The Outer Worlds

The Outer Worlds – a single-player first-person sci-fi RPG with elements of shooter, action, and stealth. The focus is on role-playing and the dialogue system in particular – there are many options for actions (responses), but only what the current character allows is available. This motivates the player to replay the game multiple times with different builds and change their choices.

The visual style of The Outer Worlds is reminiscent of Borderlands, taking a bit from BioShock Infinite with its retro-futurism, but is distinguished by colorful landscapes, unique atmospheres and terrains for each planet, slightly cartoonish effects, and an attempt to present the story in a more intimate manner.

The new project from Obsidian develops in an alternate reality, in a world dominated by corporate oligarchy, which has become the main beneficiary of humanity's expansion across the galaxy. For the complex task of conquering other worlds, corporations attracted workers, traders, military personnel, civil servants, and the cultural-scientific elite of humanity.

In the colony of Alcyone, where the game begins, everything was as it should be, only the ship with the elite did not arrive on time and remained drifting in space. On this ship, the main character is in cryosleep, but don't rush to rejoice – unlike other games, he is not a brilliant scientist, inventor, or bard.

The protagonist is a typical nobody in the world of corporate future: a janitor, farmer, bureaucrat, or assistant to a cook (there is an advanced character creator), who ended up on the ship merely by fate. However, it is precisely him that the local mad scientist attempts to wake after 70 years of cryosleep.

It turns out that colonization has long been completed, and since the best minds did not arrive, instead of a paradise life in the new worlds, corporations established a harsh dictatorship of capital and are squeezing the last juices from the settlers.

The backstory shapes the plot lines of The Outer Worlds. In one, we help a scientist save the colonists and restart the colonization process of Alcyone as it was originally planned. For this, the hero travels through the explored worlds of the galaxy and everywhere tries to resolve the accumulated contradictions between local factions, which makes up the second main plot line.

There are many options for resolving conflicts, but bringing everything and everyone to harmony is not possible, just as it is not easy to grasp the essence of what is happening at a glance. The game has a lot of "gray morality," there are no unequivocally good or bad sides, and each side has skeletons in the closet. You will have to communicate a lot with NPCs, ask them questions, read notes, and observe their actions.

The Outer Worlds stands out not so much for its story, which is simply good, but for the memorable experience of playing through it. The writers skillfully satirize modern corporate culture and the cult of capitalism, with dialogues full of dark humor and references to various works, including George Orwell's "1984."

Role-playing begins with character creation, with 6 parameters across 3 main attributes (body, mind, and personality) determining the direction in which the hero will develop.

You can create a charismatic fat guy, a serious intellectual, or an athlete-gladiator. Moreover, the character can be intentionally made somewhat dull, weak, or repulsive, freeing up points for more necessary elements.

Later, the player chooses from a dozen skills that affect gameplay, such as discovering stealth movement, dialogue mastery, or the ability to wield weapons. Skills level up to level 100, and you can fully develop only 3 skills during the game.

The game features a plethora of perks distributed by ranks, the higher, the better, affecting specific gameplay elements – they increase survivability, speed, carrying capacity, and so on. You can also acquire a phobia – it will worsen a particular stat but grant an additional perk point.

The Outer Worlds offers an extensive role-playing system, with the dialogue component being a focus for the developers. Almost all conflicts can be resolved with words rather than force. All skills affect dialogues, except for those that are purely combat-related. For example, a physically developed fighter can intimidate a gang leader, as the latter will perceive the protagonist's "strength," while a developed intellect will be required to speak on equal terms with scientists.

In addition to a deep role-playing component, The Outer Worlds has a host of interesting mechanics that enhance the gameplay experience.

There are NPC companions with their own quest chains and development, skills that can be used in combat. The player's base is a starship, where you can talk to companions, store useful loot, modify weapons or armor, and so on.

The game features a wide variety of weapons for combat at any distance, as well as five types of damage and numerous effects (stun, burn, etc.). To break through crowds of enemies, you need to know their weak points, deal the appropriate type of damage, and actively apply effects. The time-slowing function will also come in handy.

Obsidian has also worked on the physical model of weapons – shooting is decent, and enemies react according to which part of the body takes damage.

An innovation is the cloaking device, allowing you to pretend to be an enemy and enter hostile territory in plain sight, but turning stealth movement into a mini-game with its own rules and chances of being discovered.