The Outer Worlds: Peril On Gorgon DLC was an unexpected but welcome addition to a game that shook up the RPG ranks in late 2019. Many gamers wanted to see more content that addressed questions in the base game. Instead, what they've got here is a fresh adventure with new NPCs, a new world to explore, and a new perspective on actions the character had likely taken during prior playthroughs.
The jaunt through Gorgon will undoubtedly make for a pleasant day of gaming for people all over the world who love this game, but there are layers to this DLC that are only appreciated through a deeper dive and a careful eye.
10 Poetry And Pen Names
During the game, the player will receive a quest called "Love is the Plan the Plan is Death." This is a direct reference to a short story by poet and writer James Tiptree Jr.
Much like how the protagonist assumes the identity of Alex Hawthorne in The Outer Worlds, James Tiptree Jr. is a role being played by someone else. From 1967 until 1977, the world thought they were reading the musing of a male author until one decade later, it was discovered that Tiptree was actually a pen name used by female author Alice B. Sheldon.
9 The Letdown Of The Babbage Legacy
Captain Bowen Babbage is notable in the game for being unable to distinguish between a llama and an alpaca. Much like the senseless NPCs in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, he stubbornly refuses to admit that such a difference even exists.
This "Babbage" apple fell really far from the tree. His name could be derived from polymath and inventor Charles Babbage, a scientist noted for his contributions in the fields of both philosophy and mechanical engineering.
8 Embrace The Vibe
To a multitude of gamers, the style feels familiar but they never quite put a finger on it. The Captain of the Unreliable is a detective in a video game, which is itself a certain type of genre. Plus, the music, shading, atmosphere, and pace also help set this dark and mysterious tone.
The term players are looking for is "pulp noir." Carrie Patel, Game Director at Obsidian Entertainment, said, "We wanted to dig into pulp noir to explore the seedier side of Halcyon's corporations." Like the style of Sin City, Peril On Gorgon dives headfirst into the ominous and urban influences behind this secret Spacer's Choice project.
7 Upgraded Weapons
Many players were disappointed to find that this first DLC did not add many new weapon designs to the game. While this is true, there is video after video of these same gamers struggling to fight through the difficult new content. Maybe they should double-check as to why the difficulty went from pedestrian to Frostpunk in the blink of an eye.
These weapons look the same, but they are not the same. If the old arsenal was of the Mk 2 variety, look carefully and see that the new arsenal looks identical, but gives the gamer access to Mk 3 level gear.
6 Not Just A Pretty Picture
Despite the scarcity of new standard weapons, there are actually three brand-new science weapons introduced into the game. One of them, the P.E.T. (Pest Extermination Tool) probably looks familiar if the gamer manages to locate it.
That is because this is the very same exotic-looking weapon that the helmeted hero wields over his/her shoulder in the cover art for the DLC. Fable 3 isn't the only game with cool legendary weapon styles!
5 The Poor, Poor Test Subjects
During the course of the game, the players will come to find out a sadly unsurprising truth: Spacer's Choice, that classically evil corporation, was experimenting on human subjects. And those humans morphed into the enemies that this DLC sends at the gamer in waves.
It's another entry into the catalog of video games based on crime. Those who are playing the game over again will recognize this mantra; this is actually the second time the character unwittingly kills human test subjects.
4 Worth Three Plays
Part of the timelessness of RPGs is that they can be replayed many times with different occurrences based on choice and methods. Peril On Gorgon continues the tradition upheld by The Outer Worlds in these same ways, and there's an additional way this DLC is fresh, even through three playthroughs.
The voice actors from the first game stuck around to deliver unique conversations with each other, with the player character, and with the NPCs around Gorgon. So keeping SAM and Parvati in the party for the first round will mean different lines than keeping Felix and Vicar Max for the next time. This means Peril On Gorgon will deliver a different interactive experience for a minimum of three runs.
3 Skill Cap Increase
More content always means more levels in an RPG, that's nothing new and this DLC does not break with that idea. What it does do, however, is increase skill maximums. This increase is not highlighted or advertised and this is not, by any definition, a slight increment; the new maximum goes from 100 to 150!
Like in Divinity Original Sin II, some of these skills make the game almost too easy. Some skills, like Lockpicking, actually increase the difficulty as some boxes need a skill of over 100 to unlock now. But others, like Stealth, are bound to turn the character into an invisible hunting machine.
2 That Quest Is Not Impossible
Many gamers have expressed frustration at one of the DLC's "impossible" side quests. While The Outer Worlds might not be among the best games ever as far as side quests go, it's hardly the worst and the solution to this problem is a healthy dose of patience.
Before abandoning "The Electric Fling" when unable to locate all of the quest items, wait until the next section of the map is unlocked. This side quest cannot be completed until further down the path of the main story, so give it time and the impossible can be made possible.
1 Those Aren't Metal Cubes
Gamers have been trained to see processed cubes in industrial factories as a standard motif. The Outer Worlds uses some of these in their game clutter throughout the main story, so the player likely won't think twice when seeing it again when playing Peril On Gorgon.
But take another look at what exactly is being processed here in those cubes. Are those shoes? Is that a jacket? Are those pieces of human... Oh my! Spacer's Choice is not the best choice as far as being a guinea pig for a new project is concerned.