I won't pretend to be surprised. After all, we were forewarned by Obsidian Entertainment months before Avowed released that the companions wouldn't be romanceable. "If we were going to do romance, we were going to really, really, really do it right — or not at all," and Obsidian definitively chose "not at all" for its newest fantasy RPG adventure.
Now that I've rolled the credits on Avowed and published my very positive Avowed review for Windows Central, though, I'm struck for the first time by the sad truth that I am alone on Valentine's Day... But not for lack of or desire for human companionship, only because Kai (and his voice) will never reciprocate my one-sided feelings. I asked Giatta and Yatzli, too, but the former is too engrossed in her animancy research, and the latter, while flattered, is already enamored by her intelligent, wealthy, and elegant lover whom I can't quite bring myself to hate.
I adore Avowed, and one of its best attributes is the cast of colorful, beautifully written and acted companions that can accompany you on your journey. It's just too bad that your romantic journey ends before it begins, even with Avowed very subtly launching during the Valentine's Day period.
How can you not fall in love with Garru— I mean, Kai's voice?
For those not in the know, Brandon Keener is an actor who has contributed some of the most iconic and beloved characters in video game history, including Garrus Vakarian from the Mass Effect series. Countless people consider Garrus their favorite video game character of all time, and it's not difficult to understand why. To say Keener has a unique voice would be doing him an injustice — and it just so happens that Kai, your first companion in Avowed and one of the most prominent characters in the story, is voiced by Keener.
Kai is rough-edged and withdrawn, veiling his true emotions following a long, difficult life behind a countenance of rapid-fire quips, ready smiles, and a healthy amount of snark. Underneath his blue-green scaly exterior (he is an aumaua, a race of semi-aquatic humanoids known for their incredible strength and resilience), Kai is also one of the kindest and most understanding people you'll meet in The Living Lands, firmly standing behind his belief that everyone deserves a second chance to build a meaningful life for themselves.
Unwavering support and immediate compassion make Kai impossible not to love, but the tone of his voice and the way he speaks is enough to make at least four of the Windows Central team shake in the knees. As you develop your relationship with Kai throughout your journey in Avowed, you'll also learn more about his past, his trauma, his motivations, and his bottomless capacity for empathy and support. You do have to earn Kai's respect and trust, but by the time you do, you may find yourself wishing that the credits didn't roll on your envoy and Kai simply being friends and partners in battle.
Now it's Valentine's Day, and while I've started a new life in The Living Lands (this time as a mindlessly violent meathead with a rather large hammer), I'm still remembering the adventures I already had with Kai. He's not the only companion that drove a bittersweet spike into my heart this pink-tinged holiday, either.
I'd be happy with any of Avowed's companions... Well, not Marius
It was immediately obvious when properly meeting Kai for the first time that many Avowed players will never fully recover from adding their first companion to their party, leaving the remaining three out of the spotlight. You shouldn't count them out, though — all four of the recruitable companions in Avowed are incredibly written and performed, with multi-dimensional personalities reflecting their unique pasts, inspirations, and ambitions.
That is also true of Marius, a gruff and grumpy dwarven tracker that joins your quest after Kai, but it's also true that the entire Windows Central team ultimately chose to leave Marius back at camp. I'd express regret if I knew this actually hurt his feelings, but Marius is a mulish sourpuss who packs an absurd amount of negativity into his tiny, muscular body. You can slowly soften Marius' prickly edges over time, but the other companions will inevitably steal their way into your heart first. Plus, I'm pretty sure Marius is also secretly in love with Kai, so he's emotionally unavailable.
Plus, I'm pretty sure Marius is also secretly in love with Kai, so he's emotionally unavailable.
Giatta, on the other hand, is quick-witted and enormously helpful, providing a level-headed and rational perspective that helps the envoy's group overcome most obstacles. An accomplished and ambitious animancer (a scientist who studies the soul), Giatta's considerable reserves of fire burns a path to her dreams, and anyone who stands in her way or challenges her principles is at risk of getting singed. The woman Giatta became as a result of her struggles drives her overwhelming passion when learning something new or teaching others what she knows, so it'd be no mystery if Giatta was your number one in Avowed.
The fourth and final companion in Avowed is easily the most fun to love, though. Yatzli is an Orlan, a diverse race of small, furry humanoids known for their intelligence, and she certainly embraces that truth-seeded stereotype. Yatzli is a powerful self-taught wizard specializing in illusion magic, but she's also the world's foremost expert on the Godless, the ancient civilization that mysteriously vanished from The Living Lands centuries ago.
Her expertise makes her invaluable to you as you track down the Dreamscourge, its source, and even your own roots. But Yatzli is so much more than a magic-infused scholar. When you first meet her, she's frantically fighting off a mess of angry, sentient mushrooms, but her first priority after being saved is to request a ladder... to help her (an Orlan standing less than 5 feet tall) scale a massive 30-foot Godless ruin in search of a single vase. Yeah, Yatzli is chaos incarnate, and she's incredible.
Yatzli is a mature woman possessed of great intelligence, making her smart enough to live her life with the stupidity of the youth but with all the fun and none of the downsides. She's by far the funniest member of the envoy's party, with sharp retorts, wonderfully ridiculous interjections, and the wildest anecdotes you'll ever hear come out of someone's mouth. Her maniacal laughter every time an enemy was frozen and shattered on the battlefield made me chuckle multiple times, and some of her throwaway comments really stick with you.
Chaos, indeed, but Yatzli is also the most motherly of the group, providing both thoughtful counseling and stern admonishing in equal measure whenever needed. Her wisdom is invaluable when companions like Marius reach turning points in their healing journeys.
Avowed is still an amazing RPG experience, even without love
In my Avowed review, I waxed long about how impactful the worldbuilding and character writing is, and nowhere is that more evident than with the companions. What you say and do meaningfully affects your individual relationships with these characters, who all have their own reasons for accompanying you. You can alter the course of their lives, of course, but each can also change the trajectory of the story and the options available to you.
Kai's steadfast loyalty and fierce kindness (a juxtaposition, but not a paradox) will make him a dear friend, and his voice may make you feel some other things. Yatzli's wild and shameless approach to life will make you laugh, but you'll also want to rely on her for everything. Giatta's passion for her work and her home inspire you to stand alongside her.
Um, Marius is also there, probably trying to sneak peeks at Kai without being noticed (I stand firm behind this head canon, it's so obvious when they interact).
The focus is obviously on your companions in Avowed, but other NPCs are bound to pull you in during your exploits to stop the Dreamscourge plague. I won't spill the details for fear of spoilers, but at some point you're tasked with bringing an assassin to justice, but you can also show him and his accomplices mercy. I'd love to say I roleplayed and followed my envoy's morals, but I let him leave because he was just too cool. How he dressed, the way he spoke, his voice (Kai has competition, is all I'll say), there was just no way I could bring myself to deprive The Living Lands of his presence, consequences be damned.
If Obsidian releases a "Kai and Yatzli Will Love You Back" DLC expansion for Avowed, I'll buy it day one.
It has been a long while since a video game made me care so much about virtual people comprised of lines of code, but Avowed managed that to the point that I'm actually sad there wasn't even more room to explore your relationships with these characters. Romance in video games can often feel tossed in, but I have no doubt that Obsidian Entertainment could've nailed it in Avowed. Instead, I'm writing this weird rant on Valentine's Day.
If Obsidian releases a "Kai and Yatzli Will Love You Back" DLC expansion for Avowed, I'll buy it day one. Actually, they can just make that for me, I won't tell anyone. If you also want to risk having your digital heart dashed to pieces by the continent-sized friend zone that is The Living Lands, Avowed is now available to play on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Xbox Game Pass in early access (as long as you have the Premium Edition or Premium Upgrade). The rest of you can play the full game on Xbox Game Pass on Feb. 18, 2025.
