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Beloved Halcyon Helen has been killed! Who could possibly murdered such a beloved spokesperson for Rizzo’s delicious range of drinks? The terror star on Monarch ?! It’s up to you to find out with the second – and final – DLC for The Outer Worlds with Murder on Eridanos.
Earlier this month, we had the opportunity to play through the last expansion before its reveal and while it was a radical pivot of Peril on Gorgon, it was a very pleasant experience from start to finish. Even if it really becomes, really weird.
Where Peril of Gorgon has become thematically very dark, Murder on Eridanos takes on an entirely different tone. Returning to the morbid humor the base game offers players, Murder on Eridanos takes players on a wild ride with a black pulp-inspired murder mystery. Halcyon Helen was murdered and in order to solve this unthinkable crime we had to travel the world of Eridanos to meet new faces, take on new quests, and find all new ways to be completely afraid of the shenanigans of the companies.
Eridanos is deceptively perfect. With a lavish hotel teeming with beautiful gardens and staff with smiles on their faces, the introduction to this new neighborhood has a juxtaposition that made me cringe just as much as it excited me to know. more. As we learned in the base game, nothing is as it seems when companies have a hand in everything, even who lives and who dies. Beneath the noisy world of extravagance and escape hides a dark secret linked to the murder that brought us here.
What makes this DLC so special is how different it was from anything so far while also taking players back to the roots of The Outer Worlds. This expansion also does a terrific job of picking up where the base game lacked when it comes to companion interactions. If you want the full experience? Bring Parvati and Felix often, as their character interventions and jokes take the whole experience to a whole new level.
The writing of Murder on Eridanos is perfect. The dialogue that occurs while unraveling the mystery behind the employees encountered is unmatched from the previous content. There were so many times (without spoiling anything) where I was so scared of a conversation I was having, to be sad when the dialogue was over. This expansion made me want to to talk to everyone I could talk to, and often. This willingness made the experience all the more rewarding, as talking to everyone fostered the conversation options that become available.
Conversations with NPCs and companions flow naturally where the base game stutters every now and then. There is a connection created with each character that made the time spent solving this mystery incredibly satisfying. To be the final DLC, that connection was important, and I have a feeling the creative writing and narrative design of Murder on Eridanos will leave a lasting impression on players long after the end credits. And really? This is the best way to say goodbye to players – give them an experience they won’t forget.
Along with the new area and new faces to meet, Murder on Eridanos also introduced a shiny new toy to play with. The Discrepancy Amplifyer is a sassy tool that plays multiple roles: This device is your guide as you roam the stunning Eridanos Orchards, your key to solving crimes by analyzing clues, and it’s a weapon at the same time. Although not particularly a Well weapon, it helps to be a full-fledged guide companion while helping to analyze crime scenes.
Fun fact, when we sat down with narrative designer Nitai Poddar, he told us that everyone who plays this DLC should have a “dumb” run at least once. “Everyone needs to play this set with low intelligence, even once. We even tell players at the start that if they don’t have high intelligence, some interactions get really weird.” Even the sounds made by the mismatch amplifier are altered, instead becoming a scrambled mumble that you can’t understand because you’re not smart enough to do it. I’m racing this now, and let me tell you, I’ve never been so excited and entertained by people telling me I’m stupid. It’s good.
From character design to the final chapter of Obsidian’s final story, Murder on Eridanos has filled some of the gaps in the base game. It was a mystery through and through, true to the aesthetic theme of The Outer Worlds and providing a new tale that makes the end of the road for this title bittersweet.
For more on The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos, check out our previous coverage here. You can also consult our full review of The Outer Worlds, in case you’re on the fence about Obsidian’s latest adventure.
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