Of all the large CRPGs that are about to come out, Obsidian's RPGs (Avowed, The Outer World 2) are the least interesting imo. Most of other upcoming large crpgs have some unique twists up their sleeve or really unusual settings or at least an excellent art style to make them stand out. Let's check out a few of Non-Obsidian large CRPGs:
- Clockwork Revolution (steampunk setting, time travel)
- EXODUS (time dilation)
- Wyrdsong (historical fantasy Portgual setting)
- No Rest For The Wicked (art style, verticality)
- Dragon's Dogma 2 (pawns, combat with climb mechanic, etc...)
- The Thaumaturge (historical Warsaw setting, Persona-like combat in a western CRPG)
... and probably many more.
Meanwhile, what is Obsidian doing? As far as I know, Obsidian is just trying to copy Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls and Fallout (with a less impressive open world and more focus on story/companion/choices & consequences). Judging from their recent output (The Outer World - one of the most bland game I have ever played), it's hard to be excited for the sequel. Say what you will about Inxile, at least they managed to restore my faith in them somewhat with Wasteland 3, so I'm actually looking forward to Clockwork Revolution and the inevitable Wasteland 4 as well.
Even as an avid crpg player, my free time is still limited, and when combine that with the fact that there are so many CRPGs to play nowadays, I have to prioritize playing which crpg stands out the most to me, and it saddens me to report that Obsidian's upcoming RPGs are currently below the bottom of the barrel of my to-play list (it means that Avowed and The Outer World 2 are not even on my radar/wishlist anymore).
Unless I'm alone in feeling this way or Obsidian somehow manage to step up their game creative-wise (and maybe writing-wise too), I seriously doubt Obsidian will ever leave an impact like Fallout New Vegas in the gaming scene again.
What about you? What do you think??