The Outer Worlds 2 Review – Minority Mindset

Certain themes in fantasy and fiction consistently inspire fresh stories, no matter how often they’re explored. Medieval settings remain a popular choice for fantasy, paranormal elements continue to captivate horror fans, and the mysteries of space endlessly fuel science fiction.

Okay, so it’s not a brand new star we’re checking out this time! It’s actually one I’ve seen before – thankfully, it’s still shining bright, it hasn’t gone supernova or anything like that. It’s good to see a familiar face in the universe!

The Outer Worlds 2 is aiming to deliver a fantastic experience for fans. It promises exciting, action-packed combat, clever and funny writing, quirky characters, and a deep RPG system with tons of content and memorable companions, all packed with powerful weapons.

This game has everything I could ask for in a role-playing game. The original had a great foundation, but felt too short – fans wanted more content, and this delivers! And thankfully, I’m legally obligated to tell you how it does so.

Bigger & Better

I’ve already mentioned my main problem with the first Outer Worlds game, so let’s begin there. I really enjoyed the original, but it felt very short – if you didn’t take your time, you could easily finish it without fully experiencing everything it had to offer.

Okay, so even if you really loved the first game and played everything it had to offer, this sequel still probably won’t be enough for someone who’s played a ton of big, open-world RPGs. If you’re used to those massive AAA titles, you’ll likely still be wanting more.

It’s great to see that Obsidian listened to user feedback and created something even better than what people were originally requesting.

The game immediately immerses you in a rich world with plenty of backstory, details, and interesting stories, but it presents them subtly. You can explore terminals filled with lore and clues if you’re curious, but you can also enjoy the experience as a standard Earth Directorate Agent without needing to delve into all the extra information.

It’s because there’s so much to do as soon as you wake up after a long period of rest, finding yourself in a completely different world.

Each location in the game has a main path to follow that helps you find your goal and move the story forward. However, you’ll get the most out of the experience by also exploring the optional side quests and interesting details each area has to offer.

…there’s just so much more Crabble meat on the bone.

Paradise Island is the game’s starting area, but it’s just the beginning. While the game picks up pace later on, you can easily lose yourself in Paradise Island for over 15 hours completing side quests, finding collectibles, and experiencing the detailed world.

Honestly, that pretty much sums up the whole game for me. It still has that cool idea of exploring a small open world and getting involved in local politics like the first one, but this time around, they’ve really packed in a ton more content and things to do – it’s just so much richer and more satisfying!

It can feel tiring to finish one part of a large game world and then start all over again in a completely new area. However, this design choice allows each section of the game to be carefully made and enjoyable on its own, instead of feeling like just another piece of a huge, daunting map.

Rifts, Relationships & Ridiculousness

After expanding the initial, smaller ideas into a full-scale game, you might expect the original’s unique personality to suffer. But Obsidian consistently delivers exceptional world-building and beautiful writing that truly makes its worlds come alive, and that hasn’t changed here.

While they benefited from a solid starting point, Obsidian deserves praise. Whenever text appears, it consistently offers something new to discover, discuss, wonder about, or even laugh at.

The different groups in this game feel well-developed and their beliefs are convincing, even within the game’s often silly setting. Most characters you meet feel important to the world around them, and quests usually connect to each other, creating a unique experience where no two players will have quite the same adventure.

The first game had a strong main story, but its side quests and overall world felt unfinished. This time, everything is much more polished and consistent, creating a truly immersive experience. It feels like you’re an important part of a living, breathing world that existed long before you arrived and will continue to thrive after you’re gone.

Skip (Drive) To The Good Part

Honestly, I could talk forever about how amazing each planet and location is in The Outer Worlds 2! It’s just so captivating. You’ve got these crazy scenarios, like taking orders from a Mantisaur who’s your boss, or fighting against this over-the-top capitalist, Auntie Cleo. And the dialogue! You can say anything, which leads to so much fun and chaos. It’s just packed with these really great, memorable moments throughout your journey.

The game world is really engaging, with lots of different groups and plenty of side missions to keep you busy. But honestly, the main story didn’t really capture my interest.

The game’s story centers around De Vries, a fellow agent from Earth Directorate who goes rogue. He creates massive disruptions across Arcadia and is responsible for the death of almost your entire team, forcing you to flee in an escape pod.

Ten years after being unexpectedly taken from space, almost like a prize from an arcade game, your story of seeking revenge begins. However, you never truly felt a strong drive to find this woman, solve the puzzle of what happened, and get even.

The story shines when it focuses on the different groups involved and how your choices affect them. However, the main villain just didn’t grab my attention, and I found myself getting sidetracked by unimportant tasks instead of feeling invested in saving the world.

This reminds me a lot of the Benny questline in Fallout: New Vegas. It feels like the developers were intentionally going for that same vibe. However, Benny was a much more unpleasant and ruthless character, and his betrayal felt far more cold-blooded.

For me, the main story felt secondary to everything else the game offered. Luckily, that’s okay in an open-world RPG – you’re free to play however you want! If you’re hoping for a compelling central narrative, you’ll enjoy the game more by exploring everything it has to offer, rather than focusing solely on the main quest. That’s where the game truly shines.

FPS: Forgettable Pew-Pew Simulator

Players of the original Outer Worlds often praised how well the shooting felt. This was likely because other first-person RPGs with gunplay hadn’t quite nailed it, but people still really enjoyed the combat in the game.

I agree with judging it based on how good it was compared to other games when it came out. It was a well-made, polished shooter that kept things interesting between story scenes. But after more than five years, it feels like the game hasn’t really improved. The best parts of the combat are still the same, and the worst parts might even be worse than before.

The AI in this game is remarkably weak during combat. Battles usually involve simply shooting at enemies who barely react to anything you do – they don’t move much, don’t respond to your tactics, and seem to have trouble even registering basic changes in the environment, like you jumping onto higher ground.

You can say what you like about Avowed, but its combat was truly innovative, exciting, and enjoyable. However, the combat in The Outer Worlds 2 feels much less advanced by comparison.

Several times, I braced myself for a big battle, but the enemy boss just stood there, practically begging me to shoot them. It wasn’t a rare glitch; this happened frequently during fights.

While better combat could have helped, it often feels repetitive and lacks depth, reminding some of the simple gameplay in Borderlands. However, unlike Borderlands, the shooting, enemy intelligence, and range of combat options aren’t engaging enough to make up for it.

Honestly, the game feels a little rough around the edges, and that really shows in how the stealth works. It’s almost too easy to just sprint through areas while crouching and completely bypass enemies. I found I could snag stuff without getting caught pretty easily, and even if I did alert an enemy, just crouching and moving quickly usually shook them off. It’s not exactly challenging!

If 2025 wasn’t such a chaotic year, I might have been able to figure things out by considering Obsidian’s usual strength in turn-based combat games. However, the game Avowed complicates that approach.

You can say what you like about Avowed, but its combat was truly impressive – fresh, fast-paced, and enjoyable. However, the combat in The Outer Worlds 2 just doesn’t compare; it feels much less advanced.

Okay, so it gets the job done in between really great RPGs, which is a relief. But honestly, it could have been so much more! The combat and stealth missions, especially when you crank up the difficulty, can feel like a real grind. It’s a bit of a letdown, to be honest.

Depth By Design

The game struggles whenever it throws you into a fight. It’s a clear weakness. But if combat wasn’t so central to the experience, this would easily be considered one of the best RPGs ever made, and that’s no exaggeration.

It’s important to remember this isn’t a classic computer RPG like those based on Dungeons & Dragons, so you won’t have the same level of freedom. However, as a traditional open-world game, The Outer Worlds 2 truly shines, creating exciting and unpredictable gameplay experiences.

I mistakenly thought the game would only seem to let you make choices, but I was wrong. I’m happy to admit it! Obsidian has truly created an incredibly detailed and nuanced RPG.

From the start, your character’s creation – including their appearance, history, and abilities – significantly impacts your experience. These choices determine how you interact with the game world, the options available to you, and how other characters perceive you.

What really stands out in The Outer Worlds 2 is the depth of choice it offers. In all my years playing RPGs, I’ve rarely seen a game where decisions have such far-reaching consequences. Almost every quest has multiple paths and outcomes, and your choices can impact not just the current quest, but also ones you undertake many hours later. It’s a level of interconnectedness I’ve only experienced a few times.

Even the game’s main menu is completely different now – it’s designed like a text conversation with a mysterious, all-knowing narrator who seems to comment on your progress. The developers have really focused on making the game world feel completely immersive, and they’ve changed everything to achieve that.

As a fan, I’m really excited because this game isn’t just offering the usual stuff. It’s got these awesome perks that fit how you want to play, and even flaws that actually make things more challenging and encourage you to try different approaches. Plus, the different factions feel really important – your choices actually matter and have a real impact on the world. It all adds up to something genuinely special, and I can’t wait to dive in!

It’s fascinating how small, unexpected details – like being careful not to make noise with aching knees while sneaking around, or nervously avoiding looking at your gear in case the game takes it away – can change how you play far more than any character progression system ever could.

Solutions From The Commonwealth

Most people know Bethesda and Obsidian Entertainment have a good working relationship, especially now that Microsoft owns both. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if Obsidian asked Bethesda for advice on fixing some problems with their game. This is just speculation on my part, but I enjoy thinking it’s true, so let’s pretend it is!

I’m talking about a common issue in the original Outer Worlds: a lot of the items you find are just useless junk. You’d collect tons of things like Spacer’s Choice snacks and questionable medicine, but you probably never actually used them.

Fortunately, the issue of useless items has been mostly fixed thanks to the game’s new crafting system. It lets you break down unwanted gear to create new items, similar to crafting in extraction shooter games. Like Bethesda did with Fallout 4, Obsidian has given junk a purpose, encouraging players to collect and display items as they explore the game world.

One minor drawback is that the game lets you collect absolutely anything without limits, which can lead to grabbing everything without really thinking about it. This isn’t ideal for an RPG that encourages careful choices. However, even with this small issue, the new system is a significant improvement over the original and a positive change overall.

Closing Comments:

The Outer Worlds 2 is a fantastic sequel that improves on the first game in almost every way, fixing what fans disliked while expanding the world significantly. It offers a huge amount of content and truly delivers on the promise of a complex and immersive RPG experience, filled with the series’ signature charm, detailed world, and excellent writing. While the action elements – like combat and stealth – aren’t quite as strong, those who look past that will find this game is a strong contender for the best space RPG ever made.

2025-10-29 13:42