The Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon Review – Once More Unto The Colonies

The Outer Worlds was one of the big surprise hits that came out last year, from beloved RPG makers Obsidian Entertainment. Peril On Gorgon is the first of the game’s narrative-driven DLC, set on the remote mining asteroid Gorgon. How is the game’s first major expansion? Only one way to find out.

The most important primer before starting Peril on Gorgon, or even this review, is that Obsidian wasn’t kidding when they said this was a narrative-based DLC. Aside from a few new perks and a new melee weapon, the game is very much focused on the story aspects. This review will also be spoiler-free, so don’t worry about reading on.

Straight Out of A Pulp Fiction

The story starts with you receiving a message addressed to Alex Hawthorne from a man called Lucky Montoya. He promises a job with amazing pay, if not a little dangerous. There’s a catch, however: the tape comes with Montoya’s arm still attached to it.

Following coordinates he provided, the crew of The Unreliable meet Wilhelmina “Minnie” Ambrose, daughter of renowned scientist Olivia Ambrose. She offers you a huge reward to pick up where Lucky left off- retrieving her mother’s journal from the mining colony of Gorgon.

When you arrive, Gorgon is a ghost town. The colony was run by Spacer’s Choice, and home to the secretive Project Gorgon. As the crew of The Unreliable try to access the journal, a mysterious stranger begins a colony-wide lockdown. Clearly, something’s going on with Project Gorgon.

Right off the bat, Peril of Gorgon has a strong setup. The story sounds straight out of a sci-fi adventure serial, as is the game’s general tone. While the plot has no particularly big revelations, it’s definitely a fun little romp.

Of Appeal And Red Flags

As is typical of Obsidian, Gorgon is a great area to be in. While the game’s story is simple, the locale is full of text and audio logs so you can see first-hand accounts of what happened on Gorgon. Of course, its not just exposition, as there’s also plenty of minutia like employees complaining about work. These nice little touches of world building all give the game a great sense of immersion.

And then there’s Wilhelmina Ambrose. The NPC walked straight out of a pulp fiction, charming you and setting off a million red flags all at once. The start of the game has her invite you in for a drink, as she discusses her plans for you in Gorgon.

The main town on Gorgon looks amazing, too. Abandoned equipment, the faint sound of sirens, it creates a really nice interview. The game also goes to lengths to show Marauders actually interacting with the abandoned environments, giving it an extra-authentic feel.

More of the Same

Gameplay wise, Perils of Gorgon isn’t exactly pushing the envelope. The gameplay is just more of the same compared to the base The Outer Worlds. Credit where credit is due, that means it’s still really good. But fans expecting some revolutionary new mechanic should probably reconsider.

The areas in the game are also fairly straightforward, making them quite hard to get lost in. It keeps the story moving at a brisk pace, so you never feel like it’s padding itself out for time.

There’s also several new perks added to the game. They’re all useful in their own way, but none moreso than the perk which rewards you for playing solo. Perks like this work well for subsequent playthroughs, since they reshape how you play the game.

Similar to The Outer Worlds, the game also rewards different skill builds. Characters can be intimidated, while more intelligence-based builds can also pry for more details. Again, this is all stuff you can do in the base game. It’s nice to know that the DLC doesn’t skimp on giving you a comparable experience, however.

Final Thoughts

The Outer Worlds: Perils on Gorgon is a fun side story on your journey through Halcyon in The Outer Worlds. Taking place about halfway through the game’s story lets you make sure you’re going to Gorgon with a build at least slightly figured out.

It’s an atmospheric, deeply interesting adventure story, with a satisfying fork at the end of the game very in line with The Outer World’s themes. On top of that, the NPCs you talk to are all well animated, making the game’s dialogue sections quite enjoyable.

If your complaint about The Outer Worlds was that you wanted more Outer Worlds, then boy, is this the DLC for you.

Final Score:

8/10

Review copy provided by Private Division. Game reviewed on MSI GE75 Raider 8SE. It has an Intel Core i7-8750H，16GB DDR4 RAM，NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 to ensure an optimal gaming experience.

The Outer Worlds

Publisher: Private Division

Developer: Obsidian Entertainment

Release Date: 2019-10-25

Epic Games Store, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

The Outer Worlds is a new single-player sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Entertainment and Private Division. As you explore a space colony, the character you decide to become will determine how this player-driven story unfolds. In the corporate equation for the colony, you are the unplanned variable.

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