The original The Outer Worlds had its cards stacked against it before it was even released. Even though it had its flaws, in more ways than one, it was always going to be compared with similar games Obsidian had made before. Unfortunately for The Outer Worlds, that happened to be one of the greatest RPGs of all time, Fallout: New Vegas.
While the first game in Obsidian’s more modern take on the action RPG paled in comparison to what came before, The Outer Worlds 2 promised to deliver on the promise of the first game’s proof of concept. It’s bigger, deeper, and better than the original, but does it surpass Obsidian’s best? Welcome to our The Outer Worlds 2 vs Fallout: New Vegas comparison.
The Escapist recaps
- The Outer Worlds 2 follows up the 2019 original with a bigger, better, and richer experience, getting Obsidian closer to its post-apocalyptic masterpiece than ever before.
- Both games have factions and companions, and allow you the freedom to impact your adventure with meaningful choices.
- The Outer Worlds 2 has vastly improved the original’s unsatisfying combat with more guns, a rewarding mod system, and abilities like double jumping and sliding.
- Both games force you to specialise and find creative ways to complete objectives, offering fruitful potential for replays.
Story, companions, and factions
The Outer Worlds 2
The Outer Worlds 2 is set in an alternate future, where the galaxy is in the throes of hyper-capitalism. Here, you’re a commander tasked with investigating rifts in space, cutting colonies off from Earth. Things, predictably, go awry.
Your quest is slow at first, but it lets Obsidian introduce the various factions battling for supremacy in the colony of Arcadia, with whom you mostly have the freedom to upset and delight as you please. Crucially, your choices feel meaningful.
The Outer Worlds 2’s companions represent each of the game’s factions, which helpfully keeps you engaged in the competing politics of the colony. Each has loyalty missions à la Mass Effect 2, too, which can change their individual toolsets.
Fallout New Vegas
While the story is more ambitious in The Outer Worlds 2 compared to the original, it still falls short of Obsidian’s best. Set over 200 years after the devastating nuclear war between the US and China, Fallout: New Vegas puts you in the role of a courier in the Mojave Wasteland, and you’re quickly put in the middle of, you guessed it, several factions vying for control.
The story, writing, and freedom you have within that is a key reason why New Vegas is so fondly remembered. The desert may seem empty at first, but the more you can explore the Mojave, the more you’ll see the cohesiveness of the world and its factions, and a depth that The Outer Worlds 2 can’t match. The better writing also extends to the game’s more memorable companions, so when we consider that and the story overall in The Outer Worlds 2 vs Fallout: New Vegas, New Vegas wins.
Combat and perks
The Outer Worlds 2
Combat is where Obsidian goes up a gear from Fallout: New Vegas to The Outer Worlds 2, with sliding and double-jumping making movement much more satisfying as you exchange gunfire. The guns list is much larger, along with craftable mods to take them and your armour to the next level. Tactical Time Dilation — a time-slowing mechanic in the mould of Fallout’s V.A.T.S — is just one gadget you can wield.
Naturally, there aren’t just perks for guns and armour: there are far more skills and perks than can ever be maxed out in one playthrough. Something we loved in our The Outer Worlds 2 review was that Obsidian forces us to specialise and find creative ways to complete objectives.
Even more compelling is the return of the Flaws system. Here, the game responds to your playstyle by suggesting character modifications with boons and drawbacks to make your character even more your own. For example, Kleptomania doubles the price you can sell stolen items at vendors, but you also get in trouble when you steal things uncontrollably.
Fallout: New Vegas
Combat is one of the weaker parts of Fallout: New Vegas, despite how well it integrates with the game’s RPG mechanics. New Vegas did add Aim Down Sights to the Fallout formula, but enemies are often spongey, and fights can feel a bit lifeless and slow without a sprint function (which can be added with the best Fallout: New Vegas mods).
In terms of character customisation, the perks and skills system from New Vegas clearly inspired The Outer Worlds 2. But while it also encourages specialisation and embracing your weaknesses, The Outer Worlds 2 wins out with over 100 interesting perks and its dynamic Flaws system.
Final thoughts
When we compare Fallout: New Vegas vs The Outer Worlds 2, Obsidian’s 2010 classic still reigns superior. It lacks the combat and movement flourishes of its modern counterpart, but its freedom and size don’t detract from its depth and narrative cohesion, unlike in The Outer Worlds 2.
You can also pick the game and all its DLC up often for less than £10/$10, and that’s before the game gets even more versatile with mods. That said, you may prefer the reactivity of the Flaws system or the better graphics and quality-of-life features of The Outer Worlds 2.
Either way, if you love choice-based RPGs with a darkly comic tone, you can’t go wrong with Fallout: New Vegas or The Outer Worlds 2.
Ask The Escapist
The Outer Worlds 2 is a self-contained story, and you don’t have to play the original to enjoy it. While The Outer Worlds was short and more limited, it’s still worth playing.
The way The Outer Worlds 2 responds to your playstyle and helps you specialise with inventive Flaws is the game at its most reactive and organic. Its combat is also much stronger than Fallout: New Vegas’.
That was the promise of The Outer Worlds when it launched in 2019: New Vegas in space. The original didn’t hit those heady heights, but the sequel gets much closer.
Rex is a dog, so no. Obviously.
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