In The Outer Worlds, you awake from hibernation after drifting in space for seventy years on a lost colonist ship, the Hope. Here at the edge of the galaxy, corporations control all aspects of life in Halcyon, and they are hiding a dark secret that could destroy the colony. As you explore multiple, distinct locations in the game’s vibrant world, you will encounter various factions, and meet a host of multi-faceted characters who may offer assistance in your missions. But choose carefully, as the actions and choices you make will determine how this player-driven story unfolds. Your choices affect not only the game’s narrative, but your character progression, companion stories, and different endgame scenarios.

“When we set out to create a new RPG universe for players to explore, meaningful player choice was at the core of everything we wanted to build,” said Tim Cain, co-game director at Obsidian. “The Outer Worlds is our love letter to fans who want to role play as any character they’d like, whether it’s a hero, a villain, or even Leonard Boyarsky.”

In addition to fluidity in conversation, there are multiple ways to handle combat in The Outer Worlds. Players can augment their stealth skills and don a holographic disguise and slip unnoticed past watchful guards; enhance one’s engineering skills and take control of security systems to distract the enemy; or players can take a direct approach with head-on combat, and wield melee weapons, a host of firearms, or a variety of sci-fi weapons including the Shrink Ray, all to dominate the opposition.

“Player choice in The Outer Worlds extends beyond the decisions players will make narratively, it applies to how players approach the gameplay as well,” said Leonard Boyarsky, co-game director at Obsidian. “It was important for us to create an experience where players can not only enjoy shooting their way through the game with a bunch of crazy science weapons, but also have an equally enjoyable experience if they opt to avoid combat by focusing on dialogue or stealth. No matter what your play style, even if it’s ridiculous as how Tim Cain plays, there’s a great way to experience The Outer Worlds.”

Players will meet a variety of companions throughout the Halcyon colony, each of them with their own storyline and unique skills to aid the player in combat, and boost stats during conversations to unlock new dialogue options. These companions open new paths in a multitude of ways to play The Outer Worlds.