Slated to release in 2021, The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos promises to add interesting new DLC to Obsidian Entertainment’s 2019 release The Outer Worlds. Currently, there are four locked planets on Halcyon’s navigation map, and if their names are any sign of what’s coming, fans can expect more nods to Greek mythology in the additional content.
The Outer Worlds first DLC, Peril on Gorgon, released early September, but didn’t unlock any of the planets on the map. Instead, it added the Gorgon asteroid and its backstory to the map. However, just like the name “Gorgon,” the other locked planets have links to Greek mythology that could add interesting, in-depth additions to the game.
Greek Mythology in The Outer Worlds
While the four locked planets Typhon, Hephaestus, Olympus, and Eridanos are not-so-subtle nods to Greek mythology, there are other instances of this mythology already found in-game, too.
Players should easily recount the final level of the GLAAD Media Award winning The Outer Worlds taking them to the planet Tartarus, a labyrinth-esque jail for Halcyon’s most dangerous criminals. There are two different ways in which Tartarus appears in Greek myths, but it can be assumed the developer named the planet Tartarus after the region of the Underworld of the same name. The Greek Tartarus was a prison for monsters and criminals (sound familiar?) and found even further below the Underworld Hades lived in.
Typhon, also known as Typhoeus, was the child of Tartarus and Gaea. In this instance, Tartarus was a deity that came long before the Olympians, whose only parent was Chaos. Typhon was a monstrous one hundred dragon-headed beast and is regarded as the father of all monsters. Zeus defeated him with a thunderbolt and sent him to the Underworld for eternity.
Stories say Typhon is trapped under a volcanic mountain, others say he’s become the father of damaging winds (hence the word “typhoon.”) However, before being defeated by Zeus, Typhon and Echidna, the half-woman, half-snake mother of all monsters had many children, including the three Gorgons of Greek mythology. Medusa was the most famous of the three, and one Peril on Gorgon detail is the borrowing of the asteroid’s name from popular myth.
The Outer Worlds’ undiscovered Typhon, if following Greek mythology, could be home to newly unencountered beasts that players must defeat. It would be a great opportunity to make up for the re-skinned enemies of Peril on Gorgon and add new combat to a sometimes monotonous game.
Outer Worlds: Hephaestus
In Greek myth, Hephaestus was the husband of Aphrodite and known as the god of blacksmithing and fire. Craftsmen, especially those who were carpenters, sculptors, and metalworkers worshipped him. Despite being the partner of Aphrodite, many regarded him as ugly, as he lacked the perfectionist physique of all the other gods.
In The Outer Worlds, the planet Hephaestus already has a bit of a backstory whenever players scroll over the planet. Hephaestus is owned by The Hephaestus Mining Company and located closest to the sun. Players have already seen what the Hephaestus Company produces and researches if they followed the Hephaestus Mining Company Archive Cartridge to find the Mandibular Rearranger. This lethal melee weapon literally rearranges enemy faces and is only a small glimpse into the kind of technology being developed on the planet, which could be an exciting DLC storyline.
Olympus
This nod to Greek mythology is easy to spot, as the planet is named after the heralded home of the gods—Mt. Olympus. Now, it wasn’t believed that the gods lived on the mountain itself, but rather in a realm just beyond the clouds.
The Outer Worlds map describes Olympus as an uninhabitable gas giant due to its many atmospheric storms. However, if following Greek mythology, it’s entirely possible players can still visit Olympus by landing on a spaceship or space station that lies in the wispy area just above the surface of the planet. Whether players are greeted by other humans or a different race entirely could add to the intrigue of the planet.
Eridanos
Players already know that the name of the next DLC is Murder on Eridanos, but no one is sure what it will add to the game content-wise. The name “Eridanos” does not directly correlate with any Greek mythology, but does seem to draw inspiration from the constellation Eridanus, so named after the ancient river.
Although there is no direct link confirmed, many stories associate Eridanus with the story of Phaethon, a young man who tried to steer the sky chariot to prove the sun god Helios was his father. He failed and was unable to steer the chariot, scorching the earth in his wake. Zeus stopped him with a thunderbolt, sending Phaethon crashing to the earth and landing in the river Eridanus. The Eridanos of The Outer Worlds is supposedly home to a gas harvesting industry, so a marsh landscape modeled after this myth could be possible. The waste produced from harvesting gas could lead to toxic waters, much like the rank, cursed marsh that occurred when Phaethon fell to his demise.
Theorizing about Murder on Eridanos, it could follow Greek mythology in a different way that doesn’t have to do with setting and location, and at the very least, it unlocks this one planet, an exciting addition for those who first realized that some planets couldn't be visited. Given the story of Phaethon, players could try to solve the mystery of a murder (on Eridanos) of someone who fell from grace. Or, it could chronicle how someone tried to prove themselves to a major corporation and ended up doing more harm than good.
Given the capitalist nature of The Outer Worlds and Peril on Gorgon, this story wouldn’t be surprising, especially for companies like Rizzo’s and Spacer’s Choice. Although, given the content added with Peril on Gorgon, it would be surprising to see Murder on Eridanos revolve around Spacer’s Choice again.
While players won’t know what the upcoming DLC will entail until much closer to its release date, they can fill the time by playing with The Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon and continuing to cast predictions on what storyline Murder on Eridanos will follow.
The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos will be released in 2021 for the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.