Obsidian really needs someone to stage an intervention, because the studio is starting to behave as if they never stop releasing games, the Microsoft-shaped Grim Reaper won’t remember they exist. Earlier this year, they dropped Avowed, a return to their fantasy roots, and instead of taking a well-earned nap, they turned right around and launched The Outer Worlds 2. It’s almost impressive: at a time when most AAA studios need eight years, three reboots, and twelve “we swear development is going well” tweets to ship a sequel, Obsidian is out here releasing two major RPGs in one calendar year like it’s 2004. Of course, in true Xbox fashion, the game arrived with its own corporate-inflicted handicap. Microsoft briefly floated an $80 price tag—because apparently raising the price of Game Pass wasn’t enough—before retracting it so quickly you’d think someone knocked Phil Spencer’s coffee into the “Tweet” button. Even though they backed down, that moment stuck in people’s minds. Nothing kills excitement faster than the sense that a company is testing how far they can push your wallet before you snap. It’s not the game’s fault, but it absolutely shaped the conversation around it.
Once you actually start playing The Outer Worlds 2, though, that noise fades away. After running through the game three times—something the sequel practically begs you to do with its intentionally tight runtime and high replay value—I can confidently say this is a strong follow-up. It’s not earth-shattering, and it doesn’t have the electric sense of discovery the first game had back in 2019, but it’s a genuinely fun, witty, and mechanically polished RPG in a genre that’s become weirdly sparse. It’s the kind of middle-budget, choice-driven game that flourished during the Xbox 360 era and has nearly gone extinct today.
The writing is, unsurprisingly, Obsidian’s strongest weapon. Corporate dystopia is hardly new territory for them, but The Outer Worlds 2 doubles down on the absurdity in a way that feels sharper and more self-aware than before. The satire hits harder, the jokes land more frequently, and the narrative pacing is smoother. The first game sometimes felt like it couldn’t decide whether it wanted to be a full RPG or a comedic shooter; here, Obsidian has a firmer grasp on tone. The humor is still snarky and meta, but it’s woven more naturally into the world-building, rather than stopping the story dead to wink at the camera. Quests are where the game really shines. Obsidian understands that choice isn’t compelling unless it punches you in the throat a little, and several questlines here test your morality in clever ways. There are fewer big zones compared to something like Starfield, but each area feels tighter, denser, and far more intentional. The team clearly knows they don’t have Bethesda-sized resources, so they compensate by creating smaller spaces that are packed with meaningful interactions. NPCs have more personality, companion banter feels smoother, and quest outcomes ripple through the world in subtle but satisfying ways.
Combat, meanwhile, is… fine. Better than the first game, for sure, but it’s still the least interesting part of the package. Gunplay feels punchier, enemy AI is a bit more competent, and your build actually matters this time—my stealth-sniper run played wildly differently from my loud “I have a flamethrower and no fear of death” run. But mechanically, it’s still closer to Fallout-lite than a full sci-fi shooter. The Time Dilation ability remains a fun crutch, but if you came here expecting Destiny-level gunfeel, you’ll be mildly disappointed. This series has always been about dialogue, choices, and consequences first; everything else just exists to get you to the next decision. Companions are another highlight, even if none of them hit the iconic status of someone like Parvati. They’re more reactive this time, chiming in during quests with comments that genuinely shift the tone of certain encounters. Their personal quests are also well-written, though still fairly brief. However, that aligns with the game’s overall philosophy: compact, intentional, and designed for replay rather than a single, 80-hour sprawl.
Where Outer Worlds 2 stumbles is in originality. The first game benefited from being a surprise—a scrappy AA-scale RPG with snappy writing released during a drought of that exact thing. This sequel doesn’t have that advantage. It’s better in almost every way, yet feels less impactful simply because the formula is now familiar. Obsidian doesn’t take many risks; they refine instead of reinventing. That isn’t inherently bad, but it does result in a sequel that feels more like “the cleaner version” than “the bold second chapter.” The performance is solid on Xbox Series X, with quick load times. The visuals are notably improved, featuring richer colors and more detailed environments, and the art direction still carries more charm than raw fidelity. The world pops with the same pulp-sci-fi style that made the original stand out, just with a layer of polish that reduces the “AA jank” factor by about 40%.
So, where does that leave The Outer Worlds 2? Honestly, in a pretty good place. It’s not the kind of sequel that will convert people who weren’t into the first game, nor is it the groundbreaking RPG renaissance some players were hoping for. However, it is a sharp, entertaining, and tightly designed role-playing game in a market dominated by bloated live-service experiments and sequels driven by data analytics. Obsidian remains one of the only studios willing—and able—to make games like this at scale. If the original felt like a breath of fresh air, The Outer Worlds 2 feels like a deeper inhale. Not surprising, not revolutionary, but still damn refreshing.
Score: 8 out of 10
Reviewed on Xbox Series X