When the first previews for Avowed began circulating, a wave of online noise focused on a supposedly ugly character model. The outrage was loud, persistent, and ultimately misplaced. It turned out that one previewer had deliberately pushed the expansive character creator to its absolute limit, crafting a monstrosity designed to test boundaries rather than showcase beauty. The fuss faded quickly, but it left a lingering question: what kind of characters would Obsidian's new RPG actually allow players to create? Now that Avowed has fully arrived and its marketing machine has finally kicked into gear, the answer is clear. These are not glitchy oddities. They are some of the most ethereally beautiful creatures ever conceived in a video game.
One of the Envoys shown off during promotional material—the name given to Avowed's player character, much like Tav in Baldur's Gate 3—looks like the answer to a very specific question: what if Taylor Swift were a flower goddess from a mushroom planet? The design is delicate, otherworldly, and instantly memorable. Alongside that creation sit more rugged offerings, grizzled figures with weathered faces, and creative fantastical beings that lean into the strange fungal aesthetics of the Living Lands. This range is a testament to the depth of the character creator, and an excellent character creator is often a sign of an excellent game.
Why The Character Creator Inspires Confidence
The character creator in Avowed is the feature that turned cautious skepticism into genuine excitement for many players. The first reason is simple: the showcased character is just really, really pretty. The ability to craft a character that looks like that immediately makes the opening hours more engaging. Spending the first ninety minutes fine-tuning every slider, choosing the exact shade of hair, adjusting cheekbone height, and deciding on the perfect scar placement becomes its own reward. That wave of enthusiasm then carries the player through the first five to ten hours while the game finds its narrative feet. In an RPG, a great character creator can have the same impact on the player experience as a strong narrative opening.
But there is more to it than surface-level beauty. Big-budget triple-A games hit differently when they nail their features, and Avowed's detailed character creator suggests that the budget is indeed substantial and has been well spent. The vast range of options implies a game filled with visual flair and diversity, not just in faces but in the world itself. It also hints at substantial lore flowing through the story's veins—or vines, if the plant-like character visuals are to be trusted. The Living Lands are meant to feel alien, overgrown, and strange, and the ability to make a character who seems born from that environment is a strong sign that the setting has been deeply considered.
For those who were never deeply invested in Pillars of Eternity, the universe that established Avowed's setting, the complexity of its lore could feel overwhelming. But RPGs that allow players to delve into different pathways of that lore are always welcome. Avowed needs to do this particularly well after removing romance options to focus on more pointed storytelling. The character creator's background system appears designed to support that goal.
Five Backgrounds That Shape The Journey
The character creator lets players choose from five distinct backgrounds: Arcane Scholar, Court Augur, Noble Scion, Vanguard Scout, and War Hero. Only the Noble Scion background has been fully revealed in detail. A once-great house had its place relegated after scandal, forcing the character to rise through the ranks of a court system they are well-versed in. Each background offers unique weapons and dialogue options, which hopefully allows for significant impact on gameplay. This is a crucial departure from RPGs where backgrounds feel like flavor text and nothing more.
| Background | Suggested Focus |
|---|---|
| Arcane Scholar | Knowledge, magic, and intellectual dialogue |
| Court Augur | Mysticism, foresight, and political insight |
| Noble Scion | Court intrigue, etiquette, and social leverage |
| Vanguard Scout | Exploration, survival, and ranged combat |
| War Hero | Combat prowess, intimidation, and battlefield tactics |
The promise of unique weapons tied to each background adds another layer of consequence. A War Hero might begin with a battle-worn blade that grants bonuses to intimidation checks, while an Arcane Scholar could start with a tome that opens additional dialogue options when speaking with learned NPCs. This kind of mechanical integration makes the character creator feel less like a cosmetic playground and more like the foundation of the entire role-playing experience.
When Character Creators Let Players Down
Of course, the rule that a good character creator signifies a good game is not universal. The Saints Row reboot kept up the series tradition of having a detailed, comical, and highly customizable character creator that encouraged originality. But it did not continue the tradition of making good video games with interesting characters. The creator itself was a playground of absurd possibility, yet the game surrounding it failed to match that creative energy.
Cyberpunk 2077 is often highlighted as the pinnacle of character creators, but a deeper look shows how much its flaws are echoed in the broader game. The creator offered a lot of detail, that is true. But player agency was limited—tattoos were default stock sets, plenty of options felt similarly restrictive, and once the game started, players could not even get so much as a haircut if they wanted to change their look. The ability to customize in-game was eventually patched in, but it still did not fully embrace the body modification themes of its genre, despite the game's very title. Its oft-discussed transgender character creator fumbled those same restrictive options, leaving a sense of missed opportunity.
These failures serve as cautionary tales. A detailed character creator is not a guarantee of quality, but it does often reflect a development team's priorities. When a studio invests time in getting the finer details right, it usually means the game was ready well ahead of schedule and therefore more polished than players have come to expect from triple-A releases. Cyberpunk 2077's cut corners were clearly the result of trying to hit a launch window that proved fatally unrealistic. Avowed's decision to bump itself back from late 2024 into early 2025 may have given Obsidian the extra time it needed to make everything perfect. At the very least, it allowed players to make something perfect—and for many, that is enough.
The character creator in Avowed is more than a tool. It is a declaration of intent. It says that the game respects the player's desire for self-expression, that the world of the Living Lands is rich enough to accommodate both delicate flower goddesses and battle-scarred warriors, and that the choices made before the first quest begins will echo throughout the journey. By 2026, with the game now in players' hands, that promise has been tested. And for those who spent their first hour lost in sliders and background descriptions, the result feels like time well spent.
As detailed in Eurogamer, strong RPG character creators tend to matter most when they meaningfully reinforce role-play, not just aesthetics—an idea that fits Avowed’s push toward backgrounds with tangible gameplay consequences. Framing identity through origins like Arcane Scholar or War Hero can turn early “slider time” into long-term narrative and mechanical payoff, especially when dialogue reactivity and starting loadouts make the choice feel immediately present in exploration and combat.