The Outer Worlds is one of those RPG games that sticks with you long after you’ve completed it. As you explore a space colony, you pave your own path and shape how the science-fiction story unfolds. Tim Cain, the brilliant mind behind Fallout, recently sat down to talk about game settings and what goes into making a particularly good one. While sharing his insight, the former Obsidian developer also discussed The Outer Worlds, describing what the game had originally been pitched as and how it was initially designed as a casual experience.
Tim Cain describes himself as a video game developer who is “mostly known for creating Fallout” on YouTube, where he regularly shares stories about game design, pitching, programming, and many other components of his career in the gaming industry. In a recent video about worldbuilding, the former Obsidian dev talks about The Outer Worlds and how the space game was originally pitched as a casual experience, a sort of “Fallout meets Firefly.”
If you don’t recognize the name, Firefly was a short but beloved 2002 sci-fi Western television series following a group of outlaws, and its humor was similar enough to that of The Outer Worlds’ own. With unique and quirky characters to be found all around, as well as funny tidbits of dialogue, it’s no surprise that the game was inspired by the old TV show. It isn’t hard to see Fallout shining through in The Outer Worlds, either, from the decision-driven gameplay and first-person fun to the combat.
While The Outer Worlds was meant to play as a more casual experience, Cain makes clear that this does not mean it should be taken as an “easy” game. He compares it to the natural world, saying, “The view from a mountaintop is just as gorgeous whether you climbed up that mountain, or drove up in a car.” In other words, the story is key in The Outer Worlds, and it is complex. The gameplay itself does not need to be strict or punishing for the strong narrative design to come through.
The Outer Worlds was meant to be an experience driven heavily by its plot, while still keeping many of the features and qualities fans of Obsidian’s previous games had come to expect. I can definitely see how the game retains core elements from games like Fallout while also coming in as an entry with a fresh, space-inspired story.
If you have yet to play The Outer Worlds, be sure to grab it while it’s discounted during the Steam Summer Sale deals. You should also browse through The Outer Worlds system requirements before diving into the game so you know whether or not your PC can handle the sci-fi adventure.