It bothers me to say, but The Outer Worlds just doesn't pop for me. That bothers me because Obsidian's latest RPG looks like everything I want out of my gaming experience, so why can't I get excited? I will get the game eventually, and I'm sure it'll change my mind, but I can't help but feel worried for its success if there are others who feel the way I do. After watching oodles of content regarding the game, I think I may have come across the key reason why this has failed to 'blow-up-my-skirt', so to speak. It looks too familiar.
Similarities are to be expected, it's important to note, from a game that co-game director, Leonard Boyarsky describes as 'kind of a spiritual successor' to Fallout: New Vegas. But that should, in no way, be a bad thing. Fallout: New Vegas was the entry in the Fallout franchise that many, including myself, hail as being the best. It had the best narrative, the most authentic world, the most relatable companions and the most amount of freedom for being who you want to be in the post-apocalyptia. This was achieved because the team who made it, Obsidian Games coincidentally, were comprised of many of the same people who designed the original two Fallouts, thus they could marry the quirky tone and provoking themes of the original games (Mostly from Fallout 2) and imbue them with the liberating open world advancements of Fallout 3. New Vegas was wild, challenging and memorable. (And also one of my favourite games of all time.)
With all that in mind, surely a spiritual successor from the same developers would be right up my alley. Heck, more then that; I should be ranting and raving about The Outer Worlds to anyone who'll listen. Yet from that very first trailer I found myself cool towards the project and a little bit underwhelmed. Since then I have warmed a bit, (through sheer force of will), but this title has never entered my thoughts when I pontificate on 'The most promising titles of 2019'. My approach has remained, 'Oh, I'll probably pick that up a year or two down the line.' instead of 'My lifeblood will cease to flow if I'm not playing this as soon as humanly possible!' (I may take games a little too seriously...) Put plainly, I just don't care. And I should care, darn it! I should care a whole lot.
My first disappointment came in the reveal trailer when I heard the first two jokes fall flat. I've watched the trailer again since and they whilst weren't as bad as they seemed during last E3, they still weren't exactly zingers. Two, almost non-sequitur, jokes that don't really sing to the style of prime Obsidian script writing. I know what you're thinking, 'What are you, a joke critic?' I shouldn't have gotten so hung up over lame jokes but it just reflects badly on the whole product that this is the foot they choose to lead with. First impression matter and if my first impression is "Huh, Borderlands 3's jokes were a bit punchier", Then I'm already not focused on your game. Speaking of-
Had this been any other game, that would have been the end of the story. They failed to impress me the first time, now I can shift my attentions onto Cyberpunk 2077 or Final Fantasy 7. But this was an Obsidian game, so every now and then I would see some gameplay pop up and think 'I really ought to give that game a second chance.' Afterall, this is a brand new IP from a talented developer and so it is unfair to compare it with another well established brand on its third mainline entry. (Despite how similar they look from the outset.) And so in the spirit of loving games, I tried to love this one. Honestly, I'm still not sure if I'm there yet.
The marketing for 'The Outer Worlds' has been very candid in the time since the reveal. Almost as though Obsidian knew how this game would have a difficult time standing out unless they made an effort to establish exactly what it was about for the public. Whatever the reason, it means we have a slew of content to look through and a, seemingly, solid basis of what the game entails. As I understand it, The Outer Worlds is a science fiction game set in the Wild West of space. Players take the roll of a blank slate landing in a solar system run by corporate entities and must navigate the game world interacting with revolutionaries, companies, everyday people and all manner of duelling interests, as they try to carve out a place for themselves in the space frontier.
Watching some of the gameplay videos have alleviated my budding concerns for one aspect of the game: The writing. One of the playthroughs took us through the beautiful city of Byzantium, to a live reading rehearsal for a movie role. As the player travelled through the colourful facade to their destination, we see glimmers of the humorous Obsidian charm that always seems to land, like their collection of silly, futurama-esque sci-fi movie posters that seem to hark back to the days of Plan 9 and over melodramas. After that, we actually get to see the rehearsal; a heroic standoff between the hero and villain. (With live ammunition in play in order to stay 'authentic' for the scene.) What follows is a great back and forth between a lead actor who struggles to get his lines straight and the player's team who mockingly play along, cognizant of the fact that they are about to blow him away. It's all snappy, funny and likeable. Just like I remember from the 'New Vegas' days.
Another important highlight would be way that the combat is handled in The Outer Worlds. Seeing as the moment-to-moment gunplay doesn't seem all that special, Obsidian have decided to work on some of the systems at play during gunfights to help flesh it out. Most notably, with the tactical time dilation system which, much like it sounds, allows the player to slow down time in order to take precision shots. (Like a more fluid version of Fallout's V.A.T.S.) The team have explained that time dilation was established in order to bridge the gap between tactical players and action-game players, allowing people to slow down time and take combat at their own pace if they so choose. Similar to how and why Square Enix established their tactical system for Final Fantasy 7's remake. Of course, then there needs to be a reason to shoot specific body parts, and that is where the hitboxes come in. The Outer Worlds allows you to focus on certain parts of your enemy in order to weaken them in specific ways; Shoot them in the head to blind them, The legs to cripple them, the crotch to... weaken them? (Sounds accurate.) These elements all add up to create a different take on gunplay that may not feel the freshest of anything on the market but carries enough depth to look, and perhaps feel, distinct.
Lastly, I've decided that some of the core design features that The Outer Worlds boasts are worth checking out. Note, I do not mean the aesthetic design; I actually really dislike all of the visual designs I've seen so far: guns, armour, tech, nothing looks striking or memorable to me. Rather I mean the game design choices. Like the Flaw's system, for example. As you play through the game, it keeps track on the things that happen to you and your team and once you cross a threshold the game will present you with a Flaw. Flaw's are a totally optional mechanic whereupon you accept a permanent debuff stringent to a flaw-specific situation in return for a free perk point you can use to improve your character. It's a nice balancing act to allow your character to get stronger as the progress whilst ensuring that the game itself gets tougher in kind. And it's optional, allowing players to opt in or out as they please. This concept of player choice is key to The Outer Worlds and, indeed, Obsidian as a whole. Of course we've seen the branching paths built into level design and the multiple quest branches at key mission moments; but Obsidian are adamant to assure us that every step of the way we can play as by-the-book as we want or balls-to-the-walls insane as we want. The claim was even made that you can go through the game killing everyone you meet before they even have the chance to speak to you, bar one NPC, and still reach the end. And that one NPC has to survive in order to give you some incentive to reach the end, I assume. It's the kind of player choice that the team have to move heaven and earth to accommodate for, but the kind that can really pay off for the player if well executed.
You have probably figured out by now that I am very much torn on this game. On one hand I love Obsidian's work and am genuinely excited for a lot of the cool things this game has to offer, on the other hand the game looks drab and, in some places, uninspired. I do owe the creators of one of my favourite games of all time, Obsidian, the benefit of the doubt; but I can't promise I'll be there contributing to those, all important, week 1 sales. I just don't need to be. My planet-hopping mercenary fix is being met by the better realised, Borderlands 3; and my choice based RPG fix is going to be be fulfilled by the more promising, Cyberpunk 2077. I just don't need The Outer Worlds and I really hope enough people disagree with me, that The Outer Worlds doesn't need me.
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