The Outer Worlds (PC/PS4/XBO, 2019)

[Ganepark32]

Revealed at last night's/this morning's Game Awards. The new title from Obsidian Entertainment, with Take Two's Private Division publishing the game. Set to be released next year on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Trailer is below.

This was one of the announcements that really caught my eye from the show. I really like the look of it as there's a definite blend of Fallout and Borderlands there, with some planet hopping as well. If it handles like the latter game for gunplay then it should be a fantastic game as the narrative should be great as Obsidian have done some great work with the Pillars of Eternity games and Tyranny. One to watch that's for sure.

Edited December 7, 2018 by Ganepark32

[Happenstance]

Just started playing this as it’s on Game Pass. Seems really good so far. Not surprisingly it’s got a very Fallout feel to it but it’s nice to go back to that style and enjoy it after the disappointment of 4. I’m playing the PC version and it looks really nice, very colourful.

I’d definitely recommend people give it a try if they get a chance. It’s been getting good reviews as well.

[Nicktendo]

5 minutes ago, Happenstance said:

Just started playing this as it’s on Game Pass. Seems really good so far. Not surprisingly it’s got a very Fallout feel to it but it’s nice to go back to that style and enjoy it after the disappointment of 4. I’m playing the PC version and it looks really nice, very colourful.

I’d definitely recommend people give it a try if they get a chance. It’s been getting good reviews as well.

It says on Steam it's only out in 2020. Is it a Microsoft Store exclusive until then? 

[Happenstance]

8 minutes ago, Nicktendo said:

It says on Steam it's only out in 2020. Is it a Microsoft Store exclusive until then? 

Looks like it’s available on the Epic Games Store now as well so must be a timed deal.

[Happenstance]

Starting to think I should have put more points into lock picking. There’s no mini game this time, you just use up lock pick parts and the more points you have the less you have to use. I’m always around 0 parts left. Might have to start putting more in. I tend to put the majority of mine into speech in these games.

[Ganepark32]

I'm finding the same with regards to lockpicking. I've been putting plenty of points into the Stealth section but I'm always out of mag locks or other things to unlock containers and doors. I'm happy there's no stupid lockpicking mini game but I don't think the heavy resource usage for lockpicking was the way to go.

I've been playing on the base Xbox One through Game Pass and have about 8 hours played so far and at the moment, I can't decide whether I like the game or not. I like that decisions aren't black or white, that it's all morally grey with no clear cut answer as what to pick  it the gameplay isn't grabbing me. It's reminding me too much of Fallout 4, just a bit better in the handling department though still not as snappy and smooth as I'd like.

It also looks rough at times. I don't know what the other versions look like but it doesn't look like much of a step up over some of what was achieved towards the end of last gen on the base Xbox One. There's also some frame rate stutters here or there, similar to how you'd get random ones in Fallout 4 at times just walking the wastelands.

I'm obviously going to play more but it just doesn't seem to be grabbing me and doesnt feel like the great game some of the reviews have painted it to be. It just feels a bit dated all around in most places. We'll see how it progresses with more play.

[Tales]

I think with enough hacking skills you can buy more mag locks at vending machines. I check them every time I pass by some(and they appear frequently) and I have so many now I will probably never run out.

[Happenstance]

So what did you guys do for the first big choice with Edgewater?

Spoiler

I was really impressed with how hard the decision ended up being. Throughout that entire mission I was planning on transferring power away from Edgewater to the Deserters but the last conversation with Parvati I went back and forth multiple times until finally completing switching and sending the power to Edgewater.

 

[Ganepark32]

Spoiler

I ended up choosing to divert power to the Botanical Labs and away from Edgewater.

I was already leaning that way before Parvati spoke up but even with what she said, I wasn't swayed. I'm trying not to be completely anti-corporation in this and so thinking through it all with the info, I felt that under Reed Tobson the deserters would still get trampled and would probably not see all of them come back anyway (I suspect may would've ended up choosing to be marauders instead of going back to the Cannery). Helping that one deserter with engineering let me think they would perhaps break away from the corporate structure and let people do what they wanted. So that pushed me that way.

Speaking to Adelaide afterwards, I wasn't sure I'd made the right call as she talked about turning people away and I get they wouldn't be able to take everyone but she was a bit cold in general on it. I found out that if I'd picked Edgewater, I could have ousted Reed for Adelaide but I suspected that the Cannery would still be the same under her due to being part of the corporation r.e. medicine, etc.

Speaking to people on the Groundbreaker and at Roseway, it sounds like it's gone to hell at Edgewater as a result of my choice. Even one of the loading screen makes mention of it. I'll be interested in the wider ramifications but my reputation with the Board didn't go down as a result of the choice, only Spacers Choice so I suspect it'll all be muddled for sometime until I've met everyone and gotten a gist of their wants and intentions.

The decisions, as I say, are what the game has done really well so far. It's all been very much grey area all around for not only the big choices but also the smaller ones (like the one with the medicine from the community centre at Edgewater and who to give it to) and it's never instantly clear whether you've made a good choice or not. That's what's driving me to see more.

[drahkon]

Will buy this in a couple of hours. Sadly missed a deal so I'll have to pay 55€ instead of 50€ but hey, my birthday's coming up in a month so...why not  

Can't wait to give it a go.  

Edit: HA, found it for 48€.  

Edited October 28, 2019 by drahkon

[drahkon]

90 minutes in. It's great to get completely absorbed in a game like this again.

Made almost no progress because I've been wandering around Edgewater and surroundings stealing shit left and right  Combat is quite tough. Difficulty is set to hard and I didn't put any points into combat skills. Guess I'll have to sneak my way around for now.

[Happenstance]

https://www.vice.com/amp/en_us/article/59nagq/how-outer-worlds-turned-me-away-from-revolution-into-maddening-pragmatism?__twitter_impression=true

Patrick Klepek wrote an article about that first big Outer Worlds choice you have to make.

[drahkon]

19 hours now.
I've only done 4 or 5 main quests so yeah, par the for course I'd say  

I'm enjoying it quite a lot. It's not perfect but very entertaining. Made me laugh out loud several times now.

One thing that's a little annoying: Travelling to places you've already explored because a quest makes you do so. Why is that annoying? Because of this very inelegant means of travel:

Accept quest - enter your ship - loading screen - set destination - exit ship - loading screen - usually fast travel to a place closest to the quest - loading screen.

Now, the loading is relatively quick, but it's still a little irritating looking at a loading screen this much. Not a huge deal in the grand scheme of the game, though. What is, however, a huge deal: The game/combat is way too easy. I'm never really in any trouble except for when a huge fight breaks out after a conversation and the entire room of enemies gangs up on me.
Also, I'm apparently 3 levels away from the level cap. So there won't be any point in taking out enemies once I'm maxed out, especially since the loot they give hasn't been of use to me for 15 hours.

Really hope an increased level cap is in the works. But the devs have been completely silent since the release, so there's no way of knowing what they're working on.

 

I'm quite sad that Obsidian is now owned by Microsoft so PS4/5 won't see an inevitable sequel or any other games from the devs  I sure hope that The Outer Worlds will get some expansions in a couple months.

Edited November 5, 2019 by drahkon