Expect The Outer Worlds 2 to be less silly than its predecessor

The Outer Worlds managed to differentiate itself from a lot of darker, grittier sci-fi tales out there with its lighter, sillier tone. A satire on corporate excess, a tone that didn't quite land with everyone, and a style that will be getting changed in the upcoming sequel.

Speaking to PCGamer, game director Brandon Adler revealed that there will be a darker tone in The Outer Worlds 2. Adler admitted that the writing in The Outer Worlds could "could sometimes be one note," and that this will change for the sequel. "I want to give players something new from that, so they don't feel like 'Oh, we're just running through the same types of jokes, the same type of content, the same type of ideas and themes over and over again,'" he said.

The new game's factions will apparently allow for darker tones to seep in, giving the player more potential foes and possible allies. "They felt a little bumbling in the first game. In this game, I hope that they feel a lot more cutthroat and a little bit scarier to interact with."

Leonard Boyarsky, Fallout veteran and one of the two creative directors for The Outer Worlds, is credited as the source of inspiration behind this darker tone. "You'll notice that there's a little bit of a less silly, darker tone that comes out. That's mainly because of Leonard," said Adler. "That's his kind of vibe, and so he has more of a push on that stuff. And so I think even the overall story feels a little bit like a darker take on what's going on there."

The Outer Worlds 2 launches on the 29th of October for Xbox Series X/S, PC, and PS5.