The mind behind Kingdom Come argues that The Outer Worlds 2 doesn’t truly move the needle: despite a seven out of ten, he sees a shortage of fresh mechanics and urges Obsidian to rediscover the Fallout: New Vegas spirit. Having cleared Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, the director also beat Obsidian’s new RPG, yet his comments suggest he’s far from thrilled.

Obsidian Entertainment ranks among Xbox’s finest studios, recently shipping titles like Avowed and Grounded 2. You could write volumes about how RPGs have changed over the years – for many, Baldur’s Gate 3 and the new Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 define the moment. Right now, though, plenty of players are digging into one of the year’s most anticipated role-playing games – The Outer Worlds 2.

How the Kingdom Come Director Critiques Obsidian

Daniel Vávra – director of both Kingdom Come: Deliverance games and Warhorse Studios co-founder – posted on X/Twitter that he finished The Outer Worlds 2, then sent a pointed message to Obsidian. Even with a 7/10 score, he isn’t entirely pleased; in his view, the studio should have been bolder with new mechanics and with worlds that react more meaningfully to player choice.

“What saddens me is that the company and the people who gave us one of my favorite games (Fallout & New Vegas) haven’t been able, even after 15 years and with all of Microsoft’s money and the latest technological advances, to create a single new gameplay mechanic that takes this tried-and-tested but outdated formula somewhere different. Can anyone think of a single mechanic in The Outer Worlds that wasn’t already in Deus Ex or the original Fallout games from over 25 years ago? I can’t.” – via PC Gamer.

Vávra calls for “a living, simulated world,” and spells it out: he wants more than “loot boxes, maintenance ducts, loading screens, and leveling up in a static, scripted world.” The Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 creator champions RPGs where rules interlock, simulation stays consistent, and scenarios invite clever solutions – with everything pushing back on player decisions.

Unlike Fallout: New Vegas or KOTOR 2, Obsidian has lately leaned into more focused games with fewer systemic ambitions. Even so, The Outer Worlds 2 still deserves credit for narrative quality and for being a clear step up from its predecessor. There’s room in this industry for both tightened RPGs and those that are expansive, reactive, and dynamic – with Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3 as touchstones for the latter.

What Obsidian Says

While not aimed directly at Vávra, Obsidian has stated its intent: to clarify what an “Obsidian RPG” means rather than chase trends. As Marcus Morgan, VP of Operations, told The Game Business, with The Outer Worlds 2 and Avowed, the goal is “to more clearly define what it means to be Obsidian as an independent entity, rather than chasing after what already exists.”

Comparisons to Larian, Bethesda, or CD Projekt RED are inevitable, but the ambition is to deliver something distinct – not to replicate Baldur’s Gate 3 or Cyberpunk 2077. There were moments of “doubt” about whether to follow certain AAA trappings, yet after shipping both projects, the team feels more certain than ever about building story-driven games grounded in consequence-laden choices and cohesive – not necessarily open – worlds.

So even as Vávra pushes for more simulated, “systemic” worlds, Obsidian appears committed to what it does best – defining its own brand instead of jousting with giant studios. There’s an audience for both paths, and the reception of The Outer Worlds 2 is proof. Ultimately, Obsidian isn’t trying to be “the next Larian or the next CD Projekt RED,” but to cement what an “Obsidian RPG” stands for.

Source: 3djuegos