“Cool!” instantly popped into my head as I fired off one other spherical from my Bio-Mass Shotgun, dealing heavy corrosive injury to an enemy soldier and watching them successfully soften earlier than my eyes. I steadily rotated between it, an SMG, and a heavy machine gun, dishing injury to all of the inhabitants of a deep area analysis station — as a result of that’s simply how I roll as a particular agent of the Earth Directorate. However boy did that shotgun stick with me lengthy after my hands-on session at Xbox Video games Showcase was over.
As we beforehand detailed, The Outer Worlds 2 is about within the area colony of Arcadia, which is having a second. Between space-time rifts, shifting alliances, and three factions in a battle for management, there’s a lot occurring. And the primary factor: my option to method this example as an all-action, acid-throwing maniac is only one option to take this on. As you enter the image, you’re requested to help Arcadia in any manner you see match, and the demo I attempted supplied construct choices geared towards stealth and espionage, a slick tongue, or rampant destruction. So I made a decision “Why not attempt all three?”
Monitoring Down a Rift Anomaly Modulator
The general vibe of The Outer Worlds 2 is protecting in line with the superb unique, mixing some excessive sci-fi ideas with social commentary and a splash of absurdist humor. The mission for this hands-on demo requested us to trace down (e.g. steal) a Rift Anomaly Modulator, a fancy system that has the ability to revive rift-affected areas of the bottom (extra on what which means in a second), earlier than escaping the lab it’s being held in.
I began my time with a fight oriented construct possibility, and felt gratifyingly OP as I cycled between three very highly effective weapons – enemies I encountered didn’t stand a lot of an opportunity, however I appreciated their penchant for survival by discovering and capturing from cowl on the uncommon event they averted my first flurry of bullets.

Fight feels improved from the unique – the weapons felt various and weighted, whereas motion was crisp, giving the impression of a satisfying first-person shooter beneath all of the sturdy RPG trappings. There’s lots right here that I need to return to – for instance, I’ve examine a weapon that shrinks your enemies. I’m into that.
We Discovered It! Now What?
It wasn’t lengthy till we lastly uncovered the Rift Anomaly Modulator and I instantly fired it as much as see what the fuss was about – seems it’s a time-displacement system that may restore sections of ranges that had collapsed as a result of emergence of those so-called rifts. Work together with any of them and crumbled platforms emerge so that you can bounce on, seemingly replicating what was there earlier than they have been destroyed. And coincidently, having the ability to bounce on these platforms would permit me to entry places that have been beforehand unavailable.
The impact of seeing these platforms reappear was spectacular, and it was a pleasant flex from Obsidian’s inventive artists and stage designers to point out off what they’ve been capable of do larger and higher within the new recreation. Better of all, not each rift must be used to succeed in your final objectives right here – some could be stumbled upon and investigated merely since you occur to have come to the fitting place..
However What If We Talked Our Method Via?
You would possibly need to be extra of a easy talker than a fast shooter. On a separate save file, I used to be capable of restart the demo with a personality that had been constructed extra for charming their manner by way of a harmful scenario and fewer for merely blowing it up. Whereas I used to be nonetheless capable of take down rooms of guards when mandatory (aided by an especially nifty, ice-encrusted freeze shotgun), my key concern was speaking first and capturing later. Fairly shortly, I discovered my option to a scientist with… grievances towards her boss, who simply so occurred to be my key to escaping with the stolen Modulator. This character is all the time out there to seek out, however I’d merely by no means seen her in that first playthrough – testomony to how a lot further element there’s to seek out should you go searching for it.

After getting her onside by way of a collection of dialog checks, she set me off to interrupt into the boss’ workplace, crack into his laptop, and get well proof that he was behind the sabotage of a botched experiment that had landed her in hassle with the authorities. Returning with the knowledge, she gave me an entire new possibility for making my escape. Fairly than merely taking over the boss (toting a customized mech go well with, naturally), she’d distract him whereas I snuck spherical the perimeters of a warehouse, hacking into the safety turret controls, and altering their focusing on priorities.
What adopted was a really enjoyable set piece wherein enemy forces have been scattered and destroyed in brief order, all whereas I watched (and infrequently fired a homing rocket or two) from the rafters.
It’s an ideal demonstration of how far The Outer Worlds 2 will allow you to push the anticipated order of issues – and even made clear how a lot of this I might have discovered myself, even when I’d by no means met my new scientist pal. This single, self-contained stage is filled with added element so that you can prod at and see the way it would possibly assist or hinder your method. In the event you had a stealth oriented construct, as an example, you could possibly in all probability discover your option to these added factors of curiosity much more simply than I did with steering – talking of which…
How About Stealth?
Opening up a 3rd save file, I took on the position of a stealth-focused character possibility. My change in techniques from blasting everybody in sight to making an attempt to not make a sound was fairly the transition. Actually, I discovered myself actually appreciating the format of the degrees and making an attempt to find probably the most environment friendly path to take out each enemy within the room with out being detected. I used to be getting some Deus Ex vibes as I seen the number of air vents that I might doubtlessly entry, giving me the choice to forgo encounters altogether and simply transfer to my goal.

In fact I used to be ultimately detected, at which level I’d unsheathe my sword, Homicide’s Greatest Pal, and carve up any remaining enemies within the room earlier than it might escalate additional. And even when my method resulted in a firefight, my sniper rifle, the Final Whisper, was greater than efficient at taking enemies out at a distance.
I feel I personally nonetheless most well-liked the fight method – the weapons have been very enjoyable – in order that is likely to be my most well-liked path to go down, but it surely’s good to know there’s a well-designed stealth route to provide us an abundance of alternative in how everybody needs to play The Outer Worlds 2.
Extra, Extra, and Extra
My time with the sport has clearly been transient, but when this morsal from the bigger plate of journey is something to go by, I might already really feel how rather more this sequel is leaning into encouraging extra participant experimentation and various fight approaches than the unique. Now it appears each the RPG and capturing techniques have levelled up, giving us a extra sturdy, balanced role-playing expertise on this unimaginable sci-fi universe.
There’s nonetheless a lot extra for us to tinker with right here, like exploring different fight techniques, dialog paths, or how diving into turning into the sneakiest of sneaks can play out. It received’t be lengthy till we are able to discover what the remainder of Arcadia has in retailer for us when The Outer Worlds 2 launches October 29 for Xbox Sequence X|S, Xbox PC, PlayStation 5, Battle.web, and Steam and day one with Sport Cross Final.
The Outer Worlds 2 Premium Version
Xbox Sport Studios
$99.99
Pre-order The Outer Worlds 2 Premium Version now to rise up to five days early entry and the Commander Zane’s Anti-Monopolistic Battle Pack.
The Outer Worlds 2 Premium Version contains:
– The Outer Worlds 2 base recreation
– As much as 5 days early entry
– DLC Cross for two future story expansions*
– Moon Man’s Company Appreciation Premium Prize Pack
– Entry to The Outer Worlds 2 Digital Artbook & Authentic Soundtrack
* Story expansions out there as launched
The Outer Worlds 2 is the eagerly-awaited sequel to the award-winning first-person sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Leisure (simply have a look at the thrilling variety of dashes on this sentence!). Time to clear your calendar – prepare for an action-packed journey with a brand new crew, new weapons, and new enemies in a brand new colony! A lot newness!
As a daring and probably handsome Earth Directorate agent, you could uncover the supply of devastating rifts threatening to destroy all of humanity. Your investigation results in Arcadia, dwelling of skip drive expertise, the place the destiny of the colony, and in the end your entire galaxy, rests in your selections – your strengths, your flaws, your crew, and the factions you select to belief.
Discover a New Frontier
The Arcadia colony is engulfed in a factional conflict, because the Protectorate’s so-called benevolent rule is challenged by the rise up of their non secular order and a company invasion. As damaging rifts unfold throughout the colony, every faction fights to regulate or shut them for their very own ends. Navigate numerous zones, uncover hidden lore, and form the destiny of a system on the brink!
Your Commander, Your Method
Construct your character with the talents and decisions that mirror your playstyle. The colony reacts to your each transfer, crafting a story that’s yours to personal -whether you’re a disciple of diplomacy, an astute strategist, a crusader for chaos, or one thing totally different altogether. And sure, you possibly can dumb!
Enlist Your Companions
Recruit companions with distinctive traits, backgrounds and objectives. Whether or not you select to assist them obtain their ambitions or steer them towards your personal goals, your affect shapes their progress (or loss of life), making them an integral a part of the immersive story you create collectively.
The Outer Worlds 2 Customary Preorder Version
Xbox Sport Studios
$79.99
Pre-order The Outer Worlds 2 now to obtain the Commander Zane’s Anti-Monopolistic Battle Pack at launch.
The Outer Worlds 2 is the eagerly-awaited sequel to the award-winning first-person sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Leisure (simply have a look at the thrilling variety of dashes on this sentence!). Time to clear your calendar – prepare for an action-packed journey with a brand new crew, new weapons, and new enemies in a brand new colony! A lot newness!
As a daring and probably handsome Earth Directorate agent, you could uncover the supply of devastating rifts threatening to destroy all of humanity. Your investigation results in Arcadia, dwelling of skip drive expertise, the place the destiny of the colony, and in the end your entire galaxy, rests in your selections – your strengths, your flaws, your crew, and the factions you select to belief.
Discover a New Frontier
The Arcadia colony is engulfed in a factional conflict, because the Protectorate’s so-called benevolent rule is challenged by the rise up of their non secular order and a company invasion. As damaging rifts unfold throughout the colony, every faction fights to regulate or shut them for their very own ends. Navigate numerous zones, uncover hidden lore, and form the destiny of a system on the brink!
Your Commander, Your Method
Construct your character with the talents and decisions that mirror your playstyle. The colony reacts to your each transfer, crafting a story that’s yours to personal -whether you’re a disciple of diplomacy, an astute strategist, a crusader for chaos, or one thing totally different altogether. And sure, you possibly can dumb!
Enlist Your Companions
Recruit companions with distinctive traits, backgrounds and objectives. Whether or not you select to assist them obtain their ambitions or steer them towards your personal goals, your affect shapes their progress (or loss of life), making them an integral a part of the immersive story you create collectively.