Obsidian Entertainments are masters of the open-world RPG and, among the developer's many achievements, is an outstanding history of creating compelling and memorable characters. If you've played The Outer Worlds, you'll no doubt be able to attest to this, as the sci-fi RPG is packed to bursting point with interesting and nuanced figures you'll encounter on your adventures and will stick with you long after you've stopped playing. In the lead-up to the release of The Outer Worlds 2, we asked GameSpot fans on Instagram to take a space-walk down memory lane and vote for who their favorite characters from the original game are and, unsurprisingly, there as a big selection of characters that got a lot of love. We put together a list of the top three most-popular characters according to percentage of votes for them. So, let's join those fans on their reminiscing and reflect back on the characters that have proved most popular, as we get excited to meet more in The Outer Worlds 2. Parvati HolcombParvati Holcomb is one of the first party members you meet in The Outer Worlds. She is a sweet, but naive mechanical engineer working under Reed Tobson in Edgewater who deeply, emotionally connects with her work, and requests to join your party after seeing and falling in love with the Unreliable.Out of all the party members, Parvati might be the easiest one to fall in love with. She’s a genuinely kind person with a strong moral compass who doesn’t dwell on the darkness in the world, or anyone’s status. She sees the positive in everyone and only wants to help those around her. For a character who is seemingly naive and predictable, she leaves a strong impression by being a calming, very refreshing presence for the team. Even in combat, Parvati is somehow adorable and non-violent. Her presence is just so peaceful, even the tough characters like Vicar Max tend to have a soft spot for her. I could go on about why Parvati’s personality is what makes her so beloved, but more importantly, her crush on fellow engineer Junlei and internal struggles with her sexuality resonated with many queer and asexual players, and now Parvati is considered one of the most important characters for LGBTQ+ representation. Parvati’s innocent naivety and queer experiences are so honestly written, it was easy for her to quickly become a favorite companion.Vicar MaxMaximilian DeSoto, or Vicar Max of the Order of Scientific Inquiry. Max believes he will be the one to unveil the secrets of the OSI and the “Plan” and will do anything to achieve his goals, even if it leads to manipulating others or becoming violent with those who get in his way.Max is an interesting character because you really have to give him a chance. When you first meet Max, he’s an arrogant, selfish, and all around unlikeable jerk. He sends you on a quest for a banned book, only to complain that it’s in French, which he can’t read. He lashes out as if it’s your fault then has the audacity to ask to tag along on your journey. You really have to swallow your pride a bit to have him join your party,However, as you spend more time with him and learn about his motivations, you realize he’s a pretty nuanced character. He’s incredibly intelligent and tries to be helpful,even if he comes off insensitive at times.His snarkiness adds a flavor to the party that’s very entertaining, especially in combat because of his goofy one-liners. Yes, his shotgun abilities are pretty cool, but stating “I smite you in the name of the law!” before violently blasting enemies with a Trickshot is pure ridiculousness.Max may be self-centered and annoying, but his true desire is just to find peace in his life. This leads to an incredible character development arc that’s wildly considered one of the best in the series. Witnessing the growth of Max go from snarky edgelord, to becoming more content and calm with his demeanor, is a huge pay off for dealing with this cringey dialogue.SAMFound in the top floor of the Unreliable, SAM aka “Sanitation and Maintenance" is a cleaning automechanical who’s been modified with an acid spraying steeper to “clean up” enemies in combat. There’s really not much to SAM, which is honestly why he’s a popular companion. Unlike a ton of characters in The Outer Worlds universe who are more engaging and complicated, SAM is simply just a robot who sticks to his duties: live to clean, clean to live. His dialogue is so programmed and emotionally disconnected it’s hilarious, and tends to lighten up more serious moments.He doesn’t care about what’s right or wrong, he just needs to clean, which includes enemies as well. You don’t need to stress out about making certain decisions with him, and he will gladly use his stomp and acid spray to get rid of any messes that get in your way. When he’s not active in the party, he’s back cleaning the ship and dismissing ADA’s flirtatious messages, which is more hilarious dialogue to witness.Overall, it’s SAM’s simplicity that makes him a beloved character. In a universe where every decision and interaction you make can be crucial, it’s refreshing to have a silly companion who only has a lust for dust. Got stubborn stains? Leave them for SAM!