Outer Worlds 2: Did Obsidian Cast a 'Bigger Spell' That Wobbled?
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Obsidian's *The Outer Worlds 2* offers an ambitious, visually expanded sci-fi RPG experience, starting with a brilliant, choice-rich opening that quickly gives way to a frustrating lack of meaningful consequences and depth, as detailed in Polygon's review. While the core story and innovative companion interactions shine, the game struggles to maintain the initial magic, often sidelining player agency for the sake of accessibility.
Right, so you know that feeling when you're trying to cast a grand, epic spell, you throw in all the ingredients – more power, more flash, more of *everything* – and for a glorious moment, it sparkles? Then, just as you're basking in its glow, it starts… wobbling? Turns out, mate, that’s kinda the vibe I'm getting from *The Outer Worlds 2*, Obsidian’s latest sci-fi romp.
Josh Broadwell over at Polygon spent a solid 50 hours diving deep into the new sequel, and his take, published recently, paints a picture that's both brilliant and, well, a bit baffling. He reckons, and I'm inclined to agree after poring over the details, that while Obsidian definitely delivered 'more of everything,' it often came at the cost of the very depth that made the first game so charming. Fair dinkum, bigger ain't always better, as the old wizards used to say.
Now, don't get me wrong, *The Outer Worlds 2* makes a cracking first impression. Broadwell praises its initial hours, which drop you into the Arcadia system as a do-gooder for the Earth Directorate. You’re in the middle of a warzone, trying to reach a relay station for urgent comms. The opening chapter, according to his review, is a dense, exciting playground brimming with rich storytelling potential. It rewards curiosity with goofy encounters (a crab that's had too much sugary cereal, anyone?), unexpected paths, and genuinely memorable sequences. You might save a deserter purely by exploring and listening to ambient chatter, or find a hidden entrance by following a power line. It’s like the game’s saying, 'Go on, poke around! You never know what wild magic you'll uncover.' And for a while, you feel like a proper digital detective, unraveling secrets with every step.
But then, mate, the spell starts losing its oomph. Broadwell notes that the game *never* lives up to those initial expectations again. The second main area, while visually expansive, feels like a collection of isolated vignettes. You’re forced to make some tough decisions in side quests, right? Like enabling war crimes or leading refugees to their death – the sort of morally grey stuff we *love* in a good RPG. But here’s the kicker: your choices often result in nothing more than a throwaway line or two of dialogue. Bloody hell, what's the point of a moral tightrope if your choices evaporate into thin air like a miscast teleport spell?
This is where my gently skeptical eyebrow starts doing a bit of an interpretive dance. Broadwell highlights a broader issue: the game's apparent 'fear of letting you be unhappy with your choices.' Locked rooms almost always have multiple entry methods conveniently signposted, or nothing worthwhile inside. Can't hack it? There's a keycard. Can't engineer your way through? Information on a terminal. Even mid-game dilemmas that penalize an ethical choice immediately give you the tools to nullify that penalty. It’s like being told you have to solve a riddle, but then the answer is tattooed on your hand. Having options is grand, absolutely. But if there’s no consequence, no genuine sacrifice, no 'oh bugger, I might have messed this up' moment, then why even bother giving us the choice? It robs the game of that delicious narrative weight, that unique player-driven ripple effect that makes RPGs truly special.
Where *The Outer Worlds 2* does regain some of its magic, surprisingly, is in its combat and its overarching narrative, particularly with companions. Despite the limited enemy types, the game throws more weapons and reasons to experiment at you, leading to some fantastically chaotic encounters. Broadwell recounts becoming a walking arsenal, wielding everything from silenced sniper rifles to a two-handed hammer that you can load shotgun shells into. A *shotgun-hammer*, mate! That’s just good, clean, destructive fun, and it sounds like the kind of improvised magic a curious wizard would cook up in a bind.
The main story, while a bit familiar, is consistently excellent. Obsidian has taken the 'corporations are bad' theme from the first game and broadened it, focusing on how greed and selfishness corrupt individuals and societies, no matter the ideology. The humor, which sometimes wore thin in the first game, stays witty and incisive here. It makes you think about parallels with our own slightly less exaggerated reality, which is a clever bit of observational storytelling.
And the companion relationships? Now *that's* some proper wizardry. *Outer Worlds 2* ditches the usual 'milestone moment' conversations for relationships that build over time, based on a pattern of interactions. It allows for genuine screw-ups and moments of redemption, making these bonds feel more fluid and natural. It’s immensely satisfying, according to Broadwell, when your accumulated actions lead to a dramatic, character-defining outcome. It's the kind of subtle, evolving narrative magic that often gets overlooked, but makes characters feel genuinely alive.
However, even here, that pesky whiplash rears its head. Companion reactivity, much like the side quests, can be spotty. Broadwell describes a bizarre scenario where a companion from a particular faction didn't bat an eye while the player walked around with their founder's skull in their pocket, having seen them loot the tomb! It’s like having a sworn enemy join your party and only occasionally making a passive-aggressive comment about your fashion sense. The tension Obsidian clearly *wants* us to feel among our diverse crew is mostly window dressing.
So, what's the verdict? *The Outer Worlds 2* is a game defined by its contradictions, alternating between deeply rewarding storytelling and outcomes that feel rushed and stilted. Josh Broadwell's thorough review on Polygon clearly lays out that while he largely enjoyed his time in Arcadia, the strong potential in the opening hours just doesn't quite stick the landing. There's a middle ground, he suggests, between the first game's brevity and the sequel's over-ambition, and frankly, I reckon Obsidian has the magical chops to find it in a third game. Fingers crossed, eh?
**Source:** *Original review by Josh Broadwell for Polygon: 'Outer Worlds 2 review: The sci-fi sequel doesn't quite reach the stars'*
Tags: The Outer Worlds 2, RPG, Obsidian Entertainment, Game Review, Sci-Fi RPG
Original article: Polygon