Well, folks, it’s time to jump on the Unreliable for our final bit of The Outer Worlds content. Murder on Eridanos sees our intrepid captain and crew dart off to solve the mysterious death of Halcyon Helen, only the best aetherwave actress of all time. It’s hard to say goodbye to this ragtag group of scoundrels, but man, this is the way to do it.
Murder on Eridanos Review – There’s Mystery Afoot
Moments after news of Halcyon Helen’s death is broadcast throughout the galaxy, Rizzo’s Administrator Ludovico rings up the captain of the Unreliable. He wants a freelancer to investigate the murder. Rizzo’s and SubLight both operate on Eridanos and nether leader seems to trust the other. A third party may have better luck getting to the truth of the matter, especially when it comes to handling suspects close to Helen, like frequent co-star, Spencer Woolrich, or her tossball beau, Bertie.
Helen’s death isn’t the only strange occurrence in town. Something weird seems to be affecting Rizzo’s employees working outside of the Grand Colonial. As I sniffed out Helen’s trail, I came across workers who looked like they dipped into some ACME Labs level happy gas a little more than any person should. It was even more disconcerting when I noticed that those employees had tiny hitchhikers. Is it possible Helen’s murder and this odd behavior are connected?
In addition to the main quest and it’s sub chains, there are a few side quests to discover should you take the time to explore every nook and cranny of these floating islands. Each quest gives you a little more insight into the groups fighting for control of the colony. All in all, this DLC took me about ten to twelve hours to complete. This includes when I forgot to save for three hours and had to replay a few quests. The three extra levels you gain from owning Eridanos is helpful, too. More points for skills and perks is never a bad thing.
Murder on Eridanos Review – The Full Spectrum
The captain is gifted the Discrepancy Amplifier to assist with the case. Think of it like a high tech magnifying glass that alerts you to nearby anomalies with a touch of sarcasm. This science weapon does use ammo if you’re in a pinch, but unless you tinker the hell out of it at a workbench, it’s best to stick with keeping it in your rotation for analyzing clues. It’s the first of four unique weapons you can obtain in Murder on Eridanos.
With all those imported canids in the Wilderness Exploitation Reserve and crazy happy employees running around, it was important (in my opinion) to get the Spectrum Gatling. I love the heavy guns in this game, so schlepping all over the place to collect everything I needed to remove this bad boy from its locked case was worth it. One of the reasons why I enjoy using this particular weapon more than the others from this DLC is the increasing speed at which bullets fly as you hold down the trigger. Sometimes I don’t want to pull the trigger for every bullet, OK? Not only is this thing fast, but it uses those Spectrum colors to do all kinds of elemental damage. This will be handy when I head back to Gorgon to tidy things up there.
Murder on Eridanos is a great finish to one of my favorite Western RPGs in recent years. Interrogating suspects, following clues, and sussing out the twist kept me engaged and entertained. It definitely beats out Peril on Gorgon. I think you’ll find this cast of characters much more appealing and the writing worlds above what Gorgon brought to the table. Better writing and better weapons to end with is the soft chocolate peppermint at the end of a delicious meal.
The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos review code provided by publisher and reviewed on PlayStation 5. For more information on scoring please see our Review Policy.
