The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos is the last DLC to release for The Outer Worlds. Peril on Gorgon, the previous DLC, only released in September, so it was pleasantly surprising for players to get their hands on Murder on Eridanos before the end of Q1. While there are many similarities between the two DLCs, Murder on Eridanos still stands alone as its own adventure. Players must embark to the outer ring of the planet Eridanos to help solve Halcyon Helen’s murder. They’ll meet interesting characters, get access to new weaponry and armor, and discover another beautiful place in Halcyon.
The initial premise of the DLC is exciting and not unlike the mystery presented in Peril on Gorgon. However, for everything Murder on Eridanos does correctly, it unfortunately did some aspects not quite right either. The second and final DLC is still a fun journey for anyone playing, but there are some things that just can’t be overlooked when it comes to what Murder on Eridanos did well versus what it missed the mark on.
What Murder on Eridanos Got Right
For starters, the planet of Eridanos is very creatively designed. The entire area that players explore is hovering in the air thanks to rockets under the ground’s surface. The bridges that connect different areas, like the Orchards to the main hub, are pretty to look at and even let players see the mechanics that keep the area hovering in space. The interior of the Grand Colonial is very extravagant and pretty, especially against the tan backdrop of the planet itself. The pastels and bright colors of some of the Rizzo’s locations were also very fun to look at — suffice to say, Murder on Eridanos is very pretty to behold.
The Outer Worlds is known for its humor, and Murder on Eridanos doesn’t disappoint in that regard. The different characters that players meet will elicit giggles to full-on laughter depending on the conversation choices made. When investigating for evidence with the Discrepancy Amplifier, players will stumble across clues that glow blue and should be interacted with. Depending on the clue, players have the choice to sometimes taste the evidence. This instance sounds funny enough by itself, but the companion reactions really make it a hilarious moment in-game.
How Murder on Eridanos Missed the Mark
As fun as Murder on Eridanos is, its events are fairly predictable. Vicar Max says it best, describing some parts of the plot as something straight out of an aetherwave serial (the shows that the people of Halcyon watch.) The DLC is still a fun, kind of slow-burning story, but it’s not difficult to figure out where the story is going after the first bit of the investigation. It may not be groundbreaking, but it’s still fun to experience.
Unfortunately, Murder on Eridanos missed the mark in one of the most crucial ways possible — performance. While it’s not uncommon for new content to experience some blips, Murder on Eridanos was riddled with problems for Xbox players. Many people have reported how consistently the game crashes during the DLC, especially when reaching a certain point. Obsidian is looking into these issues and will hopefully release a patch soon. However, it’s still disappointing that the DLC caused that many issues at release.
While this was more irritating than an error, the Eridanos map is surprisingly annoying to navigate. The setup of the planet itself is fine, but selecting fast travel locations is difficult because everything is so close together. It can be especially annoying when the active quest is in the same location as a fast travel option and won’t allow players to select the location. To bypass this, players have to uncheck the quest they’re trying to complete and then put it back after fast traveling. So there’s a workaround, but it’s still a bit irritating.
Despite some of its missteps, overall Murder on Eridanos is still a fun addition to The Outer Worlds, especially for fans who want one last hurrah in Halcyon.
The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
