Choice and player agency is a feature many games promote, but few deliver on. Being able to alter a world and its people based on your decisions while having a different experience to other players is the ideal scenario for an RPG, as we have already reached a summit in presentation. In my first full playthrough of The Outer Worlds 2, I frequently felt like the choices I was making were shifting the playing field in specific directions. My selected stats and perks either enabled an action or removed the possibility of an action, such as being able to open a door or choosing which town to destroy. When going down the rabbit hole of a side mission which then had ramifications on the main mission, I often wondered if others were making the same choices as me. I botched missions, I selected dialogue that was remembered, and in the realm of hindsight I knew previous decisions would change if I had my time again – immediately sparking deep replayability and a plan for playthrough 2. The Outer Worlds 2 is bigger, deeper and more intricate in its RPG functions than its predecessor. In a year stacked with leading titles, Obsidian’s latest entry is one of the most interesting, immersive and thought-provoking games I’ve played this year.
Where most of my reviews start with story, here I start with gameplay and all the assortments. This is because my story will be different from others based on decisions across dozens of hours, while gameplay is clearer in its approach to gunplay, exploration and customisation. The Outer Worlds 2 can be played in either first person or third person (close or far), providing three options that can impact general combat. Your character will always be holding either a gun or melee weapon, with up to four slots for rotation once unlocked. All the staples are there – SMG, shotgun, rifle, pistol, shock rod and many, many more. There are elemental attachments to these weapons, such as corrosive and burn. Any attack item has stats, mods and more to suit your style. But assisting all of these options is how you build your character from the get-go. With a range of skills to pour points into, I went with guns, speech and lockpicking as my mains. Reason? If I can shoot my way out of it or talk my way of it, I’m providing myself with options. Lockpicking in RPGs is highly useful, especially in anything loot focused. After customising my character to look like me, I soon noticed that I wanted to insert points into all skills as each became clearly valuable:
- If I chose engineering, I could have opened that door
- If I chose luck, I could have saved those people
- If I chose explosives, I could have blown up that ship
- If I chose sneak, I could avoid hard fights
Though I didn’t, so I couldn’t. Yet my speech was opening up dialogue options to avoid combat or entice others to give me money. My lockpicking enhanced my load-out, finding a strong inhaler (health item) and outfit early. My gun skills were making combat manageable despite using starter guns. The game shows you how each skill is useful within the first few hours, and this only expands. There are also perks to choose that can increase stats or provide new ways of playing. The catch: no respec. Once you’ve chosen a stat or perk, you live with it all playthrough. This goes with the flaws, which are a process of give and take. Example – become a jack of all trades, but limit how many points you can add to your better traits. Gain longer energy for special skills, but lose it quicker. The prompts often came out of nowhere and the decision needed to be made on the spot. I am glad I chose some, I regret others. The Outer Worlds 2 ensures you always feel a little unsure, which was very refreshing. I avoided save-scumming to best test this system.
Continuing on gameplay, the gunplay is similar to the first game (though tighter and more responsive). The enemies react more than they did previously, guns feel different, and there is greater assortment. It took time for me to find guns that really suited my style, preferring close range blasters like shotguns before the distanced options began to expand further in. The mods available for both weapons and armour really do provide the basis for self-suited loadouts, and I often experimented to see which worked best. Never did I tire of entering a battle (my sneak skills were too low for that to be the best option). Playing on the normal difficulty, all felt well weighted and fair. Melee weapons had slightly more jank, but I rarely go melee when so many guns are on offer (hello, Cyberpunk 2077). Changing the mods of favourite guns to do more elemental damage or something else related to your skills ensures a wide range of options in tackling hordes of foes that offer quite a challenge.
Another key function of RPGs is exploration. I found moving through the many planets enjoyable as there was always something to find in the pockets of the maps. Missions provide markers and this will serve most navigation, but forgetting the missions and just checking out that building in the distance will almost always ensure a collectible or new side mission. There were times I found an NPC and helped them with a quest, wondering if others had done the same. This quest then came up in a main mission. What if I didn’t go off on my own to see that lady in her house? The game remembers and the game rewards. It’s a system that truly feels organic and makes you think about the alternatives in a world quite harsh.
Companions are a staple of The Outer Worlds IP, and here it is no different. Starting with Niles and VAL, there is a slow introduction to their support abilities and journey impacts. Only two can be used at a time, so when I found a new companion on the first planet I quickly swapped them out with VAL (a robot – I preferred the human-ish support). There are a range of companions to find, and completing their side missions allows for their customisation to increase. Prefer to be alone? Simply send them home. I found myself reviving them more than they were reviving me, but the options (such as Niles being a workshop on the fly) meant there were always positives in having company.
Story. No spoilers in this review, but my experience with the narrative was one of intrigue and pacing. The game performed at excellence with the former, and I contributed to the latter often removing urgency from the plight. At its most basic, you’re initially searching for a specific person after an early game event has catastrophic impacts on your character. This sees a planet hopping adventure full of different factions that will either love or hate you, based on how you approach their needs. The merger of Auntie Cleo’s and Spacer’s Choice is a mainstay, and one that plays out over the plot. I’ve blown up entire colonies. I’ve helped people that turned out to be villainous. All while trying to do what I always attempt in games and in life: be the good guy. The writing is a highlight, with laugh-out-loud moments followed by epic speeches of tyranny or deception. All speaking characters have a story to tell. Dialogue can be lengthy and reading logs extensive, but Obsidian ensures your missions are updated as long as those conversations or logs are accessed. Some of my favourite moments were side missions, such as trying to fix a gas leak and completely stuffing it up to the ire of their leader. I find it hard to grade story as I will need a second playthrough to see if my choices determined both progression and the ending, but part 2 was more engaging than part 1 in how the tale unfolds. It’s a world you just love learning more about, complete with a reason to continue.
In terms of performance (noting I played on base PS5) I do hope there is a 60FPS mode in future, though understand that this may be reserved for the Pro version. The options on base PS5 were quality at 30 and balanced at 40 (my choice). This in no way impacted my experience, especially as the art design lends itself to colour and style rather than pace precision. In music, 2025 is stacked with phenomenal gaming tracks and this may not be up there, but the atmospheric tones are where the game shines. I encountered only the occasional ‘open world RPG’ type bug and found this to be a well-polished gem as a whole.
My time with The Outer Worlds 2 has been one of ongoing entertainment, making my own mistakes while solving issues and creating a character that works for me. I can’t wait to dive in for a second playthrough to try different skills and make different choices to assess how world-altering my original decisions were. Even so, the fact that my selections felt unique showcases Obsidian’s ability to continually refine the RPG genre. The wit, the companions and the many side missions offer countless hours of engaging play. In one of gaming’s best years ever, The Outer Worlds 2 carves a distinct route through space that caters to the way you play. I look forward to the future updates in one of Obsidian’s best IPs.
Pros
- So much to do and see across the many planets
- Movement and gunplay are tight and responsive
- Deep customisation in weapons and skills
- Improvement over the first game in almost every way
- Fantastic voice acting in NPCs
Cons
- Not the best graphical showcase, though the Pro and PC may shine
- Could have gone further with the soundtrack
