A corporate conspiracy, scheming execs, disillusioned actors and one high-profile murder case. All of this awaits players in the Outer Worlds second and final adventure, Murder on Eridanos.
In Murder on Eridanos, players are contracted by the Rizzo Corporation to investigate the murder of Ruth Bellamy, a beloved Aetherwave actress who also doubled as the face of the company. What follows is an ever-spiraling mystery as your work to uncover not only who was behind the murder of Bellamy, but also the greater secret of Eridanos.
Acting as the final expansion to the Outer Worlds, Obsidian brings its signature witty writing to a tried and classic whodunit story. While the last expansion, Peril on Gorgon, was more exploration and combat-focused, Murder on Eridanos has the player flex their investigative and dialogue skills as they try to get to the heart of the mystery.
Murder on Eridanos is rife with quirky and interesting characters. From snooty actors to an overly eager drink vendor with a parasite growing from her neck, your investigation will bring in you contact with a large cast of characters.
Best of all, Obsidian gives the player plenty of tools to gather evidence as they build their case on who their primary suspect is. You can go out of your way to confirm alibis and narrow down the list of potential suspects. You can even make choices on what information to reveal and withhold that can affect who will assist you in your investigation.
To help with your investigation, you are also given the Timeline Discrepancy Amplifier, a glorified magnifying class with a built in AI. This little doodad is great for identifying clues in the environment and gives you the opportunity to investigate more into them through skill checks. One annoyance, though, is that it will aggressively quip at you when you wander in and out of the vicinity of a clue until you analyze it.
Eridanos itself is such a unique location to the Outer Worlds and has some breathtaking visuals. Set in the atmosphere of a gas giant, there is no actual land to this planet. Instead, floating islands are knitted together with perilous walkways and massive industrial thrusters. In the distance, you can also witness massive storms raging in the atmosphere, providing a sharp contrast between the luxury of the Grand Colonial Hotel.
Of course, this being an Outer Worlds DLC, expect plenty of side quests and new gear during your stay on Eridanos. Each of the side quests are fun little adventures and none of them feel throwaway, and a good portion of them will utilize the same investigation gameplay from the main story.
Murder on Eridanos isn’t just a great final adventure, but also feels like the Outer Worlds coming into its own with a unique voice. It cleverly blends tropes of the detective genre to parody and build its own compelling mystery. Anyone who is a fan of the genre will enjoy this DLC outing.
With Obsidian finally hitting their stride, we can only hope that this last DLC also won’t be the last time we get to visit the Outer Worlds. But for fans of the game, this expansion is a must buy.
DLC reviewed on an Xbox Series X.
4/5 Torches
