Outer Worlds 2's Premium Prank: When the Meta-Joke Lands Differently (and It's Bloody Brilliant)
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Mark Warren's review of *The Outer Worlds 2* revealed an accidental meta-joke masterpiece: the game's 'consumerism flaw' intended to mock premium edition purchasers hilariously backfired on him because he received a free reviewer copy, turning Obsidian's satire into a brilliant, unexpected piece of irony.
Alright, listen up, you digital denizens and fellow reality-benders! Jeff here, fresh from another delve into the gaming multiverse, and trust me, this one's a cracker. You know how much I love a good 'what happens if...' scenario, and Obsidian's new RPG, *The Outer Worlds 2*, seems to have accidentally cooked up a particularly spicy one with its meta-humour.
So, the buzz (and a fair bit of early access grumbling) around *Outer Worlds 2* has been about this 'consumerism flaw' that pops up early on. The general consensus, brilliantly observed by Mark Warren over at Rock Paper Shotgun (cheers, mate!), was that it's a cheeky little dig at players who splashed out the extra ~£30 for the game's premium early access edition. It makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Spend a bit extra for some fancy bits and early access, and then the game gently dunks on you for your 'superfluous spending'. Classic Obsidian, you'd think – a bit *Borderlands*-y, a bit 'we're in on the joke, honest!'
Mark Warren, whose initial review kicked this whole thought-spiral off, got hit with this flaw after, like, *two* vending machine purchases. And he, like everyone else, figured, 'Yeah, fair enough, I bought the premium edition, this is their clever little nudge.' Except, here's where the reality-bending truly begins. See, journos like Mark often get early copies – usually the swanky 'all-singing, all-dancing' premium editions – direct from publishers like Microsoft. And Mark, bless his cotton socks, *didn't actually buy it*.
Bloody hell! Talk about an unexpected curveball. Obsidian's carefully crafted meta-joke, designed to wink at premium purchasers, completely bounced off the reviewer because, well, he got it free! It's like trying to prank your mate with a fake spider, only to find out he's actually an arachnophobe and you've just triggered a mild existential crisis instead. The intent was there, the execution for *some* was perfect, but for Mark, it turned into this wonderfully ironic, self-referential gem that's far funnier than the original punchline could've ever been.
Now, I'm not here to knock Obsidian's humour – I'm generally all for firing away the funnies, even if they occasionally miss the mark. But this incident does make you scratch your head a bit, doesn't it? If the joke's about buying the fancy edition, what about folks who win it in a comp, or snag it on sale later? Does the satire still land? Or does it, like so much else in the gaming industry, get skewered by the messy reality of how games are sold, distributed, and, frankly, consumed?
As Mark wisely points out, it's a bit harder to satirise or mock something, especially 'conniving corporatists', if you're kinda part of that system yourself. And if you're packaging a lot of that 'wink wink, nudge nudge' corporate spoofing into the *more expensive* edition of a product you're trying to flog, well, that's where the digital tea leaves start looking a bit murky. It's a fascinating paradox, a gentle bit of chaos, and a brilliant reminder that sometimes, the most hilarious moments are the ones nobody saw coming.
Cheers to Mark Warren and Rock Paper Shotgun for spotting this gem!
Tags: The Outer Worlds 2, Obsidian, Meta-Humour, Gaming Industry, Premium Editions
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun