My opinion on The Outer Worlds 1 is that, you know, it was pretty much fine. It was a perfectly serviceable RPG and it was even pretty funny in spots. But it was sunk by the fact it came from Obsidian, which made some of the best RPGs of all time, and didn’t necessarily have much to say with its hyper-corporate setting at a time when everyone was catching some very strong feelings about capitalism.
But I certainly didn’t hate it and I like Obsidian a great deal, so I’m very open to (and hopeful for) the possibility that The Outer Worlds 2 will hit where the first game missed. Still, its creative director is certainly out there writing some very big cheques for the game. In a chat with GamesRadar, Brandon Adler not only namechecked Fallout: New Vegas as “a big inspiration for us,” he also called out the Eidos Montreal Deus Ex games as an influence.
Adler says “the newer Deus Ex games” are something he “really loves,” and that we can expect a big dollop o’ Jensen when Outer Worlds the Second hits on October 29.
On the one hand, I have to admire Adler here. He absolutely knows that namechecking Deus Ex and New Vegas in front of the kind of crowd (me) paying attention to Outer Worlds 2 news is like dangling a big chain of juicy sausages in front of a dog. It’s the kind of thing that gets my attention immediately, and a hell of a comparison to set up for yourself. He must be feeling confident.
But with Outer Worlds registering at a solid ‘fine’ in the annals of videogame history, it’s also a statement that has me sucking air through my teeth, like I’m watching someone limber up to leap the Grand Canyon who’d previously struggled at Bossaball.
I hope Obsidian pulls it off. In fairness, I had a jolly time with Avowed and the whole world seems very into that whole Grounded thing. The studio is on a bit of a hot streak at the minute. Maybe it’ll really succeed at summoning all the ghosts of imsim past to make The Outer Worlds 2 truly special. Maybe.
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