Should You Display Godlike Facial And Hair Features In-Game In Avowed?

Players in Avowed have the option to display their protagonist’s Godlike features or not. Godlike in the world of Avowed is someone who was blessed by a god before they were born, granting them unique abilities and physical features. People in the land of Eora react differently to Godlike; some revere them due to their connection to the gods, while others see them as unnatural. There are also different subsections of Godlike, with some being seen more favorably depending on their appearance and the god they’re associated with. For instance, Pillars of Eternity says Moon Godlike are the most tolerated.

Avowed doesn’t provide a choice regarding the type of Godlike. Instead, their godly association is left as a mystery, and options all come from the same list of Godlike features. However, if for a more human-appearing Godlike character, it's possible to opt out of having their Godlike features displayed in-game. Although players will likely have an aesthetic preference, and Avowed provides the freedom to choose, this choice still raises questions surrounding its impact on the gameplay experience.

What Are Godlike Features In Avowed?

Godlike Features Are Unique Plant-Like Structures On Faces

Avowed’s Godlike features are unique facial features. These can be as understated as a small patch of plant life under or around one’s eyes or as notable as massive plant-like growths coming from the top of the character’s head. While some look a bit like the Nature Godlike features from Pillars of Eternity, many are more unique to Avowed. Certain colorful mushroom-like growths seem at home with some of the flora in the Living Lands, so there may be a connection between the land and the character’s Godlike abilities.

Avowed's key art, showing a Skelton holding a sword, covered in various fungi.

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While some players will likely revel in the chance to make the most absurd-looking Godlike they can, and others will appreciate accenting their character with some of the Godlike features, preferring to have a character look more like a typical human or elf is equally valid. Godlike features can be toggled off, allowing players to have a more standard-looking character or model their character after themselves if they choose. However, neither choice should be expected to have a major effect on the story of Avowed.

Godlike Features Are Purely Cosmetic

There Is No Mechanical Change Between Having Features On Or Off

An Avowed character with Godlike features toggled off

There is no fundamental difference in Avowed’s gameplay between playing with Godlike features on or off. The decision is purely up to how players want their character to look. Notably, NPCs in the world will still react to the protagonist the same way regardless of what they choose to look like. This means that, even if there are no visible signs of an Avowed character being a Godlike, NPCs will still immediately recognize them as one. That means there is no inherent benefit or disadvantage to playing with or without the features turned on.

Avowed’s Godlike features are essentially always on for the purposes of the game’s narrative.

As far as the game is concerned, Avowed’s Godlike features are essentially always on for the purposes of the game’s narrative. Since nothing will fundamentally change one way or the other, players are free to choose whichever option they prefer without it impacting gameplay. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t an argument to be made that one of the options is preferable. While the choice between them is largely going to come down to a subjective preference, there is an justification for why one of the ways technically works a little better from a meta-textual standpoint.

Why You Should Display Your Godlike Features In Avowed

Keeping Godlike Features On Is Good For Immersion

An avowed character with their face covered by a Godlike feature

The Avowed protagonist being a Godlike means they occupy a specific role within the world of Eora. Some people they meet will take their Godlike status into when it comes to how they treat them. If players choose not to display their Godlike features, it creates a slight dissonance between the gameplay and the reality of how they look when other characters immediately recognize them as Godlike. While it won’t completely shatter one’s immersion to turn off Godlike features, keeping them on may be the way to go for players who don’t want that disconnect.

The player fighting an Orc with a wand in Avowed.

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Being a Godlike also sets Avowed’s protagonist apart from the many other fantasy RPG protagonists out there. This is a type of character that is unique to the Pillars of Eternity IP, so creating an equally unique-looking character is a great way to differentiate one’s protagonist in Avowed from how they might normally choose to look in other games. Leaning into what makes Avowed unique can help make the experience feel more distinct.

At the end of the day, there isn’t really a right answer as to what one’s Avowed character should look like. Choosing to make your character have Godlike features or not won’t affect the game’s story or mechanics, so ultimately it comes down to how players want their character to look. While leaning into the Godlike features may help strengthen one’s sense of immersion, it shouldn't be hard to enjoy the game just as much with them switched off.