started a Declared While playing on my Xbox Series X a year ago, I was unable to delve deeper into its rich universe full of potential. What I remember most about my brief time braving the Living Lands as an envoy of the Aedyr Empire is the game’s rewarding combat, which feels better than ever on PS5.
Fast, fluid, and superbly supported by powerful impacts from blades, bullets, and arcane abilities, the monster-slaying action was already very satisfying. But the fight has been significantly intensified thanks to the DualSense’s immersion capabilities.
Obsidian didn’t sleep on the gamepad’s proprietary technology, taking full advantage of its adaptive triggers and haptic feedback to make every input – from meaty melee strikes to slow simmering spells – feel as fantastic in your hands as it does on screen.
Of course, this also fits into the new content I mentioned above, as the game’s massive anniversary update introduces a new Quarterstaff for wizard builds. Not just a simple modification of an existing melee weapon, this two-handed tool of destruction allows mages to smash skulls at close range – as well as unleash powerful spells – in an epic way that would make Gandalf proud.
Paired with its next-level DualSense effects, it’s quickly become my favorite way to bring death to the Living Lands.
An update worthy of the gods
While the Quarterstaff is my favorite addition, this wizard’s best friend barely scratches the surface of the overflowing update.
An in-depth photo mode – with plenty of options for customizing effects, filters and color gradients – as well as a New Game+ option will keep both existing envoys and new recruits busy. Beyond that, a trio of new races – the Orlans, Aumaua, and Dwarves – join the Humans and Elves, bringing more character customization, perks, and a new personality and lore to this already complex fantasy universe.
A host of new difficulty modifiers also invite adventurers of all levels to tweak and adapt their experience as they wish. Factor in last year’s smaller updates – adding everything from tweaks, bug fixes and quality-of-life touches – and PlayStation fans are getting another definitive version of a title born on Xbox.
If the PlayStation version stumbles, it’s in its lack of PS5 Pro-specific improvements. It contains the now-standard quality (30fps) and performance (60fps) options, as well as a more mid-range setting for those with 120Hz displays. You can also seek out faster performance by unlocking the frame rate, a certainly welcome inclusion. But there are no meaty ray tracing features or other enhancements that let you truly exploit everything under the Pro’s hood.
And what’s offered doesn’t seem to have had much impact in my testing. In terms of visuals and performance, my playtime on the Pro was quite comparable to my Xbox Series
Don’t sleep on it a second time
While Pro owners might want more features to justify their expensive hardware purchase, the finger may partly be pointed at the fact that Declared already played smoothly and impressed visually when it was released a year ago. This same feeling carries over to many other elements of the game, including its fantastical storytelling, colorful character interactions, and dynamic and varied world, covered extensively in TechRadar Gaming’s original review of the game.
Unsurprisingly, upon its release, Declared was another compelling and polished action-RPG from a studio that has been honing and perfecting its craft for over two decades, starting with 2004’s. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: Sith Lords. Unfortunately, it got somewhat lost in the sea of last year’s acclaimed genre entries.
Fortunately, that oversight can now be corrected with its PS5 version, which not only reintroduces everything that was great the first time we faced its fungal plague, but also brings a brimming treasure trove of new features, improvements, and content.
Whether you’re a PlayStation owner looking for the most immersive experience behind the DualSense or an existing Envoy ready to use the Quarterstaff as one of the new breeds, Declared’The Second Coming is as impressive as a Living Lands sunset… which you’ll definitely want to capture in photo mode.
Should you play Avowed on PS5?
Play it if…
Don’t play it if…
Accessibility Features
Before its release on PS5, Declared already offered an admirable range of accessibility options for camera settings, subtitle settings, difficulty levels, and even an arachnophobia mode for those averse to creepy crawlies. But the new version of the game builds more on this solid foundation, particularly in terms of difficulty.
A new “custom” difficulty setting allows players to tweak over two dozen modifiers, adjusting everything from player damage and stamina to charge capacity, enemy attack speed and more. But while Declared more than it offers in most areas of accessibility, it still doesn’t offer the suite of colorblind options that have become fairly standard in other games.
How I reviewed Avowed on PS5
I explored The Living Lands for just over 40 hours, venturing out primarily on my PlayStation 5 Pro, but also spending plenty of time on my standard PS5 and Xbox Series X for visual and performance comparisons. I found the best and most balanced experience playing on my Pro in quality mode with the framerate unlocked.
I focused on testing the game’s Anniversary Update additions, particularly its custom difficulty settings, new Quarterstaff weapon, races, and photo mode. I played mostly on my budget TCL 4K display, with HDR enabled and using its built-in stereo speakers, paying special attention to the game’s DualSense controller integration for vibration and audio effects. I also played a few hours on my PlayStation Portal with the PlayStation Pulse Explore headphones.
First revision in February 2026
