I bear in mind vividly once I first caught wind of The Outer Worlds again in 2018 – my managing editor on the time talked about his preview of what developer Obsidian was engaged on; an authentic first-person RPG with the makings of a Fallout sport. As somebody who nonetheless gained’t shut up about Fallout: New Vegas to today, that was music to my ears. It turned out to be one among my favourite video games of 2019, however as an alternative of anticipating it to be the following coming of Fallout, I noticed it extra as a brand new basis for Obsidian to work inside.
There have been sure limitations to what the primary Outer Worlds may very well be by way of measurement and scope, and that a lot was clear within the a number of conversations I’ve had with the event staff when reflecting on it. However after seeing the sequel in motion for the primary time and interviewing key people at Obsidian, The Outer Worlds 2 looks like that authentic imaginative and prescient totally realized. For all the main points I’ve been in a position to dig up concerning the revamped gameplay techniques and worldbuilding, the overarching concept was that The Outer Worlds 2 wanted to be a deeper RPG the place participant selection has extra of an affect in practically all points of the expertise. And from every little thing I’ve gathered from our month’s-worth of unique protection, this sequel appears prefer it’s stepping in the proper path.
What I’ve seen so far is predicated on an early construct of the sport, all of which has been by means of hands-off demos, and all of the footage you’ve seen was offered by Obsidian. So whereas I haven’t performed it but, The Outer Worlds 2 is to this point reminding me of a number of the greatest elements of the studio’s lengthy listing of RPGs, the place unconventional playstyles are viable and unpredictable decisions and outcomes are intrinsic to the roleplaying facet, asking you to roll with the punches no matter whether or not or not it’s deemed “optimum,” and this manifests in a number of methods.
Attributes, which had been stats that you just invested in as you leveled up, have been put aside for a heavier concentrate on Abilities – a complete of 12 (together with staples like Engineering, Explosives, Weapons, Hacking, Management, and extra) now dictate how your character capabilities. Whereas this may increasingly look like additional streamlining, the purpose is to verify the factors you set into varied Abilities have a extra noticeable affect all through the method of leveling up, versus the minute results you’d really feel within the previous Attributes system. In fact, I can’t communicate to how this involves fruition in a full playthrough, however there are different techniques in place that feed into the concept these mechanical selections can have an effect on your character in larger methods.
That results in Perks, of which there will likely be about 90 to select from. There are particular Ability ranges wanted to achieve entry to sure Perks, however these are stated to supply vital modifications to what you are able to do in fight, conversations, exploration, and extra. One instance is a Perk that allows you to intention, fireplace, and reload whereas sprinting and sliding for individuals who need to strategy enemies with the mentality of a standard shooter. Or the Serial Killer and Psychopath Perks that grant bonuses for individuals who strive a way more violent playthrough. Or the House Ranger Perk that allows you to convert factors in your Speech Ability into injury bonuses in battle. Dialogue branches could differ based mostly on the Abilities and Perks you have got (extra so than the unique), or your character could choose up on issues within the setting they wouldn’t be capable of in any other case, so the outcomes of your construct aren’t simply remoted in fight situations. These are only a few examples of how these techniques feed into particular playstyles with the intention of rewarding you for the best way during which you’re specialised.
Then there are Traits that stack further everlasting results that you just wouldn’t essentially get by means of Perks. The catch is that if you wish to take extra Optimistic Traits, you need to additionally choose Adverse Traits, and that’s the place issues can get fascinating. I’m really interested in how I’d play with one thing like “Dumb” the place I’d must lock myself out from ever placing factors into 5 of the 12 Abilities, or “Sickly” the place I’d take decrease well being and poisonous resistance. It looks like a trade-off that may very well be value it, relying on how I need to construct out my character.
However if you wish to lean extra into unconventional mechanics, accounting for belongings you normally wouldn’t in different RPGs – enter the brand new Flaws system. Like within the authentic, the sport is watching your conduct after which providing everlasting bonuses at the price of a everlasting detractor relying on the way you play. Nonetheless, The Outer Worlds 2 goes deeper on this concept – you’re not simply provided a Perk level in the event you take a Flaw. Flaws now have bespoke standing results and circumstances that may have main ramifications for a way you’ll play the sport, do you have to take a Flaw. I solely received to see two of them, however they communicate to the philosophy behind them. Sungazer provides regenerative well being outdoor in the course of the day at the price of excessive visible lens flare and decreased accuracy, and that’s activated by staring into the solar a number of instances. Or in the event you rapidly skip by means of dialogue decisions often, Foot-in-Mouth provides a everlasting XP bonus whereas forcing you to make all future dialogue decisions in a 15-second window – and if that timer runs out, the sport will choose for you, which can result in some unintended penalties. There’s one other Flaw that’ll drive you to just accept all future Flaws it doesn’t matter what, and Obsidian hinted at one that can account for individuals who save scum, however that is still to be seen – it’s weird concepts like these that may shake up playthroughs. Obsidian stated there are round 30 Flaws in whole, and my hope is that the incentives will likely be definitely worth the trade-off, and that they’re in-built a approach that it gained’t be simple to bypass their results, which may diminish their affect.
All that stated, it’s clear that Obsidian put quite a lot of thought into rebuild its RPG mechanics with the intention of creating one thing that’s extra reactive and impactful, or a minimum of purposeful alongside the development path. And with no respec past the intro mission, you’ll must construct out your character with just a little extra care. Arms-off demos can solely inform me a lot, so I’m anticipating every little thing else round The Outer Worlds 2 to carry out the very best in these techniques and push me to have interaction with them past the floor degree.
That sounds all effectively and good, and the transient gameplay sequences I noticed had been additionally promising. Whereas the primary sport had approachability on the forefront, The Outer Worlds 2 appears prefer it’s providing extra variability with an online of techniques that come collectively for one thing a bit extra subtle. For instance, we now have precise stealth mechanics with a greater detection system, correct stealth kills, and situations during which this strategy would make sense – and options akin to injury bar read-outs let you know whether or not or not a stealth assault will likely be value it. The N-Ray Scanner is without doubt one of the new devices you’ll use, and this allows you to see by means of partitions and detect cloaked enemies or key objects hidden within the setting, nevertheless it’ll expend your mana-like vitality – it’s a software that’s conducive to this playstyle, and I’m searching for how this strategy will be sustained all through.
Judging from the transient run of the N-Ray Facility, for instance, I noticed snippets of that in motion, which leans into this explicit playstyle I want. This degree was additionally ripe for taking part in it like an immersive sim, and it gave me hints of Deus Ex or Dishonored, particularly with the way you navigate the extent and discover completely different paths. I do know the DNA of these video games will all the time discover their approach into first-person RPGs, nevertheless it’s one thing that wasn’t fairly as current within the first Outer Worlds, and really a lot obvious on this sequel.
And whereas I’m excited for stealth choices and wielding the setting to create paths ahead, the punched-up gunplay and addition of devices reveals an enchancment in fight approaches throughout the board. The aforementioned sprint-slide-firing Perk – together with the returning Tactical Time Dilation (TTD) – appears to be a lethal combo in a firefight, however some wild distinctive weapons just like the crank-powered sniper rifle referred to as the Planet Killer or the advertisement-blasting Pop Gun that’ll distract enemies, widen your toolset. When all hell breaks unfastened, the triple-barrel shotgun will in all probability be an previous dependable in my playthrough. And I’m positive I’ll be saving these uncommon pictures I’ll discover for this sport’s model of the BFG for the hardest fights.
However with Obsidian trying to video games like Future by way of remodeling gunplay, I believe it’s a net-positive for a way the sport feels on a moment-to-moment foundation. There’s an emphasis on higher mobility, smarter enemy conduct, and diverse enemy sorts, together with that wider, extra artistic arsenal. However there’s additionally no extra degree scaling, and so there’s been extra consideration in how issue works in The Outer Worlds 2 with tiered enemies and static ranges for encounters throughout the sport, letting encounters be designed with extra intent, particularly with the place the designers will funnel gamers and create friction.
The extra intimate particulars of degree design excite me, and seeing interiors just like the Zyranium Lab be noticeably larger and complicated with a number of paths has me serious about the gameplay potentialities. However its giant open zones are additionally a key level on this sequel. I’ve stated in earlier protection that larger doesn’t all the time imply higher, and Obsidian is conscious of that. So, The Outer Worlds 2 has an emphasis on density and rewarding gamers who poke round its areas with extra aspect tales and helpful loot in a approach that the primary sport didn’t. Factors of curiosity out within the distance are constructed deliberately and are stated to be positioned for a purpose and draw gamers to these areas and uncover quests off the overwhelmed path. That is all based mostly on a short walkthrough of Golden Ridge, which is the one open zone I noticed, and it does look like there’s much more occurring on the floor degree. And I hope that this design philosophy extends to the remainder of The Outer Worlds 2’s open areas.
Lastly, Obsidian wasn’t able to share many particulars on story or companions, however sport director Brandon Adler hinted at a world-changing occasion taking place early on when touchdown on Golden Ridge, and that being indicative of the kinds of narrative swings they’re going for. Inventive director Leonard Boyarsky, who was one of many authentic Fallout builders, spoke to how the staff is considering The Outer Worlds 2’s story. He talked about being sharper with its humorous tone whereas going deeper on its commentary about how firms, and people in energy, will exert and abuse their energy on these seen under them. It appears a significant component in conveying these themes will likely be by means of factions – The Protectorate, The Order of the Ascendant, and Auntie’s Alternative (a merger between Auntie Cleo and Spacer’s Alternative from the primary sport). Whereas companions are non-obligatory, it seems they’ll be an vital lens by means of which you navigate and perceive the world. Boyarsky additionally emphasised the intention of creating a narrative that may stand the check of time with its dissection of the human situation, reasonably than straight mirror the instances during which it was made – and that’s largely been the philosophy that guided the previous Fallout video games, together with New Vegas.
General, I get the impression that Obsidian is attempting to keep away from homogeneity in its gameplay techniques, and construct worlds with questlines and encounters that tease out the numerous choices you have got this time round. You possibly can have advanced and inventive techniques to toy with, however finally, it’s a method for partaking with the charming tales tucked inside the place we now have a definite function to play. If the unique Outer Worlds was Obsidian constructing the framework, my hope is that this sequel is the sequence reaching its full potential. And that’s one thing we’ll must see when The Outer Worlds 2 comes out later this 12 months.