I've been playing The Outer Worlds (OW) quite frequently since release on the 25th and wanted to get down my thoughts and impressions of the game so far, as well as invite discussion and comments from you guys regarding your experiences also. The following post is kinda long and probably not structured too well so apologies in advance.
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
So for frame of reference, I have been playing for approximately 30-40 hours and have just landed on Byzantium. I've completed most of the side missions picked up along the way and have just finished the main story mission on Monarch.
When first starting the game, my initial impressions were very positive. The first conversation you have with the injured chap in the cave on the starting planet Edenvale, part of the corporate-run Halcyon system where the game is set, immediately sparked my interest - even in this one conversation the writing shines through as clever and engrossing, the option to heal or attack him gives you a glimpse into the role-playing aspects the game will offer, and even the graphics and presentation are striking. So overall a pretty fantastic start. This feeling of excitement and engrossment continued for a long time, all the way through the first planet and continued through to the next large area, a space station called Groundbreaker.
I was sucked in mostly by the intelligent and humorous writing, but was also really enjoying the gunplay, the dialogue options, the music, the exploration and even the graphics and art design (playing on Xbox One X in 4K and it looks stunning most of the time, apart from the weird blurriness/chromatic aberration).
However, by the time I was working through the next big area, Monarch, some of the game's flaws were starting to make themselves apparent. I've seen reviews and opinions on the game stating that this is, unequivocally, a better game than Fallout 4 (and even New Vegas) in every way (Jim Sterling's video titled something like 'Bethesda is now obsolete' comes to mind). Though I agree with some of the main points behind this opinion, I cannot agree that Outer Worlds bests Fallout New Vegas, or even Fallout 4, in every area.
One of my main gripes with OW as I get deeper into it is with the levelling system. The perks especially are quite disappointing in terms of how they affect gameplay, with most of them boiling down to stat boosts (percentage bonuses to damage types or skill checks, for example). When compared to Fallout's perks, some of which alter gameplay in unique and interesting ways, OW definitely falls flat.
Levelling up individual skills also leaves me wanting more, with nothing particularly interesting to aim for and unlock at mid to late levels. One thing I have focused on in my first play through are the speech skills. Levelling up this area (Persuasion, Intimidation, Lying) fails to unlock any abilities of note. Levelling up Persuasion to 100 gets me little more than a better chance to use the abilities I've had since the beginning of the game.
This was a problem I had with other similar games, such as The Witcher 3 and even the Borderlands series. Progression and levelling is enjoyable at the beginning of the game as you are forming your character, but becomes stale very quickly as you realise gaining a level equates to increasing a percentage by an minuscule amount.
The Fallout series, including Fallout 4, did a much better job of this. Whenever I would level up I felt like I had to put genuine thought and consideration into my choices and I would regularly gain new abilities and perks, offering fresh and interesting options as I continued to play.
As well as the problems with levelling up, I found the variety in weaponry and armour to be lacklustre. Not only are there a small amount of weapons and armour on offer, but the modifications for them suffer from the same problem that levelling up has. Mods only alter the item in a small and usually insignificant way. For example, most mods for weapons (outside of changing its damage type) will have minor effects like increased rate of fire stability. Armour mods will give you bonuses for certain skills, +5 to Melee or +10 to Long Guns, for example. You rarely get anything in-depth to play with when it comes to customisation. Fallout's selection of weaponry and armour is not only much more varied and numerous, but you can get really stuck in to customising your gear, with generous amounts of mods and options to make something that is truly unique.
Half way through exploring Monarch I was almost beginning to feel bored. Looting had lost its shine due to the predictable items I'd find, and I had no incentive to level up due to the lack of interesting perks to go for. It would have helped I think if the game had more environmental storytelling. From what I’ve seen so far there is a lack of side content to happen upon, a scarce amount of detail within the environment that encourages you to check every nook and cranny. It feels somewhat empty when compared to Fallout’s rich, detailed environments. Even Fallout 4, one of the weaker entries in the series, does a great job of littering the map with side content, pieces of string to follow and unravel that can be completely missed if you’re not the inquisitive type.
It's these flaws that have led me to become confused by comments from certain people expressing the somewhat hyperbolic opinion that OW is what the Fallout games should have been. OW nails many things squarely on the head, but to say it does everything right is disingenuous and probably a product of the awful reception Bethesda has received recently (much of it very deserving).
Luckily, OW is held up by its exemplary writing and characters, and their implementation into the game and input on your choices and conversations are always surprising, hilarious and, at times, touching. Parvati, one of the first companions the game introduces you to, has been my favourite so far. Clearly inspired by a certain space mechanic in 'Firefly', she acts as a charmingly awkward moral compass, questioning your decision making and offering insights into your actions that genuinely made me rethink my approach sometimes.
The first ‘villain’ you encounter, the boss of the local cannery in the main hub on Edenvale, Edgewater, comes across as a slimy corporate stooge in your first conversation with him. He treats Parvati like dirt and my hatred for him was formed almost immediately, something I’m sure the writers intended. Once taking on a mission for him to divert power from another group in the area, a group that were once part of Edgewater that ‘deserted’ to escape the confines of the corporate lifestyle that pervades most of life in Halcyon, I had pretty much already decided that I was going to be helping the deserters.
However, at one point during the quest Parvati gives you her opinion on the matter, stating that without the power and the deserter’s return to Edgewater, the remaining residents would surely perish. Additionally the leader of the deserters explains that she would never allow anyone remaining loyal to the corporations to be allowed to join the group, revealing herself to be as ruthless and exclusionary as the cannery boss. I was left in a moral conundrum and the decision I eventually made was not done so lightly.
It’s this writing that is prevalent throughout the game (at least so far) and it has immersed me in the world like few other games have been able to do. As well as being thought-provoking, it also consistently puts a smile on my face. In one interaction I took on a job for an organisation, the leader of which stated she wanted me for the job as ‘a freelancer is…more disposable than a member of my permanent staff…no offense’, to which you can reply ‘*holding up two hands in a rude gesture* None taken.’ This is one example of many enjoyable ways you can respond to the colourful characters throughout Halcyon and it is easily the game’s best feature. I found myself talking with every single character available, exhausting the dialogue options and taking on every quest possible.
The gunplay is quite satisfying, with most ranged weapons I’ve tried being punchy and pleasing to use (I’ve not tried many of the melee weapons yet as it’s not something I’ve focused on with my character but they look fun too). You have a time-slowing ability to go along with your weaponry that assists in targeting weak points on enemies and applying certain status effects depending on where you hit. For example, you can apply a blinding effect on some enemies if you focus your fire on their head, or slow them down by shooting their legs. It’s not exactly original, and it’s hard not to compare it to Fallout’s VATs system. The Outer World’s attempt is easily better than Fallout 76’s, but overall I do think the original Fallout games did a better job with this mechanic.
In summary, I’m very pleased with the game and feel like it is a brilliant entry into the FPS RPG genre, and another hit from Obsidian. If things continue as they have been I’d probably give the game an 8/10, and it has solidified itself as one of my favourite games of the year. But it definitely has its flaws, some of which are not saved by the fresh and colourful dialogue.
Ed note: I started writing this about a week ago and have made some further progress since, but my opinions are mostly the same. A brilliant game worthy of your time, especially if you’re a fan of RPGs and clever writing, but let down slightly by a lack of depth in its mechanics.
What do you all think?
Submitted November 06, 2019 at 12:05PM by PhantomFred88 https://ift.tt/2pCIYiu
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