During an interview with PC Gamer at Summer Game Fest 2025, The Outer Worlds 2 game director Brandon Adler stated that this sequel will be more serious than the original.
“You’ll notice that there’s a little bit of a less silly, darker tone that comes out. That’s mainly because of Leonard [Boyarsky]. That’s his kind of vibe, and so he has more of a push on that stuff. And so I think even the overall story feels a little bit like a darker take on what’s going on there.”
Boyarsky and Tim Cain were Fallout designers who went on to be co-creative directors for the original Outer Worlds. Cain has since stepped back from game development, so Boyarsky’s darker vision has come forward.
Honestly, I couldn’t be happier with this darker shift.
I’m seriously excited for this darker turn
While the first Outer Worlds game provided a good mixture of comedy and action, the offbeat humor was sometimes a bit distracting and didn’t quite hit the mark.
Worst of all, it sometimes pulled me out of the gravity of certain situations.
Obviously, dark humor can be really important for fleshing out a gritty world, as has often been masterfully done with the Fallout series.
As such, I am hoping to see some delightfully macabre moments in The Outer Worlds 2, but an overall more serious approach could help make those strategically placed scenes stand out more without distracting from the story.
My colleague Brendan Lowry previously wrote up the 7 things you need to know from the Outer Worlds 2 Direct, and in it, he focused on the game’s factions, companions, and the amount of freedom you get to have during your adventure.
These three things are key to the game’s darker plot.
The three factions vying for power over the new colony world known as Arcadia are anything but benevolent (Source: Blizzard.com). They all have questionable practices that you will have to deal with at some point or other.
- The Protectorate: A well-funded military regime where order is peace and obedience is comfort. People are happiest when they don’t have to think—just ask any loyal citizen.
- Auntie’s Choice: The cheery merger of Auntie Cleo’s and Spacer’s Choice. They sell freedom, fulfillment, and just enough options to feel like you had one.
- The Order of the Ascendant: Rogue scientists turned faith-driven futurists. They predict the future through math and perform rituals in lab coats—all for a better tomorrow.
Another thing that has stood out to me is that the five companions seem to be a bit more sinister than the companions in the first game.
For instance, Aza is a cultist who is “obsessed with violence.” You can either help dissuade her or encourage her passion.
Then there’s Marisol, an assassin with unfinished business, likely of the murdering kind.
Even Tristan, the most Paladin-like companion, feels more like an arbiter of vengeance rather than the cool hand of justice.
I’m hoping the game really does give us the freedom to either sway these characters from their courses, and also allow us to take part in their draconian desires.
This kind of companion depth was one of the things that really drew me into Baldur’s Gate 3.
Having a more somber story with fewer distracting zany moments in The Outer Worlds 2 can help create a more impactful story that fits in with the game’s characters and their backgrounds.
Plenty of exciting new things to look forward to
I can’t wait until October when I’ll be able to play The Outer Worlds 2. It’s seriously shaping up to be an exciting adventure with plenty of differences from the original game.
A more serious take could also prove very beneficial to the overall plot. Of course, I’d love to see some funny moments, but there’s a difference between dark humor and distracting silliness.
The Outer Worlds 2 releases on October 29, 2025 for Windows PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. It will also be available day one with Xbox Game Pass.