Daniel Vavra, the outspoken director behind the historically accurate RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, has sparked a fiery industry debate after publishing a scathing critique of Obsidian Entertainment's The Outer Worlds 2, accusing the veteran studio of failing to innovate its core gameplay despite over a decade of experience and the financial backing of Microsoft.
The gaming community is no stranger to heated discussions, but it’s rare to see a prominent developer publicly review and critique a competitor's title. That’s exactly what happened this week when Vavra took to social media to share his blunt assessment, igniting a conversation about innovation, execution, and what players truly expect from modern role-playing games.
A Blunt "7/10" and a Call for Evolution
After completing the game, Vavra awarded The Outer Worlds 2 a score of 7 out of 10, a rating many would consider solid. However, his accompanying commentary was anything but. He expressed his disappointment that the team behind one of his "favorite games ever," Fallout: New Vegas, had seemingly stalled in its creative evolution.
"Finished. 7/10," Vavra began. "But what I find sad is that the company and the people who gave us one of my favorite games ever (Fallout: New Vegas) have been unable, even after 15 years and with all of Microsoft’s money and latest technological advances, to come up with a single new game mechanic that could take this proven but ancient formula somewhere new."
He then posed a challenging question to his followers and the development community at large: "Can you think of a single new game mechanic in The Outer Worlds 2 that wasn’t already in Deus Ex or the original Fallout games more than 25 years ago? Unfortunately, I can’t."
https://x.com/DanielVavra/status/1985848222707765440
Vavra’s critique didn't stop at identifying a perceived problem; he also laid out his vision for what RPGs should be striving toward. "Give me a living, simulated world! True non-linearity! Give me something more than loot boxes, maintenance shafts, loading screens, and level grinding in a static, scripted world."
A Not-So-Subtle Jab and a Budget Comparison
The director didn't just critique The Outer Worlds 2 in a vacuum; he used his own studio's work as a direct counterpoint. Vavra boldly claimed that his team at Warhorse Studios had achieved a more advanced world simulation with Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 on a significantly smaller budget.
"I would bet that budget for KCD2 was WAY LOWER than Outer Worlds 2," he stated, directly challenging the efficiency and ambition of the larger, Microsoft-owned Obsidian Entertainment.
When respondents questioned whether KCD2 itself introduced groundbreaking new mechanics, Vavra was quick to defend his project. He pushed back, emphasizing his game's advanced AI simulation that allows thousands of non-playable characters (NPCs) to maintain meticulous, unscripted daily routines—a feature he argued is absent from the "scripted world" of The Outer Worlds 2.
The Critical and Public Divide
Vavra's stark assessment stands in contrast to the generally positive critical reception for The Outer Worlds 2. The game currently holds a strong Metacritic score of 83/100 based on 54 critic reviews, with many praising it as a marked improvement over its 2019 predecessor, offering players greater choice and a more refined experience.
However, the user score tells a slightly different story, sitting at an "Average" 6.6 out of 278 ratings. This divide suggests that while critics appreciate the game's polished execution, a segment of the player base may share Vavra's sentiment that the formula feels safe and familiar.
The debate also highlights a central tension in modern game development: is groundbreaking innovation always necessary for a game to be considered excellent? Recent hits like Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3 garnered near-universal critical acclaim not for inventing new mechanics, but for the masterful execution and depth of existing cRPG systems. Similarly, a title like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 earned praise for introducing a simple but addictive real-time twist to traditional turn-based combat.
A High-Stakes Industry Gambit
Public critiques between major developers are few and far between, and for good reason—they can be polarizing and often draw intense scrutiny onto the critic's own work. Vavra’s review has already prompted fans of Obsidian to rally in defense of the studio, arguing that The Outer Worlds 2 successfully improved upon the foundation of the first game rather than taking a risky leap into uncharted territory.
Many have pointed out that Vavra himself took a massive gamble with the complex simulation systems of KCD2, a risk that, against all odds, paid off for his team. His comments have ultimately framed a larger question for the industry: should established studios with vast resources be expected to push the boundaries of their genre, or is a well-executed, familiar experience enough for players and critics alike?
As the discussion continues to unfold across forums and social media, one thing is clear: the appetite for deeper, more immersive worlds is growing, and developers are now being held to a new standard—one defined not just by polish, but by ambition.
What do you think? Is Daniel Vavra's critique valid, or is a polished, familiar experience enough? Let us know your thoughts, and if you're ready to explore the gritty, simulated world of medieval Bohemia for yourself, you can find Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 here: https://amzn.to/4qQ09GV
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