Obsidian didn’t add this cool feature to The Outer Worlds 2 until the game was well into development — here’s how it happened

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Obsidian Entertainment has just released its third game of the year. I recently spoke with Brandon Adler and Matthew Singh, the directors of The Outer Worlds 2, before the game launched.

Something interesting we learned is that the Rifts players encounter on planets and space stations weren’t initially designed to be interactive elements in the game.

I was surprised to learn this, considering the main goal of the game is to prevent massive Rifts from obliterating the solar system. Once players obtain a unique device, they can briefly reset these Rifts, which opens up new areas to explore and reveals hidden secrets.

Initially, we hadn’t planned for players to be able to interact with the Rifts. It wasn’t until about a year or two into development that we realized this was a key part of the story and that we needed to give players a way to engage with it, as Alder explains.

We decided to move forward and explore how players could interact with these elements, using them as puzzles to create an engaging experience.

I wish we’d thought of this sooner; it could have become an even more essential part of our work.

Game director Brandon Adler

Alder shares that he asked Singh’s team to determine the best locations for Rifts within the game and integrate them into the design. This wasn’t a simple task and involved a lot of experimentation. As a result of this work, they also added helpful features, like marking discovered Rifts on the player’s map.

We probably should have started this sooner, as it could have become an even bigger part of our work,” Adler explains. “Fortunately, we started it early enough to still make some really positive and enjoyable changes.

As a fan, I’m really excited to hear how the developers are handling this new threat to the colony! It sounds like they’re cleverly introducing it early on, giving us little hints and pieces to discover. What’s cool is that exploring this threat isn’t mandatory – it’s a fun extra for those of us who want to dig deeper. Apparently, you can even find connections all the way back to the beginning of the game! They’ve been subtly ‘seeding’ clues about these ‘Rifts’ throughout the world to get our attention, and it sounds like it’ll be rewarding to investigate them.

The Outer Worlds 2’s exploration was shaped by other games and Disneyland

As an analyst, I was really impressed with the exploration in The Outer Worlds 2. Compared to the first game, the areas felt much bigger and actually gave you a good reason to wander around and discover things. It felt far more rewarding to just go off the beaten path.

Although the team ultimately decided to focus on creating many towns for players to explore, they were initially inspired by open-world role-playing games.

Alder said the team researched many expansive games to figure out how to create a larger play area, even if it wouldn’t be a fully open world.

The team studied games like Breath of the Wild, with Matt highlighting its effective use of visual cues – specifically, how the game’s design and landscape naturally guide players. They also drew inspiration from a surprising source: Disneyland, observing how its physical spaces direct visitors.

We studied Disneyland to see how they guide guests around the park. They use ‘Weenies’ – visually appealing landmarks – to draw people from one area or ride to another, and understanding this flow was key to our research, according to Adler.

Tim Kaine, who worked as a game director on the original game, gave a presentation to the team. He explained how Disneyland uses subtle techniques – like strategically placing objects – to guide guests around the park, and how they could apply similar principles to game design.

I really enjoyed playing The Outer Worlds 2 for the first time, and I recommend checking out my full review. I’m excited to play it again, experimenting with different character builds and choices.

FAQs

Is The Outer Worlds 2 on Xbox Game Pass?

Yes, The Outer Worlds 2 is included with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass right when it’s released, just like all other games made by Xbox.

What platforms is The Outer Worlds 2 on?

You can play The Outer Worlds 2 on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PCs (through Battle.net, Steam, and the Xbox app), and PlayStation 5.

Is The Outer Worlds 2 a direct sequel?

Just to clarify, this game isn’t a direct continuation of the original. It *does* take place within the same broader universe, but we’re heading to a completely new star system called Arcadia, making it its own separate story.

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2025-10-31 15:10