Summary
WhenThe Outer Worlds 2takes players back into space, it doesn’t need to aim any higher than it needs to. The planets ofThe Outer Worlds 2will need to deliver at least on the same level that those of the first planet did. However, the developers will need to know what they should be focusing on when it comes to designing these planets. Good direction can lead to a universe that vastly outshines the first game’s offerings. However, ifThe Outer Worlds 2tries to fly too close to the sun, it may not turn out well.
There’s a natural aim forThe Outer Worlds 2to outclass the original. After all, while the first game was a fun RPG with interesting worlds to explore and a selection of crewmates to adventure with, there is still a lot of room for improvement. There were a few opportunities that the first game missed that the sequel would be wise to catch up on. Considering how there have been surprisingly few space-faring RPGs to see major releases, the market is still very open for one to break through in a major way.The Outer Worlds 2could be the one to set that bar.
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The Outer Worlds 2 Needs a Refined Approach to its Planets
When it comes to the planets players will find inThe Outer Worlds2’s new star system, there are a few expectations that players should have of them. These planets should be:
The Outer Worldsmanaged to accomplish this, with locations like themassive ship Groundbreakerand the vicious wastelands of Monarch. While the planets ofThe Outer Worldswere small in number, they provide an excellent model for the sequel to follow and expand upon when crafting its own planets.
WhileThe Outer Worldshas a full solar system shown on the map, Olympus, Typhon, and Hephaestus are inaccessible by any means.
The Outer Worlds 2can also learn from other recently released games as well. Theprocedurally generated planets ofStarfieldwere massive in number, meaning that players could spend hours upon hours exploring them all. However, this approach didn’t lead to planets that were all-around better than their rivals in the field. A lot ofStarfield’s planets ultimately felt interchangeable, since many of them just felt like a collection of biomes and elements put together. While players could find some planets that had an interesting hook to them, most of the time, the planets that were designed from scratch were the ones most worth exploring.
The planets ofThe Outer Worlds 2should be crafted lovingly and with purpose. A focus onquality over quantity inThe Outer Worlds 2should be paramount. Every planet in the sequel needs to feel important in some way, to feel like all of them serve a purpose in the game. Of course, there will be some that either play host to major events or act as a recurring hub, which is only natural.
After one shot at the space RPG genre already, Obsidian should have what it takes to make major improvements with a sequel.The Outer Worlds 2can explore a lot more with a brand-new set of planets, but the developers need to make sure that they’re worth exploring. A list of dozens of unremarkable planets is worth less than a smaller selection of planets that all provide players with plenty to do and see during their visit.The Outer Worlds 2doesn’t need a massive solar system, it just needs a few well-made planets for players to explore.
The Outer Worlds
WHERE TO PLAY
The Outer Worlds is a new single-player sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Entertainment and Private Division. As you explore the furthest reaches of space and encounter a host of factions all vying for power, who you decide to become will determine the fate of everyone in Halcyon. In the corporate equation for the colony, you are the unplanned variable.Lost in transit while on a colonist ship bound for the furthest edge of the galaxy, you awake decades later than you expected only to find yourself in the midst of a deep conspiracy threatening to destroy the Halcyon colony. As you explore the furthest reaches of space and encounter a host of factions all vying for power, who you decide to become will determine the fate of everyone in Halcyon. In the corporate equation for the colony, you are the unplanned variable.Welcome to the future - try not to break it.
