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Upon my initial experience with the first Outer Worlds title, I was immediately drawn by its satirical, Fallout-like type of wit. The game boasted dynamic dialogues, individual logs, and propaganda materials that depicted a company-run society that was at once grim and humorous. My main fear heading into the sequel was that this version – without blame from itself – might not be as humorous as its predecessor.

Sure, situations weren't flawless. Yet society definitely felt a bit less broken back then. The Outer Worlds presented a dystopia that didn't feel overly familiar, and still managed to be both heartwarming and uproarious. I commenced The Outer Worlds 2 pretty sure that the sequel couldn't succeed to accomplish this again, but I'm happy to report that I was incorrect. This sequel is just as laughter-provoking as the game that came earlier, and additionally brings fresh concepts rather than simply reusing identical material similar to a overused corporate jingle.

Evolving Characters

The majority of the game characters players encountered in the initial release had been defeated by the actions of corporate entities including Spacer's Choice, and were acutely conscious of how much their existence was miserable. This sequel progresses matters in a distinct route, including personalities who are brainwashed (sometimes figuratively, frequently actually). A lot of these characters don't even realize of how extremely screwed up their situations are, or that there may exist options to a life lived under the boot of a massive corporation or restricted by the creeds of a demanding cult.

This follow-up explores types of business domination that are more subtle than only making the masses poor. Various personalities have been indoctrinated into the type of overly enthusiastic "hustle mentality" rhetoric you'll find on online profiles that claim to disclose the secret of achievement should you purchase an expensive course, or participate in a questionable digital currency plan. Even the game's business promotion has progressed.

Contemporary Issues

There continue to be many unmotivational posters in various locations indicating reductions in pay from workers who dare to contemplate having a break, but there are also references to network marketing tactics, such as a new hire handbook that confidently announces, "Strangers are just customers YOU have yet to encounter!" As an individual who developed within a network marketing family, I promptly exploded in amusement upon viewing this mention, because it's a phrase I have regularly listened to stated precisely by people at the base of such schemes.

Luckily, The Outer Worlds 2 is just as funny and irreverent as the initial release.

This sequel additionally investigates the situation various individuals find ourselves in concerning occupation, political matters, and even personal purchases: Needing to pick the lesser of multiple bad options. While attempting to determine if to support a dangerous corporate entity or a dangerous religious group in the game, I discovered I was aligning with the known negative: A familiar business organization that is terrible (though just utilizes promotion to brainwash its subjects), as opposed to the faith organization, which is similarly terrible, but uses an awful technique called "mental refreshment" to control its members compliant.

Questionable Employers

Even the people you represent might not be trustworthy. As an space operative, your assignment includes working to return order to this outpost following an aggressive business acquisition, and you rapidly learn that both the aggressors and the defenders subscribe to differing (but similarly terrible) ideologies. But a quick review of the messages on your spacecraft's system reveal that this organization isn't exactly the world's most ethical employer either, as shown by an answer to a distress call that informs the caller it will take "three to five business years" for a reply to their message. (This duration is about how long it takes for numerous individuals to contact a real customer service agent over the phone nowadays.)

Recognizable Scenarios

Numerous instances in this sequel are extremely familiar, but it's a cleansing sort of relatability, and the game achieves equilibrium between its grim future world with humor that's authentically amusing yet not seeming incongruous. An important idea is the rapid beginning of deterioration that happens to unfold after large company takeovers. Employees on both sides of this sequel's major acquisition find their existence decline as a result, while the CEOs in charge of the food chain are, of course, accumulating profits quickly.

Okay, at the very least I recognize my situation.

Just like the initial release, this follow-up is intrinsically comedic, but additionally isn't afraid to turn solemn. At a certain time, while traveling around the title's initial discoverable location, I stumbled across a body with a recording nearby. The audio log showed that this individual (who was aligned with the indoctrinating cult) had perished in an incident while attempting to hunt down and kill her lover. This partner had apparently defected from their faction, and the perished individual was angry about her partner's {traitorous