One of the most exciting games to be revealed in the past few years was Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds. Announced during The Game Awards in 2018, it looked to be a deeply unique take on the open-world format. Obsidian, unchained from a particular franchise and allowed to run free with their wild ideas.
The game is set in an alternate future where mega-corporations have doomed society thanks to political apathy, leading to business-owned colonies and capitalist ruin. Your character is a rogue unfrozen from cryosleep, let loose to figure out the murky dealings behind the corporations that control The Outer Worlds.
One of the reasons many were excited for this game was due to the success of Fallout: New Vegas, the Obsidian-developed darling RPG that has loomed heavy on the gaming subconscious ever since it’s release. The game is widely revered as one of the finest RPG games of all time, and that’s without delving into Obsidian’s back catalogue where there are plenty more of that criteria to pick from.
The Outer Worlds looks like much more of the same, but there are particular areas in which the studio are building on the formula they found great success with.
Tactical Time Dilation
You either love V.A.T.S or you’re a liar. In Fallout, there’s not many better feelings than eviscerating the limb of a mutant with your rifle from miles away, or popping the head off a fellow town dweller when they try to turn on you after a haggle gone wrong. Obsidian know this and have decided to create their own system for The Outer Worlds. Tactical Time Dilation is a much less intrusive tactical aiming system which affords the player the ability to mitigate the flow of time, study an opponent and line up the perfect headshot whilst you direct your companions to sweep up the mobs.
Spaceship hub space
Another intersesting facet of The Outer Worlds is the fact you can have a hub space in the form of your spaceship, which is unlocked early in the game. Where you could have a home of some description in New Vegas, this travelling home base will create another layer of immersion and allow you to feel like you’re truly part of Obsidian’s world. The ship also doubles as your fast-travel system, which is a more natural method of traversing the varied environments,
Companions
Living on your spaceship hub will be your companions, with many to choose from throughout the game. Obsidian has built the companions to have their own personalities, and they will often butt in on conversations to give their opinion, and can potentially leave your party if you judge a situation poorly in a way that affects their moral code. You can also follow the ‘leader’ skill tree to receive perks that will be focused on making your companions more efficient in battle.
Honourable mentions
Stealth has received a bump in efficiency thanks to the ability to wear disguises tied to each corporation, so you can explore compounds and keep hidden to engage in sneak attacks or get an advantage during a mission. Special weapons also return including a working shrink ray, and the perk system has been enhanced thanks to the introduction of flaws, where players will suffer a discrediting ailment if they are damaged during combat by a specific enemy, essentially a de buff to offset the power of perks.
The Outer Worlds will launch on the Epic Games Store, PS4 and Xbox One this October 25th.
