The Outer Worlds wasn’t a perfect game, and it received considerable criticism when it originally released in 2019. One of the biggest complaints about the game was its overly comedic writing and silly tone, even with a somewhat dark narrative.
Fans were naturally vocal about it, complaining that the humor was too direct and it didn’t fit the game’s overall tone, which made the whole experience inconsistent.
However, developer Obsidian Entertainment has seemingly listened to that feedback for The Outer Worlds 2, and they’re making the sequel varied in terms of writing. But every good change comes at a cost.
The Outer Worlds 2 will be darker in tone compared to the first game
Players wanting a darker tone for The Outer Worlds 2 will be able to rest easy knowing that Obsidian Entertainment has listened to those criticisms and changed their approach to the sequel in terms of writing.
In an interview with PCGamer, the sequel’s game director, Brandon Adler, admitted that the first game’s writing “could sometimes be one note,” and he wanted The Outer Worlds 2 to feel unique so that players wouldn’t think of it as just a rehash of the first game.
I want to give players something new from that, so they don’t feel like ‘Oh, we’re just running through the same types of jokes, the same type of content, the same type of ideas and themes over and over again.
This darker tone was a result of a change in leadership. Previously, Tim Cain, the creator of Fallout, was one of two creative directors who worked on The Outer Worlds, with Leonard Boyarsky serving as the other. However, Boyarsky taking over as the sole creative director for the sequel is what brought about the change in the tone, as stated by Adler.
You’ll notice that there’s a little bit of a less silly, darker tone that comes out. That’s mainly because of Leonard. That’s his kind of vibe, and so he has more of a push on that stuff. And so I think even the overall story feels a little bit like a darker take on what’s going on there.
Well, that settles it. The Outer Worlds 2 will have a darker tone than the first game. But the price? It won’t have the same level of silliness anymore, and it’ll be toned down, so The Outer Worlds that we know and love might just no longer exist.
However, Adler has clarified that the sequel’s darker and varied tone doesn’t mean humor has been entirely omitted from it.
We still wanted to make sure that we had a lot of the same feeling as the first and so when players are interacting with the different factions, they also get to see that absurd humor that comes through. Hopefully it’s a little bit less silly and a lot more absurd.
So, it will still retain some of the silliness and the absurdity of the first game, but overall, The Outer Worlds 2 aims for an experience that’s more serious and consistent with its tone. It also promises to be bigger and better than the first game, so be prepared to witness a massive upgrade.
The Outer Worlds 2 arrives later this year, but at another cost
The Outer Worlds 2 is set to release later this year on all platforms, but it comes at another cost, which could make or break the sequel’s success. The cost is $80, and players have to pay it to own and enjoy the game.
It’s dropping day one on Game Pass, too, but players residing on other platforms have to suffer the consequences of Xbox games getting a price hike, which is supposed to start later this year and The Outer Worlds 2 has unfortunately fallen victim to its clutches.
So, PlayStation players, you might want to start saving up if you want to enjoy The Outer Worlds 2 day one. For the rest of the players on Xbox and PC, Game Pass will be your knight in shining armor.
The Outer Worlds 2 releases on October 29, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
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