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The Outer Worlds

The Outer Worlds is a kooky space opera with beautiful aesthetics, a deeply engaging cast of characters, and a tightly focused storyline. Kick the hornets' nest, smoke the insects out, or sneak past: your choice might just topple a mega-corporation or two.
The Outer Worlds Game Cover
82%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
optimization, stability
82% User Score Based on 19,009 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 3 reviews

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The Outer Worlds Game Cover

About

The Outer Worlds is a single player open world role playing shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Obsidian Entertainment and was released on October 23, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

In "The Outer Worlds," explore a darkly humorous corporate-controlled galaxy, where mega-corporations have taken over. As a colonist stranded on the edge of space, make decisions that impact your character's skills, abilities, and playstyle. Shape your story through branching quests and recruit companions to help you survive and uncover the truth behind the colony's sinister dealings.

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The Outer Worlds screenshot
The Outer Worlds screenshot
The Outer Worlds screenshot
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82%
Audience ScoreBased on 19,009 reviews
story3.4k positive mentions
optimization110 negative mentions
  • The game features sharp, witty dialogue and a unique blend of humor and storytelling that many players find engaging and entertaining.
  • The vibrant art style and colorful environments create an immersive world that players appreciate, reminiscent of retro-futuristic aesthetics.
  • Character development and companion storylines are praised for their depth and engagement, enhancing the overall narrative experience.
  • The gameplay is criticized for being repetitive and simplistic, with clunky combat mechanics that can feel uninspired.
  • Many players find the main story bland and predictable, lacking emotional impact and depth compared to previous titles from the same developer.
  • The game suffers from performance issues and bugs, leading to a frustrating experience for some players, particularly on lower-end systems.
  • story
    10,580 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "The Outer Worlds" has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its humor, character depth, and the impact of player choices on the narrative. However, criticisms often highlight its linearity, predictability, and reliance on fetch quests, leading to a sense of repetitiveness and a lack of engagement in the overarching plot. While the game offers a rich world and engaging dialogue, some players feel it falls short compared to previous Obsidian titles like "Fallout: New Vegas," particularly in terms of story complexity and character development.

    • “I really enjoyed the story, characters, and world-building of this game.”
    • “The story was well written, even if the anti-corporate jokes weren't that funny, the actions you take in the game really affect the outcome of the story in a way that is very satisfactory.”
    • “The story is a nice side thing.”
    • “The story is bland, atmosphere isn't really there, forgettable NPCs and factions, emotional impact is absent.”
    • “The main story is very boring and kinda short for a game of this scope.”
    • “The story is very generic and boring and most of it you barely even know what is going on.”
  • gameplay
    2,903 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "The Outer Worlds" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its similarities to the Fallout series, particularly in its RPG mechanics and first-person shooter elements. While some appreciate the engaging story, humor, and character interactions, others criticize the gameplay for being repetitive, simplistic, and lacking depth, with combat mechanics that can feel clunky and uninspired. Overall, the game is seen as enjoyable for its narrative and character development, but it may not satisfy those seeking innovative gameplay or a challenging experience.

    • “The gameplay supports a wide variety of play styles, combat systems, and weapons that are genuinely fun, though a bit too easy on normal difficulty, and your choices manifest in subtle but rewarding ways throughout the adventure.”
    • “The mechanics are refreshingly clever: the leveling system allows for absurd flexibility, turning you into a suave negotiator, a space marine with a philosophy degree, or a heavily armed lunatic with anger-management issues.”
    • “The outer worlds is a captivating action RPG that expertly combines sharp storytelling with engaging gameplay mechanics, creating an experience that feels both familiar and refreshingly unique.”
    • “It doesn't have the world design or quest variety to allow for proper open world gameplay, but at the same time has simple and repetitive FPS mechanics which prevent it from working as a good linear shooter.”
    • “The gameplay is clumsy, the design is downright ugly, the graphics are way over-saturated even if it was a style choice, and the writing tries hard to be clever and funny but it just didn't feel like it hit something true.”
    • “The gameplay is extremely repetitive and the writing falls flat.”
  • graphics
    1,967 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "The Outer Worlds" have received mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant art style and colorful environments reminiscent of retro-futuristic aesthetics, akin to "Bioshock" and "Borderlands." However, some players have noted issues with graphical performance, including frame drops, texture pop-ins, and occasional blurriness, particularly on lower-end systems or the Nintendo Switch. Overall, while the visuals are generally considered appealing and immersive, they are not without their technical shortcomings, leading to a varied reception among players.

    • “The graphics are stunning and the world is really nice.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, the worlds, the monsters, the guns, the cities, and pretty much everything you see is top tier.”
    • “The gameplay is clumsy, the design is downright ugly, the graphics are way over-saturated even if it was a style choice, and the writing tries hard to be clever and funny but it just didn't feel like it hit something true.”
    • “The visuals are a delirious cocktail of saturated blues, radioactive oranges, and 'are-you-sure-this-isn’t-toxic' greens.”
    • “The graphics are very poor from a design standpoint, with a very high amount of poorly-contrasting colors and the oversaturation of glowing objects and reflections.”
  • humor
    1,605 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in "The Outer Worlds" is a defining feature, blending dark satire with absurdity, often drawing comparisons to the comedic styles of "Fallout: New Vegas" and "Borderlands." Players appreciate the witty dialogue and quirky character interactions, which can elicit genuine laughter, although some find the humor repetitive or forced over time. Overall, the game successfully combines humor with engaging storytelling, creating a unique and entertaining experience in a dystopian setting.

    • “The dialogue is sharp, filled with dark humor and clever insights on society, and the characters are genuinely funny.”
    • “The humor and satire are top-notch, making you both laugh and cringe at the dystopian nightmare of corporate rule.”
    • “Obsidian nailed the balance between humor, depth, and player agency.”
    • “There's this absurd corporate humor that's supposed to be funny, but it's layered on thicker than crispy bacon, and then you're supposed to simultaneously take every bleeding heart as serious as your firstborn's boo-boo.”
    • “I literally cannot reiterate enough how annoyingly unfunny this game is at times, especially with its insanely on-the-nose parody of corporations, annihilating the tone and ability to actually take any of the in-game factions seriously. It feels like each location belongs in a Rick and Morty fan-fiction or cutaway gag, and I mean that as the biggest insult possible.”
    • “A constant barrage of unfunny, sarcastic jokes and puns written by middle-aged men trying to pander to zoomers.”
  • music
    466 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and fit the game's tone, while others find it forgettable or lacking in variety. Many appreciate specific tracks, particularly the main theme and ambient music, but express a desire for a more diverse and memorable soundtrack. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the experience for some, others feel it falls short of expectations, particularly in comparison to similar titles.

    • “The soundtrack and voice acting are standout features, with fully voiced characters bringing life and personality to the world, and a soundtrack that complements the game’s tone—both quirky and suspenseful.”
    • “The music is great, especially the main theme, and one of the first area themes that you hear slams you over the head with 'this is a space western' and really sets the tone for the first chunk of the game.”
    • “The music is amazing, and graphics are very unique and stylish; I even used the sky as my wallpaper for a time.”
    • “There's not much of it, and the music that is there is kinda bare bones.”
    • “The music is very forgettable and minimalist, with barely any excitement and identity.”
    • “The soundtrack wasn't that great and contained a pretty small and repetitive number of songs that were used throughout the game.”
  • optimization
    445 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering, frame drops, and poor graphics optimization, particularly on PC. While some users experienced smooth gameplay on high-end systems, others found the game unplayable without mods or tweaks. Additionally, the introduction of a paid performance patch has drawn criticism, with many feeling that essential optimizations should not be locked behind a paywall. Overall, the game's optimization appears to be a major point of contention among players.

    • “Performance was practically flawless at 4K 60fps locked on my system.”
    • “This game runs smoothly on most platforms, with relatively few bugs compared to other games of similar complexity.”
    • “Great game, just hope the performance issues get fixed.”
    • “Unfortunately, this game is optimized like dogshit.”
    • “The game feels rushed, with stuttering issues, inconsistent tone, and a weird difficulty scaling, where the game feels way too easy on hard mode until the final mission where a headshot on a level 30 hunting rifle in sneak does 1/4th of an enemy's health.”
    • “My problem is that it has some of the worst PC optimization I've ever seen.”
  • replayability
    376 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players noting that while it offers some variety through different character builds and choices, it doesn't reach the depth or expansiveness of titles like Fallout: New Vegas. Some players find the game enjoyable enough for a few playthroughs due to its impactful decisions and multiple endings, while others feel that its shorter length and linear quests limit long-term replay value. Overall, it has decent replayability, but many agree it falls short of being a truly replayable experience compared to other RPGs in the genre.

    • “Every choice feels significant, and this adds a lot of replayability to the game.”
    • “The variety of potential character builds makes replayability huge in addition to the different choices that affect the outcome during the main quest line and missions/side quests.”
    • “The game has plenty of content, but the content in its replay value is truly impressive.”
    • “If you are looking for the depth and replayability of something like Fallout: NV, then you are setting yourself up for disappointment.”
    • “The main story is short and the writing is mediocre at times, no real weight to your decisions and makes the game less replayable.”
    • “The game itself isn't really worth the asking price in my opinion, as you can beat it decently quickly and it doesn't really have much replay value beyond a handful of different quests.”
  • atmosphere
    241 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is a mixed bag, with many players praising its unique and immersive world design, vibrant visuals, and engaging soundtracks that enhance the experience. However, some critiques highlight a lack of depth in storytelling and character development, leading to feelings of hollowness in certain areas. Overall, while the game successfully creates distinct atmospheres across various locations, it struggles to maintain a consistently engaging emotional impact.

    • “Each planet is uniquely distinct, providing you with a very different atmosphere to the last, even if you can't shake the corporate feeling.”
    • “The art style really helps create a unique atmosphere that sticks with you.”
    • “The atmosphere and visual design combined with the sounds and music give you a perfect world to get lost in.”
    • “Story is bland, atmosphere isn't really there, forgettable NPCs and factions, emotional impact is absent.”
    • “Unfortunately it feels really really dead, like it has no soul or atmosphere.”
    • “One of my major complaints is the game's atmosphere (and sometimes lack thereof).”
  • stability
    238 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting a range of bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including freezing, crashes, and AI pathing issues. However, some users have noted that the game runs smoothly on various platforms, particularly on the Steam Deck and PC, with minimal bugs encountered. Overall, while there are reports of significant stability issues, others find the game to be relatively polished and enjoyable, suggesting a varied experience depending on individual setups and expectations.

    • “The game runs 'straight out of the box' and appears to be virtually bug free.”
    • “Mostly bug free and very stable too, which was very surprising for a game of this genre.”
    • “The gameplay is clean, the mechanics are bug free, and the whole vibe of the game gives Skyrim and Fallout NV nostalgia.”
    • “Couldn't play the game due to bugs/glitches completely stopping my progress.”
    • “It's so buggy that I wonder if they even game tested it before publishing it.”
    • “Overall a buggy mess, enemies are running through walls or floors when following you up a mountain, when you shoot enemies there a chance they fly through walls and become stuck in them.”
  • grinding
    227 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly in combat and quest design. While some appreciate the engaging story and humor, they often note that the gameplay loop becomes monotonous, with a lack of variety in missions and enemy encounters leading to a sense of boredom. Overall, players feel that the game could benefit from reducing the grindy elements to enhance enjoyment and engagement.

    • “Only played at easier levels, but leveling isn't too grindy and the world scales appropriately.”
    • “Game devs need to understand that games are meant to be fun, not grindy.”
    • “There are multiple avenues of play, the achievements are interesting and not too grindy, and the world is fanciful and fun to explore.”
    • “I found the combat tedious; there are only two or three tiers of gear for the entire game after which you pile cash into the gear you have to try and keep your DPS and protection up.”
    • “The fun in making impactful choices and immersing yourself in dialogue-heavy narratives is undeniable, but the tedious combat and poor progression can make it hard to stay engaged for long.”
    • “Ultimately, I found it to be a tedious exercise to simply keep engaging with it.”
  • character development
    152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the depth and engagement of companion storylines and personal quests, while others criticize the overall lack of meaningful character growth and the repetitiveness of character designs. Many players appreciate the moral choices and narrative intricacies that enhance character interactions, yet some feel that the character development options are limited and fail to match the standards set by previous titles from the same developer. Overall, while there are standout moments and well-crafted characters, the execution of character development varies significantly across the game.

    • “The outer worlds is a brilliantly crafted RPG that combines deep storytelling, excellent character development, and strong moral choices into a fast-paced, retro-futuristic world.”
    • “The side quests often provide rich backstory and character development, deepening the player’s understanding of the colony’s intricate political landscape and the personal struggles of its inhabitants.”
    • “I really appreciate the amount of character development for each of the possible companions.”
    • “Looks nice, sounds nice, boring characters, mediocre equipment variety, mediocre character development options.”
    • “Aside from the gameplay being slow, the story also seemed to have nothing to give up right away to keep me interested with no character development whatsoever and a very unclear agenda.”
    • “The character development is boring; it seems like something interesting in the first place, but it fails to present any depth as the game goes on.”
  • emotional
    146 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising the depth and growth of companion characters, as well as the balance of humor and heartfelt moments in the narrative. However, many others criticize the overall story for being bland and lacking emotional investment, with forgettable NPCs and a failure to create meaningful connections. While some players found the game to be touching and immersive, others felt detached and unengaged, highlighting a significant divide in emotional resonance among players.

    • “The companions are all great in their own way, and it's really nice to go through their personal questlines and see them grow emotionally.”
    • “Obsidian has created a sci-fi game with hilarious but emotional dialogue, challenging yet fair combat, and really difficult and rewarding choices.”
    • “The overall arc of the story and the choices offered were emotionally satisfying, and I was pleased with the ending I got.”
    • “Difficult game to finish because of boring story and silent protagonist.”
    • “Otherwise, it's a snooze-fest with a boring story line and bland gameplay.”
    • “Outer Worlds takes everything that was wrong with Fallout 4 (clunky combat, dry character interactions, boring factions, annoying companions, dry boring landscapes, glitches, and most importantly a boring story to save your son that the player... just doesn't care about) and flips it on its head!”
  • monetization
    99 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has drawn mixed reactions, with many players criticizing it as a "soulless cash grab" that ironically undermines its anti-capitalist themes through excessive in-game advertising. While some appreciate the absence of microtransactions and the overall value for money, others feel that the aggressive marketing and corporate sponsorships detract from the experience, leading to disappointment compared to the expectations set by promotional materials. Overall, the game is seen as a full package without microtransactions, but the heavy reliance on advertising has left a sour taste for many players.

    • “I like that there are no microtransactions, although it's sad that this isn't the norm these days.”
    • “On the positive side, I enjoy the lack of microtransactions and getting a full game for the money I paid.”
    • “A full game at a fair price with no shady monetization.”
    • “Ironic how a game that was designed to poke at capitalism feels like a soulless cash grab.”
    • “Ah yes, the game with an aggressively anti-corporate message now engages in a blatant cash grab.”
    • “The irony of a product with that message being sold for money, relying on advertisement, even going Epic exclusive, was not lost on me.”
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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 4 critic reviews
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29h Median play time
42h Average play time
13h Main story
39h Completionist
18-48h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 227 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Outer Worlds is a open world role playing shooter game with science fiction theme.

The Outer Worlds is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Windows and others.

The main story can be completed in around 13 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 39 hours to finish. On average players spend around 42 hours playing The Outer Worlds.

The Outer Worlds was released on October 23, 2020.

The Outer Worlds was developed by Obsidian Entertainment.

The Outer Worlds has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its optimization.

The Outer Worlds is a single player game.

Similar games include The Outer Worlds 2, Avowed, Encased, Wasteland 3, The Technomancer and others.