Obsidian Entertainment’s design philosophy for crafting RPGs is very unique, as it gives a rich narrative with reactive storytelling and meaningful player choices. It is always a great experience to play an RPG, where the player’s choices and actions change the outcomes at every stage of the adventure. One of my all-time favorite narrative-rich RPGs is Fallout: New Vegas from Obsidian Entertainment, and I expected nothing less from their latest, The Outer Worlds 2 title. Honestly, it surprised me with the amount of detail and care they put into the sequel. It expands the original game’s strength with sharper writing, deeper systems, a more immersive world, and better companions. This is our review of Obsidian Entertainment’s latest title, The Outer Worlds 2.
Story and World Design
The Outer Worlds 2 takes place in the Arcadia star system, a newly colonized region of space that is under the control of a powerful corporation. In the race for faster-than-light travel, the corporation developed skip drives that allow ships to bypass normal space. However, the use of skip drives begins to destabilize spacetime, causing cosmic rifts that endanger the whole system. This is where the protagonist enters the scene, a Directorate Agent whose job is to uncover the truth behind the rifts. However, the corporation does not unveil its plan easily, requiring the protagonist to assess the corporate cover-ups and decide Arcadia’s inhabitants’ fate.
The new Arcadia star system is more immersive than the Halcyon system, the one in the original game. It is composed of several distinct planets and moons, each with its own biome, hazards, and culture. Each planet has a unique map design filled with quests, characters, hub areas, treasures, and secrets.
Gameplay
The Outer Worlds 2 offers a more refined gameplay than the original due to improvements in combat and the addition of deeper systems. Exploration is way better and feels earned, as you can find various legendary gear items while exploring various landmarks. Moreover, the dynamic weather system and day-night cycles make the characters respond reactively to your actions, which makes the whole interaction feel very alive. The core gameplay mechanics of The Outer Worlds 2 are more fluent than the original, which makes the sequel more appealing and fun.
Now, let’s talk about the systems and customization options that shape your playthrough. Perks and Flaws are back in The Outer Worlds 2, and honestly, they are pretty solid. Yes, there are some flaws that will make your playthrough a lot difficult, but they are good for replayability. That is why I consider only choosing 1 flaw or no flaw for the first playthrough, and then several or all flaws for the next playthrough. It is because you will instantly feel how the playthrough changes, and that is the beauty of Obsidian Entertainment’s design philosophy.
Companions are better in The Outer Worlds 2 as they get their own customization system and questlines. You can customize the companions’ abilities and their attacks to synergize with your playthrough. It is a creative way to increase your overall firepower. The quests for the companions let you uncover their in-depth background and story. Moreover, these quests let you unlock unique endings for your companions.
Combat
Another big improvement in the sequel is the combat. Combat feels more responsive and fluent with the creative design of gunplay and ability usage. There are various abilities that you will unlock as you progress through the story. Each ability lets you engage uniquely in the fight. For instance, slowing the time down to target the weak points of the robots will let you kill them instantly. Not only do the abilities help in combat, but also in exploration and navigation. For instance, you will find a scanner that will let you spot wires in the wall and enemies throughout the wall. You can follow the wires to find hidden switches to disable the doors’ security and more.
The variety of weapons in The Outer Worlds 2 is very generous. There are various weapon types, each one using unique ammo. Some ammunition or weapon types are more effective against certain enemies. For instance, plasma weapons deal more damage to machines and turrets than regular rounds. Overall, it is a unique design to let the players use all sorts of weapons throughout their playthrough as they explore every planet in Arcadia.
Sound and Visuals
The sound design of The Outer Worlds 2 is quite refreshing and clean. It matches the ambience of every planet, hub, city, and location, making the player feel right at home. All the actors have done an amazing job in voice acting and bringing the NPCs alive with their reactive behavior. The visuals are stunning in The Outer Worlds 2, as the Devs have done an amazing job in crafting an atmosphere uniquely for each planet and space station.
Verdict – Score 8/10
Obsidian Entertainment polishes and expands The Outer Worlds experience in all the right ways with the sequel. It delivers a richer narrative with better outcomes, reactive NPCs, better companions, an improved combat system, deeper systems, and better exploration in a more immersive world. It does not reinvent the wheel for a generational RPG, but it is still better than many RPGs out there. If you are someone who enjoyed the first Outer Worlds, then I highly recommend the sequel, as it is better than the prequel in all ways.
The Outer Worlds 2 is now available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.
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