Summary
The Outer Worlds 2isn’t just going to offer players an all-new story. Developer Obsidian is taking an exciting risk by venturing into fresh territory with new characters and a change of scenery, settingThe Outer Worlds 2in an entirely different star system than its predecessor. Moving away from Halcyon is a bold move, but this could also offer the game a chance to look to the future instead of the past.
Despite taking place in a distant future,The Outer Worldsput a lot of focus on the past and how Halcyon came to be a place on the verge of collapse.The Outer Worldshas a great sense of humorin its storytelling, and one of its main themes of unchecked corporate control is illustrated through the history and formation of Halcyon. One of the most interesting facts about Halcyon is that it’s the only star system completely colonized and controlled by corporations, and the events ofThe Outer Worldsclearly demonstrate what a bad idea this is. However, the sequel could offer something completely different.
The Outer Worlds 2 Moving Away From Halcyon
Since Halcyon is the only star system fully controlled by corporations, that opens up a variety of possibilities forThe Outer Worlds 2’s new star system. This location change makes sense in order to progress the franchise, but it could also make one wonder what the sequel could possibly be about.The Outer Worldswas all about holding up a mirror to unchecked capitalism and how dangerous it can be, so it’s intriguing to think what the main themes of the second game could involve.
Revisiting Previous Themes With New Eyes
With the sequel getting out from under the oppressive world of Halcyon,The Outer Worlds 2could potentially be a different look into Obsidian’s futuristic vision. If the hubris of an unsupervised Halcyon Board is no longer on the table, there are a variety of directions to take.The Outer Worlds 2’s themesneed to make the two games feel connected, and the ideas surrounding unchecked power and class struggles are something that can still be explored in the sequel, but in a fresh light.
Instead ofThe Outer Worlds 2exploring the power dynamics between a powerful corporate entity and its workers, the game could perhaps envision a star system that has completely moved past the corporate profit and greed of Halcyon and Earth and instead has evolved into a monarchy or some sort of established caste system.The Outer Worlds 2has a lot to live up to, but there are some compelling avenues to go down in terms of different power structures to satirize.
The Outer Worlds 2 Leaving Earth Behind for Good
The Outer World’s focus on Halcyon losing contact with Earth is a plot point that probably won’t be revisited, and it shouldn’t be. Moving forward, Obsidian needs to show what a society could look like far outside of Earth’s influences.Halcyon was the result of Earth’s corporate-focused naturefinding its way to another planet, but now a world that has long forgotten Earth and its ways would avoid making the franchise feel repetitive.
Yes,The Outer Worlds 2should recycle the main themes established by the first game, but it can recycle these points without feeling like old news.The future ofThe Outer Worlds 2will bring a new chapter to the franchise, and there is a delicate balancing act in making things exciting and fresh while still holding onto the original core. Obsidian’s location change is bold, but it might be just what the franchise needs in order to shed light on other power struggles that could occur without the influence of past human habits.
