Having finally seen The Outer Worlds 2 for myself, it’s clear that developer Obsidian has prioritized deeper RPG elements in the sequel. While the first game was more approachable with streamlined systems and progression, The Outer Worlds 2 aims to avoid homogeneity and encourage players to adopt unconventional strategies. This isn't about complexity for its own sake; rather, it's about fostering creativity, specialization, and embracing unique choices.
“We're looking for ways to incentivize the player to experiment with different builds, either traditional or non-traditional,” design director Matt Singh told me, discussing how the team has revamped its RPG mechanics. He emphasized a broader approach, stating, “We really wanted to lean into synergies, looking at how player Skills, Traits, and Perks can all infuse into interesting builds that play off of other systems.” This was evident in our exclusive 11 minutes of The Outer Worlds 2 gameplay, where new gunplay, stealth, gadgets, and dialogue were showcased. For this part of our IGN First coverage on The Outer Worlds 2, we’re diving into the details of these revamped systems and what players can expect.
Rethinking the Skill System ---------------------------“We would often see characters good at everything, which by the end of the game, minimized your personal experience with your character,” lead systems designer Kyle Koenig reflected on the first game and the changes made for the sequel. Obsidian is moving away from the Skill categories that grouped stats together in the original, opting instead for individual Skills with more pronounced differences. “We wanted to focus on making each individual level-up and investment really important. There's less confusion on when to invest in one Skill or another. If you want to be a player focused on guns and medical devices, you know which Skills to prioritize. By separating them and not grouping them, it allows characters to be more specialized.”
Singh added, “There's more than just traditional stealth-focused, combat-focused, or speech-focused builds. There's a lot of blending of concepts, playing with other systems and incorporating those into a broad, yet unique range of different player profiles.” He highlighted how certain Skill investments, like Observation, can reveal hidden environmental elements such as secret doors or interactive objects, leading to alternate paths.
The Outer Worlds 2 Character Creation - Screenshots
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While this approach may seem standard for an RPG, The Outer Worlds was unique in its Skill grouping. In the sequel, the revised Skill system aims to create greater distinctions and open more possibilities for character builds, particularly in conjunction with the revamped Perks system.
The Perks of Getting Experimental
Obsidian is focused on specificity and offering unique play avenues. “We've significantly increased the number of Perks with over 90 of them – each requiring various Skills to unlock. As you invest in Skills, it changes how you can invest in Perks and leads you down many different paths,” Koenig explained. He provided an example with the Run and Gun Perk for shotgun, SMG, and rifle users, which allows firing while sprinting or sliding, and when combined with Tactical Time Dilation (TTD), bullet-time action becomes a key part of your gameplay in The Outer Worlds 2. He also mentioned the Space Ranger Perk, which offers special dialogue interactions and damage boosts based on your Speech stat. “The way we looked at them when designing them was to consider all the different modes of gameplay the player has, and what actions they can take and how we can modify them,” he stated.
The Outer Worlds 2 encourages creativity, specialization, and embracing unconventional choices. “We have a lot of Perks that cater to non-traditional playstyles,” Singh noted, giving an example of building for players who kill every NPC, using Perks like Psychopath and Serial Killer to gain bonuses such as permanent health boosts. “Especially in an Obsidian game where you can kill anybody – the game responds, rolls with it, and you can still complete the game. It's a fun way to play in a second or third playthrough to see how far you can take it.”
For more traditional playstyles, Koenig discussed builds that exploit elemental combat aspects. “Even if you want to mix and match, you can be a character focused on plasma and burning things while healing from it – or using shock damage to scramble automechs and have them fight for you temporarily while paralyzing creatures and humans – or using corrosive damage to strip away armor and make all your attacks critical hits that deal massive damage.”
Singh highlighted other experimental avenues, including opting into detrimental effects that buff another aspect of your character. He mentioned mechanics that reward putting yourself in harm's way, asking, “How do I construct a build where I'm actually incentivized to get in there and take damage so that I can then do other things effectively? I really like those creative builds that allow you to play with that idea and convert something negative into a positive aspect of your build.” This design philosophy, present in the original, is now a driving force in The Outer Worlds 2, particularly with Traits and Flaws.
The Positive and Negative Traits
“One of the things in The Outer Worlds that was inspired by Fallout was you could have negative attributes that would be detrimental to your character, but you'd get a few extra points to spend elsewhere,” Koenig mentioned. In the original, this was reflected in the Flaws system, which offered a permanent effect in exchange for an extra Perk point based on in-game behavior. In The Outer Worlds 2, this concept is expanding significantly.
The system of Positive and Negative Traits is central to this give-and-take, allowing players to choose a negative trait to gain an additional positive one. For example, you can select Brilliant to gain extra Skill points at character creation, or Brawny to knock down targets by sprinting into them. To get more positives, you might opt for a negative trait like Dumb, which locks you out of investing points into five Skills, or Sickly, which permanently reduces your base health and tolerance for toxicity. These are just a few of the options observed in the early stages.
The Outer Worlds 2 Gameplay - Screenshots
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While I will explore the revamped Flaws system in more depth in another article, it's clear that The Outer Worlds 2 is taking a more creative and clever approach. In the original game, I often declined Flaws as the extra Perk points weren't worth the compromise. In the sequel, the game monitors your behavior and habits, and Flaws now come with specific conditions that are both positive and negative – adding another layer to the Traits system, which appears unexpectedly based on your playstyle. You'll still need to opt into them, but they become a permanent part of your character.
Guiding Players and Ditching Respec
With more complex mechanics in The Outer Worlds 2, Obsidian is focused on making these elements clear and understandable through in-game explanations and UI elements. “Right from the start, from character creation, we wanted to highlight the differences in Skills and their impact,” Koenig said. This is not only reflected in the help text but also in short videos in the menus that demonstrate gameplay effects. A standout feature is the ability to mark Perks as favorites before unlocking them, helping to plan and organize a specific progression path or build. The requirements are shown upfront, and icons in the menu signify a Perk’s general playstyle and the Skill it applies to.
“We're looking for ways to incentivize the player to experiment with different builds, either traditional or non-traditional,” Singh reiterated. Obsidian wants players to carefully consider their choices, especially since there is no respec option past the introductory sequence – meaning, once you’ve invested in a Skill, Perk, or Trait, your character must live with that choice throughout the playthrough. Koenig explained, “By removing respec, we really incentivize it to be your unique experience. It becomes a part of your journey that no one else has, which is special about RPGs and something that respec tends to dilute.”
Singh concluded, “Philosophy-wise, we really feel all of your choices should matter. They should be meaningful changes to your gameplay experience. This is just one of those ways where we're asking you to make a choice, stick to it, and see how that plays out in interesting and fun ways.”
