If you’ve played enough games, you know the drill: big dramatic cutscene, hero poses, villain monologues, something explodes, and then finally, you get the controller back. Most games treat cinematics like a mandatory ride you have to sit through before the “real” game starts.
The Outer Worlds 2 doesn’t do that.
Its cinematic moments feel like someone is pulling you aside not to lecture you, but to let you in on a joke, a lie, or a piece of propaganda they shouldn’t be showing you yet. It’s still flashy. It’s still ridiculous. But it’s purposefully ridiculous, and that’s what makes it work.
The first big “movie moment” of the game is that serialized, over-the-top broadcast about Commander Zane and Buddy. The Earth Directorate presents it like a heroic adventure, but it’s so polished, so shiny, and so aggressively upbeat that you immediately know something’s off.
And that’s the point. This intro isn’t just “here’s the story.” It’s:
- PR spin
- a lore delivery device
- a tone-setter
- and a giant neon sign saying, “Everyone in this universe is lying to you.”
Obsidian even said in Xbox’s showcase breakdown that this whole thing is in-universe propaganda. That’s such a weird, specific choice, and it’s absolutely perfect for a world run by corporations and bureaucrats who can’t resist hearing themselves talk. One thing The Outer Worlds 2 does better than the first game is letting factions feel visually distinct, not just ideologically different. A CGM interview with the art team basically confirmed this, they designed each group from the ground up as if each one had its own film crew with its own vibe. So when a Protectorate cutscene hits, it looks rigid, clean, militaristic.
When the Order of the Ascendant shows up, suddenly everything is all ritualistic framing and cosmic symbolism. Auntie’s Choice? Total chaotic consumerist carnival. These aren’t just stylistic choices, they’re shorthand for “here’s who you’re dealing with.” You don’t have to read a codex entry; the cinematic tells you everything you need to know. This part feels risky, but Obsidian leans into it hard: some cinematic moments simply won’t happen if your play style doesn’t intersect with them. Joe Fielder (senior narrative designer) straight-up said he likes when players miss stuff. Thousands of lines of dialogue, entire characters you could walk past, story beats you’ll never unlock because you weren’t that type of player. It’s not punishing. It’s honest. This is a big, messy sci-fi world. You’re not owed every scene. The cinematics that do trigger end up feeling personal. Like the game is saying, “You did this. This is your run. This is the version of the universe you get.” One of the most interesting choices Obsidian makes is using cinematic sequences not as facts, but as perspectives. A lot of the “official” footage you see in the game comes from factions who absolutely, without hesitation, have agendas.
You’re not watching history.
You’re watching PR.
You’re watching spin.
You’re watching biased accounts.
And that instantly makes everything more interesting. Leonard Boyarsky mentioned in an interview that they consciously avoided just dumping exposition on the player. They want ambiguity. They want you to question every faction’s version of events. Cinematics, instead of tying things down, open up more questions. That’s a rare move in a triple-A game, where cutscenes usually exist to simplify a story, not complicate one. Radio broadcasts are the game’s “mini-movies” Not every cinematic moment in Outer Worlds 2 is an actual cutscene. Some of the best storytelling is audio-only: faction radio stations reporting on your actions, spinning them wildly out of proportion, or just singing propaganda jingles that are way too catchy for their own good. Gamerant covered this pretty well, radio is one of the most reactive systems in the game, and honestly, it feels like a living version of the old Fallout trick. Except here, it’s way more corporate, way more manic, and way more specific. Half the time, hearing a jingle about your “heroism” is way funnier (and more disturbing) than any cutscene. The Outer Worlds 2 doesn’t overuse cinematics, which is probably why the ones that do appear actually land. They punctuate the story. They’re breaths between the chaos. They’re the “step outside for a second” moments where the game reveals something about the world instead of the next quest. The cinematic language in this one is tighter and more confident than the first game. There’s a sense of, “we know exactly when to show you something, and when to get out of the way.”
It works. It keeps the satire sharp without drowning you in it. It keeps the stakes high without melodrama.And it keeps you grounded in a world where truth is… negotiable.
