🔗 Share this article

Upon my initial playthrough of the original Outer Worlds game, I was instantly captivated by its satirical, Fallout-inspired type of wit. This title featured dynamic dialogues, character diaries, and propaganda materials that portrayed a corporate dystopia that was at once grim and humorous. My main fear starting the sequel was that this version – not due to on its part – could fail to be as funny compared to the first.

Admittedly, things weren't perfect. Yet society certainly seemed slightly less fractured in those days. This universe showed a bleak future that didn't strike too close to home, and yet accomplished to be at once heartwarming and comical. I began the follow-up pretty sure that this installment couldn't succeed to accomplish this a second time, but I'm happy to announce that I was mistaken. The Outer Worlds 2 is equally smile-generating as the game that came earlier, and additionally brings original ideas rather than merely repeating identical material like an tired company slogan.

Evolving Characters

A large portion of the NPCs players encountered in the first title had been beaten down by the deeds of company organizations like the in-game corporation, and were acutely conscious of how much their lives sucked. This installment progresses matters in a distinct route, presenting individuals who are programmed (sometimes figuratively, frequently actually). A lot of these personalities don't even realize of how profoundly disordered their circumstances are, or that there could be choices to a life lived under the domination of a large business or limited by the doctrines of an intense faith.

This follow-up explores types of company influence that are more subtle than only making the population impoverished. Various personalities have been programmed with the sort of excessively zealous "work ethic" language you can discover on online profiles that promise to reveal the path to accomplishment when you buy an expensive course, or participate in a dubious blockchain project. Additionally, the title's corporate propaganda has progressed.

Contemporary Issues

There are still many unmotivational posters on the walls threatening to dock staff compensation who so much as contemplate requesting leave, but furthermore exist references to pyramid scheme strategies, featuring an employee manual that boldly states, "Unknown people are merely customers YOU haven't met yet!" Being a person who was raised in a multi-level marketing household, I instantly erupted in amusement when encountering this reference, because it's a refrain I have regularly listened to stated precisely by those at the bottom of such schemes.

Fortunately, this sequel is just as funny and irreverent as the first game.

This sequel also examines the predicament many of us find ourselves in regarding work, politics, and even consumer choices: Having to select the smaller of multiple bad options. While attempting to choose whether to assist a harmful business or a problematic faith organization throughout the experience, I found myself siding with the known negative: A familiar business organization that sucks (though just utilizes advertising to indoctrinate its followers), instead of the faith organization, which is similarly terrible, but utilizes a horrible approach called "cognitive reset" to keep its adherents compliant.

Doubtful Authorities

Additionally, the individuals you work for might not be reliable. In the role of an galactic official, you're tasked with trying to reestablish stability to this settlement subsequent to an aggressive business acquisition, and you will quickly find that the two the attackers and the defenders adhere to differing (but similarly terrible) beliefs. However, a rapid inspection of the messages on your ship's terminal demonstrate that this agency isn't exactly the world's most ethical authority too, as demonstrated by an answer to a help request that notifies the contact it will take "three to five corporate years" for a response to their communication. (That time frame is roughly the duration it takes for many people to get a hold of a real help desk employee through calling these days.)

Recognizable Scenarios

Various situations in this sequel are highly recognizable, but it's a cleansing kind of recognition, and the game achieves equilibrium between its depressing dystopian setting with comedy that's truly humorous yet not seeming inappropriate. A primary concept is the rapid beginning of decline that seems to take place following significant business mergers. Staff members from all factions of The Outer Worlds 2's significant consolidation find their existence worsen therefore, while the CEOs in control of the structure are, expectedly, raking in the cash hand over fist.

Hey, at least I know my position.

Similar to the initial release, this sequel is inherently funny, but additionally isn't afraid to turn solemn. During a moment, while exploring around the game's first discoverable location, I came upon a deceased individual with a recording nearby. This message showed that this NPC (associated with the brainwashing religious faction) had perished in an incident during efforts to locate and eliminate her significant other. This partner had seemingly abandoned from their group, and the perished individual was enraged by her significant other's {traitorous