The Outer Worlds Reviews

I got it for 7 bucks on sale, so I don't particularly regret the purchase - but it's as painfully mediocre as it looked, hence me not purchasing it earlier, let alone for full price. The story didn't grab me, I don't care for the characters and the world isn't particularly compelling or immersive. It somewhat has a "We have Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic mixed with Fallout at home" vibes, but at least with the former even that might be a bit generous. KotOR had incredibly take-off and landing cutscenes for every location in 2004, letting you get a sense of the world and building a bond with your space ship, over a decade later we've devolved to nothing but a dot moving on a map and loading screens. Where these games of the past made you feel like assembling a valued crew, here it feels like we are picking up random strays.. just because. There isn't really a driving narrative to do any of these random quests, many of which quickly become an exercise of backtracking over and over again through cleared out and empty levels, again and again. I don't know what happened to Obsidian after the likes of KotOR 2, Fallout New Vegas, PoE 1&2 and Tyranny, but much like BioWare, the magic unfortunately seems to be gone. It's not terrible, it's not offensive in any way, it's just kind of boring and meandering along.

I don't recommend this, no matter how much I play this I can't find it fun. At one point it's a repetition, there are always the same monsters, the same weapons but stronger. Honestly, I was expecting something cool since Obsidian made FNV. However there are only 3 ammo types and the weapon arsenal isn't that wide and interesting. The world feels soulless, same enemies and I didn't bother at that point to care about the quests. Like after 2 planets you already encountered almost all of the enemies that there are in the game. There is also no interesting feature to keep me hooked, the perks are doo-doo. Maybe the DLC's might be interesting but I won't bother at all buying them.

Listen, the game isn't bad by any means. It is exactly as every other review has said: It is a barebones RPG. There isn't anything fancy about it and it has some big flaws imo. For example: You can just level up your speech to the point where you can resolve most quests/encounters by just talking to someone. So you never really have to feel any kind of threat. Equally, when you are out in the wilderness going from place to place, the combat feels a little clunky and it doesn't really feel like much is at stake. If this is dirt cheap and you want a game that is a chance to switch your brain off, by all means go for it but there are better games to play in this genre.

I don't know what I expected, but I do know it wasn't worse performing, worse looking, worse gameplay, worse characters, worse combat, worse... in every conceivable way I can imagine, than games 10+ years older than it. I am very aware that I didn't give this a chance, but in over and hour it had *nothing* worth mentioning at all, NOTHING that I could find to attach to and say "I am enjoying this part at least, maybe there's more?" I'm sure it has plenty to love but it ran bad, felt bad, sounded bad, looked bad... whatever. Refunded I guess.

The Outer Worlds is a captivating action RPG that expertly combines sharp storytelling with engaging gameplay mechanics, creating an experience that feels both familiar and refreshingly unique. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, the game presents a richly imagined sci-fi universe set in the Halcyon colony, a corporate-controlled system on the edge of space. From the opening moments, players are drawn into a world teeming with satirical social commentary, memorable characters, and morally complex choices that shape the narrative and the fate of the colony itself. The game’s strong writing and witty dialogue stand out, offering a blend of humor and drama that keeps players invested throughout their journey. Exploration in The Outer Worlds is rewarding and well-paced, with a variety of planets and outposts to discover. Each location is distinct, featuring unique environments, factions, and quests that encourage players to engage with the world beyond simple combat encounters. The game strikes a fine balance between linear storytelling and open-world freedom, allowing players to approach objectives in multiple ways, whether through diplomacy, stealth, or direct confrontation. The side quests often provide rich backstory and character development, deepening the player’s understanding of the colony’s intricate political landscape and the personal struggles of its inhabitants. Combat mechanics in The Outer Worlds are responsive and versatile, offering a satisfying mix of gunplay, tactical abilities, and companion support. Players can customize their character’s skills and perks to suit a variety of playstyles, from heavy weapons and brute force to precision shooting and hacking. The game also features a unique “Tactical Time Dilation” system, which briefly slows down time, allowing players to plan their attacks or escape dangerous situations. This mechanic adds strategic depth without disrupting the flow of combat, making encounters both challenging and engaging. Companions further enrich combat and storytelling, each with their own abilities and personal quests that add layers to the gameplay experience. Character progression and customization are robust, with a skill-based system that rewards experimentation and specialization. Players can invest in various stats and perks that enhance abilities such as persuasion, engineering, or weapon proficiency. This flexibility supports multiple approaches to problem-solving and dialogue, often unlocking new paths or outcomes in quests. The crafting and upgrading systems are straightforward but effective, allowing players to modify weapons and gear to better fit their playstyle. While the inventory management can occasionally feel cumbersome, it does not detract significantly from the overall experience. Visually, The Outer Worlds impresses with its colorful, stylized art direction that sets it apart from darker, more realistic sci-fi games. The environments are vibrant and detailed, with imaginative designs that capture the eccentricity of the Halcyon colony. Character models and animations are solid, though not groundbreaking, and the user interface is clean and accessible, making navigation through menus and inventory smooth. The soundtrack and voice acting are standout features, with fully voiced characters bringing life and personality to the world, and a soundtrack that complements the game’s tone—both quirky and suspenseful. In conclusion, The Outer Worlds is a well-crafted RPG that successfully merges compelling narrative, deep role-playing mechanics, and enjoyable combat into a cohesive whole. It stands out for its witty writing, memorable characters, and the meaningful choices that allow players to shape their own story within a vividly realized sci-fi setting. While it may not push the boundaries of graphical fidelity or open-world complexity, its strong storytelling and engaging gameplay make it a must-play for fans of narrative-driven RPGs seeking an immersive and thought-provoking adventure. Rating: 8/10

"It's not the best choice, it's Spacer's Choice" is the best way to describe The Outer Worlds: a poor man's Fallout: New Vegas or Borderlands in a world where the latter two games are superior in every way. Another way that I'd describe The Outer Worlds is "the epitome of the word 'vapid'". Empty. Meaningless. Forgettable. Boring. I'm pretty sure that The Outer Worlds could be prescribed as an alternative to sleep medication because every time I play this damn game I have to actively focus on trying to stay awake. Let's get the one good thing about The Outer Worlds out of the way first: the voice acting is good and the voice actors deserve recognition for their work on this game. In fact, the voice work is so pleasant to listen to that you might mistake voice acting quality for writing quality. This is where the praise ends. This game's writing is just plain dull. The plot is so forgettable that you'll struggle to remember why you went on this adventure in the first place. You'll forget why you have a ship that you barely ever use. Characters and factions are predictably shallow. Worldbuilding is lukewarm. It's impossible to feel immersed in a game world that feels so utterly half-assed in every aspect. Questing is a slog. The main quest will force you to complete myriad side quests (if you hate side quests, this game might not be your cup of tea) to such an extreme that you'll forget the reason why you needed to complete those side quests in the first place. Combat is a snoozefest. Your weapons will feel weak even though you're obliterating everything on Hard difficulty. Repairing weapons feels like tacked-on upkeep. Never before have a played a game where modifying your weapons is just plain unexciting. I could go on, but I won't. Don't buy this game. You could be playing Cyberpunk 2077 instead.

A game so aggressively mid, that it's honestly worse than a bad game. The Outer Worlds is one of the most front loaded games I have come across in gaming. Tons of "choices" that you think will pan off, leading to nothing. It's a story that corporations are bad and evil, and you don't really have a choice to interact in the world in a sliver of a meaningful way, without playing as a character that firmly enforces that. I said all that because it's not New, New Vegas. You don't have an actual choice for almost anything, the game has very few illusions of choice past the starter planet. Branching paths - Rare Romance - None Low IQ character - Nope Choices? - Make the "correct" choice or the insane choice that makes no sense other than evil. Character Build - Meaningless The game start's funny, has some very funny parts spread around, but uses that as a crutch. It's also the worst part of the game, because they have a 25 hour looter shooter, masquerading as a 60 hour RPG. OW gives you hope that you just where in the bad part of the game, and it's going to get back to that first hour energy, and it's never happens. It's stringing you along, and baiting you with spikes of competency, to then leave you alone to a mid combat system, and a lackluster level design. It's not worth the sale price, because it's a painful waste of time. Go play New Vegas, go enjoy an actual life sim, I know your thinking about giving this a shot because 2 is comming out, and my final thought is this. If your into gaming, think of how many times people mention the OW in the past 5 years. Everyone loves the beginning, and the guy stuck as the Moon mascot, the game went into the memory hole as a forgettable half game, that was at least something to do during covid.

Forced myself to beat the game once hoping it would get better, never did. Boring guns, god awful gun play, nonsensical story and no memorable characters would not buy again, even on sale

Fun! Although the ending slides assume you are a man, which is annoying. I wish women players were not an afterthought, but catered to just as male players are. Also deducting points for saying Vicar Max left me. We are married and have 2 canid children. 4.5 stars though, fun game.

People told me to play this game without reading too much into it to preserve the immersion and impact of the story. Even after eight hours of playtime it felt like a complete nothing-burger. It felt like the game was still waiting to start so I abandoned it. If a game like this still sucks after eight hours then it just sucks.