The Case for Romance in The Outer Worlds 2

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Made by Obsidian Entertainment, The Outer Worlds was a surprising, new action-adventure IP to come out of 2019. Developed by the same studio that made New Vegas, it feels very Fallout in many ways, taking similar designs of struggling citizens in violence-ridden towns to space, though it received more mixed reception for its combat and rigid animations. This could be due to the budget's size, which is smaller than many of the AAA IPs that it would be compared to. But due to its success, the budget of the sequel will likely be bigger.

Many fans enjoyed The Outer Worlds' smaller scope, not quite as vast and overwhelming as Bethesda's Skyrim and Fallout 4, making the number of quests and areas to explore feel more manageable. If The Outer Worlds 2 continues this trend, there are ways a better budget can influence the quality of the game without simply making the world bigger or the play hours longer. Instead, Obsidian should continue to focus on its strengths: the world it created, the story that surrounds the player, and the characters that populate its universe.

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Aside from occasionally being able to flirt with some of the stranger's crew members, there isn't any romance that can be had between the player and any characters, though they can embark on NPC-specific side quests. There are, however, some meaningful relationships in The Outer Worlds.

The player can profess their love to Parvati, who became a fan-favorite and is voiced by Aloy's Ashly Burch. Parvati is asexual, though she still develops feelings for people, including the Groundbreaker's Junlei Tennyson. Their blossoming romance sees Parvati working through personal anxieties surrounding