The Outer Worlds Spacers Choice Edition

The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition is a graphically refreshed and enriched with all DLC version of the action RPG released in 2019, titled The Outer Worlds. The production was developed by the authors of the original, i.e. Obsidian Entertainment studio (which has in its portfolio such hits as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords, Fallout: New Vegas and the Pillars of Eternity series, among others), in cooperation with Virtuos team, specialized in preparing remasters.

Storyline

The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition spreads before us a retrofuturistic vision of the future, to be precise - the 24th century, when mankind has mastered the art of interstellar travel and is establishing colonies in the far corners of the galaxy. One such outpost is the Arcadia (Halcyon) system, where two ships filled with settlers were heading. They were headed because one of the vessels mysteriously veered off course and was lost without news for several decades, along with the hibernating colonists. The ship is eventually found by scientist Phineas Welles, who manages to awaken one of the members (or one of the members) of the crew from hibernation. Welles quickly informs him that things are not going well in Arcadia, as the colony is run by extremely incompetent corporations. To save it from extinction, the scientist intends to awaken the specialists on the ship. Whether he succeeds will be determined by our actions and the choices we make.

The described production allows you to shape the story as you see fit. We can both help Welles and turn against him and join one of the corporations; besides, nothing stands in the way of trying to sow real chaos in Arcadia, killing anyone who comes under our barrel. It's also worth mentioning that although the entire plot outline looks extremely serious, the game is full of black and sometimes absurd humor.

In addition to the basic version of The Outer Worlds, the described item includes two story expansions. In Peril on Gorgon we find ourselves on the surface of the title asteroid, where a certain ambitious and groundbreaking scientific project ended in a real disaster. Our task is to discover the truth about the events that took place here; we also have to learn more about the head of the whole project - Dr. Olivia Ambrose. In Murder on Eridanos, it rests on our shoulders to unravel the mystery of the murder of Halcyon Helen, or the spokeswoman of the Rizzo Corporation, who was killed just before the launch of a new vodka - Spectrum Brown. Pinpointing the perpetrator won't be easy, because the suspect is.... basically anyone.

Mechanics

In The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition, we view the action from a first-person perspective (FPP). After creating your character from scratch, there is nothing left for us to do but throw ourselves into the vortex of space adventures. The gameplay takes place in various locations scattered around Arcadia; we visit, among other things, the surfaces of planets, moons and asteroids or space stations. As a means of transportation around the planetary system we use a rather large spaceship with a very meaningful name Unreliable. It also serves as our base to which we return between escapades.

In the course of the game we get to know the inhabitants of Arcadia, complete tasks pushing the plot forward and perform side missions, as well as make decisions that affect not only the further fate of our hero (or heroine), but also the future of the entire colony. In addition, as we progress, we encounter characters who can join us; each of them is equipped with their own story and motivation, and in order to get to know them better, it's a good idea to cut chats with them from time to time.

Regardless of which story path we take, we often face opponents during the game. The clashes are dynamic, and during them we make use of a more or less futuristic arsenal of white and firearms (in addition to conventional pistols, rifles and shotguns, we will find here, among others, laser or plasma cannons). In addition, the title offers the possibility of slowing down time in "hot" moments or acting silently, sneaking behind the backs of opponents and eliminating them by surprise. Pacifists can also try to resolve a given conflict thanks to the skill of persuasion (which, however, is not always possible).

Speaking of skills - as we progress, we develop the hero, gaining new abilities and improving the ones we already have, as well as unlocking useful perks (perks). Interestingly, the game monitors our actions on an ongoing basis and if it detects something we're doing less well with, it can offer us to impose a so-called disadvantage on our character, offering an additional perk in return. In addition, our combat potential grows thanks to the equipment we acquire along the way.

The DLC included in the game raises the experience limit and introduces new perks; Murder on Eridan, moreover, allows you to check out a new gadget, the Disparity Amplifier, which is extremely useful in investigation, revealing details invisible to the naked eye and providing their analysis.

Technical issues

Compared to the original, The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition stands out due to its refreshed graphics. The authors have slanted the quality of textures and lighting; besides, the game runs on consoles at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second.