In the world of Western RPGs, Obsidian Entertainment is a name to know. This American video game developer was founded in June 2003, shortly before the closure of Black Isle Studios by former Black Isle employees. Although that name hasn’t been seen for a long time, Black Isle Studios is one of the original pioneers of the CRPG genre, being the developer behind the original two To fall Games, Planescape: Tormentthe Icewind Dale series, and the publisher of most Baldur’s Gate Games. Obsidian Entertainment continued this legacy, becoming known as the developer of Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords and Fallout: New Vegasamong several other things.
After a long absence from the genre, Obsidian mounted a successful Kickstarter campaign to release pillars of eternity in 2015. Following other projects, Obsidian later released Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire. Shortly after, the studio is rid of its financial difficulties via a takeover by Microsoft. The first game released under the Microsoft banner was The Outer Worldsspiritual successor of Fallout: New Vegas. The company’s story currently ends with the early access release of Based, but this RPG powerhouse still has plenty of plans. Even though Obsidian’s name isn’t as relevant in modern times as Bethesda or BioWare, it still has some great Western RPGs and has several in the works right now.
Based
Among Obsidian’s productions, Based is a special case. The company is no stranger to experimenting with other genres, but Based ditches the usual CRPG format in favor of a survival crafting game. Players take control of children who have been shrunk to the size of ants and must survive in an overgrown backyard. In addition to starvation and dehydration, players must also survive attacks from a wide variety of insects and arachnids. While the game was supposed to come out of early access in 2021, it’s still getting content updates from February 2022 with no end in sight. Always, Based has come a long way, so fans of the genre might want to check it out.
Declared
Declared is both more indicative of Obsidian’s normal production and a clear marker of where the company is planning to go. Set in the same world as pillars of eternity, Declared will be Obsidian’s premier modern AAA first-person RPG. It seems like Declared is intended to assume the role of the company Skyrimwhile The Outer Worlds continue to serve as To fall equivalent. Very little about the game has been revealed, but even in CG’s reveal trailer, the similarities to Ancient Scrolls are obvious to see. It will be interesting to explore the pillars of eternity from a new angle once this open world action RPG is ready.
The Outer Worlds 2
Two projects is a lot to undertake for a company that was once quite small, and there is a real possibility that a third project will be released before either. Surprising to many fans, The Outer Worlds 2 was revealed during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2021. Very little is known about the game other than the tagline “New Solar System, New Crew, Even Outer Worlds.” It’s expected to be similar to the first game, which should appeal to fans who aren’t likely to get the typical game. To fall Bethesda experience anytime soon.
Repentance
The latest game Obsidian Entertainment is currently working on is just a rumor, but it seems plausible. In November 2021, a title titled Missouri Projectlater modified in Repentance, was disclosed. Supposedly, it will be an experimental little game set in 16th century Europe. It will be a murder mystery game that is not planned to have combat, similar to the modern classic CRPG Disco Elysee. This mysterious title would be directed by Josh Sawyer, the main designer of Fallout: New Vegas and pillars of eternity. It feels like a callback to the heyday of Obsidian, which its new AAA games are moving away from. This title has yet to be announced, but hopefully it’s both real and a triumphant return to the Obsidian of days long past.
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