Obsidian is once again drawing the attention of RPG and action fans thanks to its highly anticipated game of The Outer Worlds that is delivering the Fallout in Space experience you never knew you needed. However, The Outer Worlds is much more than just Fallout in Space and provides a unique form of signature entertainment. Players have all of the control in The Outer Worlds, where you really can be whoever you want when it comes to the sticky scenario you find yourself in when you first launch the title.
We were able to spend some quality time with Obsidian’s upcoming hit and experience the exciting adventure it is preparing to provide to the entire world. The Outer Worlds combines a compelling story that allows players to progress through it without being restrained by pre-ordained circumstances. This gripping narrative is compounded with satisfying gameplay and gorgeous graphics that fold together to create a game that will no doubt continue to attract fans heading into the future.
Story
Players who embark on the adventure that The Outer Worlds provides will find themselves in the distant future during the year of 2355. The timeline of this title follows an alternate timeline where the United States President of William McKinley is never assassinated. This change results in Theodore Roosevelt never becoming the President and the failure of large business trusts never being broken up. These events led to a future society ruled by corporations who have begun to colonize the far reaches of space.
You find yourself in the shoes of a colonist who has been stranded in cryosleep for decades past what they had initially signed up for when departing on the colony ship of Hope. However, you soon are awakened and find yourself amid a dangerous conspiracy and a quest to save your fellow colonists on the Hope.
Player choice is shown from the very start of the story to be at the forefront of how players can approach each situation they face. I had a blast being able to outwit the not so bright lightbulbs found in The Outer Worlds or having the choice to stick it to the corporate overlords by helping individuals who were going against the game’s status quo when it comes to how society should be running. However, your choices do not go without consequences. Helping the interests of one community can have adverse effects on a whole different group of people who could be just as innocent.
The vast array of player options when it comes to narrative choices was very refreshing and was only enhanced by the broad range of entertaining characters I came across in my travels. I would be wrong to say that I did not crack a laugh often or had a smile on my face when engaging in conversation with the characters of The Outer Worlds. This game was able to deliver a great dose of humor to my gameplay and help set the tone for the wackiness you should expect from the universe you are inhabiting. Fortunately, it was never so over the top I had to take a step back and confusingly ask myself why that happened. There was always a great flow to why things occurred or why people were acting a certain way. It all fit like puzzle pieces in the brand new world Obsidian created for all of us to enjoy.
Gameplay
There is no denying that Fallout fans will find the gameplay of The Outer Worlds to be very satisfying. Smooth gun mechanics make the first-person shooter element feel right at home in an RPG and had me always pumped to dive right into a gunfight with any of the enemies I came across. This gun gameplay is enhanced even more with the Tactical Time Dilation ability that allows players to slow down time and hit all of those sweet critical shots.
You will also find a vast system of RPG elements that allow players to have their character be strong in areas they deem are the most important. A substantial skill tree and perk system open up the door for a deep level of customization that will in itself provide a different experience than the one your friend my find with their unique character build.
One aspect I found to be very interesting was the Flaws system. Flaws are opportunities to collect even more points to unlock perks. However, they come at a cost in the form of negatively reducing specific skills of yours in certain situations. I am horrible when it comes to jumping in video games. This was made even more evident when The Outer Worlds presented me with a Flaw concerning the high amount of fall damage I had taken. I could receive a perk point by having a set of skills be diminished when high above the ground. This reactive system that rewarded you and at the same penalized you in an area that you had shown to be less than proficient more than grabbed my attention and interest.
Graphics
It would be an understatement to say that there is always something beautiful to look at when you are playing The Outer Worlds. I caught myself countless times, gazing into the surrounding environments I found myself in through my adventure. The space setting allowed Obsidian to expertly craft a multitude of unique worlds that give players a much more extensive range of aesthetically pleasing locations to fight evil corporations or man-eating beasts.
Overall, The Outer Worlds was the space RPG adventure I didn’t think I needed to experience before I jumped in. I was glad I was proven wrong through the first minutes of the game that once again showed me the RPG genre is almost unstoppable when done right.
Our Score 9.5/10
