Since its founding in 2003, Obsidian Entertainment has consistently dropped new fan-favorite games every few years. That’s not a huge surprise when you remember that the team that started the studio is filled with former Black Isle Studios developers. The crew helped create all-timers like Icewind Dale, Planescape: Torment, and Fallout 2 before setting out on their own. What is surprising is how Obsidian has expanded outside of RPGs over the last few years, showing off its ever-increasing development chops. With a catalog filled with quality games, it’s tough to pick the best of the best, but these five stand out.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Here are Obsidian Entertainment’s five best games.
5) The Outer Worlds
First things first, I really wanted to put Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords on this list. However, that game was given an unfair development timeline and had to cut a bunch of content. The fan patch that restores that content turns that game into an all-timer, but Obsidian’s release wasn’t quite up to snuff (though no real fault of the team).
Thankfully, the studio has quite a few other great options for this list. For me, The Outer Worlds is the strongest contender for Top 5 status. It doesn’t quite have the same punch as something like Fallout: New Vegas, but this attempt at “Fallout in space” works very well. Your companions are a good mix of interesting personalities, the combat isn’t afraid to get weird, and freedom of choice is among the best we’ve seen in modern games. Just an all-around excellent Obsidian game, with an equally solid sequel.
4) Pillars of Eternity
POE is a throwback to classic Western RPGs like Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale. It’s an isometric strategy RPG that requires careful planning and an understanding of how your characters work together. While the combat is solid, the real reason players love Pillars of Eternity is the story.
Obsidian created a fully realized world, filled with characters you’ll want to spend time with. It’s such an in-depth piece of world-building that the team was able to take its ideas and make two sequels. POE II is a direct continuation, while the action RPG Avowed simply takes place in the same universe. If you have a hankering for a classic, isometric RPG, Pillars of Eternity is on the shortlist of games to try. It’s exceptional in nearly every way.
3) South Park: The Stick of Truth
It’s been said before, but that doesn’t make it any less true: The Stick of Truth is an entire season of South Park in a video game. Seriously, this 15-hour game is jam-packed with content and feels exactly like you’re playing through the hit show. Of course, if you’re not a fan of Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s brand of humor, it probably doesn’t work for you, but everyone else had a blast.
Rarely are video games funny. It’s starting to get better as the industry takes its writing a little more seriously, but it still doesn’t happen often. The Stick of Truth is a laugh riot, with dozens of memorable moments that’ll make you chuckle weeks after finishing it. Toss in some light tactical combat, and you have one of Obsidian’s best efforts. Ubisoft took over development for the sequel, The Fractured but Whole, which enjoyed similar praise, but couldn’t quite best the original’s bonkers storyline.
2) Pentiment
When Obsidian basically dropped Pentiment out of nowhere, it quickly turned into a surprise hit. This story-based adventure made player choice matter in several different ways. Most importantly, the time pressure mechanic made each decision feel like it mattered. That tension of knowing you couldn’t do everything had a gripping effect, and also opened up avenues for replayability.
On top of that, every choice is worth seeing. There’s no real “golden route” in Pentiment. Every decision has a meaningful outcome, and no choice comes without consequences. In that way, Pentiment‘s story feels true-to-life. Everything you do matters, and there’s no way to game the system for a “perfect” outcome. Oh, and that art is some of the best the industry has ever seen.
1) Fallout: New Vegas
New Vegas isn’t just Obsidian’s best game, it’s also the best Fallout game we’ve ever gotten and a contender for the Top 25 games of all time. Seriously, Obsidian was on another level with this one, giving fans of the series a perfect mix of modern combat design and that wacky vibe old-school Fallout fans love.
It’s a world you have to explore. Every nook and cranny is filled with something worth seeing. The quests are an equal mix of terrifying, hilarious, and heartbreaking. It is staggering that there is this much content, and almost none of it feels like filler. The writing is stupendous across the board, something that cannot be said about Bethesda’s modern Fallout games.
It might not be a surprise to learn that the director for these top two games is the same (as is Pillars of Eternity). When Josh Sawyer is at the helm of an Obsidian project, you know the writing and quest design are going to bring it. I’m not saying he deserves all the credit, but I would keep an eye on what he does next.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics -
Image courtesy of Marvel Studios
