“Fallout: New Vegas” accomplished something very few spin-offs in any entertainment genre does by surpassing a majority of its predecessors and even its successors. Headed by Obsidian Entertainment – the same studio responsible for the phenomenal “Fallout 2” – “New Vegas” mixed the best aspects of the most heralded entries in the franchise then-thus far: a great amount of choices that dictated the narrative’s conclusion as seen in “Fallout 2” and the 3D environments rooted in the first-person shooting genre from “Fallout 3”. Through financial troubles and their ideas being funded by loyal fans, Obsidian thrived when lesser studios would’ve faltered; giving birth to the “Fallout” experience fans have wanted since “New Vegas” without the “Fallout” name attached. Journalists & fans alike were promoting “The Outer Worlds” as “Fallout in Space” and I was incredibly excited to see if it was true.
Did I Complete “The Outer Worlds”?
Similar to many open-world role-playing games (RPGs) before it, “The Outer Worlds” gives one a sense of freedom to explore and dictate what the player wants to accomplish. But the point of every RPG is the story; which in this game’s case kicks off with a prologue of sorts as the player is made to craft a male or a female character to unknowingly send that person into the world of tomorrow – a world completely different than what history foretold as the lacking death of U.S. President William McKinley set forth a society completely coddled by mega-corporations that began terra-forming alien planets. It is up to the player, having been awoken by “mad” scientist Phineas Welles, to save the planet currently being inhabited by a majority of what would be called “human beings” from utter internal destruction.
For those experienced with the seventh & eighth generation “Fallout” games, “The Outer Worlds” is close to familiar territory as one can get with a first-person perspective, quests aplenty and the ability to mold a created character in almost anyway the player sees fit. After thirty-plus hours my mostly well-rounded hero with a gift of gab made the toughest decision possible that would potentially shape the existence of the planet Halcyon well beyond the “Stranger’s” existence. Going back to a previous save I took the chance to be evil and perform a little bit of genocide to discover that the results of my actions can truly be presented in black & white compared to a lot of the other choices seen throughout the game. Considering the level of customization and, of course, lack of knowledge in regards to certain scenarios this game just screams for another playthrough especially on a harder than “Normal” difficulty.
Did “The Outer Worlds” Live Up to the Hype?
Though not a “Fallout” game in name, the gameplay of “The Outer Worlds” barrows heavily from its obvious inspiration. After the rather quick introduction featuring an explanation of dialogue trees, overall gunplay and the requirement to investigate everything from containers to dead bodies for useable items & junk alike, the game introduces its version of “V.A.T.S.” with “Tactical Time Dilation” when in the heat of battle. “TTD” doesn’t stop time completely like “V.A.T.S.” in “Fallout 3” & “New Vegas”; only slowing time down so the player can hit a specific region on an enemy including weak points that are usually enemy variation specific such as robots sporting glowing blue orbs & containers. Depending the weapon used hitting a particular weak spot can stagger & stun an adversary, electrocute them, or even afflict them with corrosion. Combat outside of “TTD” isn’t much different than what was seen a generation ago with a first-person presentation featuring a plethora of weapons that can be modified at workbenches placed around the multiple worlds available. Adding mods such as better damage and even elemental properties can turn a low level item into something the player will be using throughout their experience. Players can also repair and “tinker” with both weapons & armor in their inventory with each fix and minor upgrade respectively costing “bits” usually found in containers, fallen enemies & by completing a majority of the game’s missions. The overall combat isn’t as profound or polished as some of its dedicated-to-FPS contemporaries, but works perfectly well for the entire game.
Character customization is a big thing in “The Outer Worlds” thanks to a pretty hefty skill tree & “Perk” system with the latter being associated with points that are only given to the player every couple of levels instead of at every level increase like skill points. One of the most interesting aspects connected to character customization are “Flaws” that pop up randomly after, usually, stressful moments for the protagonist like being continuously attacked by a particular animal or jumping from high places to move around faster at the expense of taking damage. Each accepted “Flaw” by the player will slightly hinder the character overall like losing a point of “Perception” to gain a much-lauded “Perk” point. Skills such as “Melee”, “Dialogue” and “Leadership” all have sub-categories like “1-Handed Melee”, “Persuade”, and “Inspiration” with these sub-categories being leveled up at the same time if the player chooses to put their gained points in the main skill category until said sub-categories reach level fifty. To reach a max of 100 in any particular sub-category will take planning and doing more than just the main quests (or by wearing specific clothes and eating/drinking particular items). For every twenty points in a particular sub-category there’s an added benefit to said skill including reducing sway on guns and taking less resources to pick locks.
One of the greatest benefits to the player’s character are companions. With up to six recruitable companions, the player can take two at a time into the wild with each one boosting particular skills like the earliest buddy Parvati’s mechanical proficiency and kind nature helping the player’s overall “Engineering” and “Persuade” skills. Each companion has their own “Perk” tree that isn’t as robust as the protagonist’s, but has some must-have “Perks” that makes the experience that much more enjoyable when the bullets fly including one of the highest level “Perks” being available for every companion allowing for an immediate resurrection when downed. Each companion has a special ability that can be activated in battle. Depending on the companion some of their attacks to provide one-hit kills due to elemental damage or stun an opponent long enough for the player to hit that finishing blow. Obsidian did a great job balancing the companions with all having strong & weak properties that forces the player to switch them in and out depending on the situation including each companion having their own special set of quests.
In regards to quests, a majority of the story opportunities both minor & major aren’t much different in regards to the overall presentation seen in other games in the genre. Fetch quests, assassinations and sneaking around in disguises are all here with little to differentiate them from one another. What makes a majority of the quests so compelling is the option for completion being solely up to the player. Turning almost every mission into a bloodbath or a heated debate is actually viable right until the very end. The dialogue options range from obvious to vague without the player feeling like their word choice has been misconstrued to press forward the narrative as the developers see fit. The explorable universe features multiple, differently-designed worlds including those colonized by humans at odds with other townships and planets simply housing rock-throwing super primates. Unfortunately a majority of the latter worlds aren’t as remarkable as the first two or three stops. Thanks to some incredibly well written dialogue and terrific voice acting, a majority of the NPCs encountered through a playthrough will leave a lasting mark on the player even if the missions themselves fail to be as remarkable. From a narrative perspective, “The Outer Worlds” provides the player a great opportunity to experiment; forming & destroying relationships that can positively or negatively affect people both far & near. Thanks to a lack of morality system, it’s up to the player to shape their character’s impact on the plot even if it means slaughtering anyone that crosses “The Stranger’s” path. The main story isn’t particularly revolutionary, but is presented at a stellar time in society that can create debate amongst the politically & social-economically charged.
With so much going on in this open-world offering it’s actually shocking how polished the experience was for yours truly; not crashing once while featuring only a few framerate drops during some of the more hefty firefights. The game’s biggest issues are definitely things that can be fixed including a lack of hit indication in battle. When the protagonist is being hit from behind or out of view it is pretty much impossible to know from what direction the attacks are coming from due to a lacking hit indicator like arrows or even a shaking screen. Another gameplay issue is the ineffectiveness of stealth. Stealth kills are incredibly rare and sneaking around usually doesn’t benefit the player in the long run. Though the game does look so much more colorful than a stereotypical “Fallout” game, the over-saturation of certain colors like green & purple can prevent the player from seeing certain opportunities in battle like shooting acidic barrels in the distance. Lip-syncing is definitely hit & miss depending on the NPC.
“The Outer Worlds”, in a lot of ways, is exactly the experience one should expect from an Obsidian-headed game wearing its obvious influences on its sleeve. This deserves to be played by any RPG fan who likes a little first-person shooting in their action.
Should You Play “The Outer Worlds”?
While it may sound like a disservice to state “The Outer Worlds” is “‘Fallout’ in Space”, a majority of “The Outer Worlds” experience feels just like that right down to the protagonist’s presentation, quest structure, communication & dialogue options, and overall gameplay. Thankfully all of the “Fallout”-esque aspects are done expertly well with a satisfying quest set matching the overall combat and character customization options. The same grandiose, positive feeling gamers had playing “New Vegas” will return here and then some mostly thanks to the dialogue opportunities that may or may not turn a narrative opportunity on its head. There’s no reason a fan of the seventh generation “Fallout” games or FPS RPGs in general shouldn’t give this game a purchase, especially when a player feels so good about bringing awkward people together.
