The Outer Worlds Peril on Gorgon DLC is a Good Blueprint for Murder on Eridanos
The Outer Worlds originally released in 2019, but had plans for DLC later down the line. The corporate-takedown sci-fi game received generally positive reviews from fans and critics, though sometimes the combat system leaves something to be desired. The first DLC for The Outer Worlds, titled Peril on Gorgon, released in September 2020 and got average reviews from players. The DLC added a new mystery to the world of Halcyon, with an abandoned Spacer’s Choice facility that players explore and discover the truth about.
Though Peril on Gorgon may have missed a couple items that players were wanting out of The Outer Worlds DLC, it actually did a lot of things correctly. It added new areas for players to explore, as well as a story that fit in with the rest of the game without seeming out of place. Murder on Eridanos is expected to release sometime in Q1, meaning fans have predicted it could be out by the end of March. For Murder on Eridanos to be as successful as Peril on Gorgon, it really just needs to follow the groundwork already laid out by the first DLC.
Part of the intrigue and draw players had to Peril on Gorgon was the mystery it not only promised players, but delivered on as well. Though it could be argued that the twists and turns of the plotline of Peril on Gorgon were a little predictable, the DLC still added 6 to 8 hours of new gameplay that wasn’t in The Outer Worlds base game. Figuring out the truth of the Gorgon asteroid while visiting newly introduced or unlocked places in the game definitely made for an enjoyable DLC experience.
Murder on Eridanos looks promising, as it is supposed to be Halcyon Helen’s last and greatest adventure. There’s not much known beyond that, but players can look forward to gaining access to most of, if not all, of the previously locked planets still on Halcyon’s map. So, Eridanos is probably going to be unlocked for players, given the title of the DLC, but there’s a good chance planets like Hepaestus and Typhon become accessible as the story progresses as well.
These planets are ripe for storytelling for a variety of reasons. Given some of the previous uses of Greek mythology in The Outer Worlds base game, it’s possible these planets will also function in a way similar to their Greek namesakes. The map of Typhon says that it “offers nothing to offer the Halcyon Colony,” but if players know anything from Peril on Gorgon, that description could very well be a corporate cover up. Eridanos might take a page from Olympus’ book and have stations in the planet’s orbit based on its description referencing distillation plants, while Hephaestus was claimed by the mining company but could produce more than it initially seems.
Not much is known about Halcyon Helen either, apart from her loading screen advertising her show Terror on Monarch. Halcyon Helen is a heroine played by Ruth Bellamy and Terror on Monarch recounts her adventures on the planet Monarch, “featuring real monsters from the doomed world!” Murder on Eridanos is Halcyon Helen’s “final and finest adventure,” which means it’s got great storytelling potential and will probably be a grand story players get to watch unfold.
The Gorgon asteroid, despite its malicious history, is absolutely gorgeous to explore. The glowing plants were unlike anything else found in the game, and really added to the excitement of running around the nearly desolate asteroid. Ambrose Manor didn’t exactly offer a lot in terms of exploration, but players could encounter some funny items if they strayed from the beaten, well-lit path leading to the mansion. Also, players get their very own canid in their room aboard The Unreliable after completing the “Mostly Harmless” quest, which may not be groundbreaking but is still kind of cute.
New weapons is where Peril on Gorgon actually dropped the ball a bit, with players wanting more than they received. To its credit, Peril on Gorgon added three new science weapons, which made sense with the theme of an abandoned science facility investigation. However, it had no new “normal” weapons, which disappointed a lot of fans. Murder on Eridanos can make up for this, but it will probably also have new science weapons given that Hephaestus is the home of the Hephaestus Mining Company, creator of the Mandibular Rearranger.
Enemies were also a hit-or-miss for Peril on Gorgon as well. The DLC introduced new types of marauders that players had to fight, but otherwise the enemies on Gorgon (or Olympus or the back bays of Groundbreaker) were pretty much already found in-game. The only almost-exception to this was Gorgon, which had genetically modified versions of canids, raptidons, mantisaurs, and primals. Though these enemies were tougher, they were just jazzed up versions of already existing creatures that players had encountered in The Outer Worlds base game.
Murder on Eridanos could definitely introduce players to new enemies if it decides to include the planet Typhon in the DLC. In Greek mythology, Typhon is the father of all monsters, which obviously gives the developer a lot of opportunities to introduce new creatures that players could face off against. However, it still remains to be seen whether or not potential new creatures could stray too far from the already existing enemies players have to fight.
Peril on Gorgon was a good DLC for all intents and purposes, it just needed a little bit of fine-tuning to make it as close to perfect as possible. Murder on Eridanos can follow the blueprints laid out by the first DLC, but also expand upon it and add the things that seemed to be missing from Peril on Gorgon. There’s still no official release date for Murder on Eridanos, but luckily Nintendo Switch players have time to catch up on Peril on Gorgon thanks to its Switch release date of February 10.
The Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon is available now for Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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