Outer Worlds 2 isn’t taking one of Avowed’s most helpful features because its creative director believes it would “rob the world of some of its mystery”

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Okay, so everyone’s talking about The Outer Worlds 2 coming in 2025, but don’t forget Avowed! Obsidian dropped that earlier in the year, and it’s a fantastic fantasy RPG set in the Pillars of Eternity world. There’s a lot to like about it, but honestly, what really stuck with me was the in-dialogue glossary. It was such a clever way to explain all the deep, complicated lore from Pillars of Eternity right when you needed it, which made everything so much easier to understand and enjoy!

Avowed didn’t invent the idea of having clickable words in conversations that explain important details – things like characters, places, or story terms – without forcing you to open a separate menu. Obsidian, the game’s developer, even used a similar system in their previous game, Pillars of Eternity 2. That’s why I was surprised to find this feature missing from The Outer Worlds 2.

According to game director Brandon Adler, the lack of shared technology between The Outer Worlds 2 and Avowed is a key factor in their separate development paths. He and creative director Leonard Boyarsky then discussed the initial decisions made during the games’ early stages to further explain the situation.

I’ve always been a fan of narrators who aren’t entirely trustworthy, and I try to include that in the games I work on,” explains Boyarsky. “I want players to figure things out for themselves and decide what’s real. Providing extensive in-game encyclopedias or detailed lore explanations can take away from the world’s mystery, and while that isn’t necessarily a bad approach, it’s not what I prefer. There’s definitely room for both styles.

You don’t need to have played the first Outer Worlds to enjoy the sequel. While the new game references past conflicts that shaped the current groups, you can jump right in without feeling lost. The developers acknowledge some players enjoy learning detailed backstory, but they intentionally focused on letting players discover the world organically, believing that’s more engaging.

As a fan, one of the things I’m really excited about in The Outer Worlds 2 is how it makes you question everything. They set up certain things early on, and then pull the rug out from under you later – it turns out what you thought was happening wasn’t true at all! That’s when I really feel like I’m part of the story. I love that there aren’t always easy answers, and you, as the player, get to decide what to believe. It makes interacting with the world so much more engaging and immersive.

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2025-10-28 18:45