KCD2 Director Slams The Outer Worlds 2's Static World

The director of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 recently criticized The Outer Worlds 2 for featuring a "static, scripted world." Read on to learn more about his comments and how fans are responding to this critique.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Director's Critique of The Outer Worlds 2

Lack of New Game Mechanics

Daniel Vávra, director of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 (KCD2), expressed disappointment with Obsidian Entertainment's lack of innovation in The Outer Worlds 2 (TOW2). In a November 5 post on Twitter (now X), Vávra rated the game 7 out of 10, despite his concerns about the absence of new gameplay mechanics.

Vávra, co-founder of Warhorse Studios, is known for engaging in controversial discussions when defending his own games. This time, however, he is the one voicing criticism toward one of the year's most anticipated releases.

He pointed out that, with 15 years of development and Microsoft's financial backing, Obsidian failed to "evolve The Outer Worlds' proven but dated formula." Vávra noted that the studio created some of his all-time favorite games, including Fallout and New Vegas, which made him even more critical of their latest title.

The KCD2 director asked, "Can anyone name a single new game mechanic in The Outer Worlds that wasn't already present in Deus Ex or the original Fallout games over 25 years ago? Unfortunately, I can't think of one."

Vávra expressed his desire for a "living, simulated world" with "true non-linearity" that goes beyond "loot boxes, maintenance shafts, loading screens, and level grinding in a static, scripted environment."

Despite these criticisms, The Outer Worlds 2 has garnered significant popularity, receiving "Mostly Positive" reviews from the Steam community. It also maintains a strong "Generally Favorable" Metacritic score of 84 among critics and review sites.

Here at Game8, we awarded The Outer Worlds 2 a score of 90 out of 100 for building on the foundation of the first game, delivering more humor, depth, and polish. For our full evaluation, check out our review below.