I played The Outer Worlds 2 preview four times — here’s what I learned about its branching gameplay

Image of Sleep Token's Vessel in The Outer Worlds 2.

Obsidian Entertainment is determined to be the MVP of Xbox this year, with three high-profile releases on its plate. The third and arguably most important of the year is The Outer Worlds 2, coming in a few short months with some adequately ambitious promises for an open-world, sci-fi RPG. And it's coming to Xbox Game Pass at launch.

I leapt at the opportunity to preview The Outer Worlds 2 at home, and while I was disappointed by the scope of the preview build provided to me, I still got a good enough feel for this upcoming Xbox game to be properly excited about the full release. Obsidian rarely misses, and fate isn't set to be challenged by this sequel.

If you're thinking to yourself, "I wasn't a big fan of the first game, I wonder if the second will win me over," though, then I still suggest some caution. Obsidian is sticking to its guns with The Outer Worlds 2 — I argue for the better, but certain RPG fans will claim it's for the worse.

One area, four characters, and a whole lot of bodies left behind

The opening cinematic looks pretty slick. (Image credit: Windows Central)

You're an agent of an organization dedicated to fighting tyranny wherever it exists in The Outer Worlds 2. (Image credit: Windows Central)

The beginning mission is your introduction — and the scope of my preview. (Image credit: Windows Central)

This mission does a good job easing you into the world. (Image credit: Windows Central)

The area in which this mission takes part looks great, if pretty standard for The Outer Worlds. (Image credit: Windows Central)

Full dismemberment is here in force. I was actually taken aback when this fine gentleman exploded. (Image credit: Windows Central)

Environments are more detailed this time around, and there's a lot to see if you look for it. (Image credit: Windows Central)

This game absolutely still rocks a cartoonish vibe, but it's more refined now. (Image credit: Windows Central)

Little animations for things like reloading weapons and interacting with machinery looks great, too. (Image credit: Windows Central)

The sneak attack can get messy. (Image credit: Windows Central)

Something may have blown up. Something big. (Image credit: Windows Central)

It may have been this thing. (Image credit: Windows Central)

This may be that thing after the explosion. (Image credit: Windows Central)

I had hoped my The Outer Worlds 2 preview would be similar to my Avowed preview from late last year, in that I’d be given mostly unrestricted access to the first major area of the game with a chunk of that area’s story.

Sadly, this preview was far more limited, only allowing me to play through the initial hour or so of the game — effectively the tutorial prologue. So, I decided to play through this singular mission four separate times to get a feel for TOW2’s branching gameplay options.

I really wish I had been given more of The Outer Worlds 2 to explore, but being able to replay the prologue level still gave me plenty of insight.

My first character was a snarky and sneaky renegade, able to stealthily dispatch all their foes with a sassy quip at their lips. Next, I played as a violent and reckless ex-convict, using their talent for brutality to pursue the most straightforward path forward — regardless of the consequences.

My third run was in the shoes of a sickly but intensely capable professor, whose intellect and versatile kit of abilities more than made up for their subpar combat skills. Finally — and even though this preview didn’t give me any opportunity to interact with companions — I played as a charismatic and well-spoken lawbringer, aiming to talk rather than shoot my way through every obstacle.

No matter which path I took, though, there were quite a few bodies; don't expect to play The Outer Worlds 2 without shedding blood, unless you're a fan of punishing yourself.

I created my first character more-or-less how I did in the first game. (Image credit: Windows Central)

At this point, I didn't know how big the preview was. (Image credit: Windows Central)

Once I did, I came back for repeat playthroughs using different backgrounds and traits. (Image credit: Windows Central)

There are a lot of actions and paths you can only take if you have the right character build. (Image credit: Windows Central)

I like how many options there are, but it does leave you with a sense of "I can never do everything." (Image credit: Windows Central)

This path was interesting. The right ingredients of skills and interactions with my squad gave me the ability and information to disable a security system. (Image credit: Windows Central)

The "Observation" skill can highlight hidden secrets you otherwise can't find, which is interesting. (Image credit: Windows Central)

I really did need a character with the right charisma and speech skills to get through to this paranoid guard. (Image credit: Windows Central)

There are four different ways to interact with doors, containers, and machines, each requiring different skills. (Image credit: Windows Central)

Despite only being able to explore such a modest section of The Outer Worlds 2, I managed to get a good feel for the core gameplay loop and how much flexibility players will have in how they approach different missions and quests.

My initial run as a knife-wielding renegade is how I tend to play most RPGs — a lone wolf that sticks to the shadows. It also felt very familiar to my original The Outer Worlds playthrough, although it highlighted something crucial — how much better movement feels now.

Your character still has proper weight in the world and to their movements, but The Outer Worlds 2 feels more responsive and fluid overall, with upgraded traversal and smoother animations. I had fun stealth-ing my way through this branching area.

Thanks to this preview, I know what my final character will look like: a crazy person who definitely hit the mad science books way more than the evil gym.

My fourth playthrough as a charismatic leader is how I initially believed I'd end up playing The Outer Worlds 2, but now I'm not so sure. On one hand, I was able to successfully talk my way through multiple obstacles — and that was incredibly satisfying. On the other hand, I never had a chance to actually play with any of the new companions, giving another playthrough a chance to impress me.

That would be the nerdiest of the bunch, whose varied skillset opened up a lot of avenues for me, including hacking the area's entire droid security system, rigging explosives to wipe out a squadron of enemies, and translating obfuscated research notes into usable information.

Being able to uncover so many new mysteries on my third go around more than made up for my diminished combat abilities, and I can already see how having a companion at my back would further bring out those positive qualities.

A deeper and more refined RPG, but still "The Outer Worlds"

I had a lot of fun with this basic combat, but I never got to play with the more advanced weaponry or abilities. (Image credit: Windows Central)

I was only able to sink a handful of hours into The Outer Worlds 2 (for now), but I'm decently confident Obsidian has another win on its hands here. Visually, the game retains the cartoonish artistic style of its predecessor but with superior cinematics, animations, and environmental details.

Story-wise, writing feels like it has gone up a notch, and I'm more intrigued by the blossoming narrative than I was with the first game. Gameplay is familiar but more polished, buttressed by improved movement, satisfying audio design, and even more dynamic environments.

I'm curious if the character creator I had access to is the complete version planned for launch, as it felt a little light on customization features for your character's appearance and traits. I'm also conscious of performance and stability in the final release, as I only played a small slice (and while I didn't encounter any bugs, I did notice some framerate drops and brief freezes at times).

The moral of the story, though, is that this is still The Outer Worlds.

The moral of the story, though, is that this is still The Outer Worlds. It's a colorful concoction of morbid themes and goofy humor, with intentionally "heavy" gameplay where your player skill, character, companions, story decisions, and the world itself all play major roles. So far, The Outer Worlds 2 feels like more of the first game, but with years of refinement layered on top and the promise of a bigger, bolder universe and narrative.

I can't tell you quite yet just how well The Outer Worlds 2 delivers on that promise, but I can say I'm very excited to play more. The Outer Worlds 2 officially releases on Oct. 29, 2025 for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Game Pass, and you can expect a full review on Windows Central around that time.