The Outer Worlds
For years, we begged Bethesda to just give us anotherNew Vegas.
Fallout 4wasn’t it.76definitelywasn’t it. So Obsidian rolled up its sleeves and said “screw it, we’ll do it ourselves.” It’s fitting, too, because Obsidian was ultimately responsible forNew Vegas. Look,I have alreadyscientifically proventhatNew Vegasis the best modernFalloutgame. We want more non-linear, weird stories. We have spoken.
The Outer Worldsfits that bill to a tee.As I said in my review, when you kick off your tale with the phrase “not likely, bootlickers,” you know the irreverent tone is on the level. From there it never really lets up with a masterfully crafted script and a completely out-there “flaw” system that allows you to truly play a role and purposefully acquire bad perks.
Speaking of, “playing a role” is a concept a lot of studios have completely abandoned in recent years. Far too often RPGs get bogged down with needless number-crunching and linear plotlines that just lead to rote, soulless achievements. Checkboxes, if you will.The Outer Worldsays “forget all that,” and unleashes the floodgates for mechanics like “a dimwitted character that has access to unique dumb dialogue trees.” There’s no real benefit to this system and a lot of studios would see this as illogical: but Obsidian did it anyway.
It’s an actual RPG not unlike theDungeons & Dragonsroots so many Obsidian developers are familiar with. It’s also a beacon for open world checklist simulators everywhere, and for that reason and more it was chosen as our 2019 Game of the Year.
2018 –God of War
2017 –The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
2013 –The Last of Us
2007 –BioShock
