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When I first encounter with the first Outer Worlds, I was immediately drawn by its satirical, Fallout-esque brand of humor. This title boasted dynamic dialogues, personal journals, and promotional posters that illustrated a business-controlled nightmare that was at once bleak and humorous. My primary concern starting the follow-up was that this version – without blame of its own – might not be as comedic like the original.

Admittedly, conditions weren't ideal. But the world certainly seemed somewhat less damaged back then. This universe showed a bleak future that didn't strike overly familiar, and yet accomplished to be at once heartwarming and comical. I started The Outer Worlds 2 pretty sure that this release wouldn't be able to pull this off a second time, but I'm happy to report that I was incorrect. The Outer Worlds 2 is equally chuckle-inducing as the title that preceded it, and additionally brings fresh concepts as opposed to just recycling similar elements comparable to an tired company slogan.

Changing NPCs

Most of the NPCs users found in the first title had been beaten down by the activities of business corporations such as Spacer's Choice, and were painfully aware of how much their lives sucked. The Outer Worlds 2 progresses matters in an alternative path, presenting individuals who are programmed (sometimes figuratively, often literally). A lot of these characters aren't even aware of how profoundly disordered their circumstances are, or that there might be alternatives to a lifetime passed under the boot of a huge company or bound by the beliefs of a high-demand religion.

This second installment examines forms of business domination that are more subtle than merely maintaining the people destitute. Many NPCs have been brainwashed into the kind of overly enthusiastic "hustle mentality" language you might encounter on social media accounts that promise to reveal the path to accomplishment should you purchase an expensive course, or invest in a dubious blockchain project. Furthermore, the release's business promotion has progressed.

Contemporary Issues

There continue to be plenty of discouraging displays on the walls warning about deducting staff compensation who even contemplate taking a day off, but there are also mentions of multi-level marketing methods, including an employee manual that boldly states, "Strangers are just clients you have yet to encounter!" As someone who grew up in a multi-level marketing household, I instantly erupted in amusement when encountering this reference, because it's a refrain I have often heard repeated exactly by individuals in lower positions of those structures.

Thankfully, this follow-up is equally humorous and irreverent as the first game.

This installment additionally investigates the situation many of us encounter concerning occupation, politics, and even personal purchases: Being forced to choose the reduced of two or three evils. While attempting to determine if to support a harmful business or a problematic faith organization within the title, I realized I became aligning with the devil I know: A recognized corporate entity that sucks (yet merely employs advertising to program its members), instead of the religious group, which also sucks, but employs a terrible method named "psychological renewal" to maintain its followers obedient.

Questionable Employers

Furthermore, the characters you represent may not be dependable. Playing as an galactic official, your mission involves attempting to restore stability to this outpost following an aggressive business acquisition, and you will quickly find that the two the aggressors and the invadees adhere to separate (yet equally horrific) ideologies. Yet a speedy review of the messages on your vessel's computer show that this agency is hardly the world's most ethical authority too, as demonstrated by a reply to a help request that notifies the contact it will take "3-5 corporate years" for a response to their transmission. (This period is roughly the duration it takes for me to contact a human customer service agent through calling nowadays.)

Familiar Situations

Numerous instances in this sequel are painfully relatable, but it's a cleansing kind of recognition, and the game manages to balance its depressing dystopian setting with wit that's truly humorous without feeling out of place. A primary concept is the rapid beginning of deterioration that appears to occur in the wake of large company takeovers. Staff members from all factions of this installment's major acquisition experience their living standards decline as a result, while the executives in charge of the food chain are, of course, raking in the cash quickly.

Okay, at the very least I understand where I stand.

Comparable to the first game, this follow-up is inherently funny, but it also isn't afraid to get serious. At one point, while exploring around the title's initial discoverable location, I stumbled across a deceased individual with an audio log in the vicinity. This message revealed that this individual (connected to the brainwashing religious faction) had been killed in an event during efforts to track down and kill her romantic partner. This loved one had apparently defected from their faction, and the deceased character was enraged by her significant other's {traitorous