The Outer Worlds was first shown off at last year’s Game Awards. Now, less than a year later, it is here. Obsidian Entertainment has gone on to make some great games since their last partnership deals. That is to say, they did great work on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, Fallout: New Vegas, and South Park: The Stick of Truth, but it had been a while since they did anything original.
Pillars of Eternity was their first big attempt, which felt like a spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate. What does this game feel like? Well, let us explain the ins and outs of The Outer Worlds along with sharing some tips for new space cadets.
10 Free On Xbox One
For those who haven’t purchased the game yet and for those subscribed to Xbox One’s Game Pass, there is good news afoot. The game is free on that subscription service. Now for those who don’t have it, allow us to explain what this is because we are still surprised at the amount of Xbox One users still in the dark. For $10 a month every game currently in the Game Pass catalog can be downloaded and played with absolutely no strings attached. Why pay for a game if it is on this service? It is an insane deal so save some money and start exploring space.
9 Not Outer Wilds
Another confusing aspect of this game is in the name. Earlier this year an indie space exploration title launched called Outer Wilds. They don’t have much of anything in common besides the space setting, but that has not stopped us from screwing up the names ourselves. We have literally caught ourselves several times already when writing down the name in this and other articles. What’s more Outer Wilds is also on Game Pass. So just to clarify, this is The Outer Worlds.
8 New Vegas In Space
With the Game Pass and name confusion out of the way let’s actually talk about the game now. The easiest way to describe it would be to call The Outer Worlds, Fallout: New Vegas but in space. That is literally what this game is. The way dialogue trees are represented, the gunplay, the way items are laid out in the world, and everything else all screams New Vegas. It might not bear the Fallout name, but this is a grand spiritual successor.
7 Save Spam
As this is a game like Fallout it should then come as no surprise for us to suggest saving as often as possible. One never knows when bandits or some other creatures will pop out of the blue thus wiping out the party. We lost a lot of progress thanks to Deathclaws.
It also helps when trying to make big decisions that will alter the game’s story. It might go against some to play the odds and find out which scenario winds up being better, but the option is there for those that want it.
6 Focus On Weight And Running
Characters will gain skill points every time they level up along with a perk point every two levels. Let us first address the perk system. There are no strict classes so players can create the build they want as they progress and no skill or perk is restricted. For the early hours of the game, we suggest getting the perk that lightens loads making one being able to carry more stuff along with the perk allowing for faster walking traversal. Both of these will help in the long run.
5 Don’t Spend Skill Points
Let us clarify that header. Don’t spend all skill points at once when leveling up. If one knows exactly what direction they want their character to proceed then go for it. However, here is why we say wait. First of all, companions, which players can eventually bring up to two along, can use their talents to help out in certain situations. Instead of becoming a hacker, one may just bring Vicar Max along. Saving until the moment arises can help with quests.
4 Talking Opens Many Doors
As is the case with a lot of narrative-driven RPGs, like Fallout, or Mass Effect, talking is sometimes the best option for any given situation. Don’t want to fight? If one puts a lot of effort into the dialogue part of the skill tree, this can literally open a lot of doors. And with this game combat isn’t exactly stellar so playing it like an adventure game can often feel more rewarding. The word is mightier than the plasma cutter, or something like that.
3 Look For Crawl Spaces
The Outer Worlds, unless one cranks the difficulty all the way up to extreme, is actually pretty easy. The first couple hours can be rough as one is trying to figure out the mechanics along with gaining equipment, but it quickly becomes a cakewalk. That is except for some intense, giant enemies like the giant purple Primals.
Look for nooks and crannies to hide in and snipe them from. It may sound cheap, but this is a good strategy for any given situation where the rankings of enemies far outnumber one’s own especially if they can’t follow.
2 The Right Companion For The Right Situation
Part of the problem with party members in any of the Fallout games is that they were hard to control. That is to say, their menu interactions were poor. The Outer Worlds has fixed that problem and they feel more like integrated crew members like the companions in Mass Effect. Two, of the eventual six, can be taken out on an adventure at a time. Taking the right man, or woman for the job may help open new pathways. For example, bringing Parvati along to the Groundbreaker colony will open up an exclusive quest. Pay attention to the crews likes and dislikes and it should become clear who is right for what job.
1 Avoid Flaw Perks
As one screws up in certain areas, like falling from heights, small dialogue prompts will pop up offering a choice. These are permanent flaws one can take on in exchange for an extra perk point. The aforementioned falling is called Acrophobia. If one performs a task that will trigger this curse, a status ailment will form, temporally weakening the player. Keeping track of them all just for one measly perk point is not worth it. Perk points, in general, don’t offer a lot of variety besides a few key ones like the weight training and power waling we mentioned earlier.
NEXT: 10 Horror RPGs That Will Keep You Up At Night
