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[Fortress of Regrets]

They're pumping out game pass fodder. I'd love to see them make an ambitious game again, but I fear they don't have the design/writing chops anymore. First The Outer Worlds and now Avowed... pure slop in terms of writing and design. Avowed might be a cool "magic 'splosion" first person combat game, but it looks like an incredibly dire RPG. Only illusions of choice, little to no reactivity from NPCs... just game pass slop.

 

[ManaByte]

Only illusions of choice

What? I've made dialog choices that have paid off beneficially later in the game and combat choices as well.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

They're pumping out game pass fodder. I'd love to see them make an ambitious game again, but I fear they don't have the design/writing chops anymore. First The Outer Worlds and now Avowed... pure slop in terms of writing and design. Avowed might be a cool "magic 'splosion" first person combat game, but it looks like an incredibly dire RPG. Only illusions of choice, little to no reactivity from NPCs... just game pass slop.

This game is considered their worst. Even that has more reactivity than any RPG you care to name.

 

[Hudo]

Obsidian is by far the best and most profitable studio of Xbox. They're the Insomniac of Xbox.

Isn't that Blizzard or the Call of Duty factories?

 

[StereoVsn]

KOTOR2
Alpha Protocol
NWN2
FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS
POE 1 & 2

If we want to include the Black Isle days, then include Fallout 1 & 2 and Icewind Dale 1 & 2 and Planescape.

Are we seriously at the stage of Xbox Derangement Syndrome that we're doing mental gymnastics to pretend that Obsidian isn't one of the best RPG developers in the world?

The issue is that post PoE2 (personally I think PoE1 was meh and 2 was great), it’s all been mid to mild success. I used to love Obsidian’s games (still replay some of them), but starting with Outer Worlds all ambition and drive seems to have gone out the window.

They are aiming for “mild success”, aka GamePass fare and it certainly looks and feels that way. When they first showed Avowed, they were aiming to make something akin to Skyrim. It wound up as a mediocre fantasy Outer Worlds. Meh.

 

[ungalo]

This game is considered their worst. Even that has more reactivity than any RPG you care to name.

Considering The Outer Worlds was made with the indie label Private Division and that they hadn't made a big game (or even just a midbdudget game) in years, i think it turned out pretty well. I'm a defender of this game.

Avowed seems more disappointing.

Overall i think Obsidian managed well considering they were an indie studio that never had a huge hit. They mostly tried to survive and always were a bit short for the AAA industry. Even today they still have veterans from Black Isle even if it's not the majority of the studio. This is not a giant disaster like Bioware or some other famous studios.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

Avowed seems more disappointing.

Disappointing how?

Lets play the game first, yeah?

 

[Thebonehead]

Ive played pillars that the world is set on. Much better games. Tried this on pc game pass and it my impression matched up some of the credible reviews I saw. Would you pay full price for this if it weren't on game pass? Probably not. As seen by the steam numbers.

And for those trying to downplay steam numbers because it's on gamepass.. pc gaming market has rejected the shitty windows store. They have shown time and time again they will buy food games on steam even if its on game pass

I mean you paid £18 and those on Steam even more

 

[DeepEnigma]

This proves Xbox Tax is real.

Journalists cannot praise the game openly so are writing stealth articles encouraging everyone to play the game.

 

[Parazels]

Will Kotaku be alive in 100 years?

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Will Kotaku be alive in 100 years?

Will they be alive in 1 year?

 

[ManaByte]

Lets play the game first, yeah?

 

[Mayar]

Disappointing how?
Lets play the game first, yeah?

What's the problem? If you don't want to pay for access or wait for the release, it's been on torrents for free for a long time. It's better not to go to YouTube at all, there are already full walkthroughs and videos with all three endings. There's even a full walkthrough in one video without commentary, from the beginning to the final credits in 25 hours. As they say, everything is there, go ahead.

 

[ungalo]

Disappointing how?

Lets play the game first, yeah?

Of course. I doubt the things i've read and heard about the game are false though.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

Of course. I doubt the things i've read and heard about the game are false though.

I remember playing Pray (2017), it immediately jumped into my top 10 ever.

Its reception was similar. Doesn’t do anything new, buggy etc. Metascore was also sub 80.

 

[semiconscious]

Are we seriously at the stage of Xbox Derangement Syndrome that we're doing mental gymnastics to pretend that Obsidian isn't one of the best RPG developers in the world?

the question is, are we talking 'isn't' or 'wasn't'? is bioware, based on previous releases, also one of the best rpg developers in the world?...

 

[Killjoy-NL]

I remember playing Pray (2017), it immediately jumped into my top 10 ever.

It immediately jumped into your top 10 ever and you can't even get the 4-letter title right?

 

[DeepEnigma]

KOTOR2
Alpha Protocol
NWN2
FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS
POE 1 & 2

If we want to include the Black Isle days, then include Fallout 1 & 2 and Icewind Dale 1 & 2 and Planescape.

Are we seriously at the stage of Xbox Derangement Syndrome that we're doing mental gymnastics to pretend that Obsidian isn't one of the best RPG developers in the world?

Vast majority of those devs responsible for those games are no longer with them anymore. So let's indeed talk about mental gymnastics.

 

[nowhat]

Do they know the asteroid is due in 2032?

If it would hit (about 2% chance, that is likely to change), it would be a 50km diameter disaster at best. Not a global extinction event, unfortunately.

 

[K' Dash]

So shit they literally just released a game that won GOTY 2024

It says a lot of Sony fanboys when on a platform starved of good platformers, they feel like they saw the face of God after playing the most mediocre platformer since the Crash games.

You can pretend that game is GOTY all you want,the rest of us are laughing at you.

 

[DeepEnigma]

It says a lot of Sony fanboys when on a platform starved of good platformers, they feel like they saw the face of God after playing the most mediocre platformer since the Crash games.

You can pretend that game is GOTY all you want,the rest of us are laughing at you.

Name the "us."

 

[Alandring]

Isn't that Blizzard or the Call of Duty factories?

For Microsoft, sure. For Xbox? Not only all their games are - and will be - available everywhere, but this purchase is the reason why Xbox had to make those job cuts & go third party.

 

[FIREKNIGHT2029]

It says a lot of Sony fanboys when on a platform starved of good platformers, they feel like they saw the face of God after playing the most mediocre platformer since the Crash games.

You can pretend that game is GOTY all you want,the rest of us are laughing at you.

Cope and seethe harder. AstroBot ia a 94 on Metacritic with multiple GOTY awards. You can lie to yourself saying DICE and all the people giving it GOTY awards are full of Sony fanboys but you are coping and are full of shit. AstroBot is a fantastic game well deserving of its GOTY status and you are full on Cope mode.

 

[K' Dash]

Cope and seethe harder. AstroBot ia a 94 on Metacritic with multiple GOTY awards. You can lie to yourself saying DICE and all the people giving it GOTY awards are full of Sony fanboys but you are coping and are full of shit. AstroBot is a fantastic game well deserving of its GOTY status and you are full on Cope mode.

Cope?

PlayStation Pro and Portal are my main consoles, I just don’t settle for shit games, the potential is there, Sony is just incompetent or doesn’t give a shit, maybe both.

I have played Astrobot and it is a solid 5, a mediocre platformer. You have to be very naive to think this game actually deserves ANY award, unless there’s an unimaginative PlayStation reference award.

But you do you, I guess.

 

[FIREKNIGHT2029]

Cope?

PlayStation Pro and Portal are my main consoles, I just don’t settle for shit games, the potential is there, Sony is just incompetent or doesn’t give a shit, maybe both.

I have played Astrobot and it is a solid 5, a mediocre platformer. You have to be very naive to think this game actually deserves ANY award, unless there’s an unimaginative PlayStation reference award.

But you do you, I guess.

Nobody gives a shit about your opinion or what you play. The game is officially 2024’s GOTY whether you like it or not.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

I have played Astrobot and it is a solid 5, a mediocre platformer.

 

[DeepEnigma]

I have played Astrobot and it is a solid 5, a mediocre platformer.

 

[Senua]

Obsidian was never good.

 

[Coconutt]

Crazy that they think striving for "mild success" is going to be a winning strategy. Guess I can strike off getting any excellent from Obsidian anytime in the next 100 years.

 

[Garibaldi]

If it would hit (about 2% chance, that is likely to change), it would be a 50km diameter disaster at best. Not a global extinction event, unfortunately.

It was sarcasm.

 

[Kings Field]

 

[Grizzled Ghost]

I remember playing Pray (2017), it immediately jumped into my top 10 ever.

Right up there with Mass Affect and Medal Gear Solid

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Almost 20 Concords! The secret weapon has been unleashed. Suck it, Ponies and Nintendrones.

 

[DeepEnigma]

I remember playing Pray (2017), it immediately jumped into my top 10 ever.

Its reception was similar. Doesn’t do anything new, buggy etc. Metascore was also sub 80.

They are not even the same people anymore. Those responsible for Prey have been gone a long time ago.

 

[FalsettoVibe]

It says a lot of Sony fanboys when on a platform starved of good platformers, they feel like they saw the face of God after playing the most mediocre platformer since the Crash games.

You can pretend that game is GOTY all you want,the rest of us are laughing at you.

You've been on GAF far too long to make a comment this bad dude.

The game made GOTY on many different outlets. Only you and a select few are "laughing" because you guys don't understand opinions.

 

[bender]

Obsidian was never good.

Judging by the videos I've watched of Avowed and Outer Worlds, the strength of what Obsidian once was (writing) is all but gone.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

Judging by the videos I've watched of Avowed and Outer Worlds, the strength of what Obsidian once was (writing) is all but gone.

John Gonzales needs to save them

 

[Kacho]

Almost 20 Concords! The secret weapon has been unleashed. Suck it, Ponies and Nintendrones.

I wonder if it will hit a higher peak next weekend or if this is it.

 

[Idleyes]

Almost 20 Concords! The secret weapon has been unleashed. Suck it, Ponies and Nintendrones.

That's just the number of people who haven’t realized it’s mid yet. Give it time.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

I wonder if it will hit a higher peak next weekend or if this is it.

I doubt it will be much higher. Maybe a peak of 20K, if they're lucky.

 

[ByWatterson]

Why are they a "secret weapon"? What battle are they fighting? It's over.

 

[Skifi28]

Almost 20 Concords! The secret weapon has been unleashed. Suck it, Ponies and Nintendrones.

I'm sure there's millions playing on gamepass. Right?


Right?!?

 

[Kerotan]

Xbox's secret weapon........ COMING TO PLAYSTATION.

 

[LRKD]

Eh it'd be much more impressive, and believable if any of the games they released were good. I also wouldn't count on ANY studio still being around in 100 years. Even we ignore the stupidity here, like the fact that in even 20 years it'll be likely not a single employee will still be working in the studio, so would it still really be the same studio? Or that AI will likely completely change the industry, or perhaps something else even? Why play video games, if you can play lucid dreams, or holodecks? Or even better yet, will Xbox still even be worth Microsoft dumping money into in 100 years? Xbox has been nearly a 15-year slump, and in the immediate future, it doesn't seem at all likely to even change in a slightly positive direction. I could see Xbox as a whole not lasting another 20 years with the direction they've been continuing.


Like ignoring all the things that in the next 100 years will likely make the studio nonexistent, it's such a volatile industry, that you can end up on the chopping block even when you do have a great track record, if you end up with one major miss. We've seen it happen to far better studios.

 

[N30RYU]

At this pace they will be lucky if they are still around in 3 years

 

[SHA]

I would be happy if humanity is still around in 100 years tho.

Age is just a number, we're living in a prerecorded tape anyway, who cares.