Latest news with #OuterWorlds2
Express Tribune
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
The Outer Worlds 2 hits $80, Brandon Adler says we don't set the prices
The release of The Outer Worlds 2 is set to make waves with a price tag of $80, marking it as the first Xbox-published game to carry such a hefty price point. However, in an interview at the Summer Game Fest, Obsidian Entertainment's director, Brandon Adler, was quick to clarify that the developers had no say in the pricing decision. 'The price is set by the platform holders,' Adler said, referring to Xbox, which recently confirmed that several first-party games will carry the same price from this holiday season onward. The Outer Worlds 2, set to launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on October 29, is the first example of this price shift. 'I wish everybody could play my game,' Adler continued, acknowledging the challenges the higher price could pose to some fans. 'But for the reasons behind the $79.99 price point, you'd have to talk to the Xbox folks,' he said, carefully deflecting any personal opinions on the matter. This price hike follows a trend seen with other major titles, such as Nintendo's Mario Kart World for the Switch 2, which debuted at the same price earlier this year. With the rising costs of AAA game production, discussions surrounding $80 games have intensified, especially as other publishers like Sony and Nintendo have implemented similar pricing structures. While the high cost of games may continue to be a point of contention, it's clear that the industry is evolving in response to production costs and market trends. Fans of the video game franchise have been voicing their criticisms online. The Outer World 2 trailer being sarcastic about "Capitalism" and whatnot just to launch with the $80 price tag... — Vboy (@The_Vboy) June 8, 2025 "Oh, it's Inflation raising game prices." Yeah, no. Expedition 33 is $50 and was released like 8 weeks ago. It's one of the greatest games I've ever played. And it cost $50 bucks. $80 for Mario Kart and Outer Worlds 2 is PURE GREED. — Fake Wizard (@RealLifeFakeWiz) June 9, 2025 PSA: Do Not buy The Outer Worlds 2 for $80. Instead get it on Game Pass, as it will be on that service at launch. This Xbox $10 price increase feels REALLY bad, especially on games like this. — Joe Vargas (@AngryJoeShow) June 9, 2025 As someone who is insanely hyped for The Outer Worlds 2, $80 is a scam. No, " just get Game Pass" is not a valid counter. I do not want my access to games locked behind a subscription, which keeps getting more expensive. Shame on @Xbox for hurting the hype of this for greed. — 🅁🄴🅃🅁🄾 🏳️🌈🇺🇦 (@totallynotretro) June 9, 2025 Whether The Outer Worlds 2 will become the new norm remains to be seen, but fans of the RPG are already gearing up for its launch, eager to explore the absurd perks that Adler and his team have packed into the new title. The conversation around pricing is set to continue as other upcoming titles, like Borderlands 4, spark heated debates among fans and developers alike. Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford, for instance, has faced backlash after suggesting that true fans would find a way to afford the higher price tag. As the industry moves forward, how players and developers navigate these changes will likely shape the future of gaming. In the meantime, The Outer Worlds 2 promises an eccentric journey through its RPG universe, with the game's quirky features already catching the attention of many. The launch in October will no doubt spark further discussions, not only about its pricing but also about its place in the ever-expanding world of AAA gaming.
Digital Trends
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
The Outer Worlds 2 already feels lightyears ahead of its predecessor
I'll let you in on a dirty little secret that I've kept quiet for years: I'm not all that big on The Outer Worlds. Despite the fact that Obsidian's Fallout-esque sci-fi RPG was a critical darling in 2019, I struggled to get into a groove with it despite liking so many of its individual parts. The social satire was there, and I loved the companions, but so much of its gameplay left me feeling cold. Maybe it was just the bland combat that put me off, or that the movement felt stiff, but I never saw it through to the end and figured I'd likely skip its eventual sequel. Now after actually playing a slice of The Outer Worlds 2 following last week's Xbox Games Showcase, I'm singing a very different tune. Obsidian has seemingly been listening in on my internal monologue, because the major problems I had first game have seemingly been addressed here. The demo I played teased a huge leap forward for an RPG with great bones, reinventing the basic feel while still delivering what Obsidian does best. Recommended Videos Two paths My demo threw me into a mission a good way through the base game. My objective was simple: steal a weapon that can manipulate rifts from a heavily guarded area. Obsidian set me up with three different save files, all starting at the same point but with three very different stat builds. I could either load in as a combat, speech, or stealth-focused character. With only 40 minutes or so to play, I decided to see if I could squeeze two runs into one session. I decided to start with the combat build and go in guns blazing to see if my main complaints from the first game had been addressed. After a failed attempt to sneak through the building, I looked to the arsenal of weapons equipped on my character. Within seconds of pulling the trigger on a machine gun, I could instantly tell that Obsidian had totally revamped its entire approach to combat. Guns have significantly more weight and power now, and each feels entirely different from one another. Shooting feels more inspired by the Halo school of thought this time, with unmistakable guns that you can identify by feel. Some of those guns are delightfully over the top, too. In my combat save file, I had access to some sort of goop gun that would soak enemies in a weakening gunk. My second playthrough would give me access to a totally different set of weapons, including an elemental shotgun that packed a tremendous punch. Some of those specialized weapons take me back to Avowed, another Obsidian RPG that excels at giving players tools with satisfying perks. The new weapons combine with tools like throwable grenades and decoys to create much deeper action. A guns blazing character build is way more viable as a result. I got the rift gun and extracted with it in nearly 15 minutes, making mincemeat out of an entire complex full of guards. Just in that first attempt, I notice that The Outer Worlds 2 feels much less stiff than its predecessor all around. It's not just the more distinct guns, but even just the basic movement. My character feels much more agile, as they are able to slide, double jump, and parkour around the building with ease. That change creates a lot of flexibility for those who want to play the sequel more like an action game and less like an RPG. I wanted to test just how far that spectrum goes, so I loaded up the speech build for my second attempt. Rather than sneaking through guarded rooms right away, I peeled off into a space I hadn't explored the first time. There, I found a researcher who I deceived into thinking I was some kind of employee performing a security test on her. After gaining her trust, she tells me both where to find the rift gun and also a keycard. In return for the information, she asks me to help her clear her name, as she's been blamed for a lab accident that wasn't her fault. I agree and sneak my way back towards the room with the rift modifier. Using it on rifts opens up some new paths that I can platform up, and that will open up new places to explore in the world outside the facility, according to Obsidian. With my prize in hand, I continue to take things slow. I explore some rooms I'd passed by before, sneaking into vents and eventually finding the keycard. True to my word, I get back to the researcher using a path I had completely missed the first time. She takes me into a side room and asks me to use the tool on a rift, revealing a sort of hologram of the accident she was accused of causing. I go into detective mode, looking for clues that can clear her name. It's like I'm playing a completely different mission from my first attempt. It's twice as long and shows me that there's way more to the mission space than I initially thought. And I still didn't see it all either. As I'm exploring, I discover some jammed doors that I would have been able to pry open with the right stats. I get the sense that there are even more ways to get through it all, almost making me feel like I'm in an immersive sim. That's only the tiniest slice of what The Outer Worlds 2 offers. I didn't step foot outside, barely met my new robotic companions, and didn't get to build my own character out. The long-term character building is what really entices me. After the demo, developers from Obsidian told me about the sequel's reactive new perk system that bends around a player's habits. For instance, they explained that a player who habitually reloads their gun before its clip is empty may give their character an Overprepared trait. That will give players a larger magazine on all weapons but will also curse them with a debuff anytime they empty their clip. Companions will be similarly reactive to player habits, as Obsidian says that making decisions that a character disagrees with may cause them to leave the party. All of this has my ears perked. The first game always felt too machine-like to me. I could see all of the video game nuts and bolts holding it together which created too many mechanical limitations. The world feels wide open this time, ready for me to guide the simulation rather than follow its rigid path. All of that has me eager to start from scratch and see exactly how The Outer Worlds 2 will flex to fit my choices. Whether I fancy myself a gunslinger or a smooth talker, I reckon I'll get what I want from the series this time around. The Outer Worlds 2 launches on October 29 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
CNET
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
As Xbox Game Prices Rise, a Game Pass Subscription Looks Better Than Ever
Microsoft's $80 games are no longer just a looming threat -- The Outer Worlds 2 is the first Xbox title to carry the hefty price tag, launching this October. The Outer Worlds 2's price reveal comes shortly after the release of Mario Kart World, which is Nintendo's first $80 game. These price hikes will hit gamers' wallets and likely make players more selective about trying games they're unsure of. Only time will tell whether Microsoft can move the same number of units at a higher price -- The Outer Worlds 2 is certainly no Grand Theft Auto 6 -- but the company's strategy may not rely on selling more copies at all. Xbox's first-party games are often included on Game Pass at launch, and The Outer Worlds 2 is no exception. If $80 games become the new normal for the Xbox brand, then the $10 per month subscription service suddenly looks much more attractive by comparison. With a slew of games from the Xbox Showcase arriving on Game Pass on day one, this could be a gambit to convert more gamers into subscribers. Microsoft/CNET Microsoft's Game Pass strategy As previously Xbox-exclusive games continue to go live across multiple platforms -- launching on PlayStation as well as PC -- Microsoft is deprioritizing its console hardware sales in favor of delivering premium gaming experiences. Still, the company has an ecosystem of users to maintain and it would still be a poor move to cede every advantage to Sony. Game Pass is Microsoft's great equalizer, because you can't access the subscription service on PlayStation consoles (and picking up PC subscribers is tapping into an entirely different part of the market). PlayStation gamers who want to play the latest Xbox first-party titles will have to cough up $80 -- a kind of exclusivity-lite for those outside Microsoft's ecosystem. Creating Game Pass subscribers provides Microsoft with a steady stream of gaming revenue, though, and Xbox and PC gamers who are put off by increasing AAA game prices are going to be funnelled toward the digital gaming service. This is a great deal for gamers, too -- one of the best value propositions on the market right now. The core Game Pass subscription costs $120 for 12 months (or $144 for PC Game Pass), which means you're still getting a good deal if you only enjoy two of the Xbox titles that launch on the platform each year. Microsoft's showcase just revealed nearly two dozen games that are coming to Game Pass over the next year and a half, so odds are good that you'll be able to find at least a small handful of $80 games you enjoy playing that you'd have never pulled the trigger on buying otherwise. In addition to the AAA games landing on Game Pass, the subscription service houses some of the most critically acclaimed indie darlings of all time, including Celeste, Dead Cells, Stardew Valley and more. These aren't your $80 juggernauts, but they pad out the service's impressive library (and inflict massive choice paralysis in the process). Game Pass was already one of the best deals in gaming. The rise of $80 games will simply make the service even more enticing.
CNET
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
Xbox Games Showcase: The Outer Worlds 2 Is Taking Cues From Fallout: New Vegas
Obsidian Entertainment's particular flavor of sci-fi corporate dystopia returns in The Outer Worlds 2, and we got an in-depth look at its latest first-person shooter RPG during a special feature segment at the end of the Xbox Games Showcase 2025. The Outer Worlds 2 is a much bigger game than its predecessor, even though it's limited to only one planet (the first Outer Worlds had two planets and a handful of smaller asteroid and space station locations). Obsidian is redoubling its commitment to a prestige RPG experience and borrowing the best parts of its signature hit game, Fallout: New Vegas, to do so. Outer Worlds 2's planet Arcadia is a dangerous place, with landscapes and propaganda inspired by World War I-era battlefields. It'll take all of your wits (and a proper build and loadout) to survive as you step into a war between megacorporate giants on the frontier world. Here's what you have to look forward to when The Outer Worlds 2 comes out on Oct. 29. Players will be able to augment their build in ways that completely change how they approach quests throughout the game. Obsidian Entertainment/Screenshot by CNET Classic Obsidian RPG elements are returning in a big way The Outer Worlds encourages players to put skill points into certain forms of combat and skills, but the sequel is leaning hard into specializing your character build. This time around, your character is an agent for the Earth Directorate, who's stepping into the middle of a war on Arcadia as the de facto "good guy." But there are three big choices you make when creating your character that will completely change the way you play the game. Even though you're a law enforcer, you get to choose your character's background, which will change some of your approaches to problem-solving throughout the game. You can be a by-the-books officer, a bad cop or a lazy louse a la Disco Elysium. You'll also get a chance to choose positive and negative traits that will change your dialogue options and give you passive buffs and debuffs that affect your build. Finally, you assign your skill points. The skill tree in The Outer Worlds 2 has been condensed down into fewer options from the first game, but each skill point you spend is more impactful. This is a system that Obsidian Entertainment has completely "borrowed" from Fallout: New Vegas, so it will be very familiar for fans of that particular ARPG. Your buildcrafting doesn't end when you leave the character creation screen. Some of the wackiest skills in the game are character flaws that get offered to you based on your gameplay style. If you're crouching around often, you'll get a permanent movement speed buff, but your bad knees will crack when you stand back up, alerting nearby enemies. If you can't help but steal from vendors, you'll get bonus cash when you fence your items, but your character will occasionally automatically loot whatever item you hover over. These flaws might make you develop cataracts, gain debuffs for firing off an entire magazine without reloading and more, and they're just one example of how your build and roleplaying experience will evolve throughout the game. One of the friendly faces you meet is a victim of experimentation with animal limbs. Godrick the Grafted sends his regards. Obsidian Entertainment/Screenshot by CNET New planet, pals and corporate propaganda While the original Outer Worlds game took place across several confined vignettes in the Halcyon star system, Outer Worlds 2 focuses on a single planet embroiled in a three-way conflict between the authoritarian Protectorate, the altruistic Order and the ruthless Auntie Cleo's corporation. While Auntie Cleo's has a firm grasp on Arcadia, dangerous fractures in space called the warp are threatening the corporation's bottom line. All three factions want to solve the warp for their own selfish reasons, but they won't work together to do so. Instead, they're vying for the player's support in order to win the power struggle. You won't just be dealing with faceless factions as you gallivant across Arcadia. Six new companions are scattered throughout the world, each outfitted with special gear, skills and character questlines. One of my favorite parts of the showcase was the Judge Dredd-like companion Tristan. Players can encourage his extrajudicial brand of justice or curb his murder-y machinations. It might be worth it to find an alternative way across the bridge just to avoid dealing with these guys. Obsidian Entertainment/Screenshot by CNET Different approaches to solving problems If you aren't looking to shoot your way out of every situation, you won't have to. Obsidian is committed to allowing you to shoot, stealth and talk your way out of problems throughout the game. And in certain scenarios, you may even figure out more unorthodox ways to complete the task at hand. The Outer Worlds showcase used an example from early in the game, where players will have to cross a bridge under the Protectorate's jurisdiction. They have a raptor problem, and no one is allowed to pass by until it's dealt with. The most straightforward way to gain access to the bridge is to help the soldiers wipe out the raptors, but there are clever (and unethical) solutions as well. Players can just as easily find hoverboots to fly over the chasm, circumventing the need for the bridge entirely. The most evil and self-serving players can toss their new companion down to the raptors and let them get torn to shreds, creating a distraction that lets them avoid the danger themselves. If you use your brain and engage with your character build, you'll always be able to find a way to progress. It's another key takeaway from the Fallout: New Vegas design philosophy. Guns have a bit more character to them this time around, with special reload animations and tuned-up sound design. Obsidian Entertainment/Screenshot by CNET First-person shooting isn't taking a backseat Obsidian games generally focus on the RPG elements first and foremost. The gunplay isn't an afterthought, but it isn't usually anything to write home about. In The Outer Worlds 2, guns are getting mechanical and vibes-based upgrades that will help the moment-to-moment gameplay feel a lot more responsive and exciting. Aiming down sights is now a smoother experience, allowing players to more reliably take crack shots at enemies down range. And new animations for weapon swapping, reloading and other gun interactions will help improve arsenal management. Weapon recoil has been mitigated to make more guns feel like satisfying bullet hoses, and the sound design has been retuned so that more weapons sound crunchy and impactful. There are also far more weapons to choose from in The Outer Worlds 2, including the introduction of throwables like frag grenades and noisemakers to help flush enemies out of cover. Returning science weapons are getting buffs to bring them in-line with the roster of new gadgets and guns. Obsidian Entertainment/Screenshot by CNET A wacky array of weaponry There are conventional weapons, laser rifles and explosive launchers in The Outer Worlds 2, and lots of them. But players are really going to want to hunt down the special science weapons that have unique firing modes and effects. Some science weapons are returning from the first game with buffs that make them even more viable, such as the Shrink Ray, which no longer wears off on enemies (and you can walk over and squish them like bugs this time around). Other science weapons are totally new treats that you can add to your arsenal. There is a tumor gun that fires exploding pustules, a gun that shoots arms that latch onto and maul enemies, a legally distinct BFG that shreds foes with warp energy and a sword that does more damage when you strike enemies to its beat. Science armors are making their debut as well. We saw one nasty fleshy bodysuit in the showcase, which will lash out at nearby enemies in the midst of combat. The Outer Worlds 2's new third-person camera mode will let you see these armor pieces in all their glory for the first time ever. The Outer Worlds 2 will be released on Oct. 29 for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and PC.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Outer Worlds 2 Is Xbox's First $80 Video Game
Today's Xbox Summer Game Fest showcase was a solid hour of big and small announcements, including a new Call of Duty trailer and the reveal of Xbox's handheld PC device. But it also brought us our first $80 Xbox game. The Outer Worlds 2, Obsidian's next big open-world RPG following this year's excellent Avowed, kicked off Xbox's showcase with a new trailer. And after the event, Xbox and Obsidian showed off even more of the upcoming space RPG sequel. It also opened up pre-orders, and that's when people discovered that Outer Worlds 2 is $80. While reactions to this news were mostly negative, it isn't surprising. We knew Xbox was going to start charging $80 for games this year, as the company confirmed this was the plan in May. It announced last month that it was raising prices on all hardware and accessories, too. And it confirmed that by the holidays, some of its new first-party games will see a price jump from $70 to $80. Unfortunately for Outer Worlds 2 and developers Obsidian, the upcoming RPG is the first Xbox game to be priced at $80. When Microsoft announced its plans to raise prices on games and consoles, it didn't specify why. But it's not hard to connect the dots. Xbox is raising prices due to President Trump's ongoing tariff waragainst other countries. While it is true that prices for Xbox consoles and accessories are increasing all around the world, the difference is far greater in the U.S. Of course, Xbox isn't the first video game company to charge $80 for a video game. Nintendo famously broke the internet when it announced that Mario Kart World on Switch 2 was going to be priced at $80. And I'd bet my next lunch that GTA 6 will cost at least $80 when it arrives in May 2026. It wasn't that long ago that people were getting used to $70 games. And now that Xbox has finally made the leap, it's only a matter of time until other companies start charging $80 as one of the most expensive hobbies around, gets even more costly. . For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
