History Creator / ObsidianEntertainment

* VideoGameCaringPotential[=/=]VideoGameCrueltyPotential: A key element of Obsidian's "influence" game mechanic.
** ''Stormlands'', the [[http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-09-08-stormlands-and-the-million-man-raid-obsidians-cancelled-xbox-one-exclusive cancelled project for Microsoft]] that was meant to be an exclusive launch title for the Xbox One. It was pitched as a third-person ActionRPG, complete with companions, classic-dialogue trees, and combat reminiscent of ''VideoGame/TheWitcher''. The project ended up being cancelled after a disconnect between Microsoft's expectations of what they wanted the project to be (including things like co-op and "million man raids"), and what Obsidian Entertainment could realistically deliver. Unfortunately, this cancellation led to a massive layoff at Obsidian. Though, on a more positive note, it did result in Obsidian's successful crowdfunding with ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'', and some ideas for ''Stormlands'' were recycled into ''VideoGame/{{Tyranny}}''.

* ''Pentiment'' (TBA)

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: The company has been on the receiving end of this quite a few times.
** When developing ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'', Creator/LucasArts told them that they were going to delay the release until a bit into 2005 (Some speculate Creator/LucasArts were hoping to cash in on the renewed interest in the franchise thanks to ''Revenge of the Sith''). Obsidian decided to use the extra time to expand on the game, before [=LucasArts=] suddenly decided to revert back to the original Christmas 2004 release date. Since the delay at this point had been a spoken agreement and not a signed contract yet, Obsidian had no choice but to rush the game out of the gate, meaning that several quests and mechanics, including much of the ending sequence, were left incomplete or broken. And when Obsidian offered to put out a free patch fixing most of these issues, [=LucasArts=] denied them permission to do it, leaving the fans to try and pick up the pieces with mods. The point may have been academic; the game sold most of its copies on the Xbox and wasn't enabled for Xbox Live, meaning it couldn't be patched.
** When ''VideoGame/AlphaProtocol'' was nearing completion, SEGA said they weren't too happy with the current state of the game, and announced they would push the release date back a couple of months. Obsidian hoped that this would leave them with more time to give the game some much-needed polish, the logical thing to assume since the game was delayed anyway, but when they appealed to SEGA for more development time in the delay period, Creator/{{SEGA}} flat out refused to greenlight it.
** During the development of ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'', Creator/{{Atari}} demanded that the game have a Christmas release, forcing Obsidian to rush to a finish, cutting out a lot of characterization for your party members and two romance arcs in the process. The worst part, though, was that they hadn't finished working all the kinks out, so when the game was released it was horribly buggy and hindered by bad gameplay. Later patches fixed that problem, but the fandom was left seething for a long time.
*** Later, when the game first and only DLC, ''Mysteries of Westgate'', was under development, Atari demanded that it would ship with a DRM scheme. This caused the adventure pack to be delayed almost two years, causing an uproar in the fanbase. By the time it finally came out people had mostly lost interest. A few months later, Atari took the DRM off the game, expansions, and ''Mysteries''.
** And, of course, there's the infamous "''[[Videogame/FalloutNewVegas New Vegas]]'' got an 84 on Metacritic, so no bonuses for you" incident, which almost killed Obsidian outright and actually led to a lot of accusations of skulduggery on Bethesda's part from the ''fanbase''. Notably, quite a few reviews took a couple points off the game's score because of bugs, and Bethesda was responsible for the QA for the game; meaning if Bethesda had done their job properly, Obsidian wouldn't have been tossed into dire financial straits. Some of the more malicious tongues claims that Bethesda did a bad job on purpose to avoid having to pay Obsidian a bonus, but Obsidian themselves has denied this to be the case, and most people point to HanlonsRazor, noting that Bethesda's QA work has always been infamously poor.
** ''VideoGame/SouthParkTheStickOfTruth'' is an odd case: it got screwed by the "network" ''imploding like a black hole''. Creator/{{THQ}} went under completely and the project had to be picked up by an entirely new publisher (Funnily enough, by a [[Creator/{{Ubisoft}} company]] whose logo ''looks'' like an imploding black hole.) before it got out the door. Frankly, it's impressive the game got out the door at all, considering.
** ''VideoGame/ArmoredWarfare'' ran into it as during their time on it, it looked to be the superior tank game until the publisher decided it'd be better to replace the developers and go for a low end World of Tanks knockoff. Naturally this caused the game's esteem to plummet.
** All this is what eventually spurred the development of ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'', a property owned and produced by Obsidian and with all profits going straight back to them. It's given them a much more stable financial base from which to produce their licensed efforts.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** A sequel to ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'' that would have continued directly after the ending of the previous game [[http://www.destructoid.com/obsidian-reveals-its-plan-for-potential-kotor-iii-259114.phtml was in pre-production at one point]] but unfortunately never got off the ground.
** ''Aliens: Crucible'' was an ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'' RPG being developed by Creator/ObsidianEntertainment. The game was cancelled in 2010 when the publisher, Creator/{{Sega}}, preferred the release of the game ''VideoGame/AliensColonialMarines'' instead.
** Obsidian considered making a ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' game set in the former Los Angeles area, the Boneyard, as ''Fallout: New Vegas 2'', or ''Fallout: Los Angeles''.
** ''Futureblight'' was going to be a ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}''-style RPG running on the ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights'' engine, that could have been published by Creator/TakeTwoInteractive.
** ''Dwarves'' was going to be a [=PS3=] and Xbox 360 third-person action game and prequel to ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndtheSevenDwarfs'', that could have been published by Creator/DisneyInteractiveStudios.

* TeethClenchedTeamwork: If you have a party in any Obsidian game, they are ''very'' unlikely to get along. Not in a harmless, sibling-ish bickering way, either. They will genuinely ''despise'' each other - manipulating, tormenting, injuring, and murdering rivals if they can get away with it.

* ''VideoGame/{{Grounded}}'' (2021)

** [[GreyAndGrayMorality There's no such thing as clear-cut good and evil]]. Even the most heinous sounding acts can be rationalized as NecessarilyEvil, and even the most well intentioned of acts can have [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished disastrous, unforeseen consequences]]. This theme is especially prevalent in ''Knights of the Old Republic II'', which mercilessly deconstructs the archtypical BlackAndWhiteMorality of the ''StarWars'' franchise, and ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'', which reveals that [[spoiler:the EldritchAbomination BigBad is a genuinely noble man who just wants to protect the empire he swore to serve, and whose powers have made it so he literally is unable to understand that said empire is long dead.]]

* SincerestFormOfFlattery: When the ''Pentiment'' project, a Detective RPG, was announced to be in development, gamer director Josh Sawyer fully admitted in the press-release that the game would be heavily influenced by ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium''.

'''Thorton:''' ''[[DeadpanSnarker Terrible]]'' [[FamousLastWords last words.]]

** ''Futureblight'' was going to be a ''VideoGame/Fallout''-style RPG running on the ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights'' engine, that could have been published by Creator/TakeTwoInteractive.

* ''VideoGame/{{Wasteland 2}}'' (2014; in cooperation with Creator/InXileEntertainment)

* AntiVillain: Many of their villains, though not all of them, are portrayed sympathetically even as it's clearly laid out why they must be stopped. This includes [[spoiler:Kreia]] from ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicII'', [[spoiler:Ammon Jerro]] in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'', [[spoiler:Akachi]] (posthumously) in ''Mask of the Betrayer'', and Benny in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas''.

* ArcWords: Very noticeable in Chris Avellone's writing, with otherwise disparate characters repeating the same words and turns of phrase: "echo" and "wound" in ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicII'', "mask" (unsurprisingly) in ''Mask of the Betrayer'', "hunger" in both, "shadows" throughout. His [[AuthorFilibuster mouthpiece]] characters (such as Ravel, Kreia, Ulysses, and Durance) also tend to repeat themselves liberally, as a way emphasizing their themes (and the games') without directly calling them out, as the words chosen typically have multiple double meanings in context.

** Kreia from ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicII'' more or less turns these into a method of attack, Socratically dismantling her foes (and ostensible allies) with surgical insight into their characters. The repeated phrase [[ArcWords "Apathy is death,"]] while not a question itself, highlights her underlying purpose: to pose questions that force the listener to choose, thus goading them into action.
* TheArtifact: The "influence" system used in most of their games was [[spoiler:part of the Exile's special bonding ability]] in ''[[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords Knights of the Old Republic II]]''. The system still works without the story connection, though.

* DarkerAndEdgier: It's practically the company name. Most of their games (except perhaps ''VideoGame/AlphaProtocol'' as it isn't a sequel to anything but still plays SpyFiction as a pretty dark and gritty martini) can be considered this. This is most notable in ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicII'', which is not only much darker and grittier than its predecessor, but also more than the majority of ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' (and that's saying something). One possible exception that is a sequel is ''Storm of Zehir'', which is essentially a LighterAndFluffier version of ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2''.
* DarkIsNotEvil: Even StarWars-based ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicII'' has elements of this, alongside LightIsNotGood.

* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicII'', your ability to influence your companions and swing their in-universe CharacterAlignment is explained via an uncommon Force ability. In ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'', the reason monsters are constantly after you and the way in which you progress as a character is explained via a MacGuffin. In ''Mask of the Betrayer'', a specific game mechanic plays an important role in the story. In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', you have the option of playing the so-called "Hardcore Mode," which incorporates your need to eat, drink, and sleep into game mechanics as well as the fact that certain statistics can lead to other options in dialogue.

** A sequel to ''[[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords KotOR II]]'' that would have continued directly after the ending of the previous game [[http://www.destructoid.com/obsidian-reveals-its-plan-for-potential-kotor-iii-259114.phtml was in pre-production at one point]] but unfortunately never got off the ground.

** Just because the protagonists are in the same party does ''not'' mean they have to get along. Each party member in an Obsidian game has their own specific beliefs, viewpoints and morals, and if one party member's beliefs clashes with another's, they ''will'' come to blows over it.

* ''VideoGame/{{Grounded}}'' (2020)

* GrayAndGreyMorality: The exact grayness of a particular game's morality is variable, but generally Obsidian stays pretty close to this trope. Villains will usually have sympathetic or at least understandable motives and goals, heroes are frequently ruthless or given to vices or pettiness, and moral choices are sometimes pretty murky. This isn't to say that they don't present clear villains (because they do), but their character-centric writing means that these villains have [[AntiVillain understandable motivations]] and are often [[VillainHasAPoint not entirely wrong]].

* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'' (2004-2005)

* ''VideoGame/SouthParkTheStickOfTruth'' (2014; in co-operation with Creator/TreyParkerAndMattStone)

* ''VideoGame/PathfinderAdventures'' (2016; in cooperation with [[TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}} Paizo Publishing]])

* ''VideoGame/{{Tyranny}}'' (2016, in cooperation with Creator/ParadoxInteractive)
* ''VideoGame/{{Skyforge}}'' (2017, assistance in cooperation with My.com)

* ''VideoGame/TheOuterWorlds'' (2019; in co-operation with Creator/TakeTwoInteractive's Private Division)

* ''VideoGame/{{Skyforge}}'' (Assistance, in cooperation with My.com)

* ''Avowed''

** ''Dwarves'' was going to be a [=PS3=] and Xbox 360 third-person action game and prequel to ''Disney/SnowWhiteAndtheSevenDwarfs'', that could have been published by Creator/DisneyInteractiveStudios.

** [[GreyAndGrayMorality There's no such thing as clear-cut good and evil]]. Even the most heinous sounding acts can be rationalized as a NecessaryEvil, and even the most well intentioned of acts can have [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished disastrous, unforeseen consequences]]. This theme is especially prevalent in ''Knights of the Old Republic II'', which mercilessly deconstructs the archtypical BlackAndWhiteMorality of the ''StarWars'' franchise, and ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'', which reveals that [[spoiler:the EldritchAbomination BigBad is a genuinely noble man who just wants to protect the empire he swore to serve, and whose powers have made it so he literally is unable to understand that said empire is long dead.]]

On November 10, 2018, Creator/MicrosoftStudios announced that they had acquired Obsidian, alongside Creator/InXileEntertainment, making them both first-party developers for Windows and Xbox consoles, though Microsoft has stressed that they would like to keep the studio "unique" despite the acquisition.

* ''VideoGame/TheOuterWorlds'' (in co-operation with Creator/TakeTwoInteractive's Private Division)

* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicII'', your ability to influence your companions and swing their alignment is explained via an uncommon Force ability. In ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'', the reason monsters are constantly after you and the way in which you progress as a character is explained via a MacGuffin. In ''Mask of the Betrayer'', a specific game mechanic plays an important role in the story. In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', you have the option of playing the so-called "Hardcore Mode," which incorporates your need to eat, drink, and sleep into game mechanics as well as the fact that certain statistics can lead to other options in dialogue.

* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicII'', your ability to influence your companions and swing their [[CharacterAlignment alignment]] is explained via an uncommon Force ability. In ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'', the reason monsters are constantly after you and the way in which you progress as a character is explained via a MacGuffin. In ''Mask of the Betrayer'', a specific game mechanic plays an important role in the story. In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', you have the option of playing the so-called "Hardcore Mode," which incorporates your need to eat, drink, and sleep into game mechanics as well as the fact that certain statistics can lead to other options in dialogue.

** Steven Heck in ''Alpha Protocol'', described by more than one reviewer as a human version of [[Franchise/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice Max]], is a sadistict torturer and a violent maniac who might have only become a secret agent through sheer delusion and [[RefugeInAudacity audacity]]. He's also unwaveringly loyal if you choose to play along with his...[[InsistentTerminology antics]].

** ComedicSociopathy abounds in the post-apocalyptic wasteland of ''Fallout'', but the Think Tank in ''Old World Blues'' stands out as the goofiest and [[LethalJokeCharacter among the most dangerous]] -- not individually, but rather in the event that their madcap brand of superscience were to spread to the outside world. Yet despite the horrorshow that they've made of the Big Empty, they were trying to save pre-War America, and with the Courier's guidance, their scientific brilliance can

** Tellingly, of their three standalone (and therefore not burdened with a legacy KarmaMeter from the setting or prior games in the series) games thus far, the only with something like a karma meter is ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'' -- which effectively merges it with their influence system by having it be several separate meters that explicitly count ''what you have a reputation for''.

* AntiVillain: Many of their villains, though not all of them, are portrayed sympathetically even as it's clearly laid out why they must be stopped. This includes [[spoiler:Kreia]] from ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublicII'', [[spoiler:Ammon Jerro]] in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'', [[spoiler:Akachi]] (posthumously) in ''Mask of the Betrayer'', and Benny in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas''.

** Things don't just magically get better once the BigBad is defeated and all their evil plans have been thwarted. More often than not, the villains actions leave heavy scars upon the land and its people that, despite the heroes best efforts, will take years, if not decades, to fully heal, if they even heal at all. ''Knights of the Old Republic II'', ''VideoGame/AlphaProtocol'' and ''PillarsOfEternity'' all make heavy use of this. ''New Vegas'' lets you murder the leaders of the two main factions, but the Battle for Hoover Dam will still happen at the end of the game.[[note]]Though, since NCR and the Legion hate your guts now, you'll have to win by playing the House or Wild Card quests.[[/note]]

* CorruptCorporateExecutive: The entire management team of [[MegaCorp Czerka Corporation]], Leland in ''VideoGame/AlphaProtocol'' and Alice McLafferty in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas''.

* LightIsNotGood: Present in many of their games, but played surprisingly straight in ''[[KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords The Sith Lords]]'', which is set in the often [[BlackAndWhiteMorality black and white]] StarWars universe.

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