Summary
Obsidian Entertainment is one of the most reputed RPG developers that fans absolutely love. While their future under Microsoft may look dicey now following some questionable decisions made by the studio, players can only hope that the release ofAvowedandThe Outer Worlds 2will help this studio become one of the biggest names under the Xbox brand.
The track record of this developer is pretty impressive, boasting a wealth of iconic titles and story-driven RPGs that are perfect for people who love what this studio brings to the table. Of course, their games would feel incomplete without a compelling antagonist at the heart of things, and Obsidian has its fair share of compelling antagonists that players will remember long after they finish their respective titles.
South Park: The Stick of Truthisone of the best RPGs ever made and a treat forSouth Parkfansto enjoy because of how faithful it is to the source material. The story revolves around a group of kids playing a fantasy role-playing game, with a New Kid joining the fray who can turn the tide of this war with his farts.
After Clyde steals the Stick and players defeat him, they assume that the game has ended for good, only for Kenny (using his princess persona) to take over the Stick of Truth instead. This sets the stage for a memorable boss fight where the New Kid and his companions fight this surprise villain, killing him several times before finally breaking the cardinal rule and farting on Kenny’s private parts to save the city of South Park once and for all.
After being on the verge of bankruptcy, Obsidian Entertainment resorted to crowdfunding todevelop a modern CRPGthat would be perfectly in line with what fans would want from this genre. This led to the creation ofPillars of Eternity, with the game being a huge success that helped the company stay afloat. Despite the need to appease Kickstarter backers working against the game in some instances,Pillars of Eternityis a solid experience nevertheless.
In a bid to prevent the Hollowborn crisis from destroying the Dyrwood, the player and his band of companions eventually uncover a conspiracy by the Leaden Key, with Thaos at the head of things. This agent of Woedica has been reborn several times and commits numerous atrocities throughout his lifetimes, with the heroes finally putting an end to his terror once and for all by the end of the game.
It’s a testament toTyranny’s incredible writingthat it manages to turn Kyros into one of the most iconic RPG antagonists of all time without even showing their face. During a player’s adventures, players hear tall tales of Kyros' tyrannical reign, using their Edicts to wreak havoc and forcing the regions to bend to their will.
It’s a shame that players never get to face off against Kyros until the very end of the game, with budgetary constraints leading to the game facing a rather abrupt ending that can be rather hard to digest for players who felt like the game was just getting to the meat of the conflict. People never get to gaze at Kyros' face, but his horrible actions make him worthy of being one of Obsidian’s most imposing antagonists to date.
Given the binary nature of the Light and Dark Side in Star Wars, writing a compelling antagonist with realistic motivations can be pretty challenging. So, it’s rather impressive to see Obsidian knock it out of the park with the writing for Kreia’s character, making her a compelling antagonist who serves asthe beating heart ofKnights of the Old Republic 2.
Her reasoning for joining the Dark Side is genuinely compelling and forces players to rethink their choices. It’s a shame that this game was released with so many bugs and issues since that diminished Kreia’s presence in pop culture as one of the greatest villains in RPG history and one of the best Star Wars villains ever written.
Fallout: New Vegasis one of the greatest RPGs ever made, with many people considering it to bethe perfect mix of both old and newFallout. The story of trying to hunt down the man who shot the Courier and left them for dead spirals into something different altogether. The actions of the Courier decide who takes over New Vegas, leading to the cinematic battle at Hoover Dam.
At the heart of this power grab is Mr. House, a megalomaniac who is obsessed over getting the Platinum Chip and will move mountains to ensure that his goal is met. He’s a compelling and well-written antagonist, making the visual of his actual body all the more pathetic. This capitalist has extended his lifespan well beyond what should be possible, and seeing him in such a pathetic state is sobering and shows Mr. House’s true nature.
