Obsidian Entertainment has one of the greatest comeback stories in video game development history, and it’s hard to believe that at one point the studio had so many canceled projects it nearly bankrupted itself. In an epic return to glory, the crowdfunded Pillars of Eternity project would set Obsidian on course to produce some of the most popular cult hits in modern gaming.
Since their acquisition by Microsoft, there seems to be something in the water over at Obsidian, producing some absolutely incredible games over the years. Most recently, The Outer Worlds 2 released to critical acclaim, adding to Obsidian’s growing library of top-tier original works.
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Wait, That Was Obsidian?
A South Park character bleeding on the floor in The Stick of Truth.
South Park: The Stick of Truth is definitely not the first game you think of when you think of Obsidian Entertainment, but they absolutely knocked it out of the park with this hilarious RPG. The oddball match-up turned out to be an incredible surprise for fans of Obsidian and South Park, letting players experience their favorite television show in an entirely unique way.
While Ubisoft and South Park Digital Studios released a sequel, Fractured But Whole, Stick of Truth is widely lauded as the best South Park game in existence, largely because of Obsidian’s visionary and singular style that masterfully captured the essence of South Park and gave players an all-around enjoyable RPG experience set in the iconic town of South Park, Colorado.
Neverwinter Nights 2
A Cult Classic RPG Utilizing Dungeons & Dragons 3.5e Mechanics
Dungeons and Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2 Enhanced Edition
Neverwinter Nights 2 was released in 2006 and is a classic RPG built upon BioWare’s original D&D adaptation, with deeper narrative complexity and moral choice systems, hallmarks of Obsidian’s design philosophy. Unlike its predecessor, it emphasized party-based storytelling and cinematic dialogue rather than pure dungeon crawling.
Obsidian actually inherited the Neverwinter Nights 2 project on a tight deadline after BioWare handed over the license, resulting in an ambitious but bug-laden launch. Despite technical issues, critics praised its writing, branching quests, and faithful incorporation of Dungeons & Dragons 3.5e mechanics.
Over time, community patches and the Mask of the Betrayer expansion turned Neverwinter Nights 2 into a cult classic, and an enhanced version was just released earlier this year for all major platforms.
Tyranny
Evil Reigns In This Essential Isometric CRPG
Tyranny, released in 2016, is an isometric CRPG that flips the genre’s moral conventions. Evil has already won, and you serve the empire, ruthlessly and unquestionably enforcing tyranny during your journey. Built on the Pillars of Eternity engine, it has real-time combat and intricate branching narratives where every choice reshapes the world’s political and social order.
Developed by a small Obsidian team after Pillars of Eternity’s success, Tyranny was designed to explore moral ambiguity rather than the standard good-versus-evil tropes seen in many RPGs.
Tyranny received critical praise for bold storytelling, reactive world-building, and strong writing, though some criticized its short runtime and abrupt ending. Over time, as many Obsidian RPGs have, it gained a cult following for its unique premise and quintessential choice-driven gameplay.
Pillars Of Eternity
Both The Original & Deadfire Are Must-Play Obsidian Masterpieces
Eder , Sagani , Hiravias , and Zahua around a campfire in the snowy region of White March in Pillars of Eternity.
If you’ve never had the chance to play Pillars of Eternity , it’s the quintessential Obsidian experience. Pillars of Eternity was a love letter to classic RPGs likeBaldur’s GateandPlanescape: Torment. Funded through a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign , itmarked Obsidian’s comebackafter years of canceled projects and financial uncertainty.
Set in the richly detailed world of Eora ,the game features real-time combat (with pause) , deep character customization ,and complex storytelling that’s highly reactive to player choices ,and its success more or lessrevived the CRPG genre as a whole.
Pillars of Eternity II : Deadfire expanded on that foundation with open-world exploration across a vast archipelago , ship management ,and enhanced AI-driven combat ,though it never reached the same level of acclaim as the original. Together ,the two games form one of Obsidian’s defining achievements :a modern reinterpretation of classic RPG design emphasizingconsequences and world-buildingon a grand scale.
Grounded
An Obsidian Survival Game Based On Honey I Shrunk The Kids
GroundedandGrounded are two of the few games from Obsidian that aren’t full-fledged RPGs ,and both games are highly underrated as far as Obsidian games go. The premise is relatively simple ,and wasinspired by one of the most iconic ’90s movies of all time,Honey I Shrunk The Kidsstarring the incomparable Rick Moranis.
Players are shrunk down to mini versionsof their characters and forced to survive the dangers of backyard ,resulting in an entirely original survival action game franchise that’s beloved among players. While Obsidian is largely known for its RPGs ,Groundedshowcases the studio’scapacity to take on alternative genresin a big (or tiny) way.
Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic II – The Sith Lords
Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic II – The Sith Lords was Obsidian Entertainment’s debut title back in2004. It immediately put thestudio on themap and largely set a precedent for what fans should expect.Tasked by LucasArts to develop a sequel to BioWare’s hit KOTOR on a tight schedule,Obsidian delivered a darker take on Star Wars IP
The game explored moral ambiguity
The Force questioning Jedi dogma through nuanced characters like Kreia,who is still regarded as oneof Star Wars’ most fascinating mentors.
Despite technical issues and rushed launch,
KOTOR II – The Sith Lords has become cult classic,
KOTOR II – The Sith Lords has become cult classic,
KOTOR II – The Sith Lords has become cult classic,
KOTOR II – The Sith Lords has become cult classic,
Avowed
Pentiment
The Outer Worlds
Fallout New Vegas
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Sarah Parker is a research analyst and content contributor with a strong interest in business strategy, organizational behavior, and social development. With a background in sociology and public policy, she focuses on exploring the intersection between research and real-world application. Sarah regularly contributes articles that bridge academic insights and practical relevance, aiming to foster critical thinking and innovation across sectors.
