Latest news with #OuterWorlds2
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
As The Outer Worlds 2 hits $80, director says "we don't set the prices for our games" and wishes "everybody could play" Obsidian's new RPG
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. In the span of just a few months, $80 games have gone from an all-new idea that nobody liked to a reality that more and more of us would have to deal with, with The Outer Worlds 2 now the first Xbox-published game confirmed to boast the heftier price tag. However, the RPG's director has reiterated that the developers "don't set the prices" for their games. Following on from the Switch 2 and its $80 launch title Mario Kart World, Xbox confirmed in a recent price hike that some of its own "new, first-party games starting this holiday season" would cost the same. The Outer Worlds 2 is our first confirmed example of this, with pre-orders now open ahead of Obsidian's latest RPG launching on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on October 29 (not what I'd have called the "holiday season," but anyway). Asked about the ongoing $80 price conversations in an interview at Summer Game Fest, attended by GamesRadar+, The Outer Worlds 2 director Brandon Adler reiterates that it's ultimately not a decision made by the people making the game. "We're a game developer. We love to make games. We don't set the prices for our games," he begins. "Like, personally, as a game developer, I wish everybody could play my game, because that's what I want out of this whole thing. But for the reasons and so like, why the $79.99 price point, you'd have to honestly talk to the Xbox folks," he continues, avoiding touching on his "own personal feelings" during the interview. The Outer Worlds 2 likely won't be the only game to hit $80 this year and beyond, but one thing is for sure, fans really don't want Borderlands 4 to be one of them. Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford has been facing a lot of backlash lately after suggesting that "a real fan" would "find a way to make it happen," even if the upcoming looter shooter did cost $80 – something that's not actually been confirmed, it's worth noting. From serial killer to bad knees, The Outer Worlds 2 has some ridiculous perks even by RPG standards, including one that just "makes the game pretty unplayable if you happen to choose that."
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
From serial killer to bad knees, The Outer Worlds 2 has some ridiculous perks even by RPG standards, including one that just "makes the game pretty unplayable if you happen to choose that"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The Outer Worlds 2 is coming this year, October 29, and it's adding a whole host of weird and wonderful perks so that you can roleplay as a serial killer or someone with bad knees. Bad knees is an in-game flaw that actually made me laugh out loud when it was described during the Outer Wilds 2 direct at Summer Game Fest. It allows you to move faster, but the drawback is when you go from crouching to standing, "your knees are gonna make a loud popping noise that makes it so that, well, everyone around you is gonna hear you." If, like me, you're on the wrong side of 30, you likely know at least one person whose knees do this – chances are, that person is you. It's actually a great roleplay quirk for a stealth character. All that crouch walking must play havoc with your joints – Red Dead Redemption 2 actor Roger Clark did say the hardest part of filming for the game was all the squatting: "three days later my thighs were absolutely killing me." One very cool and slightly cruel perk is serial killer. If you choose it, there's a chance every human you kill will drop a heart, which you can collect to get a permanent boost to your health. If you kill a human who "wasn't hostile" to you, there's a 100% chance of the drop. I'm not sure if this means stealth kills guarantee hearts or you have to kill innocent NPCs, but either way, it's an interesting reward for being a murderer, and another great boon for stealth players; if you do get caught, that extra health will stop you getting put down too quickly. The strangest and most unique flaw revealed so far is sungazer. Quite literally what it sounds like, your character just loves to stare at the sun, and that has permanently damaged their vision. The game will look hazy, and ranged weapon spread will be increased by 100%, making you very inaccurate. It "makes the game pretty unplayable if you happen to choose that," says one developer. While you wait for The Outer Worlds 2 to come out, check out all the upcoming Xbox games.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Outer Worlds 2 has over 90 perks, but you can't respec your character because your "choices are permanent" and the RPG's director wants to make sure "you're building your character and really doubling down"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The Outer Worlds 2's director has explained why the upcoming RPG has ditched the ability to respec your stats, and it's all in service of the role-play. Obsidian's latest RPG had its grand unveiling at the Xbox Game Showcase 2025 and the Outer Worlds 2 Direct that followed, and while it has some of the most unique perks on the RPG market, with the likes of bad knees being part of the apparently 90+ perks. It's also being unique by ditching one of the genre's most beloved mechanics. In The Outer Worlds 2, you'll be unable to respec your characters, meaning you'll need to think carefully about where you want your points to go before doing it. The Outer Worlds 2 director Brandon Adler spoke to RPGSite and explained the decision, saying, "Lots of people love respec… 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." While the first Outer Worlds game did allow you to respec, Adler didn't work on that game, so his presence is definitely being felt with the sequel. Adler explains, "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.'" He adds, "For me, it's not wrong that people like to play like that… I want to make sure that the role-playing is really strong. "I want to make sure that you're building your character and really doubling down – making sure that role-playing comes through the whole experience." The Outer Worlds 2 director says not every RPG is "for every single person," so Obsidian is "not going to make a game for literally everybody" because "it waters down the experience a lot."
Express Tribune
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
The Outer Worlds 2 hits $80, Brandon Adler says we don't set the prices
The release of The Outer Worlds 2 is set to make waves with a price tag of $80, marking it as the first Xbox-published game to carry such a hefty price point. However, in an interview at the Summer Game Fest, Obsidian Entertainment's director, Brandon Adler, was quick to clarify that the developers had no say in the pricing decision. 'The price is set by the platform holders,' Adler said, referring to Xbox, which recently confirmed that several first-party games will carry the same price from this holiday season onward. The Outer Worlds 2, set to launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on October 29, is the first example of this price shift. 'I wish everybody could play my game,' Adler continued, acknowledging the challenges the higher price could pose to some fans. 'But for the reasons behind the $79.99 price point, you'd have to talk to the Xbox folks,' he said, carefully deflecting any personal opinions on the matter. This price hike follows a trend seen with other major titles, such as Nintendo's Mario Kart World for the Switch 2, which debuted at the same price earlier this year. With the rising costs of AAA game production, discussions surrounding $80 games have intensified, especially as other publishers like Sony and Nintendo have implemented similar pricing structures. While the high cost of games may continue to be a point of contention, it's clear that the industry is evolving in response to production costs and market trends. Fans of the video game franchise have been voicing their criticisms online. The Outer World 2 trailer being sarcastic about "Capitalism" and whatnot just to launch with the $80 price tag... — Vboy (@The_Vboy) June 8, 2025 "Oh, it's Inflation raising game prices." Yeah, no. Expedition 33 is $50 and was released like 8 weeks ago. It's one of the greatest games I've ever played. And it cost $50 bucks. $80 for Mario Kart and Outer Worlds 2 is PURE GREED. — Fake Wizard (@RealLifeFakeWiz) June 9, 2025 PSA: Do Not buy The Outer Worlds 2 for $80. Instead get it on Game Pass, as it will be on that service at launch. This Xbox $10 price increase feels REALLY bad, especially on games like this. — Joe Vargas (@AngryJoeShow) June 9, 2025 As someone who is insanely hyped for The Outer Worlds 2, $80 is a scam. No, " just get Game Pass" is not a valid counter. I do not want my access to games locked behind a subscription, which keeps getting more expensive. Shame on @Xbox for hurting the hype of this for greed. — 🅁🄴🅃🅁🄾 🏳️🌈🇺🇦 (@totallynotretro) June 9, 2025 Whether The Outer Worlds 2 will become the new norm remains to be seen, but fans of the RPG are already gearing up for its launch, eager to explore the absurd perks that Adler and his team have packed into the new title. The conversation around pricing is set to continue as other upcoming titles, like Borderlands 4, spark heated debates among fans and developers alike. Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford, for instance, has faced backlash after suggesting that true fans would find a way to afford the higher price tag. As the industry moves forward, how players and developers navigate these changes will likely shape the future of gaming. In the meantime, The Outer Worlds 2 promises an eccentric journey through its RPG universe, with the game's quirky features already catching the attention of many. The launch in October will no doubt spark further discussions, not only about its pricing but also about its place in the ever-expanding world of AAA gaming.
Digital Trends
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
The Outer Worlds 2 already feels lightyears ahead of its predecessor
I'll let you in on a dirty little secret that I've kept quiet for years: I'm not all that big on The Outer Worlds. Despite the fact that Obsidian's Fallout-esque sci-fi RPG was a critical darling in 2019, I struggled to get into a groove with it despite liking so many of its individual parts. The social satire was there, and I loved the companions, but so much of its gameplay left me feeling cold. Maybe it was just the bland combat that put me off, or that the movement felt stiff, but I never saw it through to the end and figured I'd likely skip its eventual sequel. Now after actually playing a slice of The Outer Worlds 2 following last week's Xbox Games Showcase, I'm singing a very different tune. Obsidian has seemingly been listening in on my internal monologue, because the major problems I had first game have seemingly been addressed here. The demo I played teased a huge leap forward for an RPG with great bones, reinventing the basic feel while still delivering what Obsidian does best. Recommended Videos Two paths My demo threw me into a mission a good way through the base game. My objective was simple: steal a weapon that can manipulate rifts from a heavily guarded area. Obsidian set me up with three different save files, all starting at the same point but with three very different stat builds. I could either load in as a combat, speech, or stealth-focused character. With only 40 minutes or so to play, I decided to see if I could squeeze two runs into one session. I decided to start with the combat build and go in guns blazing to see if my main complaints from the first game had been addressed. After a failed attempt to sneak through the building, I looked to the arsenal of weapons equipped on my character. Within seconds of pulling the trigger on a machine gun, I could instantly tell that Obsidian had totally revamped its entire approach to combat. Guns have significantly more weight and power now, and each feels entirely different from one another. Shooting feels more inspired by the Halo school of thought this time, with unmistakable guns that you can identify by feel. Some of those guns are delightfully over the top, too. In my combat save file, I had access to some sort of goop gun that would soak enemies in a weakening gunk. My second playthrough would give me access to a totally different set of weapons, including an elemental shotgun that packed a tremendous punch. Some of those specialized weapons take me back to Avowed, another Obsidian RPG that excels at giving players tools with satisfying perks. The new weapons combine with tools like throwable grenades and decoys to create much deeper action. A guns blazing character build is way more viable as a result. I got the rift gun and extracted with it in nearly 15 minutes, making mincemeat out of an entire complex full of guards. Just in that first attempt, I notice that The Outer Worlds 2 feels much less stiff than its predecessor all around. It's not just the more distinct guns, but even just the basic movement. My character feels much more agile, as they are able to slide, double jump, and parkour around the building with ease. That change creates a lot of flexibility for those who want to play the sequel more like an action game and less like an RPG. I wanted to test just how far that spectrum goes, so I loaded up the speech build for my second attempt. Rather than sneaking through guarded rooms right away, I peeled off into a space I hadn't explored the first time. There, I found a researcher who I deceived into thinking I was some kind of employee performing a security test on her. After gaining her trust, she tells me both where to find the rift gun and also a keycard. In return for the information, she asks me to help her clear her name, as she's been blamed for a lab accident that wasn't her fault. I agree and sneak my way back towards the room with the rift modifier. Using it on rifts opens up some new paths that I can platform up, and that will open up new places to explore in the world outside the facility, according to Obsidian. With my prize in hand, I continue to take things slow. I explore some rooms I'd passed by before, sneaking into vents and eventually finding the keycard. True to my word, I get back to the researcher using a path I had completely missed the first time. She takes me into a side room and asks me to use the tool on a rift, revealing a sort of hologram of the accident she was accused of causing. I go into detective mode, looking for clues that can clear her name. It's like I'm playing a completely different mission from my first attempt. It's twice as long and shows me that there's way more to the mission space than I initially thought. And I still didn't see it all either. As I'm exploring, I discover some jammed doors that I would have been able to pry open with the right stats. I get the sense that there are even more ways to get through it all, almost making me feel like I'm in an immersive sim. That's only the tiniest slice of what The Outer Worlds 2 offers. I didn't step foot outside, barely met my new robotic companions, and didn't get to build my own character out. The long-term character building is what really entices me. After the demo, developers from Obsidian told me about the sequel's reactive new perk system that bends around a player's habits. For instance, they explained that a player who habitually reloads their gun before its clip is empty may give their character an Overprepared trait. That will give players a larger magazine on all weapons but will also curse them with a debuff anytime they empty their clip. Companions will be similarly reactive to player habits, as Obsidian says that making decisions that a character disagrees with may cause them to leave the party. All of this has my ears perked. The first game always felt too machine-like to me. I could see all of the video game nuts and bolts holding it together which created too many mechanical limitations. The world feels wide open this time, ready for me to guide the simulation rather than follow its rigid path. All of that has me eager to start from scratch and see exactly how The Outer Worlds 2 will flex to fit my choices. Whether I fancy myself a gunslinger or a smooth talker, I reckon I'll get what I want from the series this time around. The Outer Worlds 2 launches on October 29 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
