Despite the total failure of Starfield, the game was able to make a lot of noise at release. Bethesda Softworks is already actively correcting this “masterpiece,” and players are again hoping for modifications. Today we will not delve into this project, besides, we have previously shared our impressions in the corresponding material, but let’s remember the underrated The Outer Worlds. And why is Starfield needed when it already exists in a different guise.
Statistical indicators
And let’s start, perhaps, with a short excursion into statistics. Xbox and Bethesda Softworks are very pleased with the results and consider the project extremely successful. It’s not just that soon after the release they boasted with all their might of the total number of users who had become acquainted with the game.
The Outer Worlds fared much worse upon release. Extremely low sales, performance problems and gamers’ reluctance to put up with an abundance of female characters sank the Obsidian Entertainment project. With all the discounts, TOW passed the mark of five million copies sold only last year. However, as time has shown, much worse games can appear, which is why we want to talk about many of the nuances that Obsidian Entertainment turned out much better than Bethesda Softworks…
Fallout: New Vegas in space
This is what Obsidian Entertainment’s creation was called at release. And this is more praise than criticism. Fallout: New Vegas turned out to be an extremely successful game, which is still considered one of the best in the series, so gamers had high hopes for The Outer Worlds. And, if we soberly evaluate the final product, then they should have been justified.
Now let’s get to the point and immediately note the extremely successful role-playing system. Yes, Starfield has quite a lot of useful skills and leveling branches, but the overall system works imperfectly and is almost useless. In TOW, the developers tried to give players the opportunity to play the character they want. You can take a rifle or a sledgehammer and go chop heads left and right, use stealth and silently sneak into the very lair of the enemy, or engage in diplomacy and come to an agreement with anyone you meet.
The gameplay lies in these basic mechanics, but it does not limit the player and allows him to independently choose the way to complete tasks. Perhaps the stealth doesn’t work as well as we would like, but the weapon feels good through the screen. Destroying enemies is fun, you can feel the impact of each “tool,” and it looks quite colorful.
What cannot be taken away from the game is its extremely entertaining plot. And this is not surprising, because Obsidian Entertainment has always been able to immerse the observer in the atmosphere through readable text. Despite the very serious overtones in the script, there was room for humor, comical situations and references to popular science fiction. The detailed world offers a special setting with memorable characters, a well-thought-out story and many exciting tasks. In addition, there is significant nonlinearity, which will allow one or another conflict to be resolved in several ways.
We can also highlight the successful design of this space western. The developers’ commitment to the retrofuturism genre did not force them to get hung up on monotonous locations – a variety of landscapes with colorful flora and fauna are presented everywhere. There are mountain ranges, water surfaces, and acidic wastelands. There are plenty of unique places. You will be able to find everything your soul may desire.
And flying ships between systems will not make players spit at the screen. It is very easy to move between planets without forced, meaningless collisions in space. The developers correctly focus the player on the important features of the game, offer high-quality content and do not force him to do the same activities over and over again. And it is impossible to describe all the events in two words. Understanding the greed of capitalists will be entertaining and fun, and the events that take place will surprise players more than once.
What’s in common?
In terms of graphics, the 2019 project was not the most revolutionary, but it was almost no different in appearance from Starfield. It seems that five years have passed, and the “gazebo” has not advanced in technology, and therefore was not able to create a colorful picture at the level of modern “titles”. Common features can be found in the unsuccessful implementation of facial animation, a large number of downloads and a not very diverse world in the far corners of the planets.
If we take the current situation, The Outer Worlds offers a truly playable assembly, and not a set of several mechanics united by one idea. Even now, immersing yourself in “The Outer Worlds” is extremely exciting, because the project does not look like a piece of unfinished code and reveals the authors’ idea in detail, and every mechanic works unconditionally.
With this approach, it is quite possible that Obsidian Entertainment’s next project, Avowed, will be able to surpass Skyrim in popularity, offer an extremely rich world of activities and allow fans of fantasy universes to enjoy thoughtful lore and entertaining gameplay. We will find out what will come of this this year… unless, of course, there are any postponements.
