I bear in mind vividly after 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 recreation. 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 in all 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 when it comes to dimension and scope, and that a lot was clear within the a number of conversations I’ve had with the event workforce when reflecting on it. But after seeing the sequel in motion for the primary time and interviewing key of us at Obsidian, The Outer Worlds 2 looks as if that authentic imaginative and prescient totally realized. For all the main points I’ve been in a position to dig up in regards to the revamped gameplay programs and worldbuilding, the overarching concept was that The Outer Worlds 2 wanted to be a deeper RPG the place participant alternative has extra of an impression in almost all elements of the expertise. And from every part I’ve gathered from our month’s-worth of unique protection, this sequel seems prefer it’s stepping in the correct path.
What I’ve seen to date relies on an early construct of the sport, all of which has been via hands-off demos, and all of the footage you’ve seen was supplied by Obsidian. So whereas I haven’t performed it but, The Outer Worlds 2 is to this point reminding me of among the finest components of the studio’s lengthy checklist of RPGs, the place unconventional playstyles are viable and unpredictable selections 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 have been stats that you just invested in as you leveled up, have been put aside for a heavier deal with Skills – a complete of 12 (together with staples like Engineering, Explosives, Guns, Hacking, Leadership, and extra) now dictate how your character capabilities. While this will look like additional streamlining, the objective is to ensure the factors you set into varied Skills have a extra noticeable impression all through the method of leveling up, versus the minute results you’d really feel within the outdated Attributes system. Of course, I can’t converse to how this involves fruition in a full playthrough, however there are different programs in place that feed into the concept that these mechanical choices can have an effect on your character in greater methods.
That results in Perks, of which there shall be about 90 to select from. There are particular Skill ranges wanted to realize entry to sure Perks, however these are mentioned to supply important adjustments to what you are able to do in fight, conversations, exploration, and extra. One instance is a Perk that permits you to intention, fireplace, and reload whereas sprinting and sliding for individuals who wish 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 Space Ranger Perk that permits you to convert factors in your Speech Skill into harm bonuses in battle. Dialogue branches could fluctuate primarily based on the Skills and Perks you’ve got (extra so than the unique), or your character could choose up on issues within the setting they wouldn’t be capable to in any other case, so the outcomes of your construct aren’t simply remoted in fight situations. Those are only a few examples of how these programs feed into particular playstyles with the intention of rewarding you for the way in which by which you’re specialised.
Then there are Traits that stack further everlasting results that you just wouldn’t essentially get via Perks. The catch is that if you wish to take extra Positive Traits, you must additionally choose Negative Traits, and that’s the place issues can get attention-grabbing. I’m truly inquisitive about how I’d play with one thing like “Dumb” the place I’d need to lock myself out from ever placing factors into 5 of the 12 Skills, or “Sickly” the place I’d take decrease well being and poisonous resistance. It looks as if a trade-off that may very well be value it, relying on how I wish to construct out my character.
But if you wish to lean extra into unconventional mechanics, accounting for stuff you often wouldn’t in different RPGs – enter the brand new Flaws system. Like within the authentic, the sport is watching your habits after which providing everlasting bonuses at the price of a everlasting detractor relying on the way you play. However, 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 situations that may have main ramifications for the way you’ll play the sport, must you take a Flaw. I solely acquired to see two of them, however they converse to the philosophy behind them. Sungazer gives regenerative well being outdoor through 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 occasions. Or in the event you rapidly skip via dialogue selections incessantly, Foot-in-Mouth gives a everlasting XP bonus whereas forcing you to make all future dialogue selections 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 power 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 mentioned there are round 30 Flaws in whole, and my hope is that the incentives shall be well worth the trade-off, and that they’re inbuilt a means that it gained’t be simple to avoid their results, which might diminish their impression.
All that mentioned, it’s clear that Obsidian put a whole lot of thought into easy methods to 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 need to construct out your character with just a little extra care. Hands-off demos can solely inform me a lot, so I’m anticipating every part else round The Outer Worlds 2 to convey out the perfect in these programs and push me to have interaction with them past the floor stage.
That sounds all properly and good, and the temporary gameplay sequences I noticed have been additionally promising. While the primary recreation had approachability on the forefront, The Outer Worlds 2 seems prefer it’s providing extra variability with an online of programs that come collectively for one thing a bit extra refined. For instance, we now have precise stealth mechanics with a greater detection system, correct stealth kills, and situations by which this strategy would make sense – and options resembling harm bar read-outs inform you whether or not or not a stealth assault shall be value it. The N-Ray Scanner is among the new devices you’ll use, and this allows you to see via partitions and detect cloaked enemies or key objects hidden within the setting, but it surely’ll expend your mana-like power – it’s a device that’s conducive to this playstyle, and I’m in search of how this strategy could be sustained all through.
Judging from the temporary run of the N-Ray Facility, for instance, I noticed snippets of that in motion, which leans into this specific playstyle I want. This stage was additionally ripe for enjoying 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 means into first-person RPGs, but it surely’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) – seems 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 free, the triple-barrel shotgun will most likely be an outdated dependable in my playthrough. And I’m positive I’ll be saving these uncommon pictures I’ll discover for this recreation’s model of the BFG for the hardest fights.
But with Obsidian trying to video games like Destiny when it comes to remodeling gunplay, I feel it’s a net-positive for the way the sport feels on a moment-to-moment foundation. There’s an emphasis on higher mobility, smarter enemy habits, and assorted enemy sorts, together with that wider, extra inventive arsenal. But there’s additionally no extra stage 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 stage design excite me, and seeing interiors just like the Zyranium Lab be noticeably greater and complex with a number of paths has me eager about the gameplay potentialities. But its massive open zones are additionally a key level on this sequel. I’ve mentioned in earlier protection that greater 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 facet tales and helpful loot in a means that the primary recreation didn’t. Points of curiosity out within the distance are constructed deliberately and are mentioned to be positioned for a purpose and draw gamers to these places and uncover quests off the crushed path. This is all primarily based on a quick walkthrough of Golden Ridge, which is the one open zone I noticed, and it does look like there’s much more happening on the floor stage. And I hope that this design philosophy extends to the remainder of The Outer Worlds 2’s open areas.
Finally, Obsidian wasn’t able to share many particulars on story or companions, however recreation director Brandon Adler hinted at a world-changing occasion taking place early on when touchdown on Golden Ridge, and that being indicative of the forms of narrative swings they’re going for. Creative director Leonard Boyarsky, who was one of many authentic Fallout builders, spoke to how the workforce 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 companies, and people in energy, will exert and abuse their energy on these seen beneath them. It appears a significant component in conveying these themes shall be via factions – The Protectorate, The Order of the Ascendant, and Auntie’s Choice (a merger between Auntie Cleo and Spacer’s Choice from the primary recreation). While companions are elective, it seems they’ll be an necessary lens via 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 immediately replicate the occasions by which it was made – and that’s largely been the philosophy that guided the outdated Fallout video games, together with New Vegas.
Overall, I get the impression that Obsidian is making an attempt to keep away from homogeneity in its gameplay programs, and construct worlds with questlines and encounters that tease out the various choices you’ve got this time round. You can have complicated and artistic programs to toy with, however in the end, it’s a way for participating 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 collection reaching its full potential. And that’s one thing we’ll need to see when The Outer Worlds 2 comes out later this 12 months.
