Currently Playing

[Wrathbone]

For me, Obsidian has the same issue as modern-day Bioware, trading on a name they no longer qualify for, as all the talent that earned them their reputation has left.

I don't think that's as true for Obsidian as it is for Bioware, as Obsidian still have the likes of Josh Sawyer, Tim Cain and Feargus Urquhart. Obsidian have lost their consistent spark of brilliance, though, and I think it's because they're too comfortable. Their best work came under the most strained of circumstances, such as New Vegas and its infamous 18 month development period. Now they know they can pootle into the future with reasonable safety by producing B-tier games on a modest budget. I don't blame them - job security is not to be sniffed at, especially in game development - but it's still a sad state of affairs. It's like if Turner realised he could make money with more certainty by painting walls than by revolutionising the use of light in artworks.

[DjchunKfunK]

Have to say I disagree quite a bit regarding Outer Worlds 2, I think it is a massive improvement on the first game. The writing is much better, the skill implementation is better, combat feels a lot better, companions are an orders of magnitude more interesting and the variety and breadth of areas and how to tackle things is also improved, across the board I think it's a massive step up. In terms of the factions not being likeable, I can see how someone might feel like that but I'd say the same about Fallout New Vegas' factions and that didn't seem to be an issue there. I found that there were redeeming people within some of the factions but ultimately I don't think a game like this has to have likeable factions to work.

On Obsidian more generally, they put out Pentiment a few years back and that's one of the best games they have every made and the Grounded series of games are some of the most interesting survival games out there. I think they are a long way from being near the depths Bioware have sunk to.