Games like this?

[Le Spiff]

Howdy!

So, I loved this game since minute one, and now 20 hours in I'm still loving every bit of it. Especially the conversations, depth and diversity of NPC's (from just normal people, to very outspoken charachters, many of them funny, but none of them "unbelievable") but also the relative simplicity of the combat and leveling. I don't mind me some hardcore games (like Grim Dawn's deep charachter progression, or hardcore shooters like Day Of Infamy or Red Orchestra), but the fact that there's little "fluff" here, makes the rest so enjoyable, like you really are on an adventure and don't have to spend strategic thinking about technical charachter progression stuff. There's nothing I don't love about this game (except maybe too much content and quests and stuff to discover, but that's also a good thing).

Anywho, I played the living crap out of Elder Scrolls IV and V, and also every Fallout game (even that very unkown one for PS2 (Brotherhood of Steel), and a lot of other similar games. But I never encountered a game like this, with this great balance between immersion, accessibility, depth, humor, freedom,...

So I've been thinking about and looking for games that come close (I'm dreading the moment I'm done with the playthrough.. :p) and are similar, or would offer a similar experience, apart from the ones mentioned above.

Does anyone have any ideas of that to look for, or in which direction? Or is this game pretty unique?

[Mad Dr. Nadd]

So, this may be an odd recommendation, but Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines might interest you. The combat is clunky as hell and you need a mod to get the game to work properly; but I loved meeting the characters, getting into politics, finding different ways around missions, and having consequences from my actions and choices.

[Le Spiff]

I know of the series, unfortunately I have a massive (and irrational) aversion of anything vampire related. Something to do with an ex-girlfriend and other trauma's :p

I know the game has a good fanbase though, isn't it written by the same team that did the writing for The Outer Worlds as well?

[midnite rule]

Leonard Boyarsky was the project lead on both Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines and The Outer Worlds, sharing credit with Tim Cain on the latter. I’m not sure what Cain’s role was in Bloodlines* but he was one of the founders of Troika, the company that developed it.

However, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines was mostly written by Brian Mitsoda who had nothing to do with The Outer Worlds.

*Other than as the Cabdriver of course.

[Mad Dr. Nadd]

Thank you for that comment, midnite rule! I did not know that about the Brian Mitsoda writing credit.

And Spiffmeister: I'd wait for a good sale and pick it up. The subject matter and world are varied enough to not just conform to classical vampire stereotypes.

[Le Spiff]

Thanks for the tip and the recommendation, Danny Boy!

[liddle towers]

buy vampires on gog .com there's the patch in the download already with unreleased tuff and some more quests.best rpg ever!!!

[midnite rule]

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines is actually my favorite game of all time.

I thought about recommending it in this thread, but even though the unofficial patch has virtually exterminated the bugs, the gameplay is still kinda crappy. So I wasn’t sure it matched what Spiffmeister was looking for.

What makes Bloodlines awesome is the well written characters and dialogue. And I’ve played through it like 10 times just for that, even though I never liked the gameplay.

Like Child of Malkav said the GOG.com version comes with the patch already installed, saving you the hassle of downloading it separately.

[indigo]

This game gives me flashbacks to things like Flash Gordon and other campy retro sci-fi, early Dr. Who, with a nice smattering of Red Scare era advertising. "It's not the best choice, it's Spacer's Choice."

Genuinely enjoyed every minute of this. It's a shame they're not doing any more expansions, as it feels like this is the sort of game that could get a new expansion every week and not get old.

[Le Spiff]

Agreed! I just finished it and had a blast all the way. I'll definitely replay it with a totally different charachter. :-)

[Pegolini]

The Wasteland series seems like a good fit. It's basically a continuation of the old Fallout games. I'd recommend 2&3 although 3 is definitely my personal favourite among them.

Other than that I'd recommend the Mass Effect series if you've never tried it out before. Same goes for the Gothic series, especially 1&2. Those games were a big part of my childhood so I am definitely biased (additionally to having German as my native language). But they are truly unique if you don't mind playing old and clunky games.

[Gen_Mayhem]

I've been gaming since the beginning. There are no other games like THE OUTER WORLDS of which I am aware. Nothing else has the "personality" and tongue-in-cheek flair and verve of this game. And these are what make it most enjoyable in my experience of the game, now about 40 hours in. It's like a mix of MAD MAX, STAR TREK, 1960's & 70's Godzilla movies, AIRPLANE! type humor, Orwell's 1984, and Huxley's BRAVE NEW WORLD all mixed and jumbled together into a unique experience.

I think the people who don't like it just don't "get it." And, of course, not every person is going to like every game ever made. I know I don't like 90% of the games I convince myself to buy. And 99% of games I see just scream "lame!" to me. There is a LOT of recycled gameplay lurking beneath photo-real graphics. Which is utterly boring to me. It's hard to find games I haven't already played dozens of times under different titles or art direction.

I had zero expectations going in, other than "sci-fi RPG." It is now one of my all-time favorites, so much so that I might even finish it someday! ;) I didn't know who made it or what their histories might have been and I didn't care. I saw a game that looked different and sounded like it was chock-full of personality and I was immediately interested.

The only other RPG that I can recommend that I've enjoyed as much was the original KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC. THAT is a truly GREAT game. That is one of a handful of games I've ever actually liked enough and that maintained my interest long enough to finish. PHANTASMAGORIA is another captivating story. FULL THROTTLE is also on the list (I guess they somewhat recently remastered this great classic) of games I've finished and would recommend just for the story. These last two aren't "RPGs" but are old "point and click adventure" type games. Which reminds me, if you are looking for a great game that's relevant to current events, check out DETROIT: BECOME HUMAN. I've finished that one too (not to 100% trophies, but the whole story). That's the latest version of the old "point and click adventure" type game I've played.

OK, that's all I can think of right now. Good luck and enjoy! Good games have become unbelievably difficult to find. I believe THE OUTER WORLDS will become a "cult classic" if it isn't already. Unappreciated in its time but will become a game people play for decades... like KOTOR. They might even someday make a terrible movie out of it! Which some people will love and watch hundreds of times and some people will hate so much they can't even make it through a single viewing. And that's as it should be.

OH! How could I forget?? For a very different, mechanically, as far as how you increase your character's skills, and an absolutely top-tier story, I strongly recommend NIER: AUTOMATA. I have it on PS4 and I'm nowhere near finished with even the first play-through. My only complaint on NIER is that you have to go to save points to save your game, which makes it inconvenient if you only have a short amount of time to play. Which is the situation most adult gamers find ourselves in, unfortunately. Gone are the days of weekend-long gaming sessions full of illicit substances, beer, pizza, and highly caffeinated carbonated beverages full of yellow #5, brominated vegetable oil, and sodium benzoate. Ah. Memories... ?

[Le Spiff]

Thanks for the comment, Gen_Mayhem! :-) I've been gaming since the late eighties, early ninetees myself as well, and also fall into the category where it's a huge luxury to be able to game more than a few hours on end (as opposed to a decade earlier: get up, coffee, game, pizza, game, coffee, hamburger, game, snacks, game, maybe sleep, rinse and repeat). Which makes games like this even more valuable! When I game, I want it to be worth my while, and not be a giggle here and a cool headshot there and worthless digital goodies to pursue.

This game delivers, and I agree that people who don't like it must "simply not get it", without judging.

Thanks for the tips! I'll check them out in depth to see if it's something I like. Meanwhile I've started Disco Elysium, which is working for me véry well, especially after a game like this.

[ralphtobybob]

Opprinnelig skrevet av indigo:

This game gives me flashbacks to things like Flash Gordon and other campy retro sci-fi, early Dr. Who, with a nice smattering of Red Scare era advertising. "It's not the best choice, it's Spacer's Choice."

Genuinely enjoyed every minute of this. It's a shame they're not doing any more expansions, as it feels like this is the sort of game that could get a new expansion every week and not get old.

Most of the 'jokes' are of the Opposite Day type. "Hey instead of bragging about a company's products, let's diss it!"

While exploring the rail line that takes you from location to location, I decided to check out a location off on a side road. It was locked. No problem, that usually means it's part of another quest.
Except that one of the add-on quest companions from that planet stated that 'we can't go in there until we do X'. The quest requiring me to do X hadn't started yet and wasn't even in my journal.

The dialogue between companions is forced and often is just an affirmation of a behind the scenes conversation they had previously. I've seen companion mods in other games with far more depth including playing off of another companions voice files.

On top of everything else does anyone really believe that workers carrying firearms are going to put with being bullied by their bosses? And what did all of the carnivores on that planet eat before humans showed up? How did they manage to colonize the planet without being eaten or being overrun with the massive amounts of prey required to feed the carnivores.

And why do I have to go outside of a compound to fast travel to another site on the map?

[Le Spiff]

Opprinnelig skrevet av ralphtobybob:

Opprinnelig skrevet av indigo:

This game gives me flashbacks to things like Flash Gordon and other campy retro sci-fi, early Dr. Who, with a nice smattering of Red Scare era advertising. "It's not the best choice, it's Spacer's Choice."

Genuinely enjoyed every minute of this. It's a shame they're not doing any more expansions, as it feels like this is the sort of game that could get a new expansion every week and not get old.

Most of the 'jokes' are of the Opposite Day type. "Hey instead of bragging about a company's products, let's diss it!"

While exploring the rail line that takes you from location to location, I decided to check out a location off on a side road. It was locked. No problem, that usually means it's part of another quest.
Except that one of the add-on quest companions from that planet stated that 'we can't go in there until we do X'. The quest requiring me to do X hadn't started yet and wasn't even in my journal.

The dialogue between companions is forced and often is just an affirmation of a behind the scenes conversation they had previously. I've seen companion mods in other games with far more depth including playing off of another companions voice files.

On top of everything else does anyone really believe that workers carrying firearms are going to put with being bullied by their bosses? And what did all of the carnivores on that planet eat before humans showed up? How did they manage to colonize the planet without being eaten or being overrun with the massive amounts of prey required to feed the carnivores.

And why do I have to go outside of a compound to fast travel to another site on the map?

I think you mistook this thread for one of the many "let's bash The Outer Worlds" threads ;) This one is about games like it, because we did enjoy the game. Without judging about the pro's and con's about the game.

I'm not saying your opinion is not valid, you make some good points. But this isn't the thread for it. There's plenty of threads that'll love to hear your input on what's bad about the game, and this ain't it mate. :-)

Still, if you have any relevant input on games similar to this (based on the aspects you did like), I'm still eager to hear it!

[ralphtobybob]

Opprinnelig skrevet av Spiffmeister:

Opprinnelig skrevet av ralphtobybob:

Most of the 'jokes' are of the Opposite Day type. "Hey instead of bragging about a company's products, let's diss it!"

While exploring the rail line that takes you from location to location, I decided to check out a location off on a side road. It was locked. No problem, that usually means it's part of another quest.
Except that one of the add-on quest companions from that planet stated that 'we can't go in there until we do X'. The quest requiring me to do X hadn't started yet and wasn't even in my journal.

The dialogue between companions is forced and often is just an affirmation of a behind the scenes conversation they had previously. I've seen companion mods in other games with far more depth including playing off of another companions voice files.

On top of everything else does anyone really believe that workers carrying firearms are going to put with being bullied by their bosses? And what did all of the carnivores on that planet eat before humans showed up? How did they manage to colonize the planet without being eaten or being overrun with the massive amounts of prey required to feed the carnivores.

And why do I have to go outside of a compound to fast travel to another site on the map?

I think you mistook this thread for one of the many "let's bash The Outer Worlds" threads ;) This one is about games like it, because we did enjoy the game. Without judging about the pro's and con's about the game.

I'm not saying your opinion is not valid, you make some good points. But this isn't the thread for it. There's plenty of threads that'll love to hear your input on what's bad about the game, and this ain't it mate. :-)

Still, if you have any relevant input on games similar to this (based on the aspects you did like), I'm still eager to hear it!

You may have missed an earlier post in which I compared it to Fallout New Vegas, another Obsidian game. You know, working for Mr. House who is responsible for reviving you, and then getting to decide whether Freeside or The Strip get electrical power.

Or that the minimalist landscape art resembles Obduction or The Cycle. The dummy buildings are reminiscent of Fallout 3, minus the Redneck Rampage look resemblance.

Obviously, if a game is going to use a trope like interactive companions, it should be judged on how well it learned from other games. The companions in other games like the Skyrims and later Fallout games interact with the player and even pass judgement on their actions. For instance, some companions will leave or even attack the player for stealing. They will at least comment on the actions.

Just checked again. The subject of the thread does not say "Fan boi valentines to The Outer Worlds". This is 2021, The bar for RPGs is a really high one. Oblivion has more depth than this game. And a better map.