The Outer Worlds isn’t on Steam, but it is on Xbox Game Pass. Indie games’ availability for PC can be pretty critical if you’re planning on playing the service because the opportunity to take apart, rebuild, and hack away at your project is limited. Since it’s been a while since you last played The Outer Worlds, it’s time to recap everything that you missed from the 2013 launch, including the team’s announcement on Xbox.

GTA Forza

Rockstar Games is the new poster child for Xbox exclusives, given that the highly successful game for this console was published under the Other TAS label, where it wasn’t revealed to other platforms. However, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was originally considered an Xbox exclusive, like The Outer Worlds. Grand Theft Auto San Andreas for Xbox, however, never saw release and the game ultimately released later on platforms like PlayStation 2, Wii, and Xbox 360.

Lofty Aspects

The Outer Worlds was created in 2005 and was submitted for development under the outstanding alternative submissions program. Originally, the game was going to have a level of role-playing and sandbox gameplay, where players would take control of adventurer Seth Hammond and search for nature’s primal fountain of youth. Players can either either progress at their own will or rely on other players for assistance. Another eccentric element to The Outer Worlds was its modern art interpretation and its aim to “re-open lost lands of the past.”

Seth’s Quest

Seth Hammond’s quest spans many different regions of the known universe and his story encompasses many different plots, both fictional and real. Seth’s quest was an experimental title in the If Inspired Phase, where the idea of exploring is encouraged for developing games. The Outer Worlds’ story is most specific to the Outership of Shaw (best known from PS4’s Resistance series), which Seth initially conquered before being stranded alone at the center of the galaxy.

A Necessary Update

Ever since The Outer Worlds’ release, new features have been added through the 2014 Demolition and Refurbishment Phase. The 2014 Demolition Phase allowed the creators to overhaul and remake the game and clarify some of the story additions. Overhauled footage and story reveals improved graphics, character animations, visuals, cutscenes, and increased cinematics. The 2016 Renewed Content Phase allowed the creators to pack The Outer Worlds with entirely new story content, such as first-person cinematic re-tellings and medium-realm shooting. With the current reinvention phase, The Outer Worlds is available for Xbox Game Pass.

Final Thoughts

The Outer Worlds is looking to become the first indie game to reach the status of a huge success on Xbox Game Pass. The Outer Worlds is an interesting mix of a game that doesn’t feel like it really had a chance of success at the time of its release. Instead, it became an ironic classic alongside the likes of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Fallout 3.

The Outer Worlds has received some well-deserved recognition from the technical community, but the game’s use of high-end graphics certainly isn’t a staple anymore on top-tier platforms like Xbox and PlayStation. Now that the title is enjoying renewed attention, is this game the epitome of a PC-native indie title? Probably not. At least, not for a long time.

Photo Credit: The Outer Worlds

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