The time between DLC for The Outer Worlds has been surprisingly long, but fortunately Obsidian saved the best till last.

Peril on Gorgon was entertaining and a good continuation of everything that came before, but Murder on Eridanos has not only run with the ball, but slam dunked it, and got us even more invested in the future of the series.

How to Play

Once purchased, the content can be accessed in the main game after you’ve completed the mission ‘Radio Free Monarch’. Then travel to Byzantium, land on the planet and you’ll be able to speak to SAM and select the Aetherwave Broadcast option. Once viewed, the quest ‘The Last Role of Halcyon Helen’ will begin.

Please note, you cannot play the DLC if you’re in the final stages of the base game.

We recommend you’re around Level 28 before attempting the content, though the XP earns are hefty, so you can level up quite quickly.

Murder on Eridanos, as you might expect from the title, is a good old-fashioned murder mystery. It’s a whodunnit, but told in a typically quirky Outer Worlds way.

Once you’ve seen the initial cutscene where celebrity star, Halcyon Helen is brutally murdered, you are requested to travel to the planet of Eridanos to play the role of Inspector.

Eridanos is a strange place, made up of split rocks, all tied together by long, treacherous bridges. At the heart of it is a stunning, massively sized hotel with eager staff waiting to help and confused patrons worried for their safety from random attacks. While you’ve come here to solve a murder mystery, there definitely seems more to the planet than meets the eye.

Soon you’ll be picking up additional side quests, which help you learn more about other areas of the planet. You’ll explore a glorious orchard that harbours a dark secret, and even get to try your luck at solving a maze with treachery around every corner.

Halcyon Helen’s murder has rocked the planet to its core(s), though, and there’s an array of suspects to quiz, each with their own motives for being the perpetrator.

You’ll gain access to a small ray gun that helps you uncover clues in your investigation. Sure, it can shoot as well and help you out in a pinch, but its purpose is to scan the environment and help you examine certain things in much closer detail.

The DLC is a great opportunity to test out your skill sets and gain access to lots of unique dialogue options which can either help you solve things quicker but also slow you down a little bit. For instance, additional science perks can help you better determine how Helen was killed, whereas Persuasion can get people to loosen their tongue quicker.

The story itself is intriguing and the plot moves steadily, with enough twists and turns to keep you invested and wanting to move things forward. But the side quests themselves are also a nice distraction which explain more about the world and can even merit you some nice additional armor and weapons to help in battle.

The enemies can be pretty challenging, particularly the brutal waspquitos that attack in swarms and not only temporarily blind you but can devour your health pretty sharpish. Not to mention the mobs that not only pepper you with ooze from range but come running in arms swinging.

The best news of all, playing on my Series X, the game runs smoother and faster than ever since the latest patch. The Outer Worlds now feels completely at home on new consoles and it looks a ton better as well to boot.

The thing about Murder on Eridanos is that it reminds me of the good days of DLC. To be blunt, a lot of recent additional content often feels like it’s just an extension of what you’ve already played 40+ hours of. It feels more like cut content than a piece of storytelling that sits outside of the main arc and takes things in a new direction.

Murder on Eridanos feels like something of a fresh take on The Outer Worlds as you search for clues to build your investigation and try to wrestle the truth from guilty parties with secrets to hide. The build to the conclusion is a fun ride, though, admittedly, that conclusion may not be to everyone’s tastes.

For me, though, it was not only a great excuse to dive back into a game I really enjoy, but it’s also a pretty fine piece of content that, actually, has me more excited for the future of the franchise than anything else I’ve seen from it to date.

Pros

+ Some great use of optional dialogue and activities
+ A fun story and ride throughout
+ Intriguing side quests add to and flesh out the experience
+ The trademark humour is as biting as ever.
+ Plays better than ever on Xbox Series X