It looks like companions will have some really important functions—despite being entirely optional—in Obsidian Entertainment’s upcoming sci-fi RPG, The Outer Worlds. In a gameplay video released by PlayStation, more details about the game’s companion system were revealed, including some of the ways that companions can aid the player throughout their journey in the game.
Companions will provide combat support in difficult situations and their skills can boost the player’s own skills. They can even add to player’s scores within conversations, helping to unlock various conversation options that might not otherwise be available. Maybe you’re not all that great at deception. Bringing along certain companions can help you still have those options in conversation, and the video showed off some alternate conversation that happens based on having a companion with you.
Companions will also increase the player’s carrying capacity (all inventory is shared between the player and two chosen companions). With the Inspiration Skill and putting enough points into your Leadership, players can unlock special combat abilities for their companions, adding an extra layer of depth to the system. You can then command your companions to use these abilities while in combat.
The gameplay picks up in Edgewater, The Outer Worlds‘ first town, about an hour into the game. The settlement is situated within the Emerald Vale region, run by the Spacer’s Choice corporation. The player character heads here in search of a power regulator that they need to restore power to a ship, which is tied to the one of the game’s questlines. It was at this point where more details about the game’s companions were revealed. The player was introduced to Reed Tobson, the “outpost administrator,” and a woman named Parvati Holcomb. Toward the end of the conversation, the player was given the choice to recruit Parvati as a companion. Parvati is the third confirmed companion (adding to Ellie and Felix) out of the six that are confirmed to be in the game.
During some of the gameplay’s later combat, we learned that healing is shared between the player and companions, so if your companions are injured, all you need to do is heal yourself to give them a boost of health. Depending on how you allocate points into certain skills, this health boost can be increased. They do heal on their own once combat is over, but it takes longer than these health boosts will. We also got to see one of Parvati’s abilities in action, a kind of ground slam or energy burst that does damage to all enemies in a small area around her. One of the main archetypes that the player can lean into is Leadership, where allocated points go towards improving your companions more than your own abilities.
Companions are optional, and may leave the character depending on the decisions they make, but it looks like they will have a strong role to play if you do choose to utilize what they offer. There’s also a Supernova difficulty mode where companions die permanently. The Outer Worlds features lots of choices to make, and some of your decisions may event turn your character into the villain, so choose wisely!
The Outer Worlds is scheduled to release on October 25, 2019 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It will release for the Nintendo Switch as well at a later, unannounced date.
Will you be picking up Obsidian Entertainment’s latest RPG when it releases? Let us know your thoughts on the game in the comments below!
[Source: PlayStation]
