Author:
Simulacrum
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Date:
6/2/2021 7:58:44 AM
Subject:
Outer Worlds impressions so far
This game goes on sale pretty frequently at half-price, so it was at one of these auspicious moments, armed with ILA's recommendation, that I pounced.
If you don't already know -- and why would you, since the game just came out -- and by just came out I mean October 2019 -- anyway, if you're not aware, The Outer Worlds is a space fantasy RPG by Obsidian Entertainment, long famous for their totally not overrated titles like Neverwinter Nights 2, Fallout: New Vegas, Dungeon Siege III, Pillars of Eternity, etc. Their ancestry goes back to Black Isle and Troika, who made totally not buggy games like Icewind Dale and Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines.
Unlike Raven Software, who toil away at genuinely polished and competent games and mysteriously fail to receive the accolades they deserve, Obsidian built its reputation on the distorted memories of a cultish gaming community who insist on believing that enjoyable but clunky titles like Fallout: New Vegas are better than they really are. So I was not expecting much from Outer Worlds, and in some ways I was not disappointed.
The locations are serviceable for a space fantasy. They're bigger than reviewers claim, and they encourage exploration. The skyboxes are beautiful and fairly diverse, but the buildings seem to be made from the same template. Exteriors and interiors are mostly interchangeable, so the different worlds aren't very unique apart from some really good landscaping.
The loot doesn't have much variety. You see the same weapons over and over. The armor is somewhat more diverse, but it has the same skill bonuses affixed to the same artwork over and over, no matter what level you are. Obsidian has left it up to the player to improve both weapons and armor through a sort of watered down crafting system, which involves applying found mods. You can also increase damage and protection through "tinkering," an upgrade mechanism that uses in-game money. The system works, but other games have made crafting much more interesting.
On the plus side, the game is very stable with generally nice graphics. I say generally because some textures are sharper than others, and all the outdoor areas have a peculiar shimmering effect. Some players are distracted by this shimmer, but it hasn't bothered me. The sound and music are adequate but nothing special (compare Doom Eternal's sound effects and the soundtrack of something like Dragon Age Inquisition).
In a follow-up post, I plan to talk about the writing and effectiveness of a particular character build. I'm tired now.
