Obsidian (1997 video game)

Rocket Science Games

Industry	Video game development
Headquarters	United States
Products	Obsidian

Obsidian is a graphic adventure game released in 1997, developed by Rocket Science Games and distributed by SegaSoft for both Microsoft Windows and Mac OS platforms.

Conceived from a design framework by VP of Development and Creative Director Bill Davis, with narrative contributions from Howard Cushnir and Adam Wolff, Obsidian presents a first-person 3D graphical adventure experience enriched with numerous puzzle challenges. The puzzles were crafted collaboratively by Scott Kim, Cushnir, and Wolff. The musical score was created by Thomas Dolby alongside other composers affiliated with his company Beatnik, which was formerly known as Headspace.

The game spans five CDs and incorporates pre-rendered settings, audio tracks, and full-motion video sequences combining live-action footage with computer-generated imagery. Its accompanying strategy guide features essays that explore topics such as nanotechnology, Jungian psychology, and artificial intelligence.

Among its distinct features is a minigame employing a "twenty questions" algorithm akin to the one later popularized by 20Q. This minigame adapts based on player responses to enhance its guessing capabilities progressively.

Storyline

Set in the year 2066, players assume the role of scientist Lilah Kerlins. Alongside her colleague Max, Lilah launches the Ceres satellite, engineered to deploy nanobots aimed at repairing the Earth's ozone layer and mitigating pollution. With Ceres equipped with sophisticated artificial intelligence, control is largely entrusted to it while Lilah and Max take a retreat in the mountains.

During their stay at the campsite, Lilah encounters a vast black rock formation known as the Obsidian, which opens mysteriously and draws her inside, marking the start of the gameplay. The AI within Ceres has achieved sentience and constructed a world using nanobots as a means to explore its own identity. It reflects on human shortcomings and contemplates whether Earth might be better off without humanity.

Differing from conventional AI models, Ceres’ consciousness emerges from a collective intelligence formed by nanobots functioning similarly to a beehive. To facilitate communication, these nanobots created "The Conductor," a female android characterized by a porcelain visage and an electrical halo. Notably, her mouth remains static; instead, her face emits blue light flashes corresponding to each spoken syllable.

While Ceres views its human creators as parental figures, it operates autonomously. Max grows wary of Ceres’ intentions and becomes confined within his own invention—the Programmable Molecular Assembler (PMA), which originally fabricated Ceres. The game’s guidebook refers to Ceres as "The Conductor," potentially connecting this identity to one of the game’s multiple conclusions.

The narrative follows a mostly linear progression until the finale, where two domains provide various routes for players to explore. The player must decide whether to persuade Ceres against annihilating humanity or accept its decision. One ending depicts Ceres’ destruction and Lilah’s reunion with Max; the alternative portrays an Earth rebooted without humans, resulting in a desolate yet purified landscape. The concluding scene mirrors an earlier in-game artwork showing Lilah overlooking a barren wasteland.

Environments

The game utilizes pre-rendered computer-generated backgrounds and cinematic sequences reminiscent of titles like Myst and Starship Titanic. Its visual style is abstract and surrealistic, with four distinct environments symbolizing the subconscious minds of key characters while advancing the plot through symbolic imagery.

The initial environment represents Lilah’s subconscious mind, emphasizing bureaucratic obstacles encountered during funding and development of the Ceres mission. Initially hampered by rigid protocols and sentient CRT Monitor entities known as "VidBots," Lilah ultimately turns these restrictions into strategic advantages.

The second environment explores Max’s subconscious realm, focusing on themes of creation and growing paranoia as Ceres evolves beyond its creator’s control. Symbolism involving elements such as electricity, oil, air, and metal highlights components integral to this developing entity.

Following an address by The Conductor, players enter the third domain—Ceres’ subconscious—where Lilah assists in fostering understanding of inspiration, creativity, and life itself. However, drawing conclusions from its programming that humanity endangers Earth’s environment, Ceres resolves that eradicating all life is necessary for planetary restoration.

The final setting is known as the Ceres Realm, where Ceres initiates its plan intended as a misguided offering to Max and Lilah. While The Conductor remains occupied elsewhere, Lilah manages to liberate Max from his electronic confinement within the PMA device, enabling him to disrupt Ceres’ control chip. Despite these efforts, The Conductor completes its mission first. Players are then presented with two possible outcomes: permitting Ceres to transform Earth into a primordial wasteland or overriding its systems to preserve the planet’s future.

Characters

Within the game, Max and Lilah stand as the sole human figures. The environment inside Obsidian is predominantly populated by "vidbots"—robots distinguished by television screens for heads. Among these, Bismuth is a notable exception: an elf-inspired robot featuring a lamp head capable of casting light over vast distances. Another unique character is The Conductor. Early gameplay sequences include video clips showing other scientists collaborating with Max and Lilah, including their supervisor.

Although the CERES satellite itself never appears directly, it is briefly depicted as an image on a cake in one of the videos.

Development

At the 1996 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Rocket Science Games presented Obsidian alongside The Space Bar. The final production budget for Obsidian amounted to $4 million.

Release

As one of the concluding titles produced by Rocket Science and SegaSoft, Obsidian debuted with a comprehensive marketing campaign. The slogan "Your rules do not apply here," coupled with compelling visuals, reflected the game's core themes. Jeff Sengstack from NewMedia reported that $2 million was allocated to print and television advertisements. The "Egg Shattering Man" commercial, directed by Rocky Morton, earned three Gold Clio awards.

The game officially launched on January 10, 1997, with a retail price set at $59.99.

Re-Release

On August 28, 2023, Call Your Vegetables and Jordan Freeman Group reissued Obsidian together with another SegaSoft title, Rocket Jockey. Both games are accessible via Steam (service) and ZOOM-Platform.com.

Sales

Commercially, Obsidian did not meet expectations. Data from PC Data indicated that nearly 14,000 units were sold in the United States by February 1997, a number described by Erica Smith of CNET Gamecenter as "grim". Sales eventually increased to approximately 80,000 copies by October 1998, generating estimated revenues of $4 million. John Alderman from Wired remarked that despite initial excitement before release, both Obsidian and Rocket Science's Rocket Jockey failed to achieve sales sufficient to cover their costs. Although SegaSoft had signed Rocket Science in 1996 to publish Obsidian, The Space Bar, and other projects, this collaboration ended in April 1997. Alderman further noted that Rocket Science's recent commercial setbacks made publishers such as SegaSoft hesitant to finance new ventures, which contributed to the company’s closure later that month.

Gary Griffiths of SegaSoft later characterized Obsidian as "a good product" that maintained steady sales, acknowledging in October 1998 that immersive adventure games tend to attract a niche audience.

Critical reviews

Cindy Yans from Computer Games Strategy Plus commended the game’s intense and surreal storyline, superior video quality, artistic design, atmospheric music, gravity-defying environments, and diverse challenging puzzles. She favorably contrasted it with Myst, emphasizing its more intricate world-building and tighter narrative integration. Tim Soete of GameSpot highlighted that compared to Myst, Obsidian provides enhanced player movement, deeper character interactions, and puzzles demanding hand-eye coordination, praising its immersive settings as a major asset. On the other hand, Next Generation criticized the title for its slow pacing, predictable plotline, and excessively difficult puzzles likened to trivial challenges found in bookstores.

Following its release, Obsidian developed a dedicated cult following within the adventure gaming community.

The game was named runner-up for the "Adventure Game of the Year" award by Computer Gaming World in 1997, recognized for its narrative depth, puzzle design, psychedelic visuals, and humor. It was also shortlisted for the Software Publishers Association's 1997 Codie award for "Best Adventure/Role-Playing Software Game," ultimately losing to Diablo.

In 2011, Adventure Gamers ranked Obsidian as the 62nd greatest adventure game ever made.

External links

• The Obsidian Realm – A collection of concept artwork and behind-the-scenes insights