Summary
The Outer Worldsis one of the more recent releases in developer Obsidian’s long line of well-received Western RPGs. A studio quite beloved by fans and critics alike, many of its games are held up as model examples of excellently crafted and thoughtfully designed experiences. The 2019 original was seen as something of a return to form after Obsidian produced a handful of similarly acclaimed but somewhat more niche CRPG titles.The Outer Worlds 2was announced in 2021 to much excitement, and fans have been since awaiting to see where the series would go in the sequel.
As a major component of its framework,The Outer Worldshad its fair share of satire, parodying corporate capitalistic culture and mindsets that extended into a semi-realistic sci-fi future approaching a dystopian breaking point. It was a satisfyingly fun adventure through the distant future filtered through present-day sensibilities. And thoughTOWoffered a lot thematically and in gameplay, it was still missing an angle that many other Obsidian RPGs also don’t typically include. There is often a lack of dedicated romance options and storylines in Obsidian’s games.The Outer Worlds 2, though, has a good opportunity and reason to finally break away from this.
Obsidian is part of Microsoft’s stable of first-party developers andThe Outer Worlds 2is a confirmed day-one Game Pass and Xbox exclusive title.
Why The Outer Worlds 2 Should Give Players Robust Romance Options
Obsidian Usually Shies Away From Romance
While portions of Obsidian’s catalog are highly regarded and praised as exemplary, romance quests and options have often been completely absent or merely cursorily included across a broad range of its games. Other adjacent titles, likeMass EffectorBaldur’s Gate 3, allow for a wide range of player choices and an interesting and diverse cast for fans to engage with romance options if they choose. Compared to such titles, it can seem striking thatthe romance aspect is largely absent from Obsidian’s otherwise meticulously formed characters, settings, and narratives.
In what is arguably Obsidian’s most-liked game,Fallout: New Vegas, there were a number of companions ripe with romantic potential, especially those with darker and tragic pasts, like Arcade Gannon, Cassidy, and Veronica. Having the option for players to be intimate with them should they choose to pursue it, bringing a measure of comfort and hope to their lives, would likely have been a welcome inclusion and layer to what were already engrossing characters.
This may not hugely or negatively impact all fans, butwell-realized and likable game companionscan increase immersion and investment in the story. This goes doubly so for those who are possible love interests for the player’s character and who might have enjoyed a romance option with their favorites.
The Outer Worlds 2 Could Easily Include Romances
LikeNew Vegas, some ofThe Outer Worlds' characters and companionsfelt like they would have made great romantic partners if the ability to woo some of them was a possibility. Well-written and performed, they breathed life into the world while providing a number of mechanically useful bonuses and buffs for a variety of play styles and skill builds. Their side stories added an interesting flavor to their histories and dispositions towards the player and their actions and choices during the plot. Fans could even play matchmaker for plucky engineer Parvati Holcomb, just not for themselves.
IfThe Outer Worlds 2brings back a few previous charactersas standard companions and/or introduces new ones, this would pave the way for Obsidian to finally open that particular door. If the sequel will perhaps allow players to explore and engage in specifically romantic personal quests with the NPCs and companions they might be most endeared to role-play as partners with, it would be a surprising and nice change of pace from not being a part of Obsidian’s titles for so long. The studio could solidify its status even further by finally including the romantic angles that many of its contemporaries have been offering for years.
The Outer Worlds Spacer’s Choice Edition
WHERE TO PLAY
The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition is the ultimate way to play the award-winning RPG from Obsidian Entertainment and Private Division.Players who already have The Outer Worlds and its associated DLC, Murder on Eridanos and Peril on Gorgon, on Steam can upgrade to The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition for a reduced purchase price.* To enable the upgrade purchasing option, players must be signed into the same Steam Account they used to purchase the base game and its associated DLC and select the “Complete the Bundle” purchasing option.You’ve tried the rest, now come back for the best! The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition includes the base game and all add-on content as the definitive way to play the beloved RPG from Obsidian Entertainment. This remastered masterpiece is optimized to be the absolute best version of The Outer Worlds… even if you choose to play this critically acclaimed RPG as the absolute worst version of your character.Lost in transit while on a colonist ship bound for the edge of the galaxy, you awake decades later only to find yourself in the midst of a deep conspiracy threatening to destroy the colony. Explore the various planets and locations of Halcyon, including the mysterious Gorgon Asteroid and delightful distilleries of Eridanos. As you encounter various factions, all vying for power, the character you decide to become will determine how this player-driven story unfolds.In the corporate equation for the colony, you are the unplanned variable.
