The Outer Worlds:
The Outer Worlds: Space Capitalism Run Amok
The
Outer Worlds: A Backwater Sci-Fi Adventure
The Outer Worlds contrasts economic inequality from planet to planet. The Emerald Vale region, with the city of Edgewater, is the result of negligence and incompetence inflicted on the under class. The Groundbreaker shows the success of hard work, when allowed to function without a corrupt, hierarchical system. The planet of Monarch contrasts an free spirited exploratory culture against an absurd capitalist consumerism. And in the city of Byzantium on Terra 2, the protagonist witnesses the city crumbling under its own wealth, corruption, and incompetence. Its rulers are selfish, snobbish, cruel, stupid, callous, incompetent, ridiculous, and abominable. They seek to maintain their own position, unable to acknowledge the suffering of their fellow citizens, or to see the truth; their society is collapsing.
Obsidian uses many techniques to tell its story of conflicts. It employs tricks, jokes, revelations, conventional plotting, and engaging characters. Unfortunately, little of it feels surprising or unique. When the player learns of a location on Byzantium where poor and old citizens win a lottery to a paradisal retirement I immediately thought, release, but grimmer. I was correct; release with sewers and murder bots. It elicited a middle chuckle, but also a sigh. I've seen this story before. I wanted to burn Byzantium to the ground, but that isn't an option. The society of Halcyon is detestable, but the player can't alter the situation. They can inflict retribution on a few loathsome elites, but they aren't able to set the city on fire and watch it die.
Phineas Welles believes the system is redeemable, but only with an infusion of new blood; the frozen colonists on the Hope. They can revitalize the corrupt, decaying society, building a vibrant culture. This may eventually come to pass (in The Outer Worlds 2), but it isn't in gameplay, and it isn't satisfying to base an ending on an unearned hope.
I kept waiting for a twist as I neared the conclusion. I expected a betrayal, secret reveal, or surprising reversal, but The Outer Worlds doesn't oblige. Instead it ends with a solid series of epilogue screens, and an upbeat and optimistic tone that clearly sets up a sequel.
A quick look at combat mechanics. If the game had packaged a unique take of its story, I would have enjoyed it; except for the subpar combat. For many people, this type of combat seems conventional. I (see list from the first article) don't enjoy the combat of these games, so it's my fault that I keep playing them.
The protagonist's extended cryofreeze magically grants them the ability to temporarily slow time (tactical time dilation) during combat. Aside from this, combat includes the ability to dodge, run, shoot, and use melee weapons.
The RPG elements include six Attributes, eighteen Skills, a few inconsequential Perks, and optional Flaws. Skills max out at 100 points. By the conclusion I reached the maximum on a handful. Skills are helpful, but not necessary to finish the game, like in say Disco Elysium. The Outer Worlds includes many low level checks, and only rarely does some check (of little consequence) require the maximum number of points.
Combat is silly, and stupid. Enemies and companions run around like beheaded chickens. They either charge directly at the player or stand in place and let the player pick them off one by one. If the player withdraws far enough from a battle the enemy retreats and instantly heals. Enemies take too much damage to defeat, but do so little they aren't a threat. They take too much ammo to defeat, the only point of battles is to loot enemies to replace the ammo and weapon parts (to upgrade weapons) to defeat future enemies. The player is forced to sort through mounds of trash, pilfering, collecting, and breaking down items, and selling them to shops (I don't use consumables). The player continually needs to search for better weapons or upgrades for their current weapons to stay relevant. The player is also forced to break apart unused weapons to create components. Used weapons suffer weapon degradation, which is a terrible mechanic. Either the player loses something of value, or they are forced to waste time maintaining it.
With the initial hours I was already superhuman; unbeatable. Abilities were unnecessary. Enemies weren't threats, and I could defeat them faster with weapons. When my character was level 23 I could one-shot “elite soldiers”. Enemies flinch too much to fight effectively. Combat doesn't require any creativity, nor skill.
Finally, companions. They are useless in combat, but their dialogue and quests are mildly engaging.
In conclusion,
If I had never played an action role-playing game or read a sci-fi novel, The Outer Worlds might be enjoyable. But it's all been done before. It's Fallout, Borderlands, Prey, BioShock, and Mass Effect. It's every popular sci-fi idea that's been done before. The influences are all blended together and splashed out in a mess. Nothing feels new. Not the background details. Not the companions. Not the dialogue, or the plot, or situations that the protagonist finds themselves trapped in. And I really hate the combat and the forced collecting of weapons and equipment.
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The Man Who Had Everything He Wanted: V1
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The Outer Worlds: Space Capitalism Run Amok
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