The Outer Worldsis a wonderful display of space exploration that Obsidian brought to life back in 2019. As is the case with any good open world RPG, there are plenty of fun Easter eggs and discoveries hidden inThe Outer Worlds; one of the most underrated secret details is a clever nod to a song by The Beatles.
When it comes toEaster eggs inThe Outer Worlds, there are fun details hidden where players least expect, and one of the greatest secrets is found with a specific variant of the Impact Hammer. The Impact Hammer is one of the many melee weapons available inThe Outer Worlds, but one special variant named Maxwell has a deeper story behind it.
The Outer Worlds' Interesting Tie To The Beatles
At first, this just seems like a funny little detail. Perhaps a developer working on the game just wanted to have some fun with this particular hammer, but there is actually a deeper meaning behind this naming. Maxwell is named as such because it’s a nod to the Beatles song “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”.The Outer Worldsis a big gamethat truly embraces exploration, and coming across this Easter egg is a fun detail that many fans of The Beatles might enjoy.
Maxwell’s Silver Hammer
Although the name of the Impact Hammer is taken straight from The Beatles song, there’s a much darker meaning behind the lyrics. In classic Beatles fashion, the song is a bouncy, happy tune, but the lyrics are downright sinister. The song follows the titular Maxwell asking a girl out to the movies, only to eventually hit her over the head with a hammer, killing her.The Outer Worldsis known for its lawless frontier, which only makes sense to nickname a hammer after a song about murder.
The lyrics go, “Bang! Bang! Maxwell’s silver hammer came down upon her head”. The juxtaposition of such dark lyrics embedded in a happy musical composition is actually perfect forThe Outer Worlds, since that’s the exact tone the game has as well.The Outer Worldsgoes heavy on satire, which is one of the main reasons why the game is so much fun. The game’s bleak world overcast with a blanket of clever humor makes “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” the perfect song to pay homage to in a small way.
Bang! Bang! Maxwell’s silver hammer came down upon her head.
The Cleverness of Outer Worlds
The inclusion of this particular song by The Beatles is a great example of just how good Obsidian is at expanding the tone of its worlds with even the most minuscule details.The great humor permeatingThe Outer Worldsmakes the prospect of the sequel incredibly exciting, and there’s no telling what great Easter eggs will be hidden in the second game.
Maxwell the Impact Hammer isn’t the only Beatles Easter egg in The Outer Worlds. There is a side quest titled “Happiness is a Warm Spaceship”, which is a clear reference to the song “Happiness is a Warm Gun”.
For a detail that seems so small, it actually speaks volumes. Detailed game development like this makes a game’s world feel far more rich than one first realizes, and this is why world building at every corner is so important. There are a lot ofexpectations forThe Outer Worlds 2, but Obsidian has proven that it can craft some fantastic worlds with its history ofFallout: New Vegasand the firstOuter Worlds.
The Outer Worlds
WHERE TO PLAY
The Outer Worlds is a new single-player sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Entertainment and Private Division. As you explore the furthest reaches of space and encounter a host of factions all vying for power, who you decide to become will determine the fate of everyone in Halcyon. In the corporate equation for the colony, you are the unplanned variable.Lost in transit while on a colonist ship bound for the furthest edge of the galaxy, you awake decades later than you expected only to find yourself in the midst of a deep conspiracy threatening to destroy the Halcyon colony. As you explore the furthest reaches of space and encounter a host of factions all vying for power, who you decide to become will determine the fate of everyone in Halcyon. In the corporate equation for the colony, you are the unplanned variable.Welcome to the future - try not to break it.
