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As I’m sure you all know, I get to play a lot of games and as a result, I usually never finish them (terrible, I know). One game though captivated me a few years back, so much so that I actually pretty much finished it twice, the game in question? Fallout 4. Having never played a Fallout game before, I instantly fell in love with the charm and no-lifed the game over the first few days of release. Here I am then, several years later, playing a game which is giving me those feelings all over again. Yes, it’s a very similar game but it feels new to me and I get excited every time I boot the game up. So then, we have already established that I’m a big fan of The Outer Worlds, but just why do I love it so much? Let’s find out.

The Outer Worlds – Obsidian Entertainment – PS4, Xbox One and PC – Out Now

RPG’s are nothing new and there have been a huge number of amazing games within the genre in the past. Obsidian, having developed some of the older Fallout games already have a huge amount of experience within the genre so it comes as no surprise that The Outer Worlds is an awesome game. Whilst it does feel very familiar if you played some of their previous work, it does have plenty of innovations and feels very much like its own new IP which could go on for years to come. One of the main differences within the game comes in the form of the world as unlike its counterparts, The Outer Worlds is not open world. This means that you cannot just go off an explore wherever you like at your own leisure, you must instead adventure within boundaries which expand as you progress through the game, almost similar to how it works within Borderlands. This is not an issue at all as if anything, it gives you a pretty good guide as to where you should be heading next and what you should be fighting.

Another prominent feature of the game is its comedic vibe, whilst the overall plot (more on that later) is quite serious, its not all doom and gloom as characters were happily existing before you came along meaning that the feel of the game is a bit more cheery than the likes of Fallout. This then in turn, lends itself to being quite a funny game and this is apparent from the very first section of gameplay. Some of the interactions you can have with characters are hilarious and they have a real impact on relationships and standings. Sarcasm is very prominent within some of the optional responses and it can work in your favour sometimes which I love. These conversations seem to play a huge role in the story, more so than I have ever experienced and subsequently, your actions within these dialogue sections really do have implications. This really allows you to play the game your own way and leaves you wondering what might have happened if you selected a different option. For example, you have the option to try and persuade to benefit yourself at the risk of annoying/ruining your relationship with the other character. There’s always a safer option but if you can judge the environment and relationship right, you can gamble with your options. These conversations and options are also effected by perks and skills which you can select and earn via playing the game.

Perks and skills function as you would expect, and you are given them for completing objectives and ranking up. This allows you too finely tune your character to your preference, improving different, relevant to your playstyle skills as you go. For example, I haven’t put much into melee as I’m focusing on weapon skill instead. These systems reward you for progressing and give you something to aim for, as does the looting system which obviously allows you to pick up, buy and tweak weapons within the game. Whilst this system is solid, from what I've experienced so far, it doesn’t seem to be as good as it could have been but I’m yet to experience that many weapons so that could all change!

In terms of story, the overall aim to explore the worlds, discover what the hell is going on and ultimately, rescue the other colonists who have been left in cryosleep. This will see you visit strange new places, meet a tonne of new characters and experience some pretty awesome occurrences. I wont spoil anything but so far, I’m really enjoying where the story is going and as I mentioned earlier, it has a cheerier vibe than other RPG’s although, there are still some sad/dark happenings that you will encounter and hopefully solve on your journey. It’s an interesting blend of comedy and dark reality that I’m really getting into and I can see myself completing before Christmas.

Visually, Obsidian have done a good job of making the game look different from its competition. Being set in space, there are a lot of vibrant colours, stunning skies and interesting designs everywhere you look. Whilst the visual quality isn’t perhaps as good as some other games, it still looks pretty good and I like the feel that the darker design gives. Characters look pretty realistic and the games wildlife are very imaginative and vibrant, you almost want to stand still and examine them, that is of course until they start trying to tear your head off! In terms of performance, it doesn’t hit that 60 FPS mark on console but it still feels ok, however if you do have the opportunity to play on PC, I would highly recommend it as it feels much more responsive and of course, you get that all important FOV slider.

Overall then, The Outer Worlds is a very good RPG set in a vibrant galaxy full of interesting people, strange wildlife and bizarre occurrences. It fills the void of solid RPG’s and I will be completing this game very soon, I have no doubt about that. If you’re looking for a game that you can really get into and spend hours playing, this is perfect but I believe it would also work if you played a mission at a time and came back to it every now and then. Congratulations Obsidian, you’ve made another banger!

Grab a copy of The Outer Worlds here -  https://bit.ly/32V68Pf