Obsidian Entertainment is releasing The Outer Worlds 2 as their second major game in 2025. While Avowed explored high fantasy, The Outer Worlds 2 builds on the success of their 2019 sci-fi RPG, refining what players enjoyed before. Early impressions suggest they’ve done just that. The game also looks and runs incredibly well, boasting fast performance and a striking visual style.
For a more detailed look at how Obsidian Entertainment improved upon the original, check out our review of The Outer Worlds 2. While many role-playing games talk about player choice, this one truly delivers—you’ll face tough decisions with significant consequences that genuinely impact the game world and its planets. Though not every aspect stands out, The Outer Worlds 2 excels at creating a truly immersive role-playing experience.
The sequel has been upgraded to Unreal Engine 5, mirroring the approach taken with Avowed. Visually, the two games share a lot in common, and players may notice some of the same performance issues in both.
We tested The Outer Worlds 2 using a powerful iBUYPOWER RDY Y70 TI B03 system, equipped with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card and an Intel Core i9-14900KF processor. This allowed us to see how well Obsidian’s new game utilizes the latest technology to provide a smooth and enjoyable experience.
Game Rant iBUYPOWER Test PC Specs
Motherboard: MSI PRO Z790-A MAX WiFi
CPU: Intel Core i9-14900KF CPU
CPU Cooler: iBUYPOWER 360mm Addressable RGB Liquid Cooling System
GPU: GeForce RTX 5090 Asus Tuf Gaming
Memory: 64GB DDR5 (6000MHz)
Storage: 4TB (2x2TB) M.2 NVMe Gen4 SSD
PSU: 1000 Watt – High Power PCIe GEN 5 PSU
Case: iBUYPOWER HYTE Y70 Touch Infinite – Black
As a big fan of Obsidian games, I’ve noticed a really consistent style between The Outer Worlds 2 and Avowed. Things like how the characters’ faces move, the design of the menus, and even the sound effects feel very similar – it’s clearly a look they’re developing across both projects. While The Outer Worlds came first, it’s obvious Obsidian has found a formula that works for them. They aren’t necessarily aiming for cutting-edge realism, but rather a distinct visual style that perfectly suits the game’s overall feel.
While the game runs smoothly, perhaps because the graphics aren’t overly demanding, I’m still really impressed with the semi-open world planets in The Outer Worlds 2. They’re full of fascinating plants and creatures.
The Outer Worlds 2 offers a good range of graphics options, including Low, Medium, High, and Very High settings. It’s helpful that the game clearly explains what each setting does – for example, it tells you exactly what changing ‘Screen Effects’ will impact. While the ‘Screen Effects’ setting controls multiple visual features at once (like chromatic aberration, which can’t be turned off separately), it’s a welcome feature, especially for players new to PC gaming.
The Outer Worlds 2 Graphics Options
- Screen Effects: Low, Medium, High, Very High
- View Distance: Low, Medium, High, Very High
- Shadows: Low, Medium, High, Very High
- Anti-Aliasing: Low, Medium, High, Very High
- Textures: Low, Medium, High, Very High
- Visual Effects: Low, Medium, High, Very High
- Foliage: Low, Medium, High, Very High
- Global Illumination: Low, Medium, High, Very High
- Reflections: Low, Medium, High, Very High
- Crowd Density: Low, Medium, High, Very High
Whenever a game made with Unreal Engine 5 is discussed, people often worry about performance issues like stuttering or pauses. I played an early version of The Outer Worlds 2 and noticed some of that, but thankfully, updates and patches significantly improved how smoothly it ran. I did encounter a memory issue at the very beginning of the game that needed a restart, but it didn’t happen again after that point.
We were worried the game’s performance might suffer when exploring the open-world areas with lots of characters, but it actually runs very smoothly. Even with detailed visual effects, the game maintained a high frame rate on our test system at the maximum settings.
Right now, the game only stutters noticeably when the Icognito spaceship lands on a new planet. There’s a big pause during that landing cutscene, but gameplay runs smoothly after that.
Beyond that, The Outer Worlds 2 performs exceptionally well even with all the graphics settings turned up to their highest. You can further enhance the visuals with technologies like DLSS, FSR, and XeSS, and if you have an Nvidia card, Frame Generation can boost performance even more – and it supports up to 4x Frame Generation without needing any extra software. During testing on my 4K 120Hz TV, the game consistently maintained high performance, rarely dropping below 120 frames per second. On a 240Hz monitor, I typically saw frame rates in the 100s or even close to 200, depending on the settings and whether Frame Generation was enabled.
The Outer Worlds 2 features hardware ray tracing, which enhances the game’s graphics. However, if enabling it causes performance issues, the visual difference isn’t substantial enough to worry about.
Even with features like Frame Generation (available on 40-series GPUs) or DLSS enabled, The Outer Worlds 2 sees a significant performance boost without a noticeable drop in visual quality. This higher frame rate is especially helpful for players who prefer a fast-paced, action-oriented experience, allowing for quicker movement and more precise aiming.
Obsidian is on a roll, and with each successful game, it’s clear why they stick to what works. The Outer Worlds 2 runs incredibly well, just like Avowed did, and players who’ve tried it so far seem to be really enjoying the RPG experience.
With fans eagerly awaiting new installments in the Elder Scrolls and Fallout series, Obsidian Entertainment has stepped up with RPGs of their own. Though not as large or expensive as those major titles, Obsidian’s games are still high-quality and fun to play.
Game Rant reviewed the game Mafia: The Old Country while using the iBUYPOWER RDY Y70 TI B03 gaming PC. iBUYPOWER creates PCs that gamers can customize to fit their specific needs. You can see the iBUYPOWER setup Game Rant used, or browse iBUYPOWER’s website for other gaming PC deals.
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2025-10-29 12:05