The Outer Worlds: Writing the Characters & Companions – Noclip Documentary

A few days back, we had an opportunity to check out Noclip’s documentary focused on Obsidian Entertainment’s sci-fi RPG The Outer Worlds and its journey from an early concept to release. And now, we can watch the second part of that particular documentary series, this time around covering the game’s writing, quests and companions. Have a look:

And then, if you’re up for some light reading, you might be interested in this double feature from PC Gamer (part 1, part 2) that for some reason turns The Outer Worlds into a short story of sorts. A couple of paragraphs to get you started:

Hi, I’m Jeff Asbestos. Not so long ago I was like you: a plucky young go-getter, brimming with moxie, looking for the right corporate environment in which to make a difference. But I was adrift. That’s not a metaphor—many influential management texts endorse plain speaking, so it’s important you know I was literally adrift in an unpowered spaceship. For nearly 70 years I unconsciously orbited a planet far from Earth, one of thousands of hopeful workers seeking employment in Halcyon, a colony owned and operated by distinguished corporations.

The spaceship had broken down during the final leg of its journey, and recovery would have compromised the financial stability of the Halcyon Holdings Corporation Board. In truth I’m grateful for my time in stasis, because on the day I was finally unfrozen it left me with one certainty: heroes make sacrifices to protect the bottom line.

I land on Terra-2 as a company man in search of a company. As luck would have it the first person I happen across is an employee of a major corp. “You’ve tried the best,” he gasps, clasping his side, “Now try the rest. Spacer’s Choice.” He says his name is Pelham, and that his company weapon has backfired through his side—though I note with approval his armour is mostly intact. His employer likely saved his life.