There is still little known aboutThe Outer Worlds 2other than a brief teaser from this year’s E3 conference. The first game in the series was received well by critics and players who enjoyed its diverse worlds, interesting characters, and comedic tone all wrapped up in an engaging RPG. The first game was a big hit among fans that hoped to see developer Obsidian return to the genre afterFallout: New Vegas, so it is no surprise that fans are excited to do it all again inThe Outer Worlds 2.
Many fans of the series were also excited by the suggestion thatThe Outer Worlds 2may be developed using Unreal Engine 5. The reveal of Unreal Engine 5 was impressive thanks to a bevy of new technology and features that developers can take advantage of to make their games more beautiful than ever. WithThe Outer Worlds 2’s sci-fi setting and exotic locales, the game has a lot of potential ways to take advantage of the engine.
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The Outer Worlds 2’s Planets Could Feel Huge and Alive
One of Unreal Engine 5’s flagship features is known as World Partition. The system works by making a grid to map out sublevels of the game’s worldto then load and unload sections in the background while players travel.The Outer Worlds 2will undoubtedly feature a variety of planets like the first game, and the World Partition system may allow developers to make those worlds larger than before. Thenew solar system inThe Outer Worlds 2has a lot of potential, and Unreal Engine 5 could prove to be an indispensable tool for the development team to realize that potential.
The new features in Unreal Engine 5 could also make those planets feel more alive. One big feature that will contribute to this is MetaSounds. MetaSounds gives teams a dedicated workflow to manage the soundscapes of their environments with more control. This could help the planets inThe Outer Worlds 2feel more alive and reactive than in the first game, with grass crunching under the player’s feet and the sounds of small critters in the distant brush. Not only will this help the game stand out from its predecessor, but it will also helpThe Outer Worlds 2stand out from other sci-fi gameslikeStarfieldorFallout.
The Outer Worlds 2 Could Have A Lot More Detail
Another benefit of Unreal Engine 5, especially combined with new gaming hardware, is how much more detail it can handle. Not only can the engine render textures up to 12K resolution, it also has a new geometry system dubbed Nanite. The system lessens the burden on rendering level of detail so games can import film-quality art and have it rendered in real time. While thevisuals ofThe Outer Worldshave been improved with mods, the Nanite system could allow the game to put far more detail into all of its textures and models so that it feels like a true next-gen title.
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Another system that could help the game look more beautiful is Unreal Engine 5’s Lumen lighting system. The Lumen system allows the lighting of scenes to be dynamically adjusted during play based on a number of factors. These can include the time of day, new light sources entering the scene, or even quick flashes. This may help scenes feel more dynamic as they react to laser bolts or the glowing of the player’s gun. These lighting effects will be especially great to see if the rumors are true aboutThe Outer Worlds 2adding third-person perspective.
The Outer Worlds 2 Could Have Great Animations
Anyone who playedThe Outer Worldsknows how much time is spent talking to various characters. Players learn about the game’s world, their companions' backstories, and can even change how they approach quests by talking with NPCs. While the facial animations inThe Outer Worldswere more than sufficient, Unreal Engine 5 has completely overhauled its animation toolkit, which could make them even better. Few things can take players out of a game like shoddy animations, so the new toolkit in Unreal Engine 5 could be a great tool to help keep players immersed while they get to know thenew crew members inThe Outer Worlds 2.
The new animation toolkit also features Full-Body IK solver, which helps make more realistic animations by saving and applying different poses to rigs. This could help the movements of characters feel more natural and realistic, but it also could be a big boon ifThe Outer Worlds 2answers the request of fans to add aliens. IfThe Outer Worlds 2does add alien races, the new animation toolkit could help developers design animations and movements that feel natural even if the aliens don’t adhere to more human anatomy. The improved animation system could also help the game have a lot more varied animations that adapt to the player’s equipment or personality of enemies, which could make combat feel more immersive.
There is no way to know whether or notThe Outer Worlds 2is using Unreal Engine 5 until the developers make an official announcement. However, the game will likely be an interesting and exciting new entry in the series regardless of what engine it is built on. Hopefully, fans will get some news on the game soon, and find outwhat lessonsThe Outer Worlds 2learnsfrom other entries in the genre.
The Outer Worlds 2is currently in development.
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