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The Outer Worlds

Play the role of space cowboy in this fantastic RPG set in space.
83%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
optimization, stability
83% User Score Based on 35,086 reviews
Critic Score 82%Based on 85 reviews

Platforms

PCPCXboxXboxXbox Series X|SXbox Series X|SPlaystation 5Playstation 5Playstation 4Playstation 4WindowsWindowsPlayStationPlayStationNintendo SwitchNintendo SwitchXbox Game PassXbox Game PassCloudCloudXbox OneXbox OneXbox Cloud GamingXbox Cloud GamingTabletTabletNVIDIA GeForce NOWNVIDIA GeForce NOW
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About

"The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition is the ultimate version of the award-winning RPG, including the base game and all add-on content. This remastered edition offers optimized gameplay and the chance to play as the best or worst version of your character. Players who already own the base game and DLC on Steam can upgrade to this edition at a reduced price."

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
The Outer Worlds screenshot
The Outer Worlds screenshot
The Outer Worlds screenshot
The Outer Worlds screenshot
The Outer Worlds screenshot
The Outer Worlds screenshot
The Outer Worlds screenshot
The Outer Worlds screenshot
The Outer Worlds screenshot

83%
Audience ScoreBased on 35,171 reviews
story6.5k positive mentions
optimization204 negative mentions
  • The Outer Worlds features engaging storytelling, tough choices, and a world filled with quirky characters and dark humor, reminiscent of classic RPGs.
  • The game's vibrant, retro-futuristic graphics and immersive atmosphere create a visually stunning experience that draws players into its unique worlds.
  • Players appreciate the lack of microtransactions, enjoying a full game experience without additional costs for in-game purchases.
  • The main story is criticized for being short, linear, and often reduced to fetch quests, leading to a lack of depth and emotional investment.
  • Many players find the gameplay repetitive and simplistic, with uninspired combat mechanics and a grinding aspect that detracts from enjoyment.
  • The game suffers from performance issues and poor optimization, with reports of stuttering, frame rate drops, and bugs that disrupt the experience.
  • story
    19,771 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "The Outer Worlds" is characterized by its satirical take on corporate capitalism, featuring a mix of quirky characters and dark humor. While many players appreciate the engaging dialogue and the impact of choices on the narrative, some criticize the main plot for being short and linear, often reduced to fetch quests. Overall, the game offers a compelling narrative experience, though it may not reach the depth and complexity of previous Obsidian titles like "Fallout: New Vegas."

    • “It’s got that same Obsidian magic—great storytelling, tough choices, and a world full of quirky characters and dark humor.”
    • “The story drops you right into the chaotic corporate dystopia of Halcyon, where every decision feels like a mix of clever satire and pure ridiculousness.”
    • “Its themes, characters, and overlapping storylines come together in an emotionally triumphant way, and offer the player food for thought that applies to the real world.”
    • “The main story is very boring and kinda short for a game of this scope.”
    • “The story is bland and my choices didn't seem to matter much in the end.”
    • “The story itself is quite short and to the point in its design.”
  • gameplay
    5,299 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 mechanics and overall structure. 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 uninspired and basic. The introduction of features like the time dilation mechanic and companion abilities adds some tactical elements, but many feel these do not significantly enhance the overall experience, leading to a consensus that while the game is enjoyable, it does not break new ground in gameplay innovation.

    • “The time dilation mechanic makes combat much more interesting and tactical than I'd expect from a FPS, which adds to the fun, and the writing and characters are nuanced and multifaceted.”
    • “Gameplay wise, this game somehow captured the same feeling I get when I play New Vegas, and I know Obsidian is probably so tired of hearing about Fallout, but I haven't been this enthralled in a game since then!”
    • “The gameplay mechanics offer flexibility and freedom, allowing for a truly personalized experience.”
    • “The gameplay and combat is dull.”
    • “Gameplay is bog-standard for a western-style RPG - you travel to a few different locations, kill a lot of people and monsters (of which there's not a whole lot of variety), pick up various weapons (of which there's also not a lot of variety), recruit some companions (who are mostly interchangeable), upgrade your skills, rinse and repeat.”
    • “The gameplay quickly becomes repetitive with few enemy types and rather flat mechanics.”
  • graphics
    3,671 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "The Outer Worlds" have garnered mixed reviews, with many praising its vibrant, retro-futuristic aesthetic reminiscent of titles like "Bioshock" and "Fallout." While some players appreciate the unique art style and colorful environments, others criticize the graphics for being cartoonish, dated, or poorly optimized, leading to performance issues and visual inconsistencies. Overall, the visuals are seen as a strong point for the game, though opinions vary widely on their execution and appeal.

    • “The graphics were absolutely beautiful, locations felt alien and exotic, and the companions were in some sense refreshing.”
    • “The graphics are stunning, the music is understated but good.”
    • “The graphics are gorgeous and the scenery is jaw-dropping.”
    • “I have played all the Bethesda games and Outer Worlds is reminiscent of Fallout 3; it's not greatly optimized and the graphics remind me of a Borderlands style, more cartoony than photorealism (considering Detroit: Become Human came out 2 years before this and looks 1 million times better).”
    • “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.”
    • “The graphics had severe pop-in, which was very immersion breaking; I fully recognize that this is probably due to my own graphics hardware, but I had everything on low, and I was still experiencing horrible pop-in.”
  • humor
    2,865 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in *The Outer Worlds* is a defining feature, characterized by sharp, dark, and satirical writing that often critiques corporate culture and capitalism. Many players appreciate the clever dialogue and quirky character interactions, which can lead to genuinely funny moments, especially when choosing humorous dialogue options or playing as a low-intelligence character. However, some reviewers feel that the humor can become repetitive or forced over time, detracting from the overall experience, while others find it a refreshing blend of absurdity and wit reminiscent of classic RPGs like *Fallout: New Vegas*.

    • “It’s got that same obsidian magic—great storytelling, tough choices, and a world full of quirky characters and dark humor.”
    • “Let’s talk about the humor—because wow, this game is funny.”
    • “Each planet feels like its own quirky sandbox, filled with hilarious corporate propaganda, colorful landscapes, and random shenanigans waiting to happen.”
    • “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.”
    • “Its core concept can very well be boiled down to 'capitalism bad.' Everything in the game is based around an unfunny joke, with every character forcing itself to try and be as witty as possible.”
  • music
    864 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and fit the game's "space western" theme, while others find it forgettable or lacking in variety. Many appreciate the soundtrack's quality and its contribution to immersion, but some feel it could benefit from more memorable tracks and a broader selection. Overall, while the music is generally well-received, opinions vary on its impact and memorability within the gameplay experience.

    • “The music in this game is absolutely fantastic.”
    • “Bell did a marvelous job designing the background music; it set the tone for the entire game, and you will play it again long after you finish the game.”
    • “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 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.”
    • “The music, is lame.”
  • optimization
    831 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of "The Outer Worlds" has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including stuttering and frame rate drops, even on high-end systems. While some users noted improvements in the game's performance over time, the introduction of a paid performance patch has drawn criticism, with many feeling that optimization should not be locked behind a paywall. Overall, the game is seen as poorly optimized, detracting from the otherwise enjoyable gameplay experience.

    • “Great gameplay, perfect graphics, awesome optimization, rare game that has 'soul'.”
    • “I have encountered no bugs in my playthrough, and performance has been great.”
    • “This one has way better performance and is stable (e.g. not crashing all the time).”
    • “I bought this game knowing it had performance and crashing issues but I was ready to deal with it, but it turned out much worse than I ever imagined.”
    • “The game is horribly optimized, looks dated, and feels dated by being too safe.”
    • “The performance is the worst part of this game.”
  • replayability
    731 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players noting that while it offers diverse playstyles and impactful choices, it falls short compared to titles like Fallout: New Vegas. Some appreciate the potential for multiple endings and character builds, while others feel the linearity and shorter playtime limit the incentive for repeated playthroughs. Overall, it has decent replay value, particularly for those who enjoy exploring different narrative paths, but it may not satisfy players seeking extensive replayability.

    • “A great RPG reminiscent of Fallout, featuring a concise main story but offering high replayability with diverse playstyles for each playthrough.”
    • “The freedom to tackle missions in a non-linear fashion adds replayability and encourages players to embrace different playstyles.”
    • “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.”
    • “In contrast, Starfield's stated replayability falls flat due to lower quality quests and companions in a procedural meta-game loop that strips narrative agency from the player.”
    • “The main story is short and the writing is mediocre at times; no real weight to your decisions makes the game less replayable.”
    • “There really isn't enough replayability for me.”
  • atmosphere
    456 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and visually stunning environments, drawing comparisons to beloved titles like Fallout and Bioshock. Players appreciate the distinct atmospheres of various planets, the attention to detail in world-building, and the engaging sound design that enhances the overall experience. However, some critiques highlight moments where the atmosphere feels lacking or inconsistent, suggesting that while the game excels in creating a captivating setting, it occasionally falls short in depth and engagement.

    • “Every new biome/planet is just yearning to be explored with the flora and fauna of each world amplifying the atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere and visual design combined with the sounds and music give you a perfect world to get lost in.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game is fantastic, I'm personally a huge fan of the rustic-sci-fi feel.”
    • “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).”
    • “The biggest drawback was really a lack of atmosphere on some stretches.”
  • stability
    452 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting a generally smooth experience and minimal bugs, particularly when compared to other titles in the genre. However, some users have encountered persistent glitches, crashes, and performance issues, especially on certain hardware configurations. Overall, while many players appreciate the game's stability, others express frustration over lingering bugs that have not been fully addressed since its release.

    • “Mostly bug free and very stable too, which was very surprising for a game of this genre.”
    • “The game runs 'straight out of the box' and appears to be virtually bug free.”
    • “Lovely looking game with classic Obsidian storytelling/choice making, decent game engine & combat mechanics, and stable 99.9% bug free interface & play.”
    • “This game is wonderful, but it frustrates me to no end that there are still bugs and glitches when this game has been out since 2019 and has two DLC.”
    • “The game freezes sometimes and there is massive FPS loss on specific locations.”
    • “I want to like the game, it has all the right fundamentals (think Fallout meets Mass Effect) but my god it's buggy, it constantly keeps crashing, I've clean installed my NVIDIA drivers, updated, Windows update, run as admin etc but it constantly keeps crashing to desktop.”
  • grinding
    418 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many players finding the quests and combat tedious and repetitive. Reviewers frequently mention the overwhelming number of dull missions and the lack of engaging gameplay, leading to a sense of boredom and frustration. While some appreciate the story and humor, the overall sentiment is that the game suffers from excessive grindiness, making it feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.

    • “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.”
    • “The game has some nice touches but in general this is a huge grinding wheel with a huge amount of dull missions.”
    • “This game is so tedious; go here, fight through overpowered monsters, endure 10 minutes of pointless badly scripted and acted garbage, rinse and repeat... somehow engineered all the fun out of this game.”
    • “Ultimately, I found it to be a tedious exercise to simply keep engaging with it.”
  • emotional
    282 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game elicits a mixed response from players, with some praising its ability to balance humor and deeper themes, leading to moments of genuine emotional connection and reflection. However, many players express frustration over a lack of attachment to characters and a storyline that fails to maintain emotional investment, often citing bland character development and pacing issues. While some find the writing and companion interactions touching, others feel the overall narrative lacks the depth needed to create a lasting emotional impact.

    • “Its themes, characters, and overlapping storylines come together in an emotionally triumphant way, and offer the player food for thought that applies to the real world.”
    • “Seeing a character so perfectly reflect all of my thoughts, feelings, and worries, explored in such an empathetic way has made me beyond emotional in the best way possible.”
    • “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 a boring story and a silent protagonist.”
    • “Otherwise, it's a snooze-fest with a boring storyline 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!”
  • character development
    280 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising the depth and opportunities for personal growth, particularly in relation to the player's character and certain companions like Vicar Max and Nyoka. However, many critics noted that the overall character development, especially for squad mates, feels lacking or formulaic, with limited impact from player choices on companion arcs. While the game offers a robust character customization system, the execution of character development often falls short compared to previous titles from the same developers, leading to a sense of missed potential.

    • “The world-building is intriguing and the character development is well-done, giving players plenty of opportunities to shape their own story.”
    • “I really appreciate the amount of character development for each of the possible companions.”
    • “The story is great and there's always more than one way to go about any and every hurdle you may encounter; I especially love the way they get you invested with your followers/crewmates and not only have it lead to character development and individual perks for them but also have the impact you made on them be known.”
    • “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.”
    • “Character development of your squad mates is weak.”
    • “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.”
  • monetization
    180 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has drawn mixed reactions, with many players criticizing it as a blatant cash grab, particularly regarding its DLC and remastered versions. However, a notable positive is the absence of microtransactions, which players appreciate as a refreshing change in an industry often plagued by aggressive monetization tactics. Overall, while the game's advertising and corporate themes are heavily criticized for undermining its anti-capitalist message, the lack of additional costs for in-game purchases is seen as a significant benefit.

    • “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.”
    • “The game was massively unfinished, still is and is nothing more than a cash grab.”
    • “Ah yes, the game with an aggressively anti-corporate message now engages in a blatant cash grab.”
    • “It's a transparent cash grab for a game that loves to poke fun at the faults of capitalism.”

82%Critics’ scoreBased on 97 critic reviews

Buy The Outer Worlds

29h Median play time
42h Average play time
13h Main story
39h Completionist
18-48h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 441 analyzed playthroughs

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