Obsidian

Description

Obsidian is a space station built inside an asteroid and is drifting towards a black hole after its engines fail. The player controls an astronaut sent to reactivate its systems and prevent its destruction. The station contains approximately fifty interconnected screens divided between technological interiors and exposed rock chambers. You travel on foot or use a jetpack, with a limited nitro supply that must be replenished at refuelling points. Objects found in ceiling-mounted gravity boxes include access cards and equipment needed to disable defences, open routes, and restore the station’s engines. Only one item can be carried at a time, and objects are not labelled, requiring you to discover their functions through experimentation. Security robots, lasers, and traps kill on contact, with no weapon to directly destroy them.

The game was developed by Tony Warriner, who would later co-found Revolution Software. It was released through several publishers over the CPC’s lifespan, this one being the initial version. The bold, colourful graphics and mixture of arcade movement with adventure-style puzzles were generally well received. However, the jetpack is extremely sensitive, enemies can attack immediately after entering a room, and the single-item inventory creates considerable backtracking. Mapping the station and learning each object’s purpose are essential, making the game initially difficult and occasionally frustrating. Despite its rough controls, Obsidian was regarded as an attractive and reasonably ambitious early CPC adventure, particularly for players prepared to learn its layout through repeated attempts.