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During my first playthrough of the initial Outer Worlds title, I was quickly hooked by its satirical, Fallout-esque brand of humor. This release included lively conversations, individual logs, and propaganda materials that depicted a corporate dystopia that was at once grim and entertaining. My biggest worry heading into the sequel was that this version – through no fault on its part – wouldn't be as comedic compared to the first.

Admittedly, conditions weren't ideal. Yet society undoubtedly appeared a bit less broken in those days. This universe showed a bleak future that didn't strike extremely relatable, and nonetheless succeeded to be both emotional and uproarious. I began the sequel feeling quite confident that this installment couldn't succeed to accomplish this once more, but I'm pleased to report that I was mistaken. This sequel is equally smile-generating as the release that preceded it, and additionally brings original ideas rather than just recycling the same content like an worn-out business tune.

Evolving Characters

Most of the NPCs gamers met in the first title had been beaten down by the actions of corporate entities such as Spacer's Choice, and were fully cognizant of how much their lives sucked. This installment moves events in a distinct route, featuring characters who are indoctrinated (periodically symbolically, regularly truly). A lot of these NPCs aren't conscious of how profoundly screwed up their conditions are, or that there might be options to an existence spent under the domination of a huge company or bound by the doctrines of an intense faith.

This second installment investigates methods of business domination that are more subtle than only making the masses poor. Numerous characters have been indoctrinated into the sort of extremely eager "grindset mindset" discourse you can discover on online profiles that vow to show the secret of achievement when you buy a costly program, or put money into a dubious blockchain project. Additionally, the title's corporate propaganda has evolved.

Contemporary Issues

There are still many demotivating signs in various locations indicating reductions in employee wages who so much as think about taking a day off, but furthermore exist mentions of network marketing strategies, including a staff guide that proudly declares, "Unknown people are merely patrons you still need to meet!" As someone who was raised in a direct sales household, I immediately burst out with laughter when encountering this mention, because it's a phrase I have often heard repeated exactly by those at the bottom of these systems.

Thankfully, The Outer Worlds 2 is as comedic and satirical as the initial release.

This installment also examines the situation many of us encounter concerning work, political matters, and even personal purchases: Needing to pick the smaller of several poor choices. While attempting to decide whether to support a harmful business or a concerning cult throughout the experience, I realized I became aligning with the familiar evil: A recognized corporate entity that is awful (though just utilizes propaganda to indoctrinate its followers), as opposed to the faith organization, which also sucks, but employs a horrible approach termed "psychological renewal" to maintain its followers obedient.

Doubtful Authorities

Additionally, the individuals you represent could fail to be trustworthy. As an Earth Directorate agent, you're tasked with trying to reestablish order to this settlement following a hostile corporate takeover, and you rapidly learn that both the aggressors and the invadees subscribe to distinct (though equally awful) doctrines. However, a rapid review of the communications on your spacecraft's system show that the Earth Directorate is hardly the universe's most principled authority either, as shown by an answer to a distress call that informs the caller it will take "three to five business years" for a reply to their communication. (This duration is approximately the time it takes for me to reach a human support representative over the phone these days.)

Relatable Moments

Many moments in this installment are extremely familiar, but it's a cleansing sort of relatability, and the game succeeds in balancing its grim future world with comedy that's truly humorous yet not seeming out of place. A primary concept is the near-instant onset of decline that appears to occur in the wake of any major corporate acquisition. Employees on both sides of this installment's big merger experience their living standards decline as a result, while the executives in charge of the structure are, expectedly, collecting profits rapidly.

Okay, at the very least I recognize my position.

Comparable to the original title, this sequel is inherently funny, but additionally doesn't hesitate to get serious. At a certain time, while wandering around the release's primary accessible planet, I stumbled across a body with a message in the vicinity. This message showed that this character (associated with the programming faith group) had perished in an incident while trying to track down and eliminate her significant other. This romantic partner had reportedly deserted from their group, and the perished individual was incensed at her lover's {traitorous