Upon my initial encounter with the original Outer Worlds title, I was quickly hooked by its satirical, Fallout-esque brand of humor. This release included lively conversations, character diaries, and advertising displays that depicted a corporate dystopia that was simultaneously bleak and humorous. My main fear heading into the follow-up was that this installment – without blame of its own – wouldn't be as funny compared to the first.
Sure, situations weren't flawless. However, life definitely felt a bit less broken back then. The Outer Worlds presented a dystopia that didn't hit overly familiar, and nonetheless succeeded to be simultaneously touching and comical. I commenced the follow-up feeling quite confident that this installment wouldn't manage to accomplish this a second time, but I'm pleased to state that I was mistaken. This follow-up is equally laughter-provoking as the release that came earlier, and additionally brings new themes rather than merely repeating identical material like an worn-out business tune.
The majority of the non-player characters players encountered in the initial release had been beaten down by the deeds of business corporations like Spacer's Choice, and were fully cognizant of the extent to which their existence was miserable. The Outer Worlds 2 takes things in an alternative path, including personalities who are brainwashed (periodically symbolically, regularly truly). Many of these personalities aren't conscious of how profoundly messed up their conditions are, or that there may exist alternatives to a life lived beneath the control of a massive corporation or restricted by the creeds of an intense faith.
This follow-up investigates methods of business domination that are more subtle than only making the masses poor. Many NPCs have been indoctrinated into the kind of extremely eager "grindset mindset" rhetoric you might encounter on digital platforms that vow to show the secret of achievement should you purchase for an overpriced workshop, or put money into a sketchy crypto scheme. Additionally, the title's corporate propaganda has developed.
There are still many discouraging displays in various locations threatening to dock staff compensation who even think about having a break, but additionally there are mentions of network marketing methods, featuring a staff guide that proudly declares, "Strangers are just clients you have yet to encounter!" As someone who was raised in a direct sales family, I promptly exploded with laughter upon viewing this mention, because it's a saying I have regularly listened to repeated exactly by people at the base of these systems.
Thankfully, this follow-up is just as funny and satirical as the original title.
This sequel additionally investigates the predicament many of us find ourselves in concerning occupation, government, and even consumer choices: Being forced to pick the reduced of several poor choices. During efforts to decide whether to assist a risky company or a dangerous religious group throughout the experience, I realized I became aligning with the familiar evil: A familiar company structure that is awful (yet merely employs advertising to brainwash its subjects), rather than the religious group, which is equally bad, but utilizes a terrible method named "cognitive reset" to maintain its followers in line.
Even the people you work for might not be trustworthy. As an Earth Directorate agent, your mission involves attempting to restore stability to the Arcadia colony following a hostile corporate takeover, and you'll soon discover that each of the aggressors and the defenders adhere to differing (though equally awful) doctrines. Yet a speedy review of the transmissions on your vessel's computer show that this organization isn't precisely the universe's most principled employer as well, as evidenced by a response to a help request that informs the caller it will take "3-5 business years" for a response to their transmission. (This duration is roughly the duration it takes for me to contact a human customer service agent over the phone these days.)
Various situations in this sequel are highly recognizable, but it's a cleansing type of familiarity, and this title succeeds in balancing its bleak societal vision with comedy that's truly humorous yet not seeming inappropriate. A primary concept is the quick commencement of decline that appears to occur after significant business mergers. Employees on both sides of this sequel's big merger see their quality of life worsen therefore, while the leaders at the top of the hierarchy are, expectedly, accumulating the cash rapidly.
Hey, at least I know my situation.
Just like the original title, this follow-up is intrinsically comedic, but additionally isn't afraid to turn solemn. During a moment, while exploring around the title's initial accessible planet, I stumbled across a deceased individual with an audio log in the vicinity. This recording showed that this individual (associated with the programming faith group) had died in an accident during efforts to hunt down and kill her lover. This loved one had reportedly deserted from their group, and the deceased character was enraged by her significant other's {traitorous
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