The Outer Worlds 2 is "going deeper and more complex" with its companions, and I'm already making grabby hands at this RPG

The Outer Worlds 2 is really making me channel my inner Veruca Salt, because holy Auntie's Choice do I want it now. So many RPG ingredients speak directly to me, from the whacky perks and flaws, to the seriously cool sci-fi weapons (which are getting lots of improvements), and factions that bring to mind Fallout Out: New Vegas. Everything revealed so far is already making me think Obsidian will deliver on its promise to let us play our way as we navigate a new star system as an Earth Directorate agent. While I can't wait to shape my own journey later this year, what excites me the most is that we won't have to go it alone, because just like the first Outer Worlds, we'll be joined by six different companions.

Only this time around, as creative director Leonard Boyarsky put it in the Xbox Direct earlier this month, Obsidian is "going deeper and more complex" when it comes to the company we keep and the factions they're connected to. With both set to be "integrated into the game's storyline much more" than the first Outer Worlds, we'll be directly responsible for shaping their story as much as our own, which is really speaking my language. The icing on the party member cake is that our companions will also have "a lot more reactivity", too, and if Avowed has taught me anything, that latter aspect is a very good thing.

Choices, choices

I've always been of the opinion that having characters to journey alongside can bring so much added depth to the experience of playing an RPG. They can help us feel more connected to the world we're in, not only through the bonds we can form with them, but in the way they can act as our guides and teach us so much about our surroundings. Plus, there's a lot to be said about seeing your party members react or be directly affected by the choices you make, since this gives your decisions greater weight.

From hearing about the companions in The Outer Worlds 2, I have every hope they'll do their part to immerse us in the quirky corporate-dystopian setting Obsidian is bringing us back to. With each companion set to have their own questlines not unlike the crewmates of the first Outer Worlds, one of the big differences is that they'll also be tied to a faction, with "character arcs that the player can affect through their choices," as Boyarsky explained during the Direct.

The first Outer Worlds had a ragtag lineup of potential companions who could join you on The Unreliable (your ship which served as a home among the stars). Every one of them felt relatable thanks to their own perceived shortcomings and flaws, and I appreciated the way you could choose to help or hinder them overcome something, or fulfil a particular desire. But rather than be a kind of one-and-done deal like the questlines in the first game, The Outer Worlds 2 sounds like it's really stepping it up in this regard, with you having more of a tangible influence over the characters you journey and fight alongside over the course of the RPG.

Every single companion can be influenced by you in different ways. Niles, for example, who's a fellow Earth Directorate agent like you, can be pushed to become an even better agent, or inspired to turn his back on the organization completely. Aza, a cultist who's said to be part of a "sub-faction that worships rifts", can also be persuaded to stop her violent ways or give into them completely. We're often influenced by our peers and those we meet in life, so I can already imagine that being able to directly affect my companions throughout the RPG will only make me feel like I'm not only more connected to them as result, but that what I'm doing actually matters.

React and respond

I'm also very curious to see how the companion could influence me just as much. My feelings towards each character could absolutely sway my decisions when it comes to handling factions, especially if they tie into the events of the main story. If I love one of my party members, I wouldn't want to ruin our bond by, say, doing something to upset the balance of their faction. I'm already imagining how that could present some multifaceted dilemmas along the way that will no doubt make me think twice about my own approach and how I'm role-playing – which is absolutely the kind of thing I'm always looking for in RPGs.

The companions in the first game all also had their own opinions about the Halcyon colony and the general goings on in each location, and they'd never be afraid to pipe up if they disagreed with my choices, which gave me the kind of feedback I crave when it comes to decision-making that feels impactful.

So, hearing that reactivity is getting dialed up in the sequel is music to my ears, with game director Brandon Adler explaining that there's reactivity in the game based on how you've been treating your followers. "If you've not been treating them well," Adler teases, "you will find out at the end of the game what that means". I smell choices with tangible consequences, and I'm very here for it.

But I'm also really hoping The Outer Worlds 2 taps into the reactivity that made Avowed's companions feel so real and responsive outside of combat, too. Since they're said to be more involved in the story, I'd love to see them directly take part in the quests and interact with the environment just like Kai and the gang do in Obsidian's fantasy RPG in Eora – which constantly created the feeling that you're working together as a team, and that you're in the world together.

Of course, one of my biggest personal question marks is surrounding whether or not romance might come into play. The first game didn't have any (and wasn't any less enjoyable for it) but during the Direct, there was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it mention of the game having "almost no romance".

Okay, it could have just been said to poke fun at the first game, but the word "almost" makes me think there could be a whisper of something romantic in the sequel. I may just be reading too much into a single world here, but if it's anything like Avowed's build up to something more with Kai, I'd be elated.

Even with the potential absence of any sort of romance, I cannot wait to meet the characters that promise to bring my adventure in The Outer Worlds 2 to life in a way nothing else can. I don't know what they'll be like or how they'll influence me as I take on the role of an Earth Directorate agent, but I'm ready to get on board right now… honestly, October can't come around soon enough.

With The Outer Worlds 2, Obsidian is dedicated to making sneaky playstyles truly viable: "We have a strike team going room-by-room to see if we can stealth properly through each location".