The Outer Worlds

Corporate Satire With a Shotgun

When Obsidian Entertainment released this first-person RPG, the comparison to Fallout: New Vegas was inevitable and not entirely unfair. The studio had made that game too, and the DNA is visible in every dialogue tree and morally ambiguous faction.

What sets The Outer Worlds apart is its tone: a deadpan corporate dystopia where megacorporations have replaced governments and the propaganda is cheerful enough to make you laugh before it makes you uncomfortable. The writing is the main event here, sharp and consistent in a way that many RPGs of this scale rarely manage.

The Experience

The player wakes from cryosleep on the edge of a colonial star system run entirely by competing corporations, each more cartoonishly predatory than the last. The core loop involves building a small crew, navigating faction politics, and making choices that genuinely shift how the story resolves. Companions have their own questlines and opinions, and they will comment on your decisions.

The game is a standalone title, not part of a series, which means there is no backlog to catch up on before the credits roll.

Who Should Play This

A main story playthrough runs roughly 20 to 25 hours, with side content pushing that higher. The combat is functional rather than exceptional, so players who come primarily for shooting may find it thin. Those who enjoy narrative RPGs with strong dialogue systems, faction mechanics, and a consistent satirical voice will find the most to appreciate here.