The Outer Worlds 2: Exclusive 11-Minute Gameplay Revealed - IGN First

Welcome to our latest IGN First, where we're diving deep into a month of exclusive coverage for April, all centered around The Outer Worlds 2. This month, we're giving you the very first look at its gameplay in real time, taking you through a thrilling quest where you infiltrate the N-Ray Facility. This quest showcases several of the game's new features and mechanics, as well as how it's rethinking level design. One of the standout aspects is how much deeper it's going to be as an RPG. Developer Obsidian is drawing inspiration from its past and even from immersive sims like Deus Ex and Dishonored, enhancing the RPG experience.

The DNA of first-person RPGs is evident in The Outer Worlds 2, but it's taken to a new level with more sophisticated systems compared to the first game. For instance, there's now a true stealth system with better tools to make this playstyle viable. You'll find effective melee weapons and skills for silent takedowns. A key feature is the health bar above enemy heads, which includes a purple-colored readout showing the potential damage of a stealth attack. This helps you decide whether you can achieve a one-hit kill or if it's worth engaging. Enemies will detect dead bodies and alert guards, but with a skill to disintegrate bodies, you can quickly clean up the scene.

The Outer Worlds 2 Gameplay - Screenshots

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Later in the quest, you acquire the N-Ray Scanner, a device that allows you to see certain objects and NPCs/enemies through walls. This tool is crucial for solving environmental puzzles and is invaluable for stealth and combat. The N-Ray Facility is filled with enemies who cloak themselves, making them invisible to the naked eye but detectable with the N-Ray Scanner. If you're not diligent about using it, these cloaked enemies can easily surprise you. This is just one example of how gadgets add new dimensions to the gameplay.

The game features several interlocking systems that enhance your ability to play, leaning more into the RPG elements that define specific character builds. Stealth and immersive sim sensibilities aren't the only areas where gameplay is expanding. Obsidian has focused on improving gunplay, citing Destiny as a benchmark for what good gunplay should feel like. While The Outer Worlds 2 isn't turning into an all-out shooter, it now plays more like a first-person game with firearms should.

You can see this in action when approaching the N-Ray Facility with guns blazing. Movement has been tweaked to complement gunplay, allowing for more nimble actions like sprint-sliding while aiming down sights. The return of Tactical Time Dilation (TTD) enhances the bullet-time fantasy, making it an effective part of your combat rotation. We also saw the inclusion of throwables, which, while not revolutionary, add another tool to your arsenal. You can even pull off impressive moves like tossing a grenade, activating TTD, and shooting the grenade midair to detonate it on unsuspecting enemies.

While there isn't much to share on the story front yet, we do see how conversations have been tweaked in the sequel. In the gameplay video, you confront an NPC named Exemplar Foxworth, who has survived a cultist takeover. She's bleeding out, and you can help her based on your Medical stat or respond according to your Guns or Melee stats. This part also introduces a new companion named Aza, a former cultist who joins you to help undo the damage they've caused.

Many of these elements were present in the original Outer Worlds in some form, but where that game laid a new foundation for Obsidian, The Outer Worlds 2 looks to be a fully realized version of what it was trying to achieve. I had the opportunity to discuss these new features and the vision behind the sequel with the team at Obsidian. They're keen on leveraging the RPG roots from the studio's past while exploring what a modern first-person RPG can be, often citing Fallout: New Vegas as a touchstone.

That's just a glimpse of what's to come in The Outer Worlds 2 and what we'll be covering in this month's IGN First. I'll be breaking down character builds, the new flaws system, all the wild and wacky weapons, and how much bigger this sequel is. Stay tuned for interviews with key figures like original Fallout developer and creative director Leonard Boyarsky, game director Brandon Adler, and design director Matt Singh. Keep checking back at IGN all April long for more exciting updates!