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Upon my initial encounter with the initial Outer Worlds title, I was immediately drawn by its sarcastic, Fallout-inspired type of wit. This release included lively conversations, individual logs, and promotional posters that depicted a corporate dystopia that was simultaneously bleak and amusing. My primary concern starting The Outer Worlds 2 was that this entry – through no fault from itself – could fail to be as humorous like the original.

Sure, things weren't perfect. But the world definitely felt slightly less fractured in those days. This universe showed a bleak future that didn't hit extremely relatable, and still managed to be both emotional and comical. I began The Outer Worlds 2 feeling quite confident that the sequel wouldn't be able to achieve this once more, but I'm happy to report that I was mistaken. This follow-up is equally chuckle-inducing as the release that came earlier, and also introduces fresh concepts instead of simply reusing the same content comparable to an worn-out business tune.

Changing NPCs

Most of the game characters players encountered in the first title had been defeated by the activities of business corporations like the fictional company, and were painfully aware of the extent to which their situation was terrible. The Outer Worlds 2 progresses matters in a different direction, including personalities who are brainwashed (sometimes figuratively, frequently actually). A lot of these personalities aren't conscious of how profoundly screwed up their conditions are, or that there could be options to a lifetime passed under the domination of a huge company or bound by the doctrines of a high-demand religion.

This follow-up investigates methods of company influence that are more insidious than simply keeping the population impoverished. Many NPCs have been programmed with the kind of extremely eager "hustle mentality" rhetoric you can discover on digital platforms that claim to disclose the path to accomplishment if you pay an expensive course, or participate in a dubious blockchain project. Furthermore, the release's corporate propaganda has evolved.

Current Topics

There continue to be plenty of discouraging displays in various locations warning about deducting employee wages who even consider taking a day off, but furthermore exist allusions to pyramid scheme strategies, featuring a new hire handbook that proudly declares, "Unfamiliar individuals are simply patrons you have yet to encounter!" As an individual who was raised in a direct sales household, I promptly exploded with laughter when encountering this mention, because it's a phrase I have often heard spoken verbatim by individuals in lower positions of these systems.

Luckily, this sequel is equally humorous and satirical as the original title.

This installment also examines the dilemma numerous people experience regarding occupation, politics, and even personal purchases: Needing to choose the reduced of multiple bad options. During efforts to determine if to assist a harmful business or a problematic faith organization in the game, I found myself siding with the familiar evil: A familiar corporate entity that sucks (yet merely employs propaganda to indoctrinate its followers), rather than the faith organization, which is similarly terrible, but employs a terrible method named "mental refreshment" to maintain its followers in line.

Doubtful Authorities

Even the people you serve might not be reliable. As an space operative, your mission involves working to return order to the Arcadia colony following a forceful company buyout, and you will quickly find that both the attackers and the defenders adhere to distinct (yet equally horrific) beliefs. However, a rapid examination of the communications on your ship's terminal show that this organization is hardly the universe's most principled authority as well, as evidenced by a reply to a help request that informs the caller it will take "3-5 corporate years" for a response to their message. (This period is about how long it takes for many people to get a hold of a real support representative over the phone these days.)

Relatable Moments

Various situations in this installment are painfully relatable, but it's a cathartic sort of relatability, and the game achieves equilibrium between its depressing dystopian setting with comedy that's truly humorous while avoiding out of place. A primary concept is the near-instant onset of enshittification that happens to unfold following significant business mergers. Workers from each party of this sequel's major acquisition see their quality of life decrease as a result, while the executives in control of the hierarchy are, expectedly, accumulating profits hand over fist.

Hey, at least I understand my situation.

Comparable to the original title, The Outer Worlds 2 is inherently funny, but it also isn't afraid to become dramatic. At one point, while traveling around the release's primary explorable world, I came upon a corpse with an audio log close by. This recording revealed that this character (connected to the indoctrinating cult) had been killed in an event during efforts to track down and kill her significant other. This loved one had apparently defected from their group, and the deceased character was enraged by her significant other's {traitorous