TThe Outer Worlds 2 was first revealed in June for £70/$80, becoming the priciest game on Xbox at that point. However, this status was short-lived, as Microsoft quickly reverted to the typical £60/$70 price point after just a month. Although The Outer Worlds 2 is larger than its 2019 predecessor, the decision was indeed prudent. This game does not warrant a £70 price tag.

Nonetheless, it offers a delightful experience that can easily consume your time, enhancing the original game significantly. With improved combat and more intricate role-playing elements, The Outer Worlds 2 smartly expands its scope without overextending its narrative, even if the storyline doesn’t quite deliver the same level of satisfaction.

You don’t need to have played the first game to grasp the sequel’s premise. You take on the role of an agent for the slow-moving, “benevolent” space police known as the Earth Directorate, with a mission to impose order on the galaxy known as Arcadia. Much like Halcyon in the original, Arcadia is in disarray due to the rampant spread of capitalism. Players wield significant power to form new alliances and mend old ones amidst various groups of conflicting ideologies.

Frequent conflict between factions is a given, but there are more pressing issues than the divide among them. You soon discover that a rift in the universe poses a serious threat. This concept is introduced early in the game, where you investigate these rifts caused by the Protectorate, an authoritarian group that is altering the universe’s fabric. Upon your arrival, betrayal from trusted allies leads to a decade spent in suspended animation.

Upon waking ten years later, you’ll find that Arcadia has undergone significant changes, with the rift expanding uncontrollably. To save the galaxy, you’ll need to assemble a new crew.

Unfortunately, the narrative peak experienced at the beginning of The Outer Worlds 2 is not echoed throughout the game. A lingering sense of disappointment follows me as I spend about 30 hours journeying through the plot. I hoped for unexpected character developments or story twists, but instead found myself predictably nodding through most scenes. There are intriguing characters present, such as psychopathic cultists and spies, yet I struggled to bond with this team, similar to my experience in the first installment.

Despite the presence of three major factions vying for attention and favor, The Outer Worlds 2 offers limited impactful choices. Awkward dialogues with narrow-minded capitalists compel you to reflect on your involvement in the actual economic system, but the simplistic portrayals of characters provide more insight than substantial moments.

If your “speech” skills are sufficiently high, you can often navigate most situations with ease. This can feel jarring, especially when a blind follower of the Protectorate changes her stance drastically after a specific dialogue choice, yet is content to monologue as you exit a boss fight. In almost every significant conflict, it feels as though your actions carried minimal weight—at least, that’s how it seems.

This aspect made it difficult for me to engage fully with the storyline. While the characters around me may have strong opinions, they rarely seem to exhibit genuine anger, even when I disregard their beliefs. The Outer Worlds 2 lacks a certain persuasiveness, which is disappointing because its clever humor often brings joy but seldom serves to deliver a biting ideological critique.

The game features impressive depth in its combat and role-playing systems, significantly refining what was introduced previously. While gunfights can sometimes drag and frustrate, the diverse range of weaponry and their varying effects add excitement to each encounter. Elemental damage influences enemies in different ways, each requiring distinct ammunition. Running low on energy during a tough skirmish forces creativity, and I’ve often found myself trying weapons I hadn’t used before out of sheer necessity, which turned out to be quite enjoyable.

Character development is more intricate than in the original game, featuring a “flaws” system that tracks your actions and may even prompt you to adopt traits that bear both negative and positive consequences. For instance, depending on item crafting can lead to acquiring the “Hermit” flaw, which doubles vendor prices, while dismantling junk can yield opportunities for additional items. This became particularly helpful during crafty moments but posed challenges when I had limited resources and needed vendors. This filled my experience with fun dilemmas, prompting me to rethink my approach.

Developer Obsidian has had a stellar year, launching the fantasy adventure Avowed alongside the insect-filled survival game Grounded 2. All three titles showcase the studio’s remarkable ability to craft diverse worlds that adapt to player choices.

While The Outer Worlds 2 may not consistently amaze, it does offer significant value as an engaging role-playing experience that can keep you entertained for hours. The focus isn’t necessarily on reinventing the wheel but rather on enhancing its framework. In essence, it’s a gratifying, reliable experience—satisfying yet rarely surprising—capable of delivering joy quite regularly.