WhenThe Outer Worldswas first announced many saw it as Obsidian Entertainment’s attempt to establish its ownFallout-style satirical sci-fi series. Not only had many of the game’s developers worked on Obsidian’sFallout: New Vegas, but it was even directed byFalloutcreators Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky.
Taking place in the hyper-corporate Halcyon system,The Outer Worldsbrought back some of the world-building and creativity that defined theFalloutfranchise’s early years while still using the Bethesda-style first-person RPG format introduced inFallout 3. The setting and style ofThe Outer Worldswas praised by many players, but the game was not without its flaws. Here’s why Obsidian should take onThe Outer Worlds 2, and how a sequel could realize the IP’s full potential.
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Obsidian And Bethesda
It’s practically impossible to break down the potential future ofThe Outer Worldswithout exploring the history between Obsidian Entertainment and Bethesda. Many Obsidian developers once worked at Black Isle Studios, the studio behindFallout 2. Bethesda then acquired the rights to theFalloutfranchise and changed the series from an isometric format to anOblivion-style first-person RPG.
The product of that acquisition,Fallout 3, was a financial success, and Obsidian Entertainment was given the opportunity to work onFallout: New Vegasas a third-party developer. WhenFallout: New Vegasreceived an 84 score on Metacritic, however, Obsidian was denied a bonus by Bethesda that relied on the game getting an 85 average review score. This led to the cancellation of other projects at Obsidian, despiteNew Vegas' critical success.
The Outer Worldsis, at least partially, an attempt by Obsidian to tell aFallout-style story in a tonally similar setting without working with Bethesda. However, whileFallout: New Vegaswas built using the assets and engine fromFallout 3,The Outer Worldshad to be developed entirely in-house. Obsidian’s ability to tell great stories was shown inNew Vegas, butThe Outer Worldshas another problem entirely.
The Outer Worlds' Shortcomings
There is a noticeable lack of interactivity acrossThe Outer Worldsthat sticks out in contrast to theFalloutandElder Scrollsgames. Items and bodies can not be manipulated, and players can’t even sit in the captain’s chair of their own ship. Bethesda may not be known for its character-driven storytelling, but its engine’s relatively robust physics go a long way to making the worlds in Bethesda RPGs feel worth exploring.
The Outer Worldsis an impressive RPG, but there are areas whereThe Outer Worldsfeels like it is taking a step backwards within the genre. Players can’t loot everything they see on a body like they can inFalloutorSkyrim, there are just two main planets to explore, there are no romances in the game, and the enemy types and the player’s options for dealing with them lack variation,
The Outer Worlds' has no crafting system, some companions like SAM have almost no dialogue or associated quests, and many of the game’s side quests involved running between two NPCs for a reward with few opportunities to make meaningful choices along the way outside the main story. Characters like Vicar Max and Parvati show theThe Outer Worlds' ability to create compelling companions, but their development is uneven compared to some of the other followers in the game.
Some of the areas in-game also remind players of the setting’s potential why still feel underwhelming. When players first enter The Groundbreaker, their initial perspective makes the station’s commercial area look like Times Square, but under close inspection it is revealed that the area contains just a few stores. Similarly, players only get access to a tiny slice of thecity of Byzantium, and there are many areas in-game which can be seen but not explored. As with its physics and interactivityThe Outer Worlds' ambition feels held back by its technical limitations.
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New Frontiers
In the end,The Outer Worldsends up striking a strange balance. Its story is more engaging and character-driven than the stories found in an open-world game likeSkyrimorFallout 3, and showsObsidian’s ability to push the boundaries of storytelling within the genre’s limits. Some of the strengths of Bethesda’s style like the breadth and the interactivity of its worlds, however, are far more limited inThe Outer Worlds.
The Outer Worlds 2could easily point to the first game as proof of concept when it comes to setting and storytelling, while expanding on the key technical areas in which the first game is lacking. In terms of storytellingThe Outer Worldsmay have even greater potential than theFalloutfranchise.The Outer Worlds 2could go elsewhere in the galaxy to tell a totally self-contained story that still has extremely high stakes. In contrast, fan hopes for a sequel toFallout: New Vegascould be held back by the difficulty returning to a location from a previousFalloutgame without establishing some of the choices the player character made in the firstNew Vegas.
Obsidian has shown time and again that it has mastered a certain kind of RPG formula. What it needs now is the opportunity and resources to push the boundaries of that formula as well.The Outer Worldsestablished that Obsidian can make a strongBethesda-style first-person RPG without Bethesda’s involvement, but it also showed some of the difficulties working without Bethesda’s assets.The Outer Worlds 2could be an opportunity for Obsidian to expand what fans think is possible within the first-person RPG genre, instead of just executing the existing formula well.
Money has always been more of a concern for Obsidian than Bethesda, however. Obsidian is currently working onAvowed, a fantasy RPG which will take the setting of Obsidian’sPillars of EternityRPGs and use it for a first-person game that it is hoped will reach a wider audience. Hopefully as Obsidian continues to prove its ability to tell great stories it will also be able to rely on more time and funding, and a series likeThe Outer Worldswill be able to realize its full potential.
The Outer Worldsis available now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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