Despite the ever-growing popularity of online multiplayer games, I still find myself drawn to single player experiences more than anything else. Any game with a solid narrative, decent controls and a world to explore is usually worthy of my time, but certain games have the potential to draw me in for a much longer duration than others. Ever since I got lost in the fantastic open worlds of Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, I’ve been waiting for a solid RPG to come along and it feels like The Outer Worlds is a worthy contender.
Please note: At the time of writing, I haven’t completed the game (I tend to take my time with these things and soak up the atmosphere) but I’ve seen enough to give a reasonably educated opinion. I’ll avoid too much in the way of mission-specific details to avoid spoilers, plus there’s every chance that you will do things very differently to me and make different choices, so it would be potentially pointless anyway.
In essence, you play a mysterious individual who is selected at random to be brought out of a cryogenically frozen state by a slightly deranged scientist, [insert name]. Cue the usual range of options for customisation as you build a character who fits your personal preferences. A small smattering of skill points are available which allow you to tweak their performance in things such as weapon accuracy, melee attacks, defence, charisma and persuasion and all of these will play a pivotal role in how your character evolves over time. Levelling up is done through completing quests, but also through your ongoing performance in battle which means that you can often find yourself with a backlog of perk points and skill attributes to distribute when you go to your inventory.
It quickly becomes apparent that you have been ‘on ice’ for slightly longer than was intended and, to make matters worse, it also appears that you may have been left frozen indefinitely if you hadn’t been the ‘chosen one’ (so to speak). In this near-future, mankind has set out into the realms of space and the monster of Capitalism has expanded exponentially to the point where everyone and everything is owned and fought over by a host of interstellar multinationals. People are no longer citizens with the associated freedoms you may expect, but instead are aligned with a particular brand/company that they work for and defend to the last. This leads to numerous humorous situations with NPCs spouting company propaganda mid-conversation which brought to mind the society in the 90s action classic Demolition Man when the characters explain that advertising has become so common that all music has been replaced with jingles. It’s a neat touch and incredibly well executed through some fine writing.
One of the first things that hit you once you set off on your first mission is the sheer quality of the graphics. Games of this ilk offer endless choices to the player but they are sometimes lacking in sheen and polish. Not so with The Outer Worlds, as it manages to utilise a wide range of effects to bring everything to life. From reflective surfaces to shimmering grass and fauna, the worlds you explore are unique and beautiful Being something of a purist, I opted to turn off every aspect of the HUD in order to gain a more immersive experience and this meant that I was able to truly appreciate the finer details. A case in point came when I killed a small serpent only for it to roll down a hillside, gaining momentum as it twisted over on itself again and again before coming to a stop. It might seem like a small detail but it’s things like this which really make the difference.
As mentioned before, games like Fallout have paved the way for this type of game and it is easy to draw numerous comparisons between the two. There are plenty of similarities in everything from the character models and mission structures to the dialogue options, but the combat in The Outer Worlds is a significant step above its predecessor in my opinion. It’s rare to find an experience that delivers solid gunplay, but it’s clear that the developers wanted to make a game which was heavily action-oriented as well as giving an in-depth adventure to players. There’s a huge range of weapons on offer that can be modified, tweaked and tinkered with to your heart’s content and some of them have brilliant little touches that surprise you on first use and continue to entertain with each subsequent attack. A case in point would be the Inferno Scythe that I happened upon quite early in the game (first few hours during a raid on a bio-lab). As with many of the other melee weapons, you can opt for a swift, weaker swing or a slower, more powerful one by choosing to tap or hold the trigger on the controller. The first time I used it, I turned a corner and was surprised by an unsuspecting opponent with their back to me. Ever the opportunist, I crept up behind him and swung at full pelt. The hit killed him in one swing (bonus points for sneak attacks, obviously) but it left him frozen to the spot and glowing red before he began to disintegrate in front of my eyes (a bit like the vampires in Blade II if you’ve ever seen it). It was great. I actually laughed out loud.
While it’s easy to dismiss this type of game for being a little bit ‘run-of-the-mill’ in terms of the mission types (go here, fetch this, speak to this person, kill this thing), there’s something about immersing yourself in a well-realized universe that simply can’t be matched. The developers, Obsidian, have more than their fair share of experience in creating RPGs so it’s hardly surprising that the game is largely filled with wonderful locations which you can explore at your leisure. Hidden missions, back entrances, alternative routes and overheard conversations offer the chance for you to find places that other players may have skipped over or missed entirely and it’s in this area that the game excels. I have to admit that I ran into a couple of ‘invisible barriers’ in the early hours, but this became much less apparent as time went on. Sure, there is a lot of back and forth at times, but this just adds to a sense of exploration as you realise that veering off from a path you have previously walked can lead to unforeseen surprises (and death, of course). If you like getting lost then this is a great place for you to do it.
Overall, The Outer Worlds is brilliantly executed, tongue-in-cheek, sci-fi romp with plenty to get your teeth into. The main narrative arc is a solid storyline, but the countless side-quests and the opportunities they offer will keep you entertained for months to come if you are so inclined. If you like to keep your options open there are plenty of points where you have to pick a side or make a split decision which means there is more than enough to keep you coming back time and time again. More than anything though, this game is genuinely funny and has lots of surprises along the way which make it stand out from the crowd.
(5/5)
Written By PSY-23
Images: Obsidian
