The Outer Worlds is a game I am conflicted by. It’s a game I have been waiting for since its announcement, the internet touting it as the Fallout game you actually wanted instead of Fallout 76. (Do not @ me I like 76 so much I’m a Fallout First member)
On one hand there is an excellent example of an asexual character in the form of Parvati Holcomb. This is something you don’t really see in games and as an asexual person myself made me particularly pleased to see. She’s also a freakin’ cutie pie. She has a kind word for everyone and is always enthusiastic about making a difference. The most cinnamon roll of all the cinnamon rolls. Definitely my favourite character which is why she’s staying in Edgewater when I start my Supernova difficulty playthrough where companions can die.
Don't you just love her?
The worlds are vibrant, the anti-capitalist message is strong and the characters are well written. Cities felt alive with lots of people to talk to and plenty of lore. The planets are graphically beautiful and the music is lovely.
HOWEVER
The ending truly let it down. Rather than a satisfying conclusion to a thrilling adventure Obsidian threw us off a cliff. One moment you’re poised to take the board down from the inside by rescuing Phineas. The next you are watching the credits roll, a little confused about how you got there.
Not to mention it had the hard end I so despised from Fallout: New Vegas. I don’t want to merely see what my choices have brought. I want to live in the world I created by making them! The whole point of a choice based RPG is that your choices should mean something. By cutting off the gameplay like that it limits just how effective your choices actually are.
There’s also the issue of the galaxy map looking a lot bigger than it actually is. 4 planets on the navigation map are inaccessible to the player. Definitely a bit of bad design, making the game appear fuller than it is. It could have used those 4 planets worth of content. If those planets weren’t there my expectations of how much content there was would also have been more accurate.
I still haven’t made up my mind about how I actually feel about this game. Before I finished it I was consumed by it, couldn’t put it down. By the ending though there was a bitter taste in my mouth, not helped by a glitch which kept throwing me out of the game in one of the final conversations with the Chairman. This is definitely a game where you have to appreciate the journey instead of hurrying to the end. It’s just such a shame it wasn’t longer.