Fans of space exploration RPGs won’t just have Starfield to play on their new Xbox Series X or S consoles. During Microsoft’s Xbox E3 showcase, Obsidian revealed that it’s working on The Outer Worlds 2.
Suffice it to say that the tone of the two games couldn’t be much more different. While Starfield’s new trailer was distinctly poe faced, The Outer Worlds 2’s trailer struck a more tongue-in-cheek tone, mocking many of the typical tropes of game reveal trailers.
“We begin by hearing an old, wise sounding voice,” an old, wise sounding voice says. “And we see a quiet, peaceful setting. This will make our game seem big and important,” it continues. “Now something must break the serenity,” the voice says as a monster stamps on the scene. “Will this creature be in the game? No, say goodbye to it forever.”
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The trailer continues in this vein, mocking familiar tropes like “pointless slow motion shots”, dramatic sounding “wah” sounds and excessive lens flare.
Just when you think you’re getting some key details, the trailer pulls back again. “Now we see our hero. But only the silhouette, because the developers haven’t finished the design. Or finished the story. Or finished any gameplay that’s actually ready to show.
“In fact the only thing they have finished is the title,” the voice over says as the familiar face of Moon Man, the company mascot of Spacer’s Choice appears next to the words “The Outer Worlds 2.”
It’s a refreshingly honest take on game trailers, but doesn’t really give us much to go on, without any kind of launch window mentioned. What we do know is that, as developer Obsidian is now owned by Microsoft, it’s very likely to be a Xbox and PC exclusive whenever it arrives, and it’ll therefore also be free to Game Pass subscribers.
The original The Outer Worlds, which also appeared on Switch and PS4, was a breath of fresh air when it was released back in 2019, drawing flattering comparisons to Obsidion’s Fallout: New Vegas, with the flippancy turned up to 11. “The Outer Worlds is the Bethesda RPG you always wanted – it just so happens to be made by an entirely different developer,” wrote our Computing and Gaming Editor Ryan Jones in our four-star review.
“This sci-fi adventure is one of the best RPG examples of a choose-your-own adventure, allowing you to take the steering wheel for both the storyline and how you tackle each objective.”
We look forward to seeing what Obsidian does with the concept next, whenever it launches.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.