The Outer Worlds: 11 Gameplay Details You Need To Know

3. Companions Are A Huge Asset

The Outer Worlds
Private Division

Even though Obsidian are best known for single-player games, they don't really craft solo experiences. Across all their biggest titles, whether it was New Vegas, Knights of the Old Republic 2 or South Park: The Stick of Truth, the developers have always given players a myriad of different personalities to fight alongside.

This is also the case in The Outer Worlds, as our build was loaded up with two companion characters in tow. Talking to one unlocked a unique quest that fleshed out her backstory, and had you visiting the graves of her former comrades, with plenty of dialogue that established her backstory and personality.

Their proficiency in combat was immediately apparent as well, and the special ability each had - which could be fired by pressing either left or right on the D-pad - was essential for taking on tougher enemies and giving you a bit of a breather.

Even better, they didn't just feel like vessels for extra storage or damage, but actually part of the world itself. In one unrelated quest, I bumped into an NPC who actually knew someone in my party, kicking off a dynamic interaction that wouldn't have happened had I been there solo.

How many there'll be or how far these dynamic moments will extend into the game is unknown, but the companions already feel like a natural evolution of those in Fallout 4 and New Vegas.

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Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.