The Outer Worlds is one of the most interesting first-person shooters ever made. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Private Division in 2019, the game attempts to bring dark satirical humor in a dystopian future world, much like the Fallout series. Speaking of Fallout, the game was also worked on by people who worked on Fallout New Vegas.
There was a lot of hype when The Outer Worlds trailers first launched. People expected a space adventure that would scratch an itch most roleplaying games hadn’t even attempted. Yet strangely enough, The Outer Worlds has found itself on the outskirts of mainstream for some time now.
Why, though? Did other games just do better, or was it because The Outer Worlds didn’t hit the right notes? Well, strap into your spaceships as we dive in head first into The Outer Worlds.
Keep in mind, we will also be comparing it with Fallout games as well, since the games do share lot of elements.
The Unfamiliar Galaxy Of The Outer Worlds
[Image via Obsidian Entertainment]
The game starts with your character being woken up from cryosleep in a colony ship. The man waking you is named Phineas Welles, and he then ejects you into a planet controlled by a corporation known as the Board. After arriving on Terra 2 and recruiting some new crewmembers, you acquire a ship after your pod kills the pilot you were supposed to meet with.
What you witness firsthand is that corporations control the the outer worlds. Every single aspect, from working to buying items, to even just existing, is all regulated by bureaucratic red tape.
The citizens who live in a town regulated by Spacer’s Choice have pretty much accepted this. Some enjoy it, while others suffer for it.
After doing some odd jobs for the town and meeting some new friends, the galaxy’s horizons begin to open up for you. You work with Phineas to figure out a way to wake the rest of your companions in the shuttle, all while trying to overthrow the Board.
To make the galaxy a better place, you will need to use guns, blades, intelligence, and a silver tongue.
Vibrant Lands To Explore In The Outer Worlds
[Image via Obsidian Entertainment]
The Outer Worlds offers quite a few planets to explore. The technical graphics may not look all that advanced for 2019, but they were definitely designed with a unique artistic direction. The towns contain eye-catching neon signs and bright lights, while the forests and jungles boast a very colorful palette.
Even the designs of the armor and enemies are pretty interesting. The smooth and rounded helmets and armor pieces seem to have a real call back to ’50s and ’60s-inspired sci-fi comics. There’s also a variety of people, plants, robots, and alien creatures.
Obsidian has always had a great way of mixing genres and taking their art direction to places where most companies have gone before. The Outer Worlds is no exception.
Fallout New Vegas Meets Borderlands
[Image via Obsidian Entertainment]
If this sounds familiar, that’s because the opening is indeed the same as that of Fallout 4. They even have a mascot in the form of a Moon with a monocle and top hat. Even down to the retro-futuristic look that Fallout is famous for is replicated in The Outer Worlds.
The dark humor tone also feels a bit like Borderlands. Still, The Outer World‘s gallows humor is not as over the top or in your face as that of Borderlands.
Some of The Outer Worlds‘ character dialogue is also a mixed bag. Some characters sound pretty relaxed and even caring. Yet, there are others who sound like they belong in a Mad Max film.
Overall, it’s rather tonally inconsistent. It’s almost a mishmash of so many things that you’re not sure what The Outer Worlds is trying to be. It’s obvious that parts are satire, but the satire would have been sharper if it focused its point instead of trying to be too many things at once.
It Pays To Be Charismatic In The Outer Worlds
[Image via Obsidian Entertainment]
The Outer Worlds is very dialogue-heavy. Actually, speech has a huge impact on how you progress through the story. Just like Fallout, speech checks can change how you complete missions and earn money. It’s this freedom of roleplaying, really, that sets The Outer Worlds apart from other games. j
You have the freedom not only how your approach a mission or task, but also how you can interact with others. You can be kind to everyone if you so choose. Or, you could delve into your dark side and insult NPCs right to their face. It’s those little things that separate a good game from a great one.
The character you play is not a generic protagonist with set pieces of dialogue to speak. Instead, you decide who your character will be.
Dialogue with your crew can also change the game. Not only can you get to know them better, but you can also observce how they interact with other members of your party. This even unlocks character missions, if you want to build some sort of connection. Sadly, though, there are no romance options.
Have Guns and Blades, Will Travel
[Image via Obsidian Entertainment]
Right now, you’re probably asking yourself about the gameplay in The Outer Worlds. Is it good?
Well, it’s your standard first-person shooter with a bunch of space weapons. There’s a variety of pistols, shotguns, rifles, and light machine guns. Plus, energy weapons that add plasma or electrical damage!
Melee weapons consist of swords, maces, and spears, which can also have elemental damage added to them. You even have your own version of bullet time called Time Dilation. This allows you to slow down time for a brief moment to scan your enemies to see their weaknesses and even increase damage. Weapons can be modified to have larger magazine sizes or increased damage.
Hence, much like with the character customization, you get to choose your weapons and their impact. Honestly, it’s a well-thought-out system that really improves what’s otherwise a basic first-person shooter.
The fact that there are so many different ways you can approach combat makes it so much more fun. You can stay at a distance and shoot at your enemies, which is safer, but then you have to keep track of your ammo. Melee combat allows you to dish out more damage, but you have to close the gap to get in close enough.
Level Up
[Image via Obsidian Entertainment]
The Outer Worlds is a roleplaying game first and foremost. Whenever you level up, you put in the points you want to make your ideal character and even select perks as you go along. This also goes for your companions when they join you in combat. You can also decide what skills they can have.
Once you put 50 points into a certain skill tree, you can add a skill point to the other two remaining skills on that tree. Without going too far into the game, you could basically turn into a death god. Thus, even without putting that much effort into your skills, it’s not that hard for you to become a jack of all trades.
There’s also the added mechanic of taking flaws. When you get easily injured or addicted to certain substances, you take a flaw. This allows you to take a skill point in exchange for something negative. However, it’s almost a useless mechanic, considering it’s not that hard to get skill points to begin with. So, while flaws can make for an interesting character, you’re basically handicapping yourself for no reason.
Flew Too Close To The Sun
[Image via Obsidian Entertainment]
This game had gotten 8 and 9s out of 10 in so many aspects that you’d think this would be the start of something great. Why is it, then, that even now, hardly anyone talks about The Outer Worlds?
There are a few reasons for this. It’s hard to fault the game itself, because, while not perfect, it does so much so well.
There are just a few things that are missing that separate it from the rest.
While the worlds are amazing to visit and travel to, there’s very little in terms of exploration. Side quests are almost unavoidable since the NPCs who give them out are hard to miss. Most of the time, though, these feel barren because they want you to avoid going off the beaten path.
Even still, the art direction is amazing. Yet, it also very inconsistent. One planet it may look like a dusty old west town. Another looks like it could be the backdrop for Metropolis in Superman: The Animated Series. Variety is cool and all, but consistency can be important for building tone.
Another issue is that the game is, well, too easy. The devs have Normal set as the way it’s intended to be played, but it’s almost too easy to get through. Even Hard mode, or Supernova if you’re feel brave, only give the enemies more hit points.
The game makers may have made it this way to make the game more accessible for first-time players; after all, it’s not as intimidating. That’s a good thing, but it also holds the game back, because it looks like it’s afraid of taking too many risks.
Ain’t That a Kick In The Head?
[Image via Obsidian Entertainment]
Recently, it was announced that The Outer Worlds 2 would be released for Windows and Xbox Series X/S. While there has been no news regarding gameplay or a release date, fans are still hopeful to take on the stars once more in Obsidian’s hidden gem.
While we wait for that game, The Outer Worlds has an updated version on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles allowing you to play at 60 FPS and higher fidelity. Even on PC and last gen consoles, the game still looks amazing.
The Outer Worlds is a fun experience from start to finish. It may not do anything groundbreaking or new, but it does what it does very well. Hence, it’s not the best choice… it’s Spacer’s Choice!
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