Obsidian’s Biggest Lessons From The Outer Worlds

With the highly anticipated release of The Outer Worlds 2 approaching this October, Obsidian Entertainment is gearing up to deliver a sequel that expands significantly on the foundation of its predecessor. The development team has openly shared the crucial insights gained from the first game, focusing directly on fan feedback and their own creative ambitions to shape a more immersive and expansive role-playing experience.

From the very beginning, even before the original game launched, Obsidian understood that any future sequel would need to scale up dramatically. Director Brandon Adler noted that player enthusiasm for the universe and its characters naturally fueled the desire for a follow-up. Through user research and community discussions, the consistent request was clear: fans wanted larger explorable zones, more content, and a longer overall gameplay experience. These player-driven desires became primary development targets for the team as they planned the sequel.

Adler elaborated that Obsidian had already compiled an extensive list of features they hoped to implement in a second installment. A major priority was enhancing the game’s reactivity to player choices, character builds, and role-playing decisions. He emphasized the importance of not only detailed character creation but also deep, meaningful progression systems. This includes perks, flaws, and other customizable elements that allow players to discover unique combinations and fully embody their characters. The goal is for the entire game world to respond dynamically to the player’s stats, skills, equipment, and discoveries, creating a deeply personalized adventure.

Creative director Leonard Boyarsky reflected on the creative constraints faced during the development of the first game. Technical and scope limitations at the time prevented the team from incorporating consequential decisions that could alter significant portions of the story. Recognizing these limitations, the developers were determined that a sequel would return to Obsidian’s roots by offering a much larger game with far deeper RPG mechanics. They entered development with a clear vision of the features they had been unable to include previously, making the initial planning stages for the sequel remarkably straightforward.

Both Adler and Boyarsky agreed that creating a sequel presented distinct advantages. With the universe, tone, and core gameplay already established, the team could bypass much of the initial prototyping and foundational work. This allowed them to dedicate more time and resources to refining and expanding upon existing systems, focusing on bridging the gap between the first game’s reality and their ultimate vision for the series. The established lore also meant they could reference the original game directly, rather than relying on external comparisons to explain the world.

When reflecting on the reception of the first game, Boyarsky expressed initial concerns about its smaller scale compared to other titles in Obsidian’s portfolio. He was hopeful that the game’s polished execution, strong writing, and memorable characters, hallmarks of the studio, would resonate with players. While some fans noted the game’s shorter length or reduced complexity, the overwhelming positive response to its narrative and world-building was deeply encouraging. Adler, though not part of the original team, shared a common developer sentiment of pre-release pessimism, which was quickly alleviated by the community’s warm reception, reaffirming the team’s confidence in their ability to create compelling games.

As players prepare to explore the new worlds and stories in the upcoming sequel, it’s clear that Obsidian has listened intently to its community and learned from its own experiences. The drive to create a richer, more reactive, and vastly larger RPG stands as the central lesson carried forward from The Outer Worlds to its successor.

(Source: Game Informer)