Released in 2019 to widespread success, The Outer Worlds was a contained story that explored frontier life on the edge of the galaxy in the Halcyon star system. There, mega-corporations wholly owned and operated the colony, filling the story with a dark satire of corporate influence taken to its limits. While the saga of The Outer Worlds had branching narratives and examined the consequences of players' choices, its ending slides shut the door to a sequel occurring within the same location.
However, at the June 2021 E3 Conference, Obsidian Entertainment, through the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, unveiled its highly stylized and satirical trailer for The Outer Worlds 2. The trailer, which mocks others of the exact nature with slow-motion shots and lens flares, does little to unveil any details. It claims that the developers have only finished the title. With such little information for the sequel, audiences wonder where the story may go? Yet, just because the first game's tale had a beginning, middle, and end, its lack of direct setup works in its favor to explore some of the mysteries that weren't fully answered.
What Happened to Earth?
The most significant mystery that the game sets up is the loss of communication from Earth. When the Stranger completes the Outer Worlds quest involving Relay GB-23, a station that receives transmissions from Earth, some foreshadowing hints that communication has been absent or lost. The Stranger learns that no encrypted messages have been sent over the last thirty-six months through the Groundbreaker's comm expert, Edna Ingmire. At the game's conclusion, scientist Phineas Welles or Adjutant Sophia Akande also relays to the Stranger that Earth has been dark for three years, resulting in Halcyon and other outer colonies left to fend for themselves.
While being a spiritual successor to Fallout: New Vegas and referencing a Great War, it's never been established through any canon that The Outer Worlds takes place in the same timeline as the Fallout series. This leaves audiences with many questions over the role Earth plays with its outer colonies, its current structure after corporations bought Halcyon, and what ominous events unfolded to result in it going dark. With this mystery of Earth left unanswered, The Outer Worlds 2 has plenty of room to explore the other numerous colonies in the galaxy and any threats they may have encountered that could have affected Earth. However, the game could continue pursuing this mystery, providing more clues without fully detailing such events. Only time will tell.
The Cornelius Vanderbilt
Tied to the mystery of Earth is the Cornelius Vanderbilt - the last Earth Directorate ship headed for Earth from Halcyon; it disappeared en route after a strange encounter. The Board, who had a large contingency of military personnel on the ship, kept this secret from the rest of the colony, fearful that if the truth of its depleted military was revealed, it could be conquered by revolutionists. Whether talking to Phineas Welles or Sophia Akande, both will disclose this information to the Stranger and its implication for the colony.
The sequel to The Outer Worlds may likely feature other Earth Directorate ships, depending on the timeline of its story. Knowing how clever Obsidian can be, burying tidbits of information and clues within terminals and NPCs, the fate of the Cornelius Vanderbilt may yet be revealed. If its ties to Earth's disappearance are apparent, it could broaden the mystery and turn of events even further, resulting in a compelling but possibly tragic narrative.
Aliens in The Outer Worlds
While there are plenty of exotic and alien creatures featured in The Outer Worlds, most result from the terraforming process gone wrong; the game is noted for not including any alien races. As far as the story goes, humans are the dominant, intelligent species in the Milky Way. However, that's not to say that the game can't introduce other intelligent species in the sequel. If such a species exists, it may have direct ties to the fate of Earth.
The game touches upon the ideas of extraterrestrial life through the CEO of Sublight Salvage and Shipping, Lilya Hagen. From the onset of her questline, Lilya acts very suspiciously, warning the Stranger to be watchful and cautious. As her story unfolds, she reveals her belief that aliens exist among us and are working with the corporations. While this theory doesn't fully pan out within the game - instead, her suspicions are aimed at a scientist looking to modify the people of Halcyon for survival genetically - the idea still leaves lingering thoughts on players' minds.
The Outer Worlds succeeded in containing a close-ended narrative that resonated with players. Yet, it successfully fleshed out a world ripe for exploring, with mysteries left to be discovered that a sequel has the potential to unveil.
The Outer Worlds 2 is currently in development.