Summary
The Outer Worlds 2is Obsidian Entertainment’s forthcoming second outing in the hyper-corporatized dystopian sci-fi setting it introduced players to in 2019. After the success of the first, the studio officially announced it would be producing a sequel to the futuristic FPS RPG in 2021, andThe Outer Worlds 2is currently in development, with many fans excited and theorizing about how Obsidian will improve and iterate on the original entry’s direction and design.
Last year, developerRespawn’sStar Wars Jedi: Survivor,the followup toJedi: Fallen Order(also released in 2019), streamlinedmany of its Metriodvania world/level designs and elements. The two are generally tighter and narrower in terms of sheer size, with less emphasis on a massive open world, and instead composed of a smaller pool of denser locales that are more closely interlinked. This was also an aspect ofThe Outer Worlds, and based on what has been shown about it so far, it could very well be the case thatThe Outer Worlds 2’s planets and other locations will strongly resembleSurvivor’s in this area.
The Outer Worlds 2’s Planets Could be the Yin to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s Yang
The Outer Worlds and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s Planet Counts and Design
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s suite of planetsthat Cal Kestis and his allies explored totaled six. Though this seems a small number,Survivorstill felt epic, even if it was technically limited to only those few locales that players would become quite familiar with via revisiting multiple times by the conclusion of its tale. Yet, they were all well-designed and felt like a believable part of the world and story, with each having their own history and purpose within the plot as well as feeling distinct and challenging in their own ways when navigating and fighting through them.
The Outer Worldshad slightly more than double that, with thirteen celestial bodies for fans to investigate. Some, though, were noticeably smaller and more barren than others, asThe Outer Worlds' narrativefocused more on the intricate interplay of political power and daily survival struggles that the populations of its planets were dealing with. The main point is that each was moderately sized and manageable, never feeling overwhelming but neither superfluous, and most importantly fun and engaging to play through even after many hours.
The upcomingStar Wars Outlawsis stated to be fully open world, in contrast toSurvivor’s more slimmed down settings.
Why The Outer Worlds 2’s Planets May Be Similar to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s
In bothThe Outer WorldsandStar Wars Jedi: Survivor, certain planets served as major hubs as fans hopped back and forth between them and others tracking down story leads or completing sidequests. They remained again, though, rewarding to return to each time, and inSurvivor’s case, usually after acquiring an ability that opened up new paths. Players similarly traveled multiple times acrossThe Outer Worlds' Halcyon Colonyin their adventures, also often discovering previously inaccessible areas.
Based on the information revealed so far,The Outer Worlds 2looks to be set in an entirely new star system, which would provide a natural reason for some expansion and diverging from the previous design while keeping the overall moment-to-moment gameplay and feel in line with what players experienced in the first. Even if it slims down to a number closer toSurvivor’s, this would then allow breathing room for some of them to be more elaborate, perhaps with greater emphasis on larger cities and other interesting settlements.
This Fall, Obsidian will be releasing its fantasy RPG,Avowed,which it has noted will also be more contained in scope. It’s fairly reasonable then to assumeThe Outer Worlds 2will likely broadly follow this philosophy, and in the process highly resembleStar Wars Jedi: Survivor’s vision in terms of planets/locations while continuing to channel and improve the aspects that made the firstOuter Worlds' environments enjoyable and unique.
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.
