The Outer Worlds, Obsidian Entertainment’s well-regarded 2019 game, fit the RPG category in a variety of ways. Players got to customize their character's appearance and preferred skills, making the player experience a personalized journey. The Outer Worlds was also full of dark humor, an Obsidian Entertainment specialty, and seemed reminiscent of Fallout: New Vegas. While there’s some debate over whether The Outer Worlds truly compares to Fallout: New Vegas, it’s true that both games are full of memorable companions and crewmates that players get to know throughout their journey. The Outer Worlds 2 will not only need to match the energy of the first crew, but actually exceed it to be a truly successful sequel.
The Outer Worlds 2 is confirmed to take place in a different star system with a new crew, so players already know they’ll be meeting completely new characters in the upcoming game. While the prospect of a new crew is exciting, there are a few things that need to be done to ensure the crew of The Outer Worlds 2 exists separately from the crew of the Unreliable in The Outer Worlds.
The New Crew in The Outer Worlds 2 Means New Personalities
Many players are divided on who their favorite crewmates are in The Outer Worlds, but this may stand as a testament to how diverse and well-developed each character is. Parvati Holcomb was the sweetheart of the Unreliable, often encouraging players to do the “right” thing in different situations. Vicar Max tended to get under players’ skin at first, but completing his companion quest gave a deeper insight into his character as a whole. Ellie Fenhill may have been the type to work alone, but completing her quest may help her realize that she doesn’t always have to be alone.
The point is, almost every single crewmate has a deeper personality and motivation than meets the eye. In true RPG fashion, players could affect their crew and possibly influence them to see the world in a different way, or help them heal from their past. The Outer Worlds 2 needs to keep with this tradition of having crewmates be more than meets the eye, but there shouldn’t be any repetition of personalities either. Perhaps keeping the same roles — a doctor onboard, a knowledgeable hunter, a religious figure, a mechanic, etc. — but if these tropes have the same personalities, it’s going to get old quickly.
A New Crew Could Mean New Roles for The Outer Worlds 2
If The Outer Worlds 2 is anything like The Outer Worlds, players will be able to create a custom character with unique aesthetics and select skills to make a personalized playthrough. It also means they may be able to pick up and dismiss crewmates whenever, even if the companion quest hasn’t been completed yet. The Outer Worlds had interesting crewmates that fit into different categories and had different combat and skill strengths.
The Outer Worlds 2 may follow those footsteps and find different characters to fill the same roles, or could go an entirely different direction and add new roles to the crew. The star system could even have crew members who are aliens. While aliens haven’t previously been seen in The Outer Worlds, some of the experiments conducted by the corporations prove that anything might be possible. More than anything, The Outer Worlds 2 should have better indicators for who can be a crewmate, as many players bypassed Ellie and Felix entirely before realizing they could join players aboard the Unreliable.
Lots of information about The Outer Worlds 2 is still unknown, but players will surely be in for a fun ride when it does release. If the new crew is anything like the first, it will be interesting and exciting to get to know each character and what motivates them. Hopefully, The Outer Worlds 2 makes it easier to spot who can join the crew, too.
The Outer Worlds 2 is in development.