When The Outer Worlds was revealed at The Game Awards in 2018, I was the one in the group chat blowing up everyone’s phone with messages in my excitement. A new sci-fi RPG IP led in development by two of the creators of Fallout set in a new star system? The possibilities of what could be delivered seemed infinite, and my vim reflected my recognition of that potential.

When the final version of the game was released on all major platforms the following year, I was up at midnight in my dorm room in front of my TV running and gunning my way through the game’s starter area, Terra 2, within the in-game solar system called ‘Halcyon’ on my PS4. I was immediately enraptured by the colorful map, lush with lived-in environs, littered with keen attention to detail and colorful characters brimming with personalities of their own, weathered and shaped by the world in which they live.

What proceeded that first night was four entire playthroughs and 173 hours from then to now of zany, superfluously punchy, and surreal nonstop sci-fi action that addressed every desire I’d had for the game when it was initially announced. From the first opening scenes, The Outer Worlds paints itself out to be a game you don’t take too seriously, with the mad scientist who wakes you from deep space hibernation accidentally landing your space pod atop what would have been your first ally and proceeding to steal his spaceship.

Between the frivolous commentary offered by the same mad scientist in response to your selections while sorting through character creation options and the dramatically literal yet deeply unserious dialogue exchanges offered by most interactable NPCs, you have a recipe for a very attractive distant cousin to the much beloved Fallout series, which was exactly what I wanted.

The Outer Worlds sees you come to be as this recently thawed-out space colonist from Earth who would have been a normal civilian within this highly commercialized and competitive corporate settlement colony. The catch is that you were released from your icebox much later than you should have been, with your fellow popsicle pedestrians still in deep sleep by the time the events of the game begin.

You owe your life to the aforementioned mad scientist who quickly explains to you that the Halcyon colony is on the verge of collapse as a result of negligent authoritative powers, the people are little more than slaves to their employers, and that you are the prime, unanticipated variable that may very well be just what the colony needs to be saved from devastation. You, clueless as a kitten, initially acquiesce to the scientist’s wishes, simultaneously taking the opportunity to get a feel for the new world through direct conflict(s) with ideals held in the old via your interactions with Halcyon’s inhabitants.

The game does a great job of placing you in a space where you act the role of the hero (or devious ne’er-do-well or some generous mixture of your choice) and placing you in situations where you clearly affect the livelihoods of many of the people you meet while also being either a complete oddity or an absolute nobody to the very same people. The decision(s) that fall into your lap that end up impacting the fate of scores to potentially hundreds of people on different planets within this galaxy embody a hyperrealistic facetiousness with cleverly embedded subtext on serious socioeconomic issues.

Its appeals to humanity are accomplished in a way that reeks of Fallout’s influence in a deliciously excellent manner. With a voiceless protagonist and the familiar implementation of zooming into a NPC’s face to speak with them, you’re given a wide range of thoughtful responses to conversations that don’t ever feel like they’re dragging or uninteresting, nor are you ever faced with the dilemma of not having a sensible (or nonsensical, that’s up to you) or limited response as many players disliked about Fallout 4’s typically four button-mapped generic dialogue options.

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Though the dialogue plays a large part in branching outcomes to narratives and side stories, the customizable options for mayhem and murder are just as prevalent. With the game being heavily sci-fi, the RPG aspects of building your character lean heavily on its genre, with much of the skill tree dedicated to breaking down abilities catered towards science-y outputs. While you can, of course, be a stealth sniper, silver-tongued and nonviolent, or a heavy gunner, for example, there are trees for people interested in the game’s specialty, ‘science weapons,’ improving your crew’s abilities through leadership as captain of your (stolen) spaceship, and technological abilities including medical, science, and engineering.

There is even a mechanic reminiscent of Fallout’s own VATS entwined in your protagonist’s lore called, ‘Tactical Time Dilation,’ which slows time and allows you to target and debilitate enemy combatants body parts, which, themselves, are diversely affected depending on factors such as what kind of ammunition you’re using, how versed you are with the weapon you’re using, distance from the target, and so forth. Point is: it’s incredibly attentive to detail and a notedly prominent remix of people’s happier mental affiliations with the Fallout series.

Beyond that, the quest design is top-notch. I never found myself rolling my eyes at an escort mission or feeling like what I’d been set out to do was a menial chore or a waste of time. There’s political espionage, blackmail, cannibalism, full-scale raid and assault missions, revenge missions, and so much more, each with their own set of completely different possible outcomes depending on choices you make as the player. That’s not to mention the quality of your ship’s crew. Doubling as your companions as you roam the star system, the companions have their own beliefs, special abilities, and moral codes that do not bend or change easily just because you’re the main character, and they aren’t shy about giving advice or offering verbal input during missions or exploration.

All-in-all, The Outer Worlds was a healthy bundle of sci-fi joy that I truly believe lived up to the title of spiritual successor to the original Fallout games. That is exactly why I’m more than confident that the upcoming sequel will do the justice of exceeding the feats accomplished by its predecessor. If all of these amazing qualities amalgamated to create an experience as cohesive as The Outer Worlds, then the vision I expect Fallout’s original creators have to expand on these elements in tandem with the continuation of the main story that ends on a cliffhanger is beyond my kin, but it is one I’m excitedly hoping will overwhelm

Obsidian Entertainment has a golden opportunity to set the stage, as it were, and grab the space that the Fallout series – now arguably being steered into a less popular direction under Bethesda – and even Starfield have been losing their grip on. While the titles are far from the only immersive sci-fi action RPGs hot on the scene lately, there’s nothing quite like the magic that the old Fallout games possess. Until now, it seems, and, boy, am I ready to once again find myself bewitched.

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