Obsidian fans should get excited about the state of the studio. It’s determined to push out a lot of new projects, and experimental ones like that. The Outer Worlds ‘ incredible claim that no NPC has to live for players to beat the game proves that Obsidian wants to try bold new things. Obsidian’s future isn’t just packed with new games; it’s packed with new ideas that’ll help Obsidian grow as a stu
A lot of talk around Grounded involves what it means for future games. It seems to be a good testing ground for things like enemy AI, as Obsidian creates intelligent enemies in the game’s wide range of bugs and other animals. Obsidian isn’t generally known for survival games like Grounded, either, so the positive feedback it’s received on the game bodes well for further Obsidian experiments. Grounded is teaching Obsidian a lot that it can potentially use. While current Grounded updates are focused on polishing the game, odds seem good that even when the game officially launches, Obsidian will have more large-scale updates and additions to offer its player b
Now that it’s under Microsoft’s wing, it’s in a good window of time to experiment and get the most of Microsoft’s support. These years of trying new ideas will inform what Obsidian creates in the future and give Microsoft a better picture of what to expect out of this new working relations
The gods of Eora , the setting of Avowed, have some surface-level Lovecraftian influence. Wael is the god of mysteries, dreams, and revelations, resembling both the dreaming Godhead and Hermaeus Mora in The Elder Scrolls . Wael is covered in eyes and mouths resembling the malignant globes of Azathoth. However, there’s one main difference between the role Lovecraft’s influence plays in Tamriel and Eora that changes everyth
The Avowed trailer points to the protagonist facing down the machinations of an angry, vengeful goddess. Fighting a deity may seem like an insurmountable task, and unfortunately for the hero of avowed news , Woedica isn’t just the goddess of justice, but is ironically known for breaking any rule necessary to achieve her ends. The player character does have one spot of hope, however. Pillars of Eternity reveals that Woedica isn’t really a god at
One of the strangest aspects of the Pillars of Eternity universe is the way that death works in Eora. Not only is Eora’s relationship with death likely to be one of the most interesting parts of Avowed , but just how death will work will depend on when Avowed is set in relation to the events of Pillars of Eterni
With Obsidian moving its CRPG Pillars of Eternity setting to a first-person RPG, it seems likely that the studio has mainstream accessibility in mind. This could make a non-restrictive class system the best option, giving players a bit of initial direction and a sense of specialization without cutting them off from changing that direction later in the g
Lovecraft’s Azathoth and The Elder Scrolls ‘ Godhead are both consciousnesses that exist beyond reality. Lovecraft’s other powerful beings like Cthulhu are still ultimately subject to the subconsciousness of the Blind Idiot God, while Tamriel’s Nine Divines are still just figments of the Godhead’s dream
Even though Obsidian is in the middle of developing two games, it could easily surprise fans with new announcements over the summer at venues like E3. For example, many are wondering if the follow-up to The Outer Worlds is right around the corner. The Outer Worlds, a very successful sci-fi RPG from the studio, came out just a couple years ago and got followed up with a couple equally popular DLCs. Although the game’s ending doesn’t beg for a sequel, it also leaves a rich foundation for one. It certainly has a big enough following for Obsidian to justify a sequel,
CHIM and the Godhead may rarely be touched upon in The Elder Scrolls games, but “the mantlings of an uncaring godhead” are explicitly mentioned in Hermaeus Mora’s Black Book “Waking Dreams of a Starless Sky.” The Godhead has many similarities to Lovecraft’s “Blind Idiot God” Azath
The final likely possibility is Avowed modeling its system after Skyrim ‘s design. In this case there isn’t a class system, but there is a skill and perk system. Aside from differences contingent on race, every Skyrim player starts out the same, and levels up skills depending on what they do more of in the game. Levelling skills unlocks unique perks, such as being able to forward roll while in stealth. Each of these possible systems comes with its own pros and c
Azathoth is an unimaginably powerful being who exists outside the Lovecraft universe and dreams reality while “lulled by the thin monotonous piping of a demoniac flute.” While the Dragonborn DLC dived deeper into the broader The Elder Scrolls -Lovecraft connections than most other entries in the series, the Lovecraftian connections to the world of Avowed are far more expli
Obsidian has had a rocky history, sometimes needing to crowdfund its games to get their development started. Now it’s in a very different place with Microsoft’s help. Frankly, it’s great to see someone as influential in the game industry as Microsoft acknowledging what Obsidian is capable of and giving it a much greater level of stability to help develop its ga