The Outer Worlds 2: Unleash Your RPG Creativity with IGN First

After experiencing The Outer Worlds 2 firsthand, it's evident that Obsidian Entertainment has placed a strong emphasis on enhancing the depth of its RPG elements. While the first game offered a more accessible approach with streamlined character progression, the sequel aims to break away from uniformity, encouraging players to explore unconventional gameplay styles. The focus isn't merely on complexity but on fostering creativity and specialization in character development, prompting players to embrace unique and sometimes eccentric choices.

In a discussion with design director Matt Singh, he highlighted the team's goal to encourage experimentation with diverse character builds, whether they're conventional or innovative. "We're looking for ways to incentivize the player to experiment with different builds, either traditional or non-traditional," Singh explained. He emphasized the importance of synergies between Skills, Traits, and Perks, which can lead to unique gameplay interactions. This approach was showcased in our exclusive 11-minute gameplay footage of The Outer Worlds 2, where new elements such as gunplay, stealth, gadgets, and dialogue were demonstrated. In this IGN First coverage, we delve into the intricacies of the revamped RPG systems and what players can anticipate from them.

Rethinking the Skill System

Reflecting on the first game, lead systems designer Kyle Koenig noted that characters often became proficient in too many areas, which diluted the personal experience. To address this in the sequel, Obsidian has shifted from grouping Skills into categories to focusing on individual Skills with more significant differences. "We wanted to focus on making each individual level-up and investment really important," Koenig stated. This change allows players to specialize more effectively, ensuring that choosing to focus on guns and medical devices, for example, is a clear and impactful decision.

Singh added that the new system encourages a broader range of player profiles beyond traditional builds. "There's more than just a traditional stealth-focused build, combat-focused build, or speech-focused build," he said. Investments in Skills like Observation can unlock new environmental interactions, such as discovering secret doors or alternate paths, enriching the gameplay experience.

The Outer Worlds 2 Character Creation - Screenshots

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While this approach may seem standard for RPGs, The Outer Worlds was unique in its original Skill grouping. The sequel, however, leverages the revised Skill system to enhance character build diversity and open up more possibilities, especially in conjunction with the revamped Perks system.

The Perks of Getting Experimental

Obsidian's focus on specificity and unique gameplay paths is evident in the expanded Perks system. "We've significantly increased the number of Perks with over 90 of them – each of those requiring various Skills to unlock," Koenig explained. This system encourages players to explore different gameplay styles, such as the Run and Gun Perk for shotgun, SMG, and rifle users, which allows firing while sprinting or sliding, enhancing the tactical time dilation (TTD) bullet-time action.

Another intriguing Perk, Space Ranger, combines dialogue interactions with damage boosts based on Speech stats. "The way we looked at them when designing them was to look at what are all the different modes of gameplay the player has, and what are all the actions they can take and how can we modify them," Koenig stated.

Singh highlighted Perks tailored for non-traditional playstyles, such as Psychopath and Serial Killer, which reward players for eliminating NPCs. "Especially in an Obsidian game where we allow you to kill anybody – the game's going to respond, it's going to roll with it, and you're going to still be able to complete the game," he said, noting that this approach can add a fun twist to subsequent playthroughs.

For more conventional builds, Koenig discussed exploiting elemental combat aspects, such as using plasma to burn enemies while healing, shock damage to control automechs, or corrosive damage to strip armor and maximize critical hits.

The Positive and Negative Traits

Drawing inspiration from Fallout, The Outer Worlds introduced the concept of negative attributes that could be traded for extra points. In the sequel, this idea expands with a system of Positive and Negative Traits. Players can choose a negative Trait like Brilliant, which grants extra Skill points, or Brawny, enabling them to knock down targets by sprinting into them. To gain more positive Traits, players might opt for a negative one such as Dumb, which prevents investing in certain Skills, or Sickly, which reduces base health and toxicity tolerance.

The Outer Worlds 2 Gameplay - Screenshots

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While I'll explore the revamped Flaws system in more detail in a future article, it's clear that The Outer Worlds 2 introduces creative and sometimes humorous Flaws. These are triggered by in-game behavior and offer both positive and negative effects, adding another layer to the Traits system and encouraging players to consider their choices carefully.

Guiding Players and Ditching Respec

With the increased complexity of The Outer Worlds 2, Obsidian has prioritized making these new systems accessible through clear in-game explanations and UI elements. From character creation, players can understand the impact of different Skills through help text and example videos in the menus. A notable feature is the ability to mark Perks as favorites before unlocking them, aiding in planning and organizing build progression.

A significant change is the absence of respec options after the introductory sequence. "By removing respec, we really incentivize it to be your experience," Koenig said, emphasizing the importance of player choice and its lasting impact on the gameplay experience. Singh added, "Philosophy-wise, we really feel all of your choices should matter. They should be meaningful changes to your gameplay experience." This approach encourages players to commit to their choices and explore the unique outcomes that follow.