15 best video games coming in 2019: Kingdom Hearts 3 and more
By Matt Becker
8. The Outer Worlds
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher: Private Division
Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: TBD 2019
We officially learned about Obsidian’s latest RPG during the 2018 Game Awards, but The Outer Worlds has reportedly been in development since 2016. This first-person action RPG is set in a pulp science fiction-style future where mega-corporations have colonized alien planets. The customizable playable character awakens aboard a ship bound for the edge of the galaxy, and players begin a journey to learn the truth about these colonies and the corporations that control them.
Related Story. The 50 Best RPGs Of All Time. light
The Outer Worlds gives off major Fallout: New Vegas vibes, which gets us super excited. The Fallout franchise took a few steps backward with Fallout 4 and Fallout 76, so it’s awesome to see a new IP from a seasoned development studio step up to the plate. The Outer Worlds hits so many of the features we want from an Obsidian RPG, such as a player-driven narrative, numerous factions, recruitable companions, branching dialogue decisions, combat customization, different skill trees, and various character perks and flaws when it comes to combat and interacting with NPCs. There is even Tactical Time Dilation, which is similar to Fallout‘s VATS system in that it slows down time and reveals enemy health info during combat.
Obsidian takes us to a wacky new space world in The Outer Worlds that is filled to the brim with detail yet doesn’t always take itself seriously. From choosing “dumb” dialogue options to using Shrink Rays, Obsidian’s new universe is self-aware and filled with deadpan and sometimes absurd humor. This self-deprecation adds to the charm of a game already brimming with potential.