The Outer Worlds is just… sad.

when i first played it i thought i was in for a critique of capitalism, in a dystopic scenario where it’s only the economic system that managed to colonize space.

Instead, i get a liberal ‘‘critique’’ of whatever the hell they consider to be ‘‘extremes’’, as the only times this game critiques capitalism is when the owners are so comically evil to such an irrealistic degree that they seem more like cartoon characters. In fact, i’d say the game spends more time shitting on anti-capitalists, than it ever does spend critiquing the system: The Iconoclasts a group of ‘‘anti-corporate revolutionaries’’ and their leader Graham Bryant, are painted as evil because they willingly allowed pirates kill the company’s bosses and their families living on the planet. And the only good ending they’re allowed to have is when you kill their leader and make them merge with the Epic socdem ‘‘we have healtchare and vacations’’ corporation next doors.

Felix Millstone, the recruitable Cargo-bay worker is constantly made fun of by both the game’s writers and the other characters for his anti-capitalists views. ‘‘He kicks things that need kicking, and we look the other way when he starts talking anti-corporate.’’ (dialogue from another one of your companions) and how the ‘‘good’’ ending mocks him for having hopes of an ‘‘awakening’’ among the colony that would spark a revolution as if it was an impossible fantasy that only children dream up.

Clyde Harlowe and his band of Outlaws who attack company freighters and ‘‘plot a revolution within the colony’’, are portrayed as murderous, evil and useful idiots that get used by corporations to attack their rival’s freighters.

Hell, this Both-sideism that the writers love is even present in the dilemma from the FIRST main quest of the game, where a group of deserters from a company town make their own little town with an alternative food source that doesnt rely on the company Cannery, but there’s only enough electricity for one place so you are forced to choose who dies. the only way to reach an ending where you don’t have to starve half the population to death is when you bring the deserters back into the Company town, where they become indentured servants that have to pay for their graves with their own money.