Should You Register Sam Outer Worlds

Why a robot janitor is The Outer Worlds' best companion

(Image credit: Obsidian)

Having a robot as your buddy is pretty much the dream for any fan of science fiction, and if you lot're playing The Outer Worlds yous'll exist pleased to discover in that location'due south a robot companion available to follow you effectually on your adventures. And not merely is this robot a swell companion, he's the best of the six companions in The Outer Worlds.

His name is SAM, which stands for Sanitation and Maintenance. The janitorial robot was found on a scrapheap by your ship'southward previous possessor and just needs a scrap of fixing up to activate and weaponize him (we've got instructions on how to get SAM up and running in the article linked above).

What makes SAM so smashing? A whole buncha things. Note: in that location are a few small spoilers for The Outer Worlds companions beneath.

He's literally just a robot

In science fiction you rarely come across a main graphic symbol who is just a robot. Robots are typically deadline human being. If they don't already have emotions then they at least aspire to take them. They desire to understand why nosotros cry, they want to know what dearest is, they sentinel old movies with their head cocked to i side, desperately trying to understand human nature. Usually, their deepest wish is to really become human. And I'k frankly tired of that shit.

I say, allow robots be robots sometimes. SAM is just a robot. He participates in group conversations (every bit in the gif above, which has sound), but just to spout some programmed marketing line virtually his make and model or to offer cleaning tips or to explain that the human being-type stuff you're discussing does not compute. Often, his lines are still metaphorically relevant to the conversation, which is fun, merely he's a wonderfully uncomplicated soul. He's a machine and he likes to clean. In a world of people with complicated motives and opinions and feelings, that's blessedly welcome.

He's an excellent cleaner

SAM views your enemies like clay: something to be removed. And nothing gets out tough grime like, well, acrid. SAM has been modified and equipped with an acid-spraying hose to launder your enemies abroad, and it's effective as hell. Imagine Rosie from The Jetsons with the Terminator'southward chip in her head, and y'all become the motion picture.

To SAM, the world is just filled with stains that demand cleansing, and a loftier-pressure dose of caustic acid is just the thing to do it. Set SAM's gainsay behavior to aggressive (you'll find it in the companion bill of fare) and put him on point. He'll clear (and clean) the path for you.

He's also an fantabulous cleaner

But, literally, SAM is a cleaner. He was built to clean, and when yous're non in combat that'southward what he does. While your other companions volition sit down around on your send, passing the time with chat, SAM will clomp around busily keeping the place squeamish and neat. He'll dust off consoles, hose down floors (with h2o, not acid) and keep your spaceship place sparkling fresh.

He'south a wrecking ball

SAM'due south special attack is a stomp. It's great. He rockets into the air and comes downwards anxiety-first on whatever enemy y'all target. It'due south a devastating attack that about always staggers your opponents, if it doesn't outright kill them.

Combined with his acid hose, he's a real powerhouse. He rockets up, slams downward, knocks your enemies sprawling, and then opens up his acid spigot and douses the inert foe with toxic chemicals until they're finished. Often, in that location's zip for yous to do too watch and capeesh the master at work. That'southward what robots are for: to make your life (and your foe's death) easier.

He's doesn't take a moral compass

Sometimes companions object to your actions, such as when I directed i of man partners to, um... set on members of their own family. Information technology was a dick motion on my part, admittedly, just I only did it to see what would happen! What happened was, this companion followed my direction, brutally attacked their relatives, and and then got extremely upset and left me forever.

SAM doesn't have any relatives to attack, as far as I know. (Nosotros did see another cleaning robot but he didn't seem recognize it.) But even if he did, I'g sure he would attack them without whatsoever quibbles or protests if I asked him to. I'm not always a rotten jerk in games, but when I am, I appreciate it when my followers don't give me a bunch of flak about information technology and stomp off in a huff.

He doesn't do ladders

At that place are ladders to climb in The Outer Worlds, and your companions will follow your lead and climb them, too. But SAM isn't actually congenital for that sort of travel, so he uses his rocket powered knees to become upwards and down ladders. Why is this a plus? It just is. Rockets are simply better than feet.

He doesn't crouch, either, merely when yous're trying to be stealthy he'southward considerate enough to mute his speakers.

His backstory is uncomplicated

It'south every infinite captain's duty to go to know the members of the coiffure considering when you talk to companions sometimes they take quests you can complete or stories that mankind them out a chip more. I asked SAM about himself, and his entire backstory was that he was shipped fully assembled in a corrugated steel box.

No tangles. No hassles. No long, drawn-out tales. That'south his whole backstory. It's so wonderfully unproblematic.

Yous can hack him for fun

This feels hateful, peculiarly if you're every bit fond of SAM equally I have get. But while you lot're on your ship, you tin sneak up behind him and hack him. This disables him and causes him to hunch over and shoot sparks. It feels... a bit sad to do this to him, honestly. And I saw this as a person who commanded one of his companions to obliterate their relatives.

Don't worry, though! He recovers subsequently a minute and goes virtually his work as if zero happened.

The ship'due south computer has a thing for him

Like I said, SAM likes to tidy upwards the ship, but at ane betoken I walked in on him while he was using a feather duster on the span. ADA, the send's computer, seemed to exist... enjoying it quite a flake (y'all can turn on the audio in the gif higher up).

ADA definitely has a thing for SAM and his talents with a scattering of feathers. SAM, on the other hand, doesn't seem to notice or care. That's the great thing most a robot that's just a robot. In that location'southward no disruptive feelings or unrequited love on his end. SAM's just doing his chore, and as always, he's doing it well.

Chris started playing PC games in the 1980s, started writing about them in the early 2000s, and (finally) started getting paid to write about them in the belatedly 2000s. Post-obit a few years equally a regular freelancer, PC Gamer hired him in 2014, probably and then he'd stop emailing them asking for more than piece of work. Chris has a love-hate relationship with survival games and an unhealthy fascination with the inner lives of NPCs. He's also a fan of offbeat simulation games, mods, and ignoring storylines in RPGs so he tin make upwardly his own.