GamingBolt checked out The Outer Worlds 2:

The Outer Worlds 2 Will Allow Players to Define Their Play Style Through Their Character Builds

The Outer Worlds 2 Developer Took Advice From Halo Studios, Analysed Destiny to Improve Shooting

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According to creative director Brandon Adler The Outer Worlds 2 was inspired by Fallout New Vegas and newer Deus Ex games.

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RPG Site reports that respeccing is not allowed in The Outer Worlds 2, because your player choices are permanent:

“Not every game is for every single person. Sometimes you have to pick a lane” - The Outer Worlds 2’s director on meaningful role-playing consequence and banning respec

On RPG Site, we have an unofficial motto. ‘Everything is an RPG nowadays’. Our tongue is firmly planted in our cheek when I say it, but to some degree it’s sort of true - various RPG mechanics have enjoyed a parasitic spread into every genre you can think of, from EXP in shooters to skill trees in brawlers. 

But then you have the real RPGs. You know the sort of stuff I’m talking about. Crunchy, deep, systems-driven. For the sickos out there, many of whom religiously visit this website. And in The Outer Worlds 2, the genre veterans at Obsidian seem absolutely determined to do one thing - double down on those sorts of systems. 

The role-playing charge is led by an unflinching focus on choice and consequence - with as heavy an emphasis on the repercussions as the player agency. We’re not just talking about a branching narrative here, but also in systems - best indicated by the game’s dedication to a wild and wonderful suite of perks. In a hands-on demo, I spend a significant amount of time just scrolling the perks list - which is plentiful, many of them also surprisingly impactful.

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“We don't allow respec. The reason is... so,” Adler begins, grinning. There’s a deep intake of breath. Can of worms: Opened.

“Lots of people love respec,” he diplomatically notes. “And that is definitely one way you can go about things. I personally want the player to understand their choices are permanent - they matter - and then they think more about their choices.

“There's a lot of times where you'll see games where they allow infinite respec, and at that point I'm not really role-playing a character, because I'm jumping between -- well my guy is a really great assassin that snipes from long range, and then oh, y'know, now I'm going to be a speech person, then respec again, and it's like–”

[...]

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PC Gamer reports that The Outer Worlds 2 will be darker than the first part:

The Outer Worlds 2 game director says its writing has a 'less silly, darker tone' than the first game

People aren't always bad in silly ways. Sometimes they're just bad.

In our Outer Worlds review back in 2019, we called Obsidian's sci-fi satire "a quirky romp across a solar system ruled by brutal corporations," but the zany ribbing about the excesses of corporate misconduct didn't land for everyone living in the world where the delivery drivers of major companies are pressured to pee in bottles to be able to make their quotas. In The Outer Worlds 2, Obsidian says that—while there'll still be plenty of humor—the writing will have a darker weight behind it.

In an interview with PC Gamer during SGF 2025, The Outer Worlds 2 game director Brandon Adler said that the first game's writing "could sometimes be one note," and that he wants the sequel to be able to hit more beats than just goofery.

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Mortismal Gaming checked out The Outer Worlds 2:

The Outer Worlds 2: Deep Dive Details & Thoughts

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Couchpotato spotted a story trailer for The Outer Worlds 2:

The Outer Worlds 2 - Official Story Trailer

IGN talked with Brandon Adler (Game Director) and Matt Singh (Design Director) about The Outer Worlds 2:

The Outer Worlds 2: Devs Respond to Fan Feedback & Breakdown What's New - Unlocked Clips

Michael Higham sits down with The Outer Worlds 2 developers Brandon Adler (Game Director) and Matt Singh (Design Director) to reflect on the IGN First coverage, respond to community feedback, and dive into the game’s new RPG mechanics, reworked character systems, and upcoming gameplay features.

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The Outer Worlds 2 has been influenced by Fallout: New Vegas:

How Fallout: New Vegas Influenced The Outer Worlds 2 – IGN First

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IGN checked out the combat of The Outer Worlds 2:

The Outer Worlds 2: How Combat Works in Obsidian's RPG/FPS Sequel – IGN First

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Gamerant checked out The Outer Worlds 2:

The Outer Worlds 2 Feels Like Obsidian’s Answer to Starfield

Summary

• The Outer Worlds 2 is expanding its world to be twice as large as its predecessor.
• It will feature over 90 unique perks for character customization, surpassing Starfield's 82 skills.
• The game sets itself apart with self-aware humor that mocks industry norms and offers more deliberate gameplay.

Despite some of their most obvious differences, Starfield and The Outer Worlds have been frequently compared to one another, as they are both narrative-driven, first-person sci-fi RPGs developed by studios renowned for their storytelling — Bethesda and Obsidian Entertainment, respectively. In some ways, this makes the comparisons between the two justifiable. However, their clear differences — like Starfield's larger scale, The Outer Worlds' tightly woven narrative, and each title's unique approach to gameplay — are difficult to ignore. Nevertheless, it already seems like The Outer Worlds 2 might be Obsidian's answer to Starfield, whether the comparisons have been warranted or not.

Based on what has been revealed so far for The Outer Worlds 2, Obsidian's long-awaited sequel looks to capitalize on the success of its predecessor by remaining faithful to its origins. At the same time, it appears to be making some major improvements to its gameplay, progression, and worldbuilding that could put the Starfield comparisons to rest by finding a happy medium between what the first Outer Worlds accomplished and the groundwork laid by Bethesda's sci-fi adventure.

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Learn more the weapon arsenal of The Outer Worlds 2:

The Outer Worlds 2: First Look at Your Sci-Fi Arsenal – IGN First

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Learn more about the new flaws system:

The Outer Worlds 2: First Look at the New Flaws System – IGN First

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IGN checked out The Outer Worlds 2:

The Outer Worlds 2: A Look at Its Expansive Worlds – IGN First

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IGN talked with design director Matt Singh and lead systems designer Kyle Koenig about character building in The Outer Worlds 2:

How The Outer Worlds 2 Lets You Go Wild With RPG Character Building – IGN First

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IGN checked out The Outer Worlds 2:

The Outer Worlds 2: 11 Minutes of Exclusive Gameplay – IGN First

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2025 could be a big year for Obsidian, says PC Gamer:

Obsidian is about to make it a monster year for RPGs, with The Outer Worlds 2 coming later in 2025 after Avowed

Begin and end the year with a huge Obsidian RPG.

In a trailer at this year's Game Awards, Obsidian not only showed off the first gameplay footage of The Outer Worlds 2, it also revealed that the game will release sometime in 2025, meaning that the studio now has two full-fat RPGs coming in the next 12 months given that Avowed drops in February.

The trailer begins with a great gag about Obsidian getting its start making (in my opinion even better) sequels to other studios' great RPGs: Knights of the Old Republic 2, Neverwinter Nights 2, and "Fallout 3 (part 2)," aka Fallout: New Vegas. We didn't get a ton of specifics, but the trailer did assert that The Outer Worlds 2 will be "twice as big" even though development took "three times as long."

[...]

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Couchpotato spotted a new gameplay trailer for The Outer Worlds 2:

The Outer Worlds 2 - Official Gameplay Trailer | The Game Awards 2024

Gaming Instincts share their opinion on how The Outer Worlds 2 can be better than the first iteration.

We all knew that The Outer Worlds would be coming, but it was still exciting to see it officially announced during the Xbox and Bethesda showcase. A brief CGI trailer showcased the game even though Obsidian Entertainment hasn’t finished the character design, plotline, or gameplay. Clearly, Obsidian Entertainment has a lot of work to do, but they have a solid foundation to build on. The space-faring adventures of the original excelled in well-scripted albeit humorous dialogue, and the sequel can capitalize on those strengths while improving some of its less desirable aspects. 

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5. Combat and Gunplay

The dialogue, characters, and story of The Outer Worlds were superior to every other feature. Thus, shooting legions of Mauraders became tedious and mundane, getting in the way of more exciting elements. Despite being serviceable, combat was merely a glorified padding system or detour between stories beats. As the game progresses, its clunky and mediocre nature becomes ever more apparent.

To be successful, the sequel needs to upgrade its shooting mechanics to the level of its other more satisfactory qualities. Along with a general refinement, The Outer Worlds 2 would benefit from a greater variety of weapons and enemies. This should elevate combat from a mundane chore to a welcoming aspect of player and story progression.

In addition to gunplay, the stealth and melee mechanics are in a dire need of revamping. Though players can dedicate skill points to these specific character types, the insufficient gameplay functionality makes it a non-option. Because of the clunky melee and the finicky stealth, it’s more fun to invest time in dialogue, giving players an opportunity to avoid combat entirely. The Outer Worlds 2 needs to enhance combat so that players can truly choose their playstyle instead of being pigeonholed by quality.

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Couchpotato spotted a teaser for The Outer Worlds 2:

The Outer Worlds 2 Announcement Teaser Trailer

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