Obsidian Entertainmentis getting close to the two year anniversary of its acquisition by Microsoft. As a member of the Xbox Games team,Obsidianjust had the opportunity to show off its latest projects at the Xbox Games Showcase, and it came prepared to entertain. The studio had an impressive block of the show, proudly revealing a DLC for a major title and two new announcements. Now that it’s supported by a larger company, Obsidian appears to be ramping up production significantly.
Betweenall the space that Microsoft gave Obsidianin the showcase and the sheer amount of content that Obsidian was ready to present, it looks like the working relationship between the two companies is thriving. Fans of Obsidian have a lot of content to look forward to in the near future, and that content seems like it’s being supported wholeheartedly by Microsoft. If the two of them continue to play off each other like this, there might be a whole lot for Xbox fans to look forward to in the long term.
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The Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon
The first announcement by Obsidian wasPeril on Gorgon,the first DLC for the acclaimed 2019 action RPGThe Outer Worlds.Those that haven’t had the opportunity to tryThe Outer Worldsyet have likely caught word of this sci-fi adventure. The game received high marks from most critics as well as wins and nominations for all kinds of awards, including four nominations at both The Game Awards 2019 and the Game Critics Awards.Outer Worldswon Best Original game at the latter event.
Obsidian has always had a reputation for making strong RPGs, andThe Outer Worldsis only the latest example. Development on the game was already well under way when the studio was acquired by Microsoft, but it looks like the new parent company will not ask Obsidian to focus on leaving its franchises behind in favor of making new properties for Microsoft. Instead, it seems Microsoft has encouraged Obsidian tokeep working onThe Outer Worldswith this expansion.
However, the contents of the announcement itself are probably the best way to tell how much love Obsidian still has forOuter Worlds.Peril on Gorgonis a 6 to 8 hour expansionthat will come with everything from new weapons to new lines of dialogue for the player’s companions so that they have a full range of reactions to the new setting of Gorgon.Peril on Gorgonis also unique because its plot is not a side adventure but integrated into the campaign, making it a direct extension forOuterWorlds’story of deep space colonies and far-reaching corporate greed. That kind of ambitious project shows that Obsidian has a lot of passion forOuter Worldsleft, and Microsoft has a lot of trust in Obsidian to deliver on these kinds of projects.
Grounded
Shortly afterPeril on Gorgonwas revealed, Obsidian moved on to a brand new survival game. This title has been in production for a long time, already in planning stages after the release ofPillars of Eternity 2and seeing early work done concurrently withOuter Worldswhen that game was still in production. Now, Obsidian is ready to let players get to knowGrounded, a game about children who have mysteriously shrunken downto the size of bugs. Players will be forced to contend with the tiny wilderness in their own backyard while trying to discover who or what is responsible for the shrinking.
Even though it’s fairly different from the kinds of games that have gotten Obsidian attention in recent history, the offbeat humor in the trailer shows that the game will still try to capture some of the same quirky yet exciting energy thatThe Outer Worldsgot plenty of praise for. If Obsidian can deliver on that energy while implementing satisfying survival gameplay in the charming environment of a ’90s child’s backyard,Groundedwill be worth keeping an eye on.
The arrival ofGrounded,another project already in development before the acquisition,implies that Microsoft trusts in Obsidian’s vision and intends to cooperate with the studio on bringing that vision to life. The early access announcement is an important part of that.Players interested inGroundedonly have to wait until July 28to jump into early access, where they can play the first fifth or so of the campaign. Microsoft bringing Obsidian’s game onto Xbox Game Preview so soon after the reveal (it’ll be on Steam too) shows that Microsoft knows extensively supporting its new studio will benefit the both of them.
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Avowed
Obsidian’s final announcement was much shorter on information than the previous two, but the trailer seized attention and shows that the studio’s projects for the near future will continue to channel its strengths. On top of finishing offPeril of Gorgonand developingGrounded,Obsidian has begun production ona new fantasy RPG calledAvowed.The tone of the game looks darker thanOuter WorldsorGrounded,pitting the player against dark forces and involving both swordsmanship and sorcery.
Avowedlooks like it’ll be Obsidian’s first project developed completely within its time as a Microsoft subsidiary. However, if the trailer is anything to go by, that new working relationship will not get in the way of Obsidian’s expertise. It will still have ample opportunity to dive into the RPG genre and come up with exciting new experiences for its fans. Since it’s likely to be exclusively for Xbox and PC, Microsoft will really reap the benefits ofAvowed,and more broadlyObsidian’s RPG designing talents.
The sheer volume of these announcements might not have been possible without the Microsoft acquisition. Obsidian has faced some money troubles in the studios history, but now it’s working on two major games and a DLC at the same time. Perhaps Microsoft is putting a lot of resources into Obsidian to ensure that itproduces and succeeds on the Xbox Series X. One would hope that that kind of partnership is in place. An Obsidian with the resources of Microsoft behind it is very well poised to deliver a lot more high quality content that fans of either company can enjoy. For the time being,Obsidianand Microsoft look like they have a promising symbiotic relationship.
