Summary
Since its founding in 2003, Obsidian Entertainment has established itself as a core pillar of the video game industry’s industrious RPG genre. Although genre-defining hits such asFallout: New VegasandPillars of Eternitymay seemingly be unheard of by a relatively young studio, their existence is no surprise considering their founding members' credentials as formerFalloutandIcewind Daledevelopers.
From extensive utilization of established properties to AAA and indie-esque first-party role-playing experiences under the ownership of Microsoft, Obsidian Entertainment may have experience with a whole host of properties and game styles. Still, the quality of its software has remained consistently high.
Despite its lower-than-expected sales and critical reception at its release, 2010’s third-person shooter action RPGAlpha Protocolhas garnered an arguably much-deserved cult following in the years since its debut. Merging an open-ended Hollywood-esque narrative and many of the branching paths Obsidian titles are well known for,Alpha Protocolremains a beloved black sheep in the developer’s library of titles.
While it originally"aimed to do for spy-fi what Mass Effect did for sci-fi,“the high-stakes plot and combat of the espionage-ridden ARPG title have been kept alive past its 2019 delisting by a GOG-hosted re-release. Beyond that, with Obsidian themselves having expressed hope inbringing the rough-around-the-edges IP backand continued adoration forAlpha Protocol’s dense systems, the seventh console-generation third-person shooter remains a concrete installment in Obsidian’s catalog.
Since Microsoft’s 2018 acquisition of Obsidian Entertainment, the California-based studio has not only doubled down on its role-playing game roots but has seemingly been given the breathing room to put its efforts into more experimental titles. WhileGrounded’s shift from Obsidian’s core concepts saw it"step into uncharted territory known as the survival genre,“the game’s 2020 early access and 2022 full release were met with critical as well as user acclaim.
Shrinking players down to the size of a tack and prompting them to explore the newly disconcerting world of a suburban backyard,Grounded’s original theming and surprisingly menacing tone set itself apart from many of the industry’s by-the-numbers survival titles. Although it originally saw a limited release within Microsoft’s gaming ecosystem, the 2024 re-release ofGrounded’s retail version to Nintendo and Sony hardware saw its reach extend beyond the Xbox gaming sphere, and its pint-sized take on the world was able to find a whole new set of audiences.
Developed with the combined legacy talent of many former Interplay Entertainment employees and Obsidian’s familiarity with first-person RPG titles with the acclaimedFallout: New Vegasunder its belt,The Outer Worlds' original world has become a critical and commercial darling since its 2019 release.
TheFuturama,Firefly, andFallout-inspiredsetting ofThe Outer Worldswas home to not only a gripping anti-capitalist narrative but tightly-wound gunplay and RPG mechanics that have set it apart from many role-playing titles of the eighth console generation. Despite some of its bemoaned misgivings,The Outer Worlds'“satirical look at space colonization"has been bolstered by the announcement of a direct sequel in development in 2021 and Obsidian’s world being utilized as a backdrop for one ofSecret Level’s anthological episodes in December of 2024.
While the merging of Obsidian Entertainment’s role-playing systems andSouth Park’s crass humor may not, at first, seem like a natural fit, the satirical tone ofFalloutand the hit adult animated series made for an unlikely pairing. As such, with 2014’sSouth Park: The Stick of Truth, the tongue-in-cheek gist of many Obsidian titles was utilized in the creation of arguably not only one of the best multimedia tie-in titles in recent years, but an acclaimed RPG at that.
Poking fun at many of the role-playing game tropes that Obsidian itself helped establish,South Park: The Stick of Truthcontinued Obsidian’spedigree of AAA RPG experienceswhile staying true toSouth Park’s iconic art style and narrative structure. With an impressive set of award and sales statistics behind it, Obsidian’s IP-bending experience found a sequel in 2017’s Ubisoft-developedSouth Park: The Fractured but Whole.
Despite the closure ofFallout’s creators and original custodians Black Isle Studios in 2003, many of the developer’s key figures went on to establish Obsidian Entertainment. With this move, the financial success of Bethesda Softworks’Fallout 3, andTodd Howard’s wish to see a further titlein the series created while the studio was working onThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, Obsidian’sFallout: New Vegaswas spawned.
Continuing much of the original creativity and satirical tone of the isometricFallouttitles, and layering such elements on top of Bethesda’s established action-RPG framework onFallout 3, Obsidian ultimately developed"one of the greatest RPGs ever made.“Skewing towards theNevada-inspired Mojave Wastelandin place ofFallout 3’s Washington-based setting,Fallout: New Vegas' expansion of its predecessor’s mechanics and systems, alongside its spiritual succession of Interplay’s originalFallouttitles, solidified its place as a time-tested staple of not only the fallout property but the RPG genre.
Although the genre-defining acclaim that Bioware’s multimedia role-playing titleStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republicreceived on its 2003 release is something that many rival studios would have to compete with, the pressure on developing a sequel could arguably be seen as more demanding.
As such, with Obsidian Entertainment being brought on for its direct sequel,Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, the fact that it is seemingly often touted as its predecessor’s equal is quite a feat. Remaining"a must-play by fans of theStar Warsfranchise"decades from its 2004 release,The Sith Lords' expansion and cultivation ofKnights of the Old Republic’s esteemed gameplay and narrative has ensured that Obsidian’s contribution to the lore of a galaxy far, far away remains arguably unseated even to this day.
Although it wasoriginally pitched to studio heads in the 1990s, while many of the Obsidian higher-ups were still in the trenches at Black Isle Studios, it took the medieval-inspired 2D action role-playing gamePentimentnumerous decades and the arrival of Xbox Game Pass to finally see the light of day. However, with its unique aesthetic and classic Obsidian niche of a satirical narrative and tight mechanical underworkings, it didn’t take long forPentimentto become"an instant classic.”
WhilePentiment’s original 2022 launch saw its sidescrolling point-and-click-esque gameplay garner many rewards and much critical adoration, itsless-than-record-breaking saleshave seemingly ensured its place as a bit of a ‘hidden gem’ of Xbox Game Studios' offerings. However, with its 2024 re-release on Nintendo and PlayStation hardware being positioned as part ofMicrosoft’s ‘Latitude’ strategy, its availability to a whole host of players is guaranteed.
Although the isometric perspectives and expansive narratives and systems of properties such asBaldur’s Gate 3and theWastelandseries have proven extremely successful in recent years, 2015’sPillars of Eternityattempted the nostalgia-fueled fantasies of the classic role-playing genre years before.
Bolstered by high praise and its similarly acclaimed 2018 sequelPillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire,“Obsidian’s attempt to bring back the glorious age of CRPGs"remains one of its best experiences to date. With complex yet rewarding combat and narrative systems, along with arguably awe-inspiring vistas, Obsidian Entertainment’sPillars of Eternityseries not only stands on the shoulders of some of the greatest computer role-playing games of all time but supersedes them in many respects.
