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Note: This article contains spoilers for Outer worlds.
IN Outer worlds, adventure abounds, planets and new frontiers abound, and players are never short of choices. The game’s problems can be solved in countless ways, and characters can be specified to create different buildings. Players can explore colorful alien worlds and futuristic elite cities, with adventure waiting around almost every corner.
However, there is one thing you cannot do. You can’t light candles, crack open cold Zero Gee Brews, and try your hand at romancing the game’s many companions.
Outer Worlds throws players headfirst into a journey to awaken their fellow colonists from cryo-sleep when their ship is abandoned at the edge of space. You’ll have to planet hop around the system to find the chemicals to wake them up, gathering your own crew along the way. Your crew members can help you in combat, give you stat bonuses and enhancements, and even increase your weight. They are crucial to your success.
And you can’t romance any of them. It’s a surprising omission, not only because it’s an option players expect, but also because outer worlds’ the colorful cast quickly wins your affection.
However, the missing romance is not a mistake. It is purposeful. The game focuses on friendship rather than romance, and it’s all the better for it.
Unique characters with whom you will lead the gambit, from priests, to fearless hunters, to paramedics turned vagabonds. Many of them will summon themselves to your ship, having their own motives that are often completely unrelated to you and your mission. Parvati, the shy but brave mechanic is clearly channeling Kaylee from the TV series fireflyleaves a particularly strong impression.
Your mission takes you to Groundbreaker, a space station at the edge of the galaxy, operating outside of corporate jurisdiction. This somewhat shabby station is run by Junlei Tennyson, a no-nonsense captain and engineer who tries to keep the Groundbreaker running with limited resources.
Instead of playing the role of the infatuated lover (pardon the pun), you take on the role of the matchmaker.
Parvati is visibly confused during your first meeting with Junlei, and as time goes on, she is revealed to be very much in love with the captain. Instead of playing the role of the infatuated lover (pardon the pun), you take on the role of the matchmaker. You must trust Parvati enough to follow Junlei, and what follows is a journey across the stars to gather the ingredients for the perfect match.
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As the quest progressed, I felt something I hadn’t felt in an RPG in years. Parvati became my new best friend. One step of the search led us to the bar where Parvati, who grew up in a sheltered corporate colony, tasted alcohol for the first time. Throwing back a few in a space cantina with your best friend is as charming as a side quest can be and perfectly sums up what’s so refreshing about it Outer worlds‘ take over relations.
I had the opportunity to mock the laka while having a drink with you and another crew member of your choice. Between jokes and good-natured teasing, you learn that Parvati is asexual and fear that her aversion to physical intimacy will lead Junlei to reject her. It’s a complex, sensitive question that games rarely consider.
Outer worlds manages to address a visceral and genuine emotion—the fear of rejection—while seamlessly moving the story forward and putting you in a position to empathize with Pavarti’s concerns.
That moment changed my entire view of my crew and my position within it. I felt like I had to look after them, even protect them.
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Many will compare Outer worlds on Fallout, for reasons that are obvious as soon as you start playing. However, when it comes to relationships, Mass effect feels relevant. In Bioware’s epic trilogy, which has an even larger and more diverse crew, you can match love with many of your companions. That dynamic can change the way many see their team and even the way they play the game.
Romance is gamified in ways that seem unrealistic and don’t bring you significantly closer to your companions. Typically, players will go on an adventure with a suitor of their choice, perhaps completing loyalty quests along the way. Finally, the romance culminates (perhaps literally) in a scene that may or may not involve nudity. In some games, e.g Mass effectthis is boosted by achievements as you have “won” your romantic streak of choice.
It’s fun to lick your companions Mass effector even age of dragonsbut Outer worlds proves that strong friendships are just as important, valid and worthy of research. After completing the mission, I found Parvati’s concerns to be more authentic and compelling than most of the romantic subplots I’ve enjoyed in games. Perhaps the formula needs to be reworked, giving players a bigger reward than a sex scene and achievements.
Perhaps it’s time to turn to character stories that explore previously untapped narratives, like Parvati’s, that offer a relatable backdrop for a personal story, rather than future conquest. Outer worlds it really shows that putting as much emphasis on platonic relationships between players and supporting NPCs can be just as valuable, or even more fulfilling, than a boring romance thrown in to fulfill player expectations.
Editor’s recommendations
Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn