Highlights
- The Outer Worlds 2 should go all in on silliness like its predecessor, with a focus on humor and satire.
- The game will need to balance comedy and reality to meet its full potential, using satire to avoid becoming preachy.
- Obsidian can let out its silliness in The Outer Worlds 2, as it doesn't need to take itself too seriously or adhere to established lore like with Avowed.
Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds 2 is still far off on the horizon, but the first game gives fans fuel for speculation about what might be in store for the next entry. The humor of The Outer Worlds was so well received that it wouldn’t be surprising to see The Outer Worlds 2 go all in on silliness.
The first space-faring game from powerhouse developer Obsidian, The Outer Worlds made a big splash. One thing that made the game stand out from the crowd was the expertly crafted satire of the main premise. The Outer Worlds is set in Halcyon, the first star system owned and explored by corporations. Through the use of humor, Obsidian poked fun at the idea of a future where corporations have grown out of control, slyly hiding warnings around every corner about how this mirrors the real world. This dark world disguised by quippy corporate mascots made an excellent setting for The Outer Worlds, and fans are no doubt expecting something similar in the series’ next outing. With Obsidian working on other games with a more serious tone, it can channel all of its comedy and satire into The Outer Worlds 2’s story to great effect.
The Outer Worlds 2 is in a Pickle with The First Game's Biggest Plot Twist
With The Outer Worlds 2 in the works, developer Obsidian may have to wrestle with coherently incorporating the original's major reveal.
The Outer Worlds 2 Demands a Comedic Premise
Sequels carry a heavy burden, especially ones that follow experiences as unique as The Outer Worlds. Obsidian has announced next to nothing about what to expect in The Outer Worlds 2, but has revealed that it will leave the Halcyon system behind. This poses the question of how the game will keep its anti-corporate themes while exploring a star system that isn’t as synonymous with corporations. The answer lies in thematic unity between the two games. Some of the corporations may be left behind, but the satire about them must remain intact.
This isn’t to say that The Outer Worlds 2 can’t take itself seriously. It’s true that the game will need to offer a balance of comedy and reality in order to meet its full potential, but playing things too safe could harm the game just as much as going overboard on its jokes. In this way, Obsidian can absolutely let the game’s comedy drive parts of the story. The best part about this franchise is that it knows the themes it is exploring are controversial, so it uses humor to mask that controversy. Without a clear focus on satire, the game risks becoming preachy rather than entertaining.
How Obsidian’s Other Projects Could Impact The Outer Worlds 2
As promising as The Outer Worlds 2 sounds, Obsidian can’t put all of its resources into one title. The next game expected by the company is Avowed, a game set in the world of the Pillars of Eternity series. The company has said that Avowed won’t be impacted by the rest of that series, standing on its own as it offers a new setting within that world. But even if the story doesn’t hold many ties to the series’ previous games, there are certainly some restraints posed by working within an existing IP. Obsidian is a company that likes to have fun, often leaving Easter eggs, jokes, and comedy in their games, and while Avowed is sure to have some of these, Obsidian has to play it safe.
So, if Avowed has to remain more serious in tone than Obsidian typically likes, the company might need a way to let out some of its pent-up silliness. In a game under its own original IP, it doesn’t face the restraints that it has when working on Avowed. The Outer Worlds 2 is a game that Obsidian doesn't need to take itself too seriously on, because it only has to answer to fans of the first game, who already enjoyed the satire included there. This is one advantage the company has by working on both Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 at the same time. Sometimes companies have restraints that disallow them from doing what they really want to, but with The Outer Worlds 2, Obsidian can, and should, be silly.
