I searched the web, but it seems I’m the only one who sees it like this. I love “The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition” and have played it for many hours. The art style looks grittier, and more tangible than “The Outer Worlds 2”.
“The Outer Worlds 2” looks so sleek and clean. There’s something missing, and I can’t put my finger on it.
I believe Spacer’s Choice edition was put out by the game’s publisher (the original Outer Worlds was released before Obsidian’s purchase by Microsoft) and the publisher hired a third party to “punch up” the graphics - Obsidian owned the IP, but not the game itself and had no hand in the Spacer’s Choice version.
Most people at the time, including myself, who played the original didn’t like the Spacer’s Choice version graphics. It certainly didn’t match the developer’s art direction. With Outer Worlds 2, Obsidian stuck with the aesthetic they’d originally done (with some tweaks and improvements) and that’s the difference you’re seeing.
Digital Foundry did a comparison of the two versions, when Spacer’s Choice was released.
Man, I’d forgotten how much I hated the Spacers Choice edition! They turned on all the FX but honestly it just makes the environment look cluttered. And stuff like the volumetric lighting wasn’t really the improvement they thought it was, IMO. And the character models! I’d forgotten how much the lighting changes messed up the textures and face models for the characters.