Before heading on down to snowy Colorado with South Park: The Stick of Truth, Fallout: New Vegas developer Obsidian Entertainment was reportedly working on a completely different project, one that sounded right at home in the ZeniMax Media family of games. No it wasn't Fallout: New Vegas 2, but it was something equally as intriguing.

Unfortunately, that project has entered a limbo state, meaning it's not cancelled but it's also not in active development. And that's a real shame because it sounded rather cool.

According to a report from Kotaku, this Obsidian project was operating under the code-name Backspace and was to be an open-world, role-playing title set in space. Backspace was also developed using the Skyrim engine and included key sci-fi elements like time travel, guns, and an alien invasion.

Kotaku's write-up includes a ton of details about the game, which is described as a cross between Mass Effect, Skyrim, and Borderlands with a faster combat system (due to a lack of blocking). Here are a few key details:

  • You play as a character that is 90% human and 10% machine with a robotic arm.
  • Players would explore a large central space station that would connect to other areas. Think The Citadel in Mass Effect.
  • Combat was similar to Skyrim in that players had a choice between melee (katanas, battle axes, chainsaws) and ranged weapons (machine guns, shotguns, rifles). Dual wielding was also part of combat, but there were some two-handed weapons.
  • Character customization was similar to Skyrim, with players designing their character from the outset, earning perks as they level, and improving skills.
  • There were no companions, per say, but players could equip different A.I. that gave them different stat boosts.
  • Stealth is made possible using a cloaking system, which kept players hidden all of the time, but it also drained a player's energy.
  • Supporting characters were said to player important roles in the narrative.

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Speaking of the story, the report does include a few details but we'd rather not spoil them since Obsidian has not outright cancelled the project. It could still resurface at a later date.

All told, Backspace sounds like the type of game Elder Scrolls and Fallout fans would love to see. Familiar concepts but in a unique setting sounds enticing enough.

With such a cool concept, it's hard to guess why Obsidian pulled the plug on Backspace. ZeniMax may have seen it as too similar to Prey 2 (which is a story in an of itself), or maybe the South Park guys stepped in with a more intriguing offer. Either way, we hope Backspace finds a second life in the next-gen.

What do you think of Obsidian's ideas for Backspace? Does it sound like a game would you like to play?

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Source: Kotaku