Obsidian Leisure launched not one however two of my favorite video games of 2022. It should not be all that stunning, provided that the studio has been retaining me entertained for the higher a part of 20 years. Shaped by former Black Isle builders who had grown dissatisfied with struggling writer Interaction, it went on to create a number of GOATs, together with Fallout New Vegas and Knights of the Outdated Republic 2, establishing itself as among the best RPG builders round. What’s stunning, then, is that neither of its 2022 releases had been RPGs.
Roleplaying is woven into the material of Obsidian. The style is an integral a part of its legacy and continues to be what the studio is finest recognized for—whether or not it is roleplaying as a brilliant spy within the singular Alpha Protocol or traipsing via fantasy realms within the nostalgic Pillars of Eternity. Solely BioWare has an RPG historical past this spectacular. However whereas Obsidian has all the time been good for RPGs, RPGs have not all the time been good for Obsidian.
Lore time
Till fairly just lately, Obsidian’s video games had a fame for being a bit tough across the edges. KotOR 2 particularly was notorious for its bugs and cuts, however each RPG the studio launched got here with a mountain of points. The narrative that shaped round these distinctive however janky video games was one which positioned many of the blame on publishers, suggesting that, had Sega, Bethesda or LucasArts given Obsidian extra time or extra assets, these issues might have been prevented. The fact is undoubtedly extra sophisticated.
This led to Alpha Protocol not being appreciated in its time, however most of its RPGs had been successes—although not all the time profitable sufficient. Regardless of New Vegas usually being hailed as the best Fallout sport, the staff missed out on a bonus as a result of the metacritic rating was too low. By one level. It was 84, however wanted to be 85 earlier than Bethesda would pay out. It simply appeared unnecessarily merciless.
Then got here Pillars of Eternity. Obsidian went again to its roots with an isometric fantasy CRPG that evoked Baldur’s Gate whereas additionally very a lot doing its personal factor. It was sensible, and for as soon as the conversations surrounding it weren’t centered on bugs or efficiency points. With writer Paradox, it appeared like Obsidian had lastly achieved it. The great fortune did not final.
After stunning everybody by making a genuinely nice South Park RPG in The Stick of Reality for Ubisoft, Obsidian returned to CRPGs with Tyranny, once more with Paradox. It was well-liked, and by making you a member of a world-conquering military led by a shifty overlord, the premise was a novel one. Nevertheless it missed its gross sales goal, and a breakdown within the relationship with Paradox scuppered any hope of a much-needed sequel. As a substitute, we had been left with an unfinished story that ended abruptly.
Pillars of Eternity’s future additionally appears bleak now. The sequel, high-seas journey Deadfire, was a powerful follow-up, however no person bothered enjoying it. It was a giant flop. Large enough that the sequence is probably going lifeless. The trigger is a real thriller. Its predecessor was well-liked, and I actually do not belief anybody who does not salivate on the prospect of a pirate RPG, however individuals are bizarre.
Equally as bizarre is the truth that The Outer Worlds, Obsidian’s most up-to-date RPG, is one in all its largest video games. It is high quality, I suppose? It is acquired all of the stuff folks like about Obsidian RPGs, however it was simply lacking this important spark, prefer it was doing a good-but-not-great impression of New Vegas. In contrast to Tyranny and Pillars 2, it is really getting a sequel, however I discover it onerous to muster a lot enthusiasm for it.
Now for one thing utterly totally different
So its historical past as an RPG developer has been a tumultuous one. However at no level did I ever contemplate that Obsidian may make a sport that wasn’t an RPG—apart from that tank MMO everybody forgot about. When Grounded (opens in new tab) was unveiled, then, I used to be at first shocked, after which dismayed. A survival sport? God no. The cynic in me could not shake the sense that new proprietor Microsoft was simply making the staff chase the newest fads. Possibly that was the case, however now I do not care, since Grounded is flipping improbable.
A triumph of setting and theme, Grounded captures the power of traditional Saturday morning cartoons and serves as a time machine, tossing you again into the ’90s. I used to be born in ’85, so enjoying Grounded was like being transported again to my favorite childhood summers. On this big, spider-infested backyard, I used to be lastly satisfied that survival video games may very well be enjoyable.
After a stint in Xbox’s model of early entry, it hit 1.0 final 12 months, the tip result’s pretty much as good as any RPG Obsidian has ever made. And it confirmed how Obsidian’s skills with world-building and techniques design may benefit extra than simply RPGs. You are not a world tremendous spy jetting everywhere in the world, or an elf pirate commanding a ship and attempting to untangle the ethical conundrum of colonialism, however it seems {that a} suburban backyard might be simply as compelling.
Regardless of the present reputation of survival video games, this was a giant threat. It is an oversaturated market and, historically, Obsidian’s viewers are RPG followers, so the studio’s fame is not actually a bonus right here. When fellow RPG developer BioWare made its personal pivot with Anthem, which was technically nonetheless an action-RPG, however was actually extra of a crappy dwell service shooter, it famously did not go so nicely.
As a outstanding a part of Xbox’s Recreation Go library, Grounded managed to ensnare a whopping 10 million gamers even earlier than it was completed, completely smashing the numbers of most of its RPGs. Its success has impressed a cartoon, which is presently in growth, and I believe we’ll be seeing extra of Grounded sooner or later. However that is not all Obsidian’s been engaged on, and 2022 additionally noticed the discharge of a second sport, utterly distinct from Grounded, however once more not an RPG.
Pentiment (opens in new tab) arguably feels extra like an Obsidian sport—it is crammed to the brim with compelling conversations and character constructing—however it’s additionally much more out-there than Grounded. Sandbox survival video games are very a lot in in the mean time, however the identical can’t be mentioned for an artwork historical past lesson set within the Holy Roman Empire. With Pentiment, Obsidian has made one thing that feels genuinely distinctive, and whereas it won’t be as stylish a artful survival journey, there are few video games so meticulously designed to seduce me. It is a sport that celebrates not simply artwork, however even fonts, turning each dialog right into a lesson in historic handwriting, and it is completely laden with historic asides that may shortly ship you down a Wikipedia rabbit gap.
Though it is ostensibly a crime-solving journey sport, director Josh Sawyer and his staff nonetheless discovered a solution to push the issues that the studio is finest recognized for, refining the best way it enables you to develop your character’s persona and ethical code. There isn’t any good or evil binary right here, or any ethical judgments, leaving room for all kinds of nuance. I began out as an enthralling smarty-pants, as an example, hoping that my manner with phrases would make me endearing. Chatting with a nobleman, this was very a lot the case, however once I tried to make use of the identical tips whereas chatting to some peasants, I merely made it clear that I used to be an outsider with some unusual ideas concerning the world.
Pentiment makes it to be able to be an fool who retains cocking up and you will nonetheless get to expertise a riveting story, however if you wish to develop sturdy bonds with these characters you will have to put your self of their place, contemplating the historic setting and their place in it. Finally, it does not come right down to cube rolls or abilities, however how nicely these folks. So whenever you make a alternative, there’s all this context surrounding it, letting you roleplay as a form character who can nonetheless act like an asshole for good causes. Whenever you’re down within the dumps, typically all you want is a crime-solving artist to name you a twat.
Grounded and Pentiment have proven us simply how a lot vary Obsidian actually has. Now, it is all the time a foul thought to current a sport developer as a monolith; the studio that created Alpha Protocol in 2010 just isn’t the identical because the one which launched Grounded in 2022. However nor do builders do away with everybody and reinvent themselves with each sport. Sawyer, as an example, began out with Black Isle engaged on Icewind Dale, turned a sport director with New Vegas, then led the staff on Pentiment. You may nonetheless take a look at Obsidian’s latest video games and chart a path all the best way again to the studio’s origins.
Again to the long run
After such an important 12 months, I am vibrating with anticipation over what’s subsequent. The fast future, admittedly, does appear a bit extra standard. There’s the arbitrary sequel to The Outer Worlds, after which one other first-person RPG, Avowed (opens in new tab). The latter is generally a thriller at this level, although we all know it is set in the identical world as Pillars, so it is in all probability as shut as we’ll get to a correct sequel. Following the failure of Deadfire, Obsidian acquired frightened that isometric CRPGs had been going out of favor once more, therefore the first-person perspective.
With two massive first-person RPGs on the go, I do hope Obsidian does not overlook about what it did in 2022. This is not to say I am not eager for extra Obsidian RPGs—I will all the time be longing for extra—however now that it is clear it might work some actual magic when it spreads its wings. I am much more ravenous for giant surprises which are out of its conventional wheelhouse, however RPGs, after all, are nonetheless ripe for experimentation and recontextualising. Disco Elysium ripped up the playbook and gave us among the best video games ever made, and extra just lately we have had Midnight Suns, giving us Firaxis’s systems-heavy, friendship-focused tackle the style. And after Pentiment and Grounded, Obsidian now has much more expertise to attract from, and new instructions it’d wish to discover in an RPG.
Nevertheless The Outer Worlds 2 and Avowed end up, proper now Obsidian is among the most fun builders round. Fingers crossed the momentum holds.
