The action RPG, The Outer Worlds, developed by Obsidian Entertainment is an exciting new series about humanity venturing out to colonize new planets. These planet colonies are known as the Halcyon Colony, and they are basically under the rule of mega-corporations that are treating their workers with poor conditions. After the player is cryogenically frozen on a spaceship, named the Hope, while heading to Halcyon, the ship is lost and disregarded for decades until a mad scientist, named Phineas, looking to overthrow the mega-corporations unfreezes the player.
The player is then set on a quest to either assist in fighting against the mega-corporations or side with them. One of the main quests in the game, called “The City and the Stars” involves the player going to the capital city of Halcyon, known as Byzantium. The city is one of the only luxurious locations within the game and is quite a unique location full of quests worth taking on.
The City And The Stars
Being part of the main quest, “The City and the Stars” must be completed in order to finish the game. In this quest, the player must retrieve the dimethyl sulfoxide that Minister Clarke has been hoarding in order for Phineas to be able to unfreeze more people stuck on the Hope. Doing this quest also reveals a significant twist to the overall story.
Don’t Bite The Sun
This is Parvati’s companion quest, where she wants to collect a series of luxurious items for her upcoming date with Junlei. While the quest takes the player all around Halcyon one of the items she wants is found in Byzantium. Desiring some fresh attire, Parvati asks the player to get her an outfit from Celeste Jolicoeur's Haberdashery.
The Low Crusade
This is another companion quest, but this time from Ellie. When getting to know Ellie better, she reveals that before she was a medic on the Groundbreaker she grew up in the privileged lifestyle of Byzantium.
Ellie asks the player if they can visit her parents who she has not seen in a long time. This leads to an interesting interaction between Ellie and her parents and gives the player a glimpse into the personalities of the people living in Byzantium.
At Central
In this quest, the player gets a chance to be a star. After talking to a producer named Maverick Johnston on the streets of Byzantium, he offers the player an audition for a role in a film. The player then has to follow the orders of Maverick, no matter how strange they may be. The quest is short, easy to do, and funny, so it is worth checking out.
Makes Space Suits, Won’t Travel
For this quest, the player must go to Celeste Jolicoeur's Haberdashery. When speaking to Celeste, she will request the player to model some outfits so she can better understand the fashion of people outside of Byzantium. The player then has to retrieve a series of outfits throughout the Colony and show them off to Celeste.
Cupid Of The Laboratory
Beneath Byzantium are a series of tunnels that are less than savory in comparison to the pleasant-looking city. Upon meeting a scientist named Giles Molina, he will send you down there in order to retrieve the escaped sprats (space rats) he has been experimenting on. It sounds like a simple quest, but it is much more complicated when the player realizes they are not the only ones looking for the sprats.
The Lying Earth
When the player meets Minister Clarke, they learn the location of the dimethyl sulfoxide. Additionally, Minister Clarke will ask the player to infiltrate Chairman Rockwell’s office in order to send a message to Earth asking for assistance regarding the issues occurring in Halcyon. This is a simple quest that can easily be done alongside “The City and the Stars.”
The Chimerist’s Last Experiment
This is one of the faction quests for the Sublight Salvage and Shipping Corporation. Convinced there is an alien invasion conspiracy, Lilya Hagen sends the player to Byzantium to kill a scientist named Dr. Eva Hartrand whom Lilya believes is behind the conspiracy.
However, when the player actually meets Dr. Hartrand things are not actually what they seem and the player must decide whether to kill or spare her.
Why Call Them Back From Retirement
One of the more interesting and startling quests in Byzantium, “Why Call Them Back From Retirement?” starts after talking to a Byzantium resident named Hortense Ingalsbee. Hortense asks the player to investigate Board’s Early Retirement program which allows workers a special residential area. Players are asked to go to the place themselves to see what it's like, but they might not like what they find.
All Halcyon In A Day
This is a quest that takes place throughout Halcyon but starts in Byzantium. When speaking to Alonzo Vallejos at Byzantium's Bureau of Exploration, he will ask the player to participate in a special tour all throughout Halcyon. The player is then tasked with activating beacons across the planets, which will give information about the area. It is a simple quest that will take the player back to some of the areas they initially explored and will give them a neat hat as a reward.