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During my first experience with the first Outer Worlds game, I was instantly captivated by its satirical, Fallout-inspired type of wit. The game included engaging exchanges, personal journals, and propaganda materials that portrayed a corporate dystopia that was at once grim and entertaining. My primary concern starting the follow-up was that this entry – not due to from itself – could fail to be as comedic compared to the first.

Admittedly, things weren't perfect. Yet society certainly seemed slightly less fractured back then. The Outer Worlds showed a bleak future that didn't hit extremely relatable, and nonetheless succeeded to be simultaneously touching and uproarious. I commenced the sequel pretty sure that this installment wouldn't manage to pull this off again, but I'm pleased to announce that I was wrong. This follow-up is just as smile-generating as the title that came before it, and furthermore presents new themes rather than merely repeating similar elements like an overused corporate jingle.

Developing Personalities

Most of the game characters gamers met in the original game had been defeated by the activities of company organizations such as Spacer's Choice, and were painfully aware of the degree that their existence was miserable. This installment progresses matters in an alternative path, presenting individuals who are indoctrinated (periodically symbolically, regularly truly). Many of these personalities don't even realize of how profoundly screwed up their conditions are, or that there could be alternatives to a lifetime passed under the boot of a huge company or restricted by the creeds of a high-demand religion.

This second installment examines forms of company influence that are more subtle than merely maintaining the masses poor. Many NPCs have been indoctrinated into the sort of overly enthusiastic "hustle mentality" discourse you'll find on online profiles that claim to disclose the secret of achievement should you purchase a costly program, or put money into a sketchy crypto scheme. Even the game's business promotion has developed.

Contemporary Issues

There remain numerous discouraging displays throughout facilities warning about deducting staff compensation who so much as consider taking a day off, but furthermore exist allusions to network marketing tactics, such as a new hire handbook that proudly declares, "Strangers are just customers YOU have yet to encounter!" As someone who grew up in a network marketing environment, I promptly exploded with laughter when I saw this reference, because it's a saying I have frequently encountered repeated exactly by people at the base of these systems.

Fortunately, The Outer Worlds 2 is equally humorous and irreverent as the original title.

This installment additionally investigates the predicament various individuals encounter when it comes to occupation, politics, and even consumer choices: Being forced to choose the smaller of several poor choices. During efforts to determine if to assist a harmful business or a concerning cult in the game, I discovered I was siding with the familiar evil: An established business organization that sucks (though just utilizes advertising to program its members), as opposed to the cult, which is equally bad, but employs a horrible approach termed "mental refreshment" to maintain its followers obedient.

Doubtful Authorities

Additionally, the individuals you serve may not be reliable. In the role of an galactic official, you're tasked with trying to reestablish control to the Arcadia colony following a hostile corporate takeover, and you rapidly learn that the two the invaders and the defenders follow differing (but similarly terrible) beliefs. But a quick review of the transmissions on your spacecraft's system reveal that the Earth Directorate is hardly the galaxy's most moral authority either, as evidenced by a reply to a help request that notifies the contact it will take "three to five organizational cycles" for a response to their message. (That time frame is approximately the time it takes for many people to contact a real customer service agent over the phone these days.)

Recognizable Scenarios

Various situations in this installment are highly recognizable, but it's a therapeutic kind of recognition, and the game manages to balance its bleak societal vision with comedy that's genuinely funny without feeling incongruous. One major theme is the near-instant onset of deterioration that appears to occur in the wake of large company takeovers. Staff members from all factions of this sequel's significant consolidation see their quality of life worsen as a result, while the CEOs at the top of the hierarchy are, of course, raking in profits hand over fist.

Okay, at the very least I recognize my position.

Similar to the first game, this sequel is naturally humorous, but furthermore isn't afraid to become dramatic. During a moment, while exploring around the game's first discoverable location, I came upon a corpse with a message nearby. The audio log showed that this NPC (who was aligned with the programming faith group) had perished in an incident while attempting to locate and dispatch her romantic partner. This romantic partner had seemingly abandoned from their organization, and the now-dead NPC was enraged by her lover's {traitorous