🔗 Share this article

Upon my initial playthrough of the first Outer Worlds title, I was immediately drawn by its sarcastic, Fallout-esque brand of humor. The game included lively conversations, individual logs, and propaganda materials that portrayed a company-run society that was simultaneously bleak and amusing. My main fear starting the follow-up was that this version – through no fault of its own – might not be as funny as its predecessor.

Admittedly, conditions weren't ideal. But the world undoubtedly appeared a bit less broken in those days. This universe showed a bleak future that didn't feel extremely relatable, and yet accomplished to be at once touching and hilarious. I started the sequel rather certain that the sequel wouldn't be able to accomplish this again, but I'm delighted to report that I was incorrect. This sequel is just as laughter-provoking as the release that came before it, and furthermore presents fresh concepts rather than just recycling similar elements similar to a worn-out business tune.

Developing Personalities

The majority of the NPCs players encountered in the first title had been worn out by the activities of business corporations including the fictional company, and were painfully aware of the degree that their existence was miserable. This sequel moves events in an alternative path, presenting individuals who are indoctrinated (periodically symbolically, often literally). Numerous personalities don't even realize of how extremely messed up their conditions are, or that there might be options to a lifetime passed under the boot of a massive corporation or bound by the beliefs of a demanding cult.

This second installment examines forms of business domination that are more subtle than only making the population impoverished. Numerous characters have been indoctrinated into the type of extremely eager "hustle mentality" language you can discover on social media accounts that promise to reveal the path to accomplishment when you buy for an overpriced workshop, or put money into a dubious blockchain project. Additionally, the title's business promotion has developed.

Modern Themes

There remain numerous discouraging displays on the walls warning about deducting employee wages who so much as consider taking a day off, but there are also references to multi-level marketing tactics, including a staff guide that proudly declares, "Unknown people are merely patrons you haven't met yet!" As someone who developed within a multi-level marketing family, I instantly erupted laughing when I saw this reference, because it's a phrase I have often heard spoken verbatim by people at the base of those structures.

Luckily, this follow-up is just as funny and satirical as the initial release.

The Outer Worlds 2 additionally investigates the dilemma various individuals encounter regarding employment, political matters, and even consumer choices: Being forced to pick the smaller of several poor choices. When trying to choose whether to assist a risky company or a problematic faith organization throughout the experience, I discovered I was aligning with the familiar evil: An established company structure that is terrible (though just utilizes propaganda to brainwash its subjects), rather than the religious group, which also sucks, but employs a terrible method called "cognitive reset" to maintain its followers in line.

Unreliable Masters

Additionally, the individuals you serve might not be reliable. In the role of an space operative, your assignment includes attempting to restore order to the Arcadia colony following a hostile corporate takeover, and you will quickly find that both the aggressors and the defenders adhere to distinct (though equally awful) ideologies. Yet a speedy inspection of the messages on your ship's terminal show that this agency isn't precisely the world's most ethical employer too, as shown by a reply to a distress call that tells the sender it will take "three to five business years" for a reply to their transmission. (This period is about how long it takes for many people to get a hold of a real customer service agent via telephone nowadays.)

Familiar Situations

Many moments in this installment are painfully relatable, but it's a cathartic kind of recognition, and the game succeeds in balancing its depressing dystopian setting with wit that's genuinely funny without feeling inappropriate. A primary concept is the quick commencement of enshittification that appears to occur in the wake of significant business mergers. Employees on both sides of The Outer Worlds 2's big merger see their quality of life decrease as a result, while the CEOs in control of the structure are, expectedly, accumulating the cash hand over fist.

Hey, at least I understand my position.

Comparable to the original title, The Outer Worlds 2 is inherently funny, but it also isn't afraid to get serious. At a certain time, while exploring around the title's initial accessible planet, I stumbled across a corpse with a recording in the vicinity. The audio log revealed that this NPC (who was aligned with the brainwashing religious faction) had died in an accident while attempting to hunt down and dispatch her significant other. This romantic partner had reportedly deserted from their organization, and the perished individual was incensed at her significant other's {traitorous