Alexandre Jollier
Auntie's Choice or Order of the Ascendant The Outer Worlds 2: Which faction to choose
In brief
The Outer Worlds 2 forces you to choose between two major factions: Auntie's Choice, a capitalist megacorporation championing individualism, and the Order of the Ascendant, a religious society based on mathematics and the prediction of the future. Unlike other RPGs, it's possible to cooperate with both factions, or even reconcile them, to earn a special reward.
In The Outer Worlds 2, very quickly, the player is confronted with a central question: team up with Auntie's Choice or stand with the Order of the Ascendant? These two major factions with diametrically opposed philosophies will impact the player's approach and thus determine their progress in this dystopian world.
"At first glance, the Order of the Ascendant seems like a harmless little group"
Good news for those who can't decide: unlike many RPGs, working in cooperation with one faction doesn't doom you to being unable to collaborate with the other one, and a specific achievement even rewards the player who manages to get these two antagonistic factions to collaborate against their will!
Auntie's Choice: capitalism and individualism
Auntie's Choice is thus an interplanetary megacorporation, resulting from a hostile merger between Auntie Cleo and Spacer's Choice, which took place between the first and second installments. Players encounter this faction a few hours after their arrival on Paradise Island, competing for control of the territory with the Protectorate.
The logic of Auntie's Choice is based on consumerism, dehumanized corporate capitalism, and an individualism tinged with selfishness. Precisely because it doesn't require the consumer to sacrifice their individuality to a veneration of the Sovereign, as the Protectorate did, Auntie's Choice doesn't force you to worship the emperor-god. But this apparent freedom is counterbalanced by another form of underlying enslavement.
In this corporation, you have to manage your personal interests while reporting to your direct supervisors; you're paid for your work and can freely spend your money, but you're also accustomed to consuming excessively processed and overpriced food products under the Auntie's Choice label.
To better progress through the first zone of Paradise, working with Auntie's Choice seems like the wise choice. In any case, if you're playing a character fighting against tyrannical governments and corrupt corporations, you'll need to consider finding an alternative path to the Vox Relay without seeking their help.
The Order of the Ascendant: Mathematical Faith and Premonitions
The second largest organization that players discover in the unknown reaches of Dorado, in the Golden Ridge region, is the Order of the Ascendant.
This religious Order functions above all as a mathematical order that seeks the discovery of the Universal Equation and the ascension of humanity. Its followers believe that mathematics can predict the future (which inevitably brings to mind Harry Seldon in Foundation), hence the orientation of all societal decisions according to the prophecies of their mathematician-seers.
At first glance, the Order of the Ascendant seems like a harmless little group. Clumsy Pastors try to explain mathematics to the uninitiated, no obvious malice seems to disturb society, and the Universal Equation, after all, is well suited to identifying a trend in the know-how of the future.
But behind the walls of the academy lie unsettling implications. As dependent as it is on statistics, this society is largely insensitive to human conditions. The stakes of the Order, since the Universal Equation appears absolute, come back to the very meaning of the public sphere: to loudly and truthfully proclaim the imperious orders from above, without the slightest free will.
After your landing at Golden Ridge, you witness the destruction of an Auntie's Choice town by a Zyranium bomb launched "by accident" by the Order!
Share this article
Which faction would you join first in The Outer Worlds 2?
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to choose between the two factions in The Outer Worlds 2?
No, you can collaborate with both factions without locking yourself into an exclusive choice. There's even a special achievement for those who manage to get them working together despite their philosophical differences.
What is Auntie's Choice's political system?
Auntie's Choice is a megacorporation that champions unbridled capitalism and individualism. You're free with your actions and your money, but you remain dependent on consuming their overpriced, processed products.
How does the Order of the Ascendant work?
The Order of the Ascendant is a religious society based on mathematics that believes it can predict the future. Its mathematician-seers dictate every societal decision, leaving little room for individual free will.
Which faction should you choose for a first Paradise zone?
Auntie's Choice seems like the smart choice for easily progressing through the first Paradise zone, unless you're playing a character who fights tyrannical governments and corrupt corporations.
Key takeaways
- Auntie's Choice represents unbridled capitalism and individualism, offering apparent freedom masked by consumerist enslavement.
- The Order of the Ascendant functions as a mathematical theocracy that determines societal decisions through prophecies, with no real free will.
- Unlike traditional RPGs, you can collaborate with both factions without closing off any progression options.
- A specific achievement rewards those who manage to get these two antagonistic factions to collaborate against their will.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to react!
Leave a comment
Similar guides
Latest articles
Your opinion counts
Rate The Outer Worlds 2
Click a star to rate