(Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment)

Classic Space Murder Mystery

Action, intrigue, and a corporate-owned planet with workers that are 100% happy await the intrepid gamer in the latest DLC for The Outer Worlds. Murder on Eridanos adds an entire questline on a planet kept together by massive rockets. The expansion has new creatures, characters, and some interesting weapons. There were some issues with the combat repetition and the way the DLC is presented. However, these are only minor issues for anyone who already enjoys playing The Outer Worlds. The Load Screen reviews the humorful DLC from Obsidian and Private Division.

The DLC starts as an odd request from ADA to watch a serial adventure. She has never once made the offer to watch an aetherwave serial drama despite mentioning them frequently throughout the main campaign, so the start felt a little abrupt. The player is shown a cutscene with the broadcast that is interrupted with breaking news of star Halcyon Helen’s tragic death. Flinging Hawthorne directly into the mess is a request from leading planetary authority to head the investigation for her killer.

(Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment)

The planet itself was one of my favorite parts of the game since it consists of several landmasses kept afloat by huge jet engines. The world seems to have failed but advanced engineering is denying the planet its fate. The entirely corporate-owned setup is insane, but apparently, no one seems to be worried that the engines might fail. Worse yet for those acrophobic or afraid of heights, the islands are connected and traversed with Golden Gate length bridges. While they do take a while to run, they are the best way to get a view of the ridiculous living environment of Eridanos. Each of the islands has its own feel, such as a grand hotel, a brewery, and even a hedge maze full of homicidal robots. Every section had jubilant Rizzo employees with murderous tendencies and a creepy perpetual smile that would make the Joker jealous.

There are three new science weapons and a single story-required gun introduced with this DLC. The science munitions are attack-focused with different funny effects on enemies. The Needler, Udder Buddy, and Spectrum Gatling Gun are the names of these are hard sought-after weapons. Each is found throughout Eridanos by completing specific quests including some from the Murder on Eridanos story. The most important DLC gun is the Discrepancy Amplifier which is given immediately after starting the investigation. It allows the player to search for clues or can fire normal ammunition at enemies.

By the starting DLC level 30 requirement most of the fighting throughout The Outer Worlds can get stale. I had plenty of weapons or abilities that did more damage than any of the added weapons, so they usually sat in my inventory. I was often left reminding myself that switching back to the Amplifier might find the next clue, except in obvious places like the crime scene. The quippy lines delivered by the Amplifier’s AI and the spectral clues it highlighted made the mystery fun to solve when I was not experiencing the rest of Eridanos.

(Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment)

The Murder on Eridanos took me over 11 hours to beat but I did every side quest possible and followed every clue. It even lets the player accuse any suspect after the truth is known, a nod to the openness in choice garnered throughout most Obsidian titles. The developers made sure their mystery had multiple endings unlike other murder detective-style quests similar to Skyrim’s Blood on Ice. That mission gives the impression of a choice throughout its mystery but always ends with the murderer dead at the player’s feet after the last clue is found.

I enjoyed playing this DLC which added significant content worth the full cost since beating the main story can take only 25 hours. The environment of Eridanos, the 3 science weapons, the unique enemies, and even the story required Discrepancy Amplifier make this DLC memorable. If the gamer already has The Outer Worlds, then Murder on Eridanos is a must, especially if bought in the Expansion Pass with Peril on Gorgon DLC.

The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos DLC

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

• Developer: Obsidian Entertainment

• Publisher: Take-Two Interactive, Private Division

• Release Date: March 17, 2021