Killing Eridanos DLC Review
Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos has been highly anticipated since the game’s first DLC, Peril on Gorgon. The Expansion Pass allows players to pre-purchase Murder on Eridanos and play Peril on Gorgon in the meantime. The killing of Eridanos has been out for a few days now and while it may not have hit all the marks, it hit most of them. Starting this DLC is very similar to the last one, where players are prompted to take a specific action to start the storyline. In this case, players watch the video that has already been shared by The Outer Worlds social media, which features Halcyon Helen being attacked and killed. From there, the story begins and players are introduced to characters who will play large roles in the DLC. As far as NPCs go, there are quite a few new ones in Murder on Eridanos. Some players have heard them before, like Spencer Woolrich who was credited with Halcyon Helen in Terror on Monarch, while others will be new. The DLC definitely paints a few people as suspects, so it’s up to players to complete a thorough investigation to find out who killed Halcyon Helen.
Most of the enemies players will encounter are redesigns of existing characters, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Instead of Marauders, players will face a different type of human enemy that is more terrifying. The Mantisaurs and primals return to Eridanos, though they are all drunk from Rizzo’s alcoholic products. Players will also hear about, and encounter, redesigned mantiswarms known as “waspquitos” and redesigned mantipillars. Some players may be unhappy with the lack of all-new enemies, but the redesigns are enough to add to The Outer Worlds without the need for new enemies. There are three unique weapons that players can collect to gain victory. There are also higher-level versions of weapons such as grenade launchers, shotguns, and pistols. While they may not be “new”, these higher level weapons can be used to make very powerful guns. As for consumable options, the most notable is Rizzo’s wider variety of beverages — particularly its vodka. It might be disappointing for some players not to see an entirely new weapon outside of science weapons, but what really drives the DLC is its story, not its weaponry or available options. Color scheme-wise, if the Gorgon asteroid is the Las Vegas strip, Eridanos is the rest of the Nevada desert. As a planet, Eridanos has a very unique design that is easier to navigate than the Gorgon asteroid. However, pulling up on the map to see where the quests are located is a bit annoying as it will become pixelated before showing a clear image. It’s also difficult to select fast travel locations because the quest markers will be very close to the fast travel icon. Otherwise, the landscape of Eridanos is inventive and fun to explore. The Grand Colonial hotel is also well designed and beautiful to look at inside and out.
The Killing of Eridanos is a mystery series, meaning its plot is exactly like something the Halcyon colony watches. It’s pretty campy and filled with an interesting cast of characters whose motives players will have to figure out for themselves. The overall plot stands alone from the rest of the game without feeling forced or out of place, which is always a bonus when it comes to DLC. Additional party banter is also fun, and players can have a nice conversation with Parvati about visiting Eridanos. Vicar Max and Ellie are as naughty as ever, and Nyoka has a thing or two too. RELATED: The Outer Worlds’ Next DLC is Good for the Game, but Better for Obsidian Entertainment For some reason, Felix’s dialogue won’t trigger in-game. He’ll participate in conversations as a party mate, but if the Stranger approaches him one-on-one, he’ll default to his usual “what’s up, Boss?” This happened even when all other conversational options had been exhausted. It’s possible that Felix didn’t get any new one-on-one dialogue, but that doesn’t seem to be the case since every other companion has additional dialogue options. Hopefully, this issue will be patched in the next update. There are other issues within the DLC as well, but they are mostly technical. Fighting waspquitos can be as annoying as fighting mantiswarms, but that’s not the issue at hand. If too many waspquitos gang up and attack the player’s party, the frame rate drops astronomically. The game was late and it was difficult to escape the match, let alone win it. A similar issue occurred near the back of the Grand Colonial hotel, where the screen would freeze and a large white circle would rotate on the screen. Fortunately the game didn’t crash, but it was still concerning.
What is surprising and somewhat disappointing about Murder on Eridanos is the lack of memorabilia from completing any part of the DLC. Even in the original game, players could collect tons of items that symbolically represented the quests they completed. Killing Eridanos has some options, but not nearly as many as expected. Obviously, these items do not detract from the overall story, but it would be nice to see some additional reminders of the adventure and solving the Eridanos murder. Additionally, Murder on Eridanos is highly centralized. The story takes place only in Eridanos. It makes sense since the plot of the DLC is localized in the area, but it wouldn’t be surprising if players are looking forward to other locations to go to after the set of the last DLC. Again, the localized story makes sense, especially in the context of the DLC, but it’s a little disappointing that there aren’t any other planets unlocked during the playthrough. Overall, Murder on Eridanos is a solid addition to The Outer Worlds. Players are in charge of solving a murder and piecing together the clues, making it an interesting and fun time. The real issue at this point is the well-documented technical difficulties that have plagued players since the DLC was released. Hopefully, a patch will be released to fix them soon, along with other errors pointed out. Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Today Technology reviews the DLC on PS4. MORE: 15 Games Like Outer Worlds You Need to Play