When it comes to action role-playing games, few developers do it better than Obsidian Entertainment, the California studio behind Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, South Park: The Stick of Truth, and Fallout: New Vegas. It’s fair to say they know their craft. Their 2019 space epic, The Outer Worlds, not to be confused with Outer Wilds, released the same month, was a showcase of their strengths. It came closest to recapturing the vibe and feel of Fallout: New Vegas.
Read More: Avowed review – Living Lands Worth Dying In
Fast-forward to 2025: now part of Xbox Game Studios, Obsidian returns with a sequel. The Outer Worlds 2 doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it builds on the original’s foundations, pushing everything forward with near-perfect execution.
Return to the Outer Worlds
Set in an alternate future that diverged from ours around 1901, this timeline sees US President William McKinley survive his assassination attempt. As a result, Theodore Roosevelt never becomes President, and the era’s powerful business trusts remain intact.
This leads to a hyper-capitalist, class-driven society dominated by mega-corporations. Humanity also discovers faster-than-light travel, allowing these corporations to colonise and terraform distant planets.
Read More: Pentiment review – What Xbox Needed
The sequel shifts to a new part of the galaxy. While the first game was set in Halcyon, The Outer Worlds 2 takes place in Arcadia, a wealthy, isolated colony. The story unfolds sometime after the original.
You play as an agent of the Earth Directorate, a body responsible for managing relations between Earth and its colonies. Sent to Arcadia, your mission is to investigate mysterious rifts in space-time that have severed contact with Earth.
Gone Corporate
Upon arrival, you find the mega-corporations battling for control. Your task is to uncover the cause of the rifts and stop them, while preventing a galactic war. It’s a strong narrative that frames the action well and gives Obsidian space to inject its signature tongue-in-cheek tone. What could have been a grim tale instead stands tall with charm and wit.
Player freedom is central. You choose who you are, where you go, and what you do, within reason, allowing you to tailor your character to your preferred play style. Skill points and perks let you invest in specific areas, but the game adds a clever twist with Flaws, which shake things up.
Read More: Evil West review – Wild Gunslinging, Monster-Punching Western
These game-changing traits are earned through repeated actions like hacking, crouching, or even staring at the sun too long. The catch is that each Flaw offers a powerful bonus but comes with a significant drawback.
Once accepted, a Flaw stays with you for the rest of your playthrough, creating a genuine risk-versus-reward dynamic.
Read More: Resident Evil 4 Remake – GOAT Ornamented
For example, Overprepared gives you 50% more magazine size but reduces damage by 40% for eight seconds after emptying a magazine. Kleptomania increases vendor buying prices for stolen items by 100%, but you’ll occasionally steal things automatically.
It’s a fun system that adds real personality to your build. Instead of just maxing out stats, Flaws tempt you with big buffs, at a cost. They also boost replay value, as each build can lead to a very different experience.
World of Pain
Gameplay alternates between combat and dialogue, with missions offering multiple paths to completion. It feels like you’re crafting your own journey in The Outer Worlds 2, not just ticking off objectives.
Your choices shape the story. While the main outcomes stay the same, how you reach them depends on your actions, reinforcing that sense of personal adventure.
Read More: Six Notable Uses of Licensed Music in Video Games
Dialogue is impressively deep. Skill checks, perks, and gathered intel all feed into conversations. It’s worth exploring terminals and the world before diving into chats.
Visually, The Outer Worlds 2 offers stunning locations and varied backdrops across planets. It retains a familiar Fallout-style aesthetic in its characters and NPCs—not a bad thing. Sound design is equally strong, with a sweeping score and excellent voice acting bringing its quirky cast to life.
Read More: Atomfall review – Everybody’s Gone to the Apocalypse
The Outer Worlds 2 is a superb action RPG. It refines what came before, polishes it, and sets a new benchmark for the genre. From the Flaw system to the story, you shape your experience. This is Obsidian at its finest.
I began by saying few do what Obsidian does, and The Outer Worlds 2 proves it.
- Resident Evil Requiem review – Reframing Evil
- Snakebyte Gamepad RGB S2 review – Budget Flash
- High on Life 2 review – Smoother, Tighter and More Confident
TechStomper.com is proud to host its games reviews on Open Critic