Category: Games
August 27, 2025
How The Outer Worlds 2 Sets You Up (for Adventure)
By Rodney King
Summary
- We go hands-on with the opening act of The Outer Worlds 2 and discover a universe just waiting to be played with.
- We experiment with its robust character creator and start our adventure as a member of the Earth Directorate.
- The Outer Worlds 2 launches October 29 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PlayStation 5, Battle.net, and Steam — and day one with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
How much Earth Directorate propaganda can you handle? Are you prepared to take on evil corporate interests and corrupt governments (maybe both) to dispatch your own brand of justice in the galaxy? Or are you just here to collect a paycheck, because hey… everybody’s gotta eat. Those are just some of the deeper questions The Outer Worlds 2 will pose to you before you set off on its epic sci-fi RPG adventure.
Following a hands-off preview last week at gamescom, I recently got some extended hands-on time with the opening act of The Outer Worlds 2 giving me a better handle on what the world we’re stepping into will be like, the open-ended nature of some of its design, but also what it’s like to lay the groundwork for who I’m going to be in this wild and wonderful galaxy that’s seemingly bursting full of adventure.
This opening act sets this in motion almost immediately, as you and a group of fellow Earth Directorate agents are being sent to Horizon Point Station, a distant installation “out of their jurisdiction,” which has been experimenting with Skip Drive technology — which may or may not be what is responsible for various space anomalies popping up in the system (like what we saw during Xbox Games Showcase). But first, you need to figure out who you’re going to be…
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The Outer Worlds 2 launches October 29 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, PlayStation 5, Battle.net, and Steam — and day one with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Pre-order The Outer Worlds 2 Premium Edition now to get up to 5 days early access and the Commander Zane’s Anti-Monopolistic Battle Pack.
The Outer Worlds 2 Premium Edition
Xbox Game Studios
$99.99
Pre-order The Outer Worlds 2 Premium Edition now to get up to 5 days early access and the Commander Zane’s Anti-Monopolistic Battle Pack.
The Outer Worlds 2 Premium Edition includes:
– The Outer Worlds 2 base game
– Up to 5 days early access
– DLC Pass for 2 future story expansions*
– Moon Man’s Corporate Appreciation Premium Prize Pack
– Access to The Outer Worlds 2 Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack
* Story expansions available as released
The Outer Worlds 2 is the eagerly-awaited sequel to the award-winning first-person sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Entertainment (just look at the exciting number of dashes in this sentence!). Time to clear your calendar – get ready for an action-packed adventure with a new crew, new weapons, and new enemies in a new colony! So much newness!
As a daring and most likely good-looking Earth Directorate agent, you must uncover the source of devastating rifts threatening to destroy all of humanity. Your investigation leads to Arcadia, home of skip drive technology, where the fate of the colony, and ultimately the entire galaxy, rests on your decisions – your strengths, your flaws, your crew, and the factions you choose to trust.
Explore a New Frontier
The Arcadia colony is engulfed in a factional war, as the Protectorate’s so-called benevolent rule is challenged by the rebellion of their religious order and a corporate invasion. As destructive rifts spread across the colony, each faction fights to control or close them for their own ends. Navigate diverse zones, uncover hidden lore, and shape the fate of a system on the brink!
Your Commander, Your Way
Build your character with the abilities and choices that reflect your playstyle. The colony reacts to your every move, crafting a narrative that’s yours to own -whether you’re a disciple of diplomacy, an astute strategist, a crusader for chaos, or something different altogether. And yes, you can dumb!
Enlist Your Companions
Recruit companions with unique traits, backgrounds and goals. Whether you choose to help them achieve their ambitions or steer them toward your own objectives, your influence shapes their growth (or death), making them an integral part of the immersive story you create together.
The Outer Worlds 2 Standard Preorder Edition
Xbox Game Studios
$69.99
Pre-order The Outer Worlds 2 now to receive the Commander Zane’s Anti-Monopolistic Battle Pack at launch.
The Outer Worlds 2 is the eagerly-awaited sequel to the award-winning first-person sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Entertainment (just look at the exciting number of dashes in this sentence!). Time to clear your calendar – get ready for an action-packed adventure with a new crew, new weapons, and new enemies in a new colony! So much newness!
As a daring and most likely good-looking Earth Directorate agent, you must uncover the source of devastating rifts threatening to destroy all of humanity. Your investigation leads to Arcadia, home of skip drive technology, where the fate of the colony, and ultimately the entire galaxy, rests on your decisions – your strengths, your flaws, your crew, and the factions you choose to trust.
Explore a New Frontier
The Arcadia colony is engulfed in a factional war, as the Protectorate’s so-called benevolent rule is challenged by the rebellion of their religious order and a corporate invasion. As destructive rifts spread across the colony, each faction fights to control or close them for their own ends. Navigate diverse zones, uncover hidden lore, and shape the fate of a system on the brink!
Your Commander, Your Way
Build your character with the abilities and choices that reflect your playstyle. The colony reacts to your every move, crafting a narrative that’s yours to own -whether you’re a disciple of diplomacy, an astute strategist, a crusader for chaos, or something different altogether. And yes, you can dumb!
Enlist Your Companions
Recruit companions with unique traits, backgrounds and goals. Whether you choose to help them achieve their ambitions or steer them toward your own objectives, your influence shapes their growth (or death), making them an integral part of the immersive story you create together.
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