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During my first playthrough of the original Outer Worlds, I was immediately drawn by its sarcastic, Fallout-like style of comedy. The game included lively conversations, individual logs, and promotional posters that illustrated a business-controlled nightmare that was simultaneously bleak and humorous. My biggest worry approaching the follow-up was that this installment – through no fault on its part – might not be as humorous compared to the first.

Admittedly, conditions weren't ideal. But the world definitely felt somewhat less damaged at that time. This game presented a dystopia that didn't feel overly familiar, and nonetheless succeeded to be simultaneously touching and uproarious. I commenced the sequel feeling quite confident that this release wouldn't manage to pull this off a second time, but I'm happy to state that I was wrong. This follow-up is as laughter-provoking as the release that came earlier, and additionally brings fresh concepts rather than just recycling similar elements like an worn-out business tune.

Changing NPCs

Most of the non-player characters players encountered in the initial release had been worn out by the activities of business corporations including the in-game corporation, and were fully cognizant of the degree that their situation was terrible. This sequel moves events in a different direction, presenting individuals who are programmed (sometimes figuratively, regularly truly). A lot of these personalities aren't even aware of how extremely disordered their conditions are, or that there could be alternatives to an existence spent beneath the control of a huge company or limited by the creeds of a high-demand religion.

The sequel explores types of corporate control that are more insidious than simply keeping the population impoverished. Numerous characters have been indoctrinated into the type of extremely eager "hustle mentality" rhetoric you can discover on online profiles that promise to reveal the secret of achievement if you pay for an overpriced workshop, or participate in a sketchy crypto scheme. Even the game's company advertising has developed.

Contemporary Issues

There continue to be numerous demotivating signs on the walls indicating reductions in staff compensation who even contemplate taking a day off, but additionally there are references to multi-level marketing strategies, including an employee manual that boldly states, "Strangers are just patrons you still need to meet!" As someone who was raised in a network marketing household, I promptly exploded with laughter when I saw this allusion, because it's a saying I have often heard repeated exactly by people at the base of those structures.

Fortunately, this sequel is equally humorous and irreverent as the initial release.

This sequel also examines the dilemma many of us experience regarding work, political matters, and even consumer choices: Being forced to pick the lesser of multiple bad options. While attempting to choose whether to assist a risky company or a problematic faith organization within the title, I found myself siding with the known negative: An established company structure that is awful (yet merely employs advertising to brainwash its subjects), rather than the cult, which is equally bad, but employs a horrible approach termed "psychological renewal" to maintain its followers in line.

Doubtful Authorities

Furthermore, the characters you represent might not be reliable. Playing as an galactic official, your assignment includes attempting to restore stability to this outpost following a forceful company buyout, and you will quickly find that both the aggressors and the invadees follow differing (yet equally horrific) doctrines. Yet a speedy inspection of the transmissions on your ship's terminal show that this agency isn't exactly the world's most ethical employer either, as shown by an answer to an emergency signal that notifies the contact it will take "several corporate years" for an answer to their message. (This period is about how long it takes for me to contact a real support representative through calling currently.)

Familiar Situations

Many moments in this sequel are highly recognizable, but it's a therapeutic type of familiarity, and this title achieves equilibrium between its bleak societal vision with wit that's truly humorous yet not seeming incongruous. One major theme is the rapid beginning of enshittification that appears to occur after any major corporate acquisition. Employees on both sides of The Outer Worlds 2's big merger see their quality of life decrease consequently, while the leaders at the top of the hierarchy are, expectedly, collecting the cash quickly.

Hey, at least I know my situation.

Comparable to the initial release, this follow-up is intrinsically comedic, but additionally isn't afraid to become dramatic. At a certain time, while exploring around the release's primary explorable world, I stumbled across a deceased individual with a recording in the vicinity. This message showed that this NPC (associated with the indoctrinating cult) had perished in an incident while trying to track down and dispatch her lover. This partner had seemingly abandoned from their organization, and the deceased character was angry about her significant other's {traitorous