The Outer Worlds

 Switch
User Score
5.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 174 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 85 out of 174
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 174
  3. Negative: 62 out of 174
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  1. ThatLeaf
    Jul 16, 2020
    7
    Let's face it... We've wondered at some point what life would be like if we were able to fly across the galaxy and visit alien worlds. Games like Starcraft, Star Fox and whatnot have tickled our fancy for Sci-Fi adventures. And this game, The Outer Worlds, is the latest of these adventures...

    Published by Private Division and developed by Obsidian, the same company involved with the    Let's face it... We've wondered at some point what life would be like if we were able to fly across the galaxy and visit alien worlds. Games like Starcraft, Star Fox and whatnot have tickled our fancy for Sci-Fi adventures. And this game, The Outer Worlds, is the latest of these adventures...

    Published by Private Division and developed by Obsidian, the same company involved with the successful Fallout; New Vegas, this game is a combination of shooting, sci-fi, adventure and RPG rolled into one. In this game, you play as one of the colonists (called the Stranger) that was sent to the Halcyon Cluster to start your new life there. To pass the long time spent traveling there, you and all the other colonists were put in frozen hibernation. The only thing is... Your ship didn't exactly arrive there on time. in fact, you and the Hope colonists were long thought to be dead. After being revived by a mad scientist, you are sent down below to the surface of one of the colony's planets to try to find a means of bringing back your fellow colonists to life..

    I found myself engaged with the story as well as the motif for the game itself. Controls were a bit stiff at times when it came to aiming for enemies, but it was enjoyable like on other consoles. Sound was also rather pleasing, particularly the music found in the background (sadly, there's no radio for you to listen to while traversing the Halcyon colony).

    However, graphics had the appearance of previous generation console games (ala Wii U or the Wii), which can be a letdown for those who are used to graphics found on PC as well as XBox One and Playstation 5. Also, the gameplay was dragged down by a serious issue I had while on my ship. If had stayed on there for too long, the game would suffer from serious lag. Whether this is because of the Switch's limitations or the programming of the game itself, I do not know. Luckily, that was the only major issue I had with the game.

    Overall, the game itself is basically Fallout:New Vegas, but a space/sci-fi setting instead of a post-apocalyptic setting. While I enjoyed the game, I can't really recommend buying this game at full price. It's best to wait until it goes on sale or a used copy is available for you to obtain.    … Expand
  2. Zwei76
    Jun 5, 2020
    5
    I played on xone x and this port looks terrible, It looks as if it had been released prematurely, without finishing polishing it.
  3. Unknighted
    Jun 5, 2020
    6
    By now you probably have seen the review bombs going on. This isn't a passionate review where I felt betrayed. This is just gonna be a review on how it feels and if it is still worth it.

    I'm gonna skip the gameplay and features this game has as it's a port of a fantastic game from last year. Nothing gameplay wise has been removed or changed. I've beaten this game on PS4 and currently on    By now you probably have seen the review bombs going on. This isn't a passionate review where I felt betrayed. This is just gonna be a review on how it feels and if it is still worth it.

    I'm gonna skip the gameplay and features this game has as it's a port of a fantastic game from last year. Nothing gameplay wise has been removed or changed. I've beaten this game on PS4 and currently on The Switch I'm at the halfway point.

    DOCKED:

    The graphics are NOT good. The textures are lower than a politicians dignity here and that is saying something. On the TV it is absolutely noticable and pop in on textures of buildings and rocks. While I (yet) haven't had any issues of NPCs and enemies pop in 5 feet in front of me. The popin of some small environmental items has like a medium sized bolder or this streetlamp lookin...thing. And in the major towns and cities you can feel the frames dragging just a tad. Like it's switching between 29 fps and 30 fps. Not a game breaker for sure but it's super noticeable. And there's this odd sheen too it. Almost as if everything is made from plastic. The liquid textures look way off. Looking at blood on the ground I mistook it for jelly.

    Overall not pretty docked.

    HANDHELD:

    Take basically what I said earlier but with a slightly more positive tone. I honestly think the devs built this with handheld exclusively in mind. It's the Witcher 3 effect where the game looks a tad better handheld than docked. I'm not saying it's way better on handheld. The textures seem to remain the same. But just more condensed so it's not as noticeable. Pop in rarely occurs and only on buildings. And I've also yet to encounter any npc popin on handheld as well. And frames rarely dip in large cities as much. Or maybe they do but again it's harder to notice.

    This game to me is a 9 as it's a fantastic RPG. One of the best. But that's on PC/PS4 and while the gameplay here is untouched on the switch. The graphics took WAY more of a hit than I wanted to. My recommendation is buy it IF AND ONLY IF you exclusively/mostly play handheld. And you are not a huge stickler for graphics. I personally am not but even this is at my lower end of tolerable. This is still a fantastic RPG and if the Switch is the only thing you got it MIGHT be worth it to check out. If not I highly recommend keeping your ear to the ground on upcoming patches (if any happen) as if they bump it up just a tad and fix the pop in I would bump this to an 8 immediately and recommend this reguardless. It just needs more ironing out. It just has a few large noticeable wrinkles on it's well dressed suit. Once those are gone this is a must buy.    … Expand
  4. bigboonta
    Aug 24, 2020
    5
    I can only echo what so many others have said. This port is very poor. Something I should make clear I only play games handheld and review them as such. The switch for me is first and foremost a portable device and if a port runs terribly in handheld that is a problem. The outer worlds story and gameplay are here. The characters and decisions all make the jump and are not hampered by theI can only echo what so many others have said. This port is very poor. Something I should make clear I only play games handheld and review them as such. The switch for me is first and foremost a portable device and if a port runs terribly in handheld that is a problem. The outer worlds story and gameplay are here. The characters and decisions all make the jump and are not hampered by the switch and its hardware. Going in a knew there would be a hit to the graphics but I could handle a downgrade with pure graphics if things such as pop-in and draw distance weren't terrible. Unfortunately what I was greeted with was a rutty dirty looking game. The draw-distances are so bad I can hardly see enemies until I am right on them. That takes away some of my gameplay options as a player which is disappointing. There is some fun to be had when your actually in a fight or in the interior spaces of the game. The worlds with sprawling outdoor environments are what make this a hard pill to swallow and really drag the game down.

    I played a dozen or so hours on the xboxone before this version was announced. I stopped playing to experience it on the switch. I wish I would have just stuck out the journey on the xbox. If your only option is a switch I would wait for a steep discount before embarking on this journey.    … Expand
  5. ConsoleArgonaut
    Oct 13, 2020
    6
    I loved The Outer Worlds on PS4.
    However, this port has to compensate in so many places so it runs on Switch, that it's just not enjoyable playing it here.
    If Skyrim works perfectly on Switch, then The Outer Worlds should too. There just doesn't seem to be enough time invested into this port. Verdict: Play it on another system. Rating: Gameplay: 2/5 - The controls feel bad on    I loved The Outer Worlds on PS4.
    However, this port has to compensate in so many places so it runs on Switch, that it's just not enjoyable playing it here.
    If Skyrim works perfectly on Switch, then The Outer Worlds should too.
    There just doesn't seem to be enough time invested into this port.

    Verdict: Play it on another system.

    Rating:
    Gameplay: 2/5 - The controls feel bad on Switch.
    Level Design: 4/5 - Great! But exploration is bad on the Switch port, because of the loading times.
    Soundtrack: 3/5 - Good, but I won't listen to it outside of the game.
    Story: 4/5 - Great dialogue and a nice premise. But pretty shallow/simple in the end.
    Graphics: 2/5 - Just not good on the Switch.
    Length: 5/5 - Great for what it wants to be. About 20 hours.
    Replay Value: 3/5 - Great because it's a choice driven RPG. But since you won't want to play it on Switch it gets some minus points.
    Enjoyment: 1/5 - I just couldn't enjoy the switch port. Play it on another system.

    Overall rating: 24/40 => 6/10    … Expand
  6. Sunshadow87
    Oct 1, 2020
    7
    Un gran juego, pero un mal port, pero ni de lejos tan malo como lo han pintado en muchos medios y redes sociales. Creo que aclarar el punto negativo de los gráficos es primordial dadas las capturas trucadas que hay por internet. El juego gráficamente presenta un downgrade severo pero no injugable de ninguna de las maneras: se han reducido elementos paisajisticos como la vegetación (queUn gran juego, pero un mal port, pero ni de lejos tan malo como lo han pintado en muchos medios y redes sociales. Creo que aclarar el punto negativo de los gráficos es primordial dadas las capturas trucadas que hay por internet. El juego gráficamente presenta un downgrade severo pero no injugable de ninguna de las maneras: se han reducido elementos paisajisticos como la vegetación (que tampoco creo que fuera muy elevada dada la ambientación e historia del juego) y las texturas y efectos son de menor calidad, pero el punto más negativo es el popping. Este juego presenta un popping muy elevado, ya no con respecto a los elementos del escenario (que es común a otras versiones como he podido constatar en guías que incluso lo utilizan para provocar bugs en otras versiones) si no que existe popping con respecto a las propias texturas, de manera que al entrar o salir de un lugar lo normal es que lo primero que veamos sea un mojón sobre el que, en pocos segundos, se van sucediendo diferentes texturas hasta tener el escenario normal ya para explorar. A veces pueden aparecer tiempos de carga mientras recorremos rápidamente los escenarios, pero son raros y breves (3 o 4 veces en un juego que me ha durado unas 30-40 horas). No existe popping de enemigos que es otra cosa que se criticó al juego... uno de los enemigos iniciales es capaz de enterrarse y aparecer detrás de ti lo cual imagino que generó este bulo...
    Si te gusta el genero y no eres un super purista gráfico, este es un muy buen juego para tener en switch. El port es pobre y mejorable cierto, sabiendo que la switch puede dar mucho más de sí, pero no afecta a la jugabilidad para nada. Tienes ante ti un WRPG con una ambientación futurista que te da una enorme manga ancha a las decisiones, al roleplay de tu personaje y como quieres ser, pudiendo afrontar todas las situaciones como tu quieras: de manera pacífica, sigilosa, con violencia, apoyando a unos u otros, engañando, traicionando... y que transcurre en una colonia espacial hipercapitalista que se cae a pedazos mientras los trabajadores esclavos portan vendas en los ojos, y los rebeldes no son más que radicales desesperados o paranoicos consumados.
    Como punto negativo, cosa que suele pasar en los WRPG el comienzo es muy duro, pero una vez que te haces con buenas armas y armaduras a mitad de juego y mejoras un poco a tu personaje, el resto del juego se convierte en un paseo en el parque donde el combate pierde toda la gracia.    … Expand
  7. Sijun
    Mar 11, 2021
    7
    Reviewed Patch: 1.0.3

    I can only review this patch because I did not buy the initial release. I waited until this patch came out and then bought the game for cheap $20 physically. Pros: - great RPG - fun and interesting story - high replayability - well written characters - decent combat mechanics - lots of armor - good character customization - decent lenght (not every game    Reviewed Patch: 1.0.3

    I can only review this patch because I did not buy the initial release. I waited until this patch came out and then bought the game for cheap $20 physically.

    Pros:
    - great RPG
    - fun and interesting story
    - high replayability
    - well written characters
    - decent combat mechanics
    - lots of armor
    - good character customization
    - decent lenght (not every game has to be Witcher 3 or BotW in terms of length)

    Cons:
    - graphics (only on Switch) are still terrible in some places but its absolutely playable (but dont expect it to look like on PC or beavier consoles)
    - bugs and crashes (only on Switch; there are not many but they occured in my playthrough every now and then)
    - soundbugs... I mention this seperate from "bugs and crashes" because this is probably the biggest issue I have with this port. Walk by a river and you hear nothing. Walk over a bridge and you hear the river... but only if you stand in a specific spot. Same with guns, voices etc. SOmetimes sound just cuts of mid sentence only to re-appear soon after. Very immersive breaking.

    Summary:
    Outer Worlds is a great RPG from one of the better studios in the world. I love the humor, the style, the story and the combat. It is all in all a very good game. But Obsidian should really find an other studio to manage their Switch ports. The switches hardware is no excuse since games like Doom and Witcher got great ports. The graphics are not a problem. If you play in handheld you wont recognize it most of the time. But other things like soundbugs should not occur.

    Do I recommend this game on Switch?
    Yes. All in all this patch seemed to fix a lot of issues and I enjoyed my time playing this game. for $20 you get a great RPG and playing it on the go or in bed is great. So if the Switch is the only console you have and you dont like PC gaming, you are doing nothing wrong with Outer Worlds.    … Expand
  8. PandaBass
    Nov 18, 2021
    6
    Update after patches: Still not graphically impressive but enjoyable m 6 out of 10

    Original review: This port is so poor that it shouldn't be allowed to be realese, the fact that critics gave this a 7.1 is just mind blowing WTF. The game becomes 20 fps after playing for a while, random loading screens & don't get me started on the graphics.
  9. brainboru
    Feb 23, 2021
    7
    I like the gameplay, dialogue and role playing aspects. I would give those an 8 or 9 out of 10.

    However, the graphics and audio are awful. Maybe it's just the Switch version.
  10. JLord701
    Aug 4, 2020
    7
    This is clearly not the best switch port and runs far worse than Doom and Wolfenstein, but if you’re willing to overlook the graphics, you have a fantastic rpg that plays exactly how you want, and has some of the best writing I’ve seen in any game period. Hopefully they will add a graphical update similar to the Witcher 3, because the graphics really do hold it back in this case.
  11. BurtKocain
    Jan 21, 2021
    7
    A completely intact port of The Outer Worlds, if you can look past the severe visual downgrades. Some of these graphical sacrifices are merely unfortunate, such as the muddy textures and barren environments. Others, like the decreased resolution and draw distance, are actively detrimental to the quality of the game. While it's great to have a game as well-written and engaging as The OuterA completely intact port of The Outer Worlds, if you can look past the severe visual downgrades. Some of these graphical sacrifices are merely unfortunate, such as the muddy textures and barren environments. Others, like the decreased resolution and draw distance, are actively detrimental to the quality of the game. While it's great to have a game as well-written and engaging as The Outer Worlds on the Nintendo Switch, this port should really only be considered if you want to play it on a handheld or have no other options.… Expand
  12. Matt_B
    Jun 9, 2021
    7
    I'll get the bad news out of the way first. The graphics are poor, the frame rate suffers from frequent slowdowns, and there are some lengthy loading times.

    On the plus side, you are still getting the full game and if the Switch is your only way, or handheld matters that much to you, it's still on the right side of playable. The game itself is pretty solid. There's a far future    I'll get the bad news out of the way first. The graphics are poor, the frame rate suffers from frequent slowdowns, and there are some lengthy loading times.

    On the plus side, you are still getting the full game and if the Switch is your only way, or handheld matters that much to you, it's still on the right side of playable.

    The game itself is pretty solid. There's a far future setting, flitting around the planets of a distant star but it's also got a retro-future vibe with a lot of references to Golden Age sci-fi, including some nice mocked up posters that liven up the loading screens.

    The factions are a mixture of ruthless, but incompetent corporations, and their opponents who aren't always much better. You can take sides, although there's usually a way to reconcile the two.

    The characterization is also pretty strong. A few characters like Nyoka the drunken gunslinger and Sam the cleaning robot are a bit one note, but others like Vicar Max and Parvati the engineer have some hidden depths and one-liners that ought to draw a chuckle or two.

    Combat is OK. The game's systems do the job, but there's not a lot of point to using the upgrade systems until you're approaching the end of the game, because you're constantly picking up better gear. The only exception is the handful of 'science' weapons which add just enough individuality to be worth keeping; well, some of them are, at any rate.

    While you do get to make a few moral choices, the story ends up being quite linear in that you'll mostly end up going to the same places in close to the same order. So, don't expect too much in the way of replay value. It's still a fun ride through the first time.    … Expand
  13. LaconicSpaceCat
    Aug 12, 2021
    6
    Wow. Reading the reviews of people that have played it on other platforms, I'm glad I bought it when it was on sale on the eShop. The action-RPG and humor elements make for an eerie cross between Fallout and Borderlands. I haven't played it on any other platform, but I can definitely resonate with the opinions of others who have played the other ports; this game runs sluggishly. I loveWow. Reading the reviews of people that have played it on other platforms, I'm glad I bought it when it was on sale on the eShop. The action-RPG and humor elements make for an eerie cross between Fallout and Borderlands. I haven't played it on any other platform, but I can definitely resonate with the opinions of others who have played the other ports; this game runs sluggishly. I love FPSs, but this game's plodding (in my opinion) style doesn't suit me. I've already put it on my back burner.… Expand
  14. CassiusVGame
    Sep 20, 2021
    6
    Although this game wants to sell itself as being the child of Fallout:New Vegas and Borderlands and fails at that mission for the most part, this does not mean that it did not have its enjoyable moments.

    Verdict: buy on sale. Switch version has been patched and although not as good as PC, can still run.

Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 49 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 34 out of 49
  3. Negative: 2 out of 49
  1. GameMAG
    Sep 13, 2020
    40
    Without exaggeration, The Outer Worlds for Nintendo Switch is one of the worst games in terms of graphics, compared to which any remaster from the PlayStation 2 looks amazing. A team created a truly terrifying port of a very good game. In order not to feel cheated, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the creation of Obsidian on PC, PS4, PS4 Pro or Xbox One X.
    Read full review
  2. PLAY! Zine
    Sep 5, 2020
    40
    Do not do this to yourself, if you want to play this game (which you should) go ahead and play it on any other platform than Nintendo Switch. This port was so poorly done that it made me wonder am I losing sight.
    Read full review
  3. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Aug 29, 2020
    80
    The Outer Worlds is a must-play for fans of choice-driven sci-fi roleplaying games. That said, it's hard to recommend the Switch port. [Issue #47 – July/August 2020, p. 68]
See all critic reviews »