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Upon my initial experience with the original Outer Worlds game, I was immediately drawn by its irreverent, Fallout-inspired type of wit. The game included dynamic dialogues, individual logs, and propaganda materials that illustrated a company-run society that was at once dark and humorous. My biggest worry heading into the sequel was that this installment – not due to from itself – could fail to be as comedic as its predecessor.

Admittedly, conditions weren't ideal. But the world definitely felt a bit less broken back then. This game presented a dystopia that didn't strike too close to home, and nonetheless succeeded to be simultaneously touching and comical. I started the sequel feeling quite confident that this installment wouldn't manage to pull this off once more, but I'm pleased to report that I was mistaken. This follow-up is just as smile-generating as the title that came before it, and additionally brings original ideas rather than simply reusing the same content comparable to an tired company slogan.

Evolving Characters

A large portion of the game characters players encountered in the original game had been defeated by the activities of corporate entities like the fictional company, and were fully cognizant of the degree that their existence was miserable. This sequel moves events in a distinct route, featuring characters who are indoctrinated (occasionally metaphorically, often literally). Many of these personalities don't even realize of how extremely messed up their circumstances are, or that there might be choices to an existence spent beneath the control of a massive corporation or limited by the doctrines of an intense faith.

This second installment explores types of business domination that are more deceptive than simply keeping the masses poor. Numerous characters have been brainwashed into the kind of extremely eager "hustle mentality" discourse you'll find on online profiles that vow to show the secret of achievement if you pay for an overpriced workshop, or put money into a sketchy crypto scheme. Furthermore, the release's corporate propaganda has progressed.

Contemporary Issues

There continue to be numerous discouraging displays throughout facilities threatening to dock employee wages who so much as consider having a break, but there are also allusions to pyramid scheme strategies, including an employee manual that boldly states, "Unfamiliar individuals are simply clients you still need to meet!" As an individual who developed within a multi-level marketing family, I instantly erupted in amusement when I saw this mention, because it's a saying I have often heard spoken verbatim by individuals in lower positions of those structures.

Luckily, this follow-up is as comedic and satirical as the initial release.

The Outer Worlds 2 also examines the dilemma many of us find ourselves in regarding work, political matters, and even consumer choices: Having to pick the lesser of two or three evils. During efforts to determine if to assist a dangerous corporate entity or a concerning cult within the title, I discovered I was aligning with the known negative: An established company structure that is terrible (though just utilizes promotion to program its members), as opposed to the religious group, which is equally bad, but uses a terrible method called "mental refreshment" to keep its adherents in line.

Doubtful Authorities

Furthermore, the characters you represent may not be reliable. In the role of an Earth Directorate agent, your assignment includes working to return stability to this settlement following a hostile corporate takeover, and you will quickly find that both the invaders and the invadees subscribe to differing (though equally awful) ideologies. But a quick inspection of the messages on your ship's terminal reveal that this organization is hardly the galaxy's most moral organization either, as demonstrated by a response to a help request that tells the sender it will take "several corporate years" for an answer to their message. (This period is approximately the time it takes for me to reach a real support representative through calling currently.)

Familiar Situations

Numerous instances in this sequel are painfully relatable, but it's a therapeutic sort of relatability, and the game manages to balance its grim future world with comedy that's genuinely funny without feeling inappropriate. A primary concept is the rapid beginning of decline that happens to unfold after large company takeovers. Staff members from all factions of this sequel's major acquisition find their existence decrease as a result, while the executives at the top of the structure are, expectedly, raking in profits hand over fist.

Hey, at least I understand where I stand.

Just like the first game, this sequel is inherently funny, but furthermore isn't afraid to get serious. During a moment, while traveling around the title's initial discoverable location, I came upon a corpse with a recording nearby. The audio log disclosed that this individual (associated with the brainwashing religious faction) had been killed in an event during efforts to track down and eliminate her significant other. This romantic partner had seemingly abandoned from their faction, and the now-dead NPC was angry about her partner's {traitorous