Around this time last year, I began my 100% journey through Red Dead Redemption 2, one of the rare titles I felt deserved what little free time and attention I had for such a feat. Now, I'll be attempting to do the same for The Outer Worlds. It's a welcome sci-fi RPG that features a single-player campaign rather than a MMO or free-to-play battle royale, and for those of us burned by games like Fallout 76 and Anthem, it's a title that actually lives up to its promises.

The new, original IP from Obsidian Entertainment and Private Division takes players into a futuristic world ... or worlds, actually, since the story reflects its title. They range from Dr. Seussian wilds, to backwater burgs, elite gated communities of the rich and famous, and even a militarized colony bristling with heavily armed security forces. You'll play a highly customizable and capable colonist thawed out by a mad scientist in the hopes that you'll help him save not only your few hundred thousand fellow colonists still frozen in hibernation, but also the failing colony itself. You see, the multi-headed hydra known as The Board--comprised of a half-dozen mega-corporations that own and operate just about everything in the colony of Halcyon--maintains their vice-like grip over the colonists even as things fall apart around them. It's up to rogue researcher Phineas Welles to put things right again, and it's your duty to help him.

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Image via Obsidian Entertainment

Or not! One of the best things about The Outer Worlds is the narrative (and moral) flexibility it allows. Players can choose to help the good-natured Welles or side with The Board; that's just the first major choice that will affect the outcome of your playthrough, and there are plenty more where that came from. If you're like me, you'll want to play through The Outer Worlds at least a few times to see all there is to see, do all there is to do, and, if you're dedicated enough, go for that platinum trophy. The story is engaging; the characters are well-written, wonderfully acted, and artfully animated (without the all-too-common jank that comes with modern games); and the dialogue is absolutely hilarious, especially if you, like me, choose the "Dumb" options. And on a technical note, there were no serious bugs or crashes to speak of (on the PS4 Pro, at least), aside from the occasional bit of overlapping on-screen text bubbles or wonky quest progression should I wander off the intended path.

My only knocks against The Outer Worlds are that there are too few "Wow!" moments or big boss battles that really make for a memorable playthrough and that there are relatively few twists and turns in the narrative. For transparency, I focused the main quest line and actively avoided all of the side quests, companion quests, faction quests, and additional content for the sake of time; I almost certainly missed out on some gems (like two companions I never recruited) and was undoubtedly under-leveled by the final mission, necessitating a down-shift in the difficulty setting. The game is quasi-linear, meaning that you'll have to do a little bit of A to B to C before the colony itself opens up a bit more, mostly through companion quests. But there's room for DLC should Obsidian and Private Division choose to do so, as well as a ton of franchise potential, which I sincerely hope they take advantage of.

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Image via Obsidian Entertainment

The Outer Worlds may not have the gut-punches of Metro Exodus, the kinetic insanity of Borderlands 3, or the mass appeal of Apex Legends, but this original IP is a hilarious, adventurous, and wildly imaginative outer space escapade that should absolutely be in the conversation for Game of the Year.

Rating: 9/10

The Outer Worlds will be released for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC (via the Microsoft Windows Store and Epic Games Store) on October 25, 2019. The Outer Worlds is also coming to Nintendo Switch; no release date has been announced at this time.

For those of you who want some more details, tips, tricks, and commentary, I've broken down my playing experience a bit more in the following categories:

The Creative Team

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Image via Obsidian

For anyone who's played a Fallout title since that franchise's debut in 1997, The Outer Worlds will feel familiar. Like, very familiar, to the point that it feels like a space-based successor to that futuristic but very terrestrial game series. Instead of a solitary vault dweller, you play a solitary Stranger awoken from your colony ship's cryosleep; instead of a S.P.E.C.I.A.L. or G.O.A.T., you'll get a Spec and Perk system which offers a ton of variety (and super funny dialogue options from Welles, especially when you take a stat into the negative or max it out); and the same goes for V.A.T.S. and mutations, which are known as Tactical Time Dilation (T.T.D.) and "Flaws", in The Outer Worlds.

There's a good reason why this isn't a ripoff but an evolution of Fallout: It comes from two of the original story's creators. Tim Cain, the creator, producer, lead programmer and one of the main designers of Fallout (1997) and Leonard Boyarsky, the art director for that game--among many responsibilities--who also suggested its gritty, post-apocalyptic setting. The duo are co-directors for The Outer Worlds and it's clear that their Fallout pedigree has evolved to take place on these many terraformed moons and planets. If you ever wanted "Fallout in space", The Outer Worlds is for you.

Difficulty Settings

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Image via Obsidian Entertainment, Private Division

Another aspect of The Outer Worlds I really love is how accessible it is for gamers of all sorts of playstyles and experiences. If you want to check the story out but are feeling apprehensive about running and gunning through unknown dangers in the wilds, there's Story difficulty; basically Easy mode. If you're familiar with Fallout games and the like, then you'll probably want to run it on Hard; I went through the majority of the game on Normal difficulty for the sake of time and found it rather easy ... right up until the final mission. I was woefully under-leveled and made of paper by that point--a problem that should be ameliorated simply by doing more of the available quests--and actually had to shift down to Story mode to finish the game.

But for the truly dedicated (or insane), there's the Supernova difficulty. This ultimate test will drastically increase the health of enemies along with the amount of damage they deal. And while all the other difficulties allow your companions to recover after hostiles have been cleared from the area, even if they "passed out", Supernova acts as permadeath for your fallen comrades. Sorry! Additionally, this setting forces you to eat and drink (two things that aren't needed in the other difficulty settings, despite a wealth of attribute-boosting foodstuffs) to maintain your health, and severely limits the places and times you can fast travel. Oh, and you can't turn the difficulty down temporarily to clear an area since you won't be able to go Supernova again, but good try. This true test will push you to your limits, and a completion is needed for that Platinum trophy.

Companions and Characters

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Image via Obsidian Entertainment, Private Division

Don't worry, you don't have to trek through the wilds alone. You can bring up to two companions with you at any given time, chosen from a total of six. You'll meet them along the way, though some seem to be easier to stumble across than others; I managed to miss two simply because I didn't follow through on side quests that popped up during my exploration. And remember that bit about me being super under-leveled for the last mission? I probably wouldn't have cleared the game at all if it wasn't for my boon companions.

Your fighting fellows come with their own set of semi-customizable tweaks--ie, how aggressive or defensive you want them to be in combat--as well as their own set of perks and a limited skill tree with class/character-specific bonuses. There's a lot of variety to play with here. You can, as expected, also outfit them with juiced-up gear and weapons, though there's only one slot each for body armor, helmets, a ranged weapon, and a melee weapon. Each companion also comes with a spectacular special move that you can call upon during battle; it's nice for a little breather when things get heated and to help chunk down the health bar of some of the beefier enemies.

But the real benefit of your companions is the storytelling options they open up. You'll learn more about them and their backgrounds, their hope and dreams, their hobbies, and even their romantic entanglements. You can further deepen your relationships with them embarking on special companion quests to far-flung lands, but you don't necessarily need to in order to secure their help for the final mission; it's just much more narratively rewarding when you do. Equally so for the NPCs you meet along the way. They have a massive variety of voices, dialogue trees, and bizarre outlooks on life in the colony; explore every inch of these worlds for maximum effect.

The End ...?

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Image via Obsidian Entertainment, Private Division

Don't worry, this is a spoiler-free zone. And honestly, my ending will undoubtedly differ drastically from yours just by the nature of my playstyle and the choices made throughout. You will be treated to a montage recap of sorts which checks in on companions and notable characters you've met along the way; some of their stories will be sad, some sweet, and some downright hysterical. The greater state of the Halcyon colony is also laid bare at this point and your decisions will greatly impact how that plays out. It's a worthy little treat at the game's end to reward players for a job well done, more so if you really take the time to invest in your character and companions.

Getting a little spoilery, it's worth watching the credits just to recognize the talented people who worked on this title for years, but unfortunately there are no mid- or post-credits scenes, no wink or nudge about a possible sequel, and no real open-world NewGame+ options. Once you enter that final mission, that's it, bud. So if you get to the final fight--and the game will give you a warning ahead of time--and find you want to do some more questing, be sure to do so.

Regardless of whether you rush the main quest or explore every inch of Halcyon, The Outer Worlds is a refreshing new IP that should be a crowd-pleaser, especially for the single-player campaign, sci-fi, and RPG-lovers out there. And if you're a corporate shill like me, even better!