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Upon my initial playthrough of the original Outer Worlds title, I was instantly captivated by its irreverent, Fallout-like type of wit. This title included dynamic dialogues, character diaries, and propaganda materials that depicted a company-run society that was at once grim and amusing. My main fear approaching The Outer Worlds 2 was that this entry – not due to of its own – could fail to be as funny as its predecessor.

Admittedly, things weren't perfect. However, life definitely felt somewhat less damaged in those days. The Outer Worlds presented a dystopia that didn't strike overly familiar, and nonetheless succeeded to be both emotional and comical. I commenced the follow-up rather certain that the sequel wouldn't be able to accomplish this a second time, but I'm pleased to report that I was mistaken. The Outer Worlds 2 is equally smile-generating as the title that came earlier, and additionally brings new themes rather than simply reusing the same content like an worn-out business tune.

Developing Personalities

The majority of the game characters gamers met in the initial release had been defeated by the deeds of business corporations like the fictional company, and were painfully aware of the extent to which their lives sucked. This sequel progresses matters in a different direction, featuring characters who are brainwashed (sometimes figuratively, often literally). Many of these personalities aren't conscious of how profoundly screwed up their conditions are, or that there could be choices to a lifetime passed under the domination of a huge company or limited by the beliefs of a high-demand religion.

The sequel examines forms of corporate control that are more insidious than only making the masses poor. Many NPCs have been programmed with the type of extremely eager "grindset mindset" discourse you might encounter on social media accounts that claim to disclose the path to accomplishment if you pay a costly program, or invest in a dubious blockchain project. Furthermore, the release's company advertising has progressed.

Modern Themes

There are still many demotivating signs throughout facilities warning about deducting staff compensation who dare to think about requesting leave, but additionally there are references to network marketing strategies, including a staff guide that confidently announces, "Strangers are just clients you still need to meet!" As someone who developed within a multi-level marketing family, I promptly exploded laughing when I saw this allusion, because it's a saying I have frequently encountered repeated exactly by people at the base of those structures.

Fortunately, The Outer Worlds 2 is as comedic and irreverent as the original title.

This installment additionally investigates the predicament many of us encounter regarding occupation, government, and even consumer choices: Having to select the smaller of two or three evils. During efforts to determine if to back a dangerous corporate entity or a problematic faith organization throughout the experience, I realized I became siding with the known negative: An established corporate entity that is awful (though just utilizes promotion to program its members), instead of the religious group, which is similarly terrible, but employs a terrible method called "cognitive reset" to control its members in line.

Unreliable Masters

Furthermore, the characters you represent might not be trustworthy. Playing as an Earth Directorate agent, your assignment includes working to return control to the Arcadia colony after an aggressive business acquisition, and you rapidly learn that each of the attackers and the defenders adhere to differing (yet equally horrific) beliefs. But a quick inspection of the communications on your spacecraft's system demonstrate that the Earth Directorate is hardly the world's most ethical authority either, as demonstrated by a reply to a help request that notifies the contact it will take "3-5 business years" for an answer to their transmission. (That time frame is approximately the time it takes for me to get a hold of a real help desk employee through calling these days.)

Recognizable Scenarios

Numerous instances in this installment are highly recognizable, but it's a therapeutic sort of relatability, and this title achieves equilibrium between its grim future world with comedy that's truly humorous without feeling out of place. A primary concept is the quick commencement of deterioration that appears to occur following large company takeovers. Employees on both sides of this installment's significant consolidation experience their living standards decline as a result, while the leaders in charge of the hierarchy are, expectedly, raking in profits rapidly.

Well, at minimum I recognize my situation.

Comparable to the initial release, this sequel is naturally humorous, but additionally isn't afraid to get serious. At a certain time, while traveling around the game's first accessible planet, I came upon a deceased individual with a message nearby. This message revealed that this NPC (who was aligned with the programming faith group) had perished in an incident while trying to hunt down and kill her romantic partner. This loved one had apparently defected from their organization, and the perished individual was angry about her partner's {traitorous