The Outer Worlds 2 - Ambitious Sequel, But Launch Woes Hit Hard
I’ve been playing The Outer Worlds 2 since release day, and I want to believe Obsidian has pulled off a bold sequel, more reactive choices, deeper perks, and that same darkly funny sci-fi world I fell in love with in the first game. But then reality hits. Between serious performance issues, pricing backlash, and some design decisions that feel less “next-gen RPG” and more “classic Obsidian holdover,” this game isn’t quite what I hoped for. For a title this hyped, it sometimes feels like Obsidian bit off more than it could chew.
More Reactive RPG, But Is It Truly Fresh?
One of the big selling points of The Outer Worlds 2 is its enhanced reactivity, you can pickpocket NPCs, betray companions, or even make morally questionable bargains, and those choices actually feel like they matter. According to Obsidian, they brought back their signature “Flaw” system (good old pros-and-cons traits), and added new twists that change how you play.
On paper, that’s everything I wanted. In practice… sometimes my “deep choices” feel like slightly dressed-up versions of the first game. I love that there’s more bite to my decisions, but a part of me wonders if we’re just circling familiar Obsidian territory instead of boldly leaping forward.
Performance and Optimization: A Rocky Launch
Here’s where I hit a wall, the performance is rough, especially with ray tracing turned on. On PC, I’ve seen serious frame drops in busy interiors. There’s even a report on Obsidian’s own forums that shaders weren’t compiling properly, leading to stutter and hitching post-patch.
On PS5 Pro, things haven’t been much better. Obsidian patched in a fix recently, swapping out PSSR for TSR to smooth things out, but some scenes still flicker, and performance feels like a compromise.
From where I play, it’s clear that the ambition is huge, but the technical foundation still needs some work.
The Dialog, Depth Or Just Too Much Talking?
I went into Outer Worlds 2 expecting sharp writing and smart satire and yes, there’s a ton of voice lines, witty banter, and serious moments. But I feel that there is too much dialogue. Sometimes I was stuck in endless conversations that don’t change anything, that the “choice” is there, but the weight doesn’t always land.
I get it. On one hand, I love the lore-density and character moments. On the other, there are times when I just want to shoot something, not talk for an hour about someone’s feelings.
Pricing Backlash and the “Consumerism” Flaw
I still remember seeing the price hike announcement and then Obsidian later dropped it after a wave of backlash. The whole thing felt like a weird negotiation with us, the players.
To make things more… Obsidian, they gave players who bought the Premium Edition a “Consumerism” flaw, a cheeky in-game punishment for spending big. It lowers vendor prices but also reduces what you can sell items for. I’m torn, I love their sense of humour, but it’s also a reminder that buying the game wasn’t painless.
Stability Is Improving, But Not Fixed
Big props to Obsidian to be fair, they’ve already pushed Patch 1.0.4.1, which addresses a number of crash bugs and visual glitches. From where I’m standing, it feels more stable than launch week, but I still hit occasional hitching and UI oddities.
Performance tuning is possible (thanks to Obsidian’s own support advice), but not everyone will want to micromanage their settings just to play.
If you enjoyed this breakdown of The Outer Worlds 2 and its blend of chaos, ambition, and painfully human satire, you might also like my deep-dive into Atomic Heart: The Mad and Sublime Utopia.
So, how melty is it?
Launch Hype: 8/10
I came in believing Obsidian could do better than the first game. The scope, the reactivity, so much seemed promising.
Mid-Game Stutter: 8.5/10
Performance issues and stutter took me out of the experience more times than I’d like to admit.
Dialogue Fatigue: 9/10
Love the writing, but some conversations drag and it feels like I’m talking for the sake of talking.
Pricing Pressure – Peak Tension: 9.5/10
Premium Edition, “Consumerism” flaw, price cut, it’s a weird emotional tug-of-war between value and satire.
Total Melt Score: 8.6/10
The Outer Worlds 2 is bold, charming, and deeply Obsidian, but it’s not without its cracks. The vision is stunning, but the execution still stumbles under the weight of its own ambition.
I want to love The Outer Worlds 2. I want to believe this is Obsidian’s grand sci-fi comeback and in many ways, it is. But for now, I’m riding a wave of hope and cheering as they patch, tuning as I play, and watching closely to see if they can stick the landing this time.
