The Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon Review

2019's The Outer Worlds wasn't a perfect game by any means, but it was a really fun and lighthearted romp in a unique sci-fi universe. Developer Obsidian Entertainment knocked it out of the park with the storytelling and dialogue, and it left me wanting more—more of the story, and to explore the rest of what the Halcyon colony had to offer. After hoping and praying for a new DLC, Peril on Gorgon was announced and fans like myself rejoiced. Finally getting my hands on this new slice of content, I'm pleased to find that Peril on Gorgon offers more of the same The Outer Worlds we've come to know and love—and frankly, that's exactly what I wanted.

Peril on Gorgon's Grim Mystery

Perhaps it's fitting that Obsidian's take on this first DLC for The Outer Worlds reminds me of Bethesda's Fallout titles. The Outer Worlds essentially outdoes Fallout in every way (except, perhaps, New Vegas, developed by Obsidian themselves), but one thing that each of these titles always excelled at was DLC. These pieces of content were usually separate from the main story, but acted as fun side adventures that gave players a chance to acquire new weapons, level up, and experience a new story. Peril on Gorgon is like the best of what these DLCs have to offer.

To spoil Peril on Gorgon's story would be a disservice to those playing it for the first time. Still, there are a few things that can be said about this wonderful and fun adventure. I wasn't actually initially impressed with the narrative. It seemed to play things safe, and it didn't really pique my interest. It wasn't until I actually started to get into the meat of it that the lore behind the nearly abandoned asteroid of Gorgon became fleshed out. Base The Outer Worlds had its fair share of dark moments, but it was always with a satirical and quirky spin. Peril on Gorgon, on the other hand, tackles dark subject matter in a more serious and grim tone.

To put things plainly, something on the asteroid of Gorgon went horribly wrong. The story of Gorgon highlights the worst of humanity in The Outer Worlds. You'll gather part of the truth if you just play through and experience the mandatory dialogue and story choices of Peril on Gorgon, but you won't get the full picture unless you read terminals and notes. Pleasantly surprising is also audio logs, which further delve into the mystery and dark heart of Gorgon. Audio logs were absent from the main game, but such logs are definitely a common and effective storytelling device in titles nowadays. This DLC also leans heavily on environmental storytelling. Each area tells a story that allows you to grasp more of the lore behind this asteroid.

This DLC proves to be an excellent addition to the lore of The Outer Worlds as a whole. At the heart of the matter is how utterly incompetent Spacer's Choice is—how immoral they are, too. The ending of Peril on Gorgon was an exciting one, and ended with a tough choice that'll challenge your morals and allow you to roleplay in wonderful ways. You can prove just how good (or awful) your character is. Truly, Peril on Gorgon ends in a crescendo of exciting revelations.

Other than that, I was slightly disappointed by the lack of conversations or side quests on the Gorgon asteroid. This asteroid is home to some friendly NPCs, but the bulk of them are all in one small area—just a simple bar near where you land your ship. There's not a lot of NPCs that you can actually talk to and hold the hilarious conversations we've come to know and love from the base game. The lack of dialogue was apparent while setting off on your quest and exploring the asteroid for the first time. The dialogue really only picks up near the latter half of this DLC.

On a separate note, I was very impressed to find that choices I made during The Outer World's main campaign came into consideration during this DLC. Two NPCs were arguing over a piece of salvage on the asteroid, and because I was the vice president Sublight Salvage and Shipping, I was able to claim this salvage for myself. The whole conversation was very funny. There are likely several other instances where your experience with a certain faction plays a factor in some conversations.

As for the lack of side quests, the absence of these was quite apparent. There's only a small handful of side quests and I am certain I found all of them. Gorgon is a pretty sizable asteroid and rivals that of some of the main game's areas, but there didn't seem to be a great deal of stuff to do. I'm thankful that the story picked up and the asteroid itself was fun to explore.

Peril on Gorgon's Dangerous Asteroid

I was a little hesitant of Peril on Gorgon's setting, I admit. How exciting can an asteroid be? In the base game, there was Scylla, a very small and unexciting area that was also an asteroid. Compared to, say, Monarch or Roseway Gardens, Scylla was lacking in scenery. I'm happy to say that Gorgon turned out to be more than meets the eye. The asteroid itself is filled with beautiful luminescent flowers and abandoned, ramshackle facilities. There's even this brilliant dome above the asteroid itself that, I presume, lets humans walk around without being affected by low gravity.

The facilities themselves are the highlight. Spacer's Choice once inhabited this hunk of rock, and they left behind everything in a hurry. There's an oppressive atmosphere to these factories and science labs. Some of these areas are very lavish as well, with beautiful marble flooring and walls jampacked with so much detail. I really, really liked exploring these large, indoor areas. And don't forget to read the terminals—there's just so much detail and lore waiting to be explored.

Besides the asteroid itself, there's plenty of loot to be had. That's my one other problem with Peril on Gorgon, though. The loot—new armor, weapons, and even drugs—are very underwhelming. There's upgraded variants of weapons and armor from the base game, but there are no cosmetic changes to them. I noticed maybe just a few new pieces of armor and only a few weapon models, too. The increased level cap, as well as new perks and flaws, were fine, but I didn't find these that useful when you're likely to play this DLC right before you complete the main game itself. In my case, I booted up the save I made before the "point of no return," so there isn't a lot of time to enjoy my rewards.

Peril on Gorgon Review | Final Thoughts

The small number of side quests and disappointing variety of new weapons and armor shouldn't hold anyone back from trying Peril on Gorgon for themselves. This is one of Obsidian's finest stories yet, even if it's rather brief. The dark tale and fate of Gorgon is one that expands heavily on the lore of The Outer Worlds; meanwhile, there's plenty of fun areas to explore on this desolate asteroid. If there's any excuse to play more The Outer Worlds, Peril on Gorgon is it. This DLC takes advantage of Obsidian's strengths and proves that they are masters of storytelling.

TechRaptor reviewed The Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon on PC via the Epic Games Store with a code provided by the publisher. The DLC is also available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with a Nintendo Switch version coming later.