The Outer Worlds Review

The Outer Worlds is a sci-fi role-playing action game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Private Division.

Released in 2019 for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Microsoft Windows consoles, over 2 million copies of the games have been sold, a good number for what seems like the first entrant of a series. 

It features a futuristic plot, where you find yourself lost in transit while on a colonist ship traveling to the farthest edge of the galaxy.

Awakening decades later, in 2355, you find yourself amidst a scheme to damage the Halcyon system. 

The character you choose unfolds the rest of the storyline as you travel and explore the extremities of space, allying with non-playable characters with individual storylines that will accompany you to several missions to save the Halcyon system.

The Outer Worlds received critical acclaim upon release, with praises directed at its gameplay and storyline. 

Let’s take you through its gameplay and give you a detailed review of The Outer Worlds.

The Outer Worlds Gameplay

The Outer Worlds is featured in a first-person perspective, rendered from the view of the player.

As a role-playing game, players would assume control of an oblivious game character, a stranger to travel through space.

Space ships are provided, but players may not control them directly; nevertheless, it serves as the player’s inventory. 

Non-playable characters can be recruited to act as allies in combat, providing specific skills and special attacks while possessing their missions and stories.

Players explore planets and space stations, which they can do with two non-playable characters.

During exploration, players can discover zones loaded with loot and side quests, acquire sci-fi gadgets for quest givers, and make several entertaining dialogue decisions that affect the game’s supplementary plots. 

Players can also have conversations with non-playable characters, responding in various ways, heroically, enthusiastically, or agitatedly.

Enemies are distinct—face rush melee types, dog types, and sniper types.

Combat may not be too demanding but requires tactical elegance; players can even avoid battle using social skills like enticement, lying, and coercion.

Gaining experience points XP is essential since players can use it to improve new skills and personality traits like perception and intelligence, and unlock more dialogue selections.

They can also develop technical skills in medical, science, and engineering aspects to boost combat competence. 

The more players build their characters’ skills, the more their non-playable allies will enhance their combat skills.

Players might have ‘faults,’ which may affect them negatively and positively.

They can also put themselves in a ‘Tactical Time Dilation’ mode, which slows down when in combat situations, revealing the enemies’ health levels.

The Outer Worlds Weaponry

Players are provided with an arsenal of weapons and create some using their technical skills.

They can also customize weapons, improving their appearance, capacity, or modifying their damage type. 

During combat situations, players can use melee or firearms, which can be equipped or set to light, heavy, and energy modes.

Depending on the enemies players face, they can choose energy or electric weapons.

Energy weapons kill animals, electric weapons kill robots, and anything can be used to kill humans. 

After gaining enough XP, players can unlock the shrink ray, which they can use to shrink enemies or use the Jetsons-style sci-fi weapon.

There’s also a light parry system available; this feature allows players to block attacks accurately and rebound enemies.

The Outer Worlds Review

The Outer World is one of a kind, a blockbuster, and an intuitive game.

The game is amazingly well-written and quite interactive as players can explore the open-world and converse with non-playable characters throughout the game.

The level of enthusiasm displayed in the player’s dialogue and non-playable characters’ actions is laudable; enemies ardently scream when they are attacked, and players can choose how they respond to their allies’ regular conversions. 

Players’ NPC companions may have meaningless stories and features, but their routine and diverse conversations are vital in keeping the exploration mission alive.

Obsidian brilliantly drove persuasion than combat as the game’s overall motive.

Voice acting and sounds are impressive; however, while speaking with NPC companions, they are motionless and may bore players.

The extreme zoom when players initiate conversation may also be annoying, forcing players to avoid NPC conversations.

Succumbing to weakness is one smart and rare feature included in its gameplay, like stooping to conquer. 

Although the game may seem violent in plot and pretty aimless for a while, The Outer Worlds’ gameplay and citizens are exceptionally cheerful.

The game’s comic relief is stunning, injecting humorous scenes in enemies’ horrific deaths.

It’s funny and has glided sly references to other games and sci-fi shows, which excites sci-fi fans.

The Outer Worlds’ very colorful art style cannot be underemphasized, traveling through space stations and robot-infested facilities in a colorful universe with first-rate spaceships.

Players may even find themselves more obsessed with the game’s beautiful sceneries that its missions, incited by the beauty of exploration and space travel.

However, quick texture popping may be experienced when players load into a new area.

The Outer Worlds Verdict

The Outer Worlds is a massive success for Obsidian, putting it among first-rate games they’ve developed like The Elder’s Scrolls.

Its visuals are top-notch, the storyline is creative, and the gameplay is tactical.

Players would find it very exciting and neurotic as they explore, engage in comic combats, and persuade NPCs.

However, Obsidian Entertainment may work on a multiplayer feature as players may find the game lackluster after completing all its missions.

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