Having had the opportunity to dive into the work-in-progress alpha build of *The Outer Worlds 2*, it's evident that Obsidian Entertainment has prioritized deepening its RPG elements. While the original game offered a more streamlined approach to character development, the sequel is designed to encourage players to explore unconventional gameplay styles, fostering creativity and specialization in their character builds. This isn't just complexity for complexity's sake; it's about empowering players to embrace unique and sometimes quirky choices in their gaming journey.
In a discussion with design director Matt Singh, he highlighted the team's focus on incentivizing players to experiment with different character builds, whether traditional or non-traditional. "We're looking for ways to incentivize the player to experiment with different builds, either traditional or non-traditional," Singh explained. The emphasis is on creating synergies between Skills, Traits, and Perks to craft intriguing and diverse gameplay experiences. This approach was evident in our exclusive 11-minute gameplay showcase, which highlighted new elements in gunplay, stealth, gadgets, and dialogue. For this segment of our IGN First coverage, we're delving into the revamped RPG systems and what players can anticipate from them.
Rethinking the Skill System ---------------------------Lead systems designer Kyle Koenig reflected on the original game, noting how players often ended up with characters proficient in everything, which diluted the personal experience. To address this, Obsidian has shifted from grouping Skills into categories to focusing on individual Skills with 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, knowing precisely which Skills to prioritize for their desired playstyle, whether it's focused on guns and medical devices or another unique combination.
Singh added that the new system encourages a broader range of player profiles beyond the typical stealth, combat, or speech-focused builds. "There's more than just a traditional stealth-focused build, combat-focused build, or speech-focused build. There's a lot of blending of concepts, playing with other systems and incorporating those into a pretty broad, but unique range of different player profiles," he explained. Certain Skills, like Observation, can enhance gameplay by revealing hidden elements in the environment, such as secret doors or interactive objects that lead to alternative paths.
The Outer Worlds 2 Character Creation - Screenshots
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While such a focus on individual Skills might seem standard for RPGs, *The Outer Worlds* was unique in its original approach. In the sequel, the revised Skill system aims to create more distinct character builds and open up new possibilities, particularly in relation to the revamped Perks system.
The Perks of Getting Experimental
Obsidian's approach to Perks in *The Outer Worlds 2* emphasizes specificity and unique gameplay avenues. "We've significantly increased the number of Perks with over 90 of them – each of those 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. For example, the Perk "Run and Gun" enhances gameplay for those using shotguns, SMGs, and rifles by allowing them to fire while sprinting or sliding, especially effective when combined with Tactical Time Dilation (TTD) for bullet-time action. Another Perk, "Space Ranger," provides dialogue interactions and damage boosts based on your Speech stat.
"We have a lot of Perks that are catered towards non-traditional play styles," Singh noted, highlighting builds for players who choose to eliminate every NPC they encounter. Such players can adopt Perks like "Psychopath" and "Serial Killer," which offer permanent health boosts for this playstyle. "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. It's actually a really fun way to play in a second or third playthrough just to see how far you can take it," Singh added.
For more traditional players, Koenig discussed builds that exploit elemental combat. Players can mix and match different damage types, such as using plasma to burn enemies while healing, or employing shock damage to control automechs and paralyze foes, or corrosive damage to strip armor for critical hits.
Singh emphasized additional opportunities for experimentation, such as opting into detrimental effects that enhance other aspects of your character. "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 kinds of creative builds that allow you to play with that idea and convert something that might be negative into a positive aspect of your build," he said. This design philosophy, while present in the original, is now a central focus in *The Outer Worlds 2*, particularly with Traits and Flaws.
The Positive and Negative Traits
Koenig pointed out the influence of *Fallout* on *The Outer Worlds*, particularly with the concept of negative attributes that offer extra points to spend elsewhere. In the original game, this was reflected in the Flaws system, where players could choose permanent effects based on their behavior in exchange for a Perk point. In *The Outer Worlds 2*, this concept is expanded, with Positive Traits and Negative Traits playing a crucial role in the game's give-and-take mechanics. Players can choose traits like "Brilliant" for extra Skill points or "Brawny" to knock down enemies by sprinting into them, but to gain more positives, they might need to select negatives such as "Dumb," which locks out certain Skills, or "Sickly," which reduces base health and toxicity tolerance.
The Outer Worlds 2 Gameplay - Screenshots
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While a deeper exploration of the revamped Flaws system will be covered in a future article, it's clear that *The Outer Worlds 2* is pushing the boundaries with more creative and humorous Flaws. In the original game, I often declined Flaws due to the limited benefit of extra Perk points. However, the sequel introduces Flaws that are both positive and negative, dynamically triggered by the player's actions and offering a deeper layer to the Traits system. Players will still have the option to opt into these Flaws, but they will become a permanent part of their character's journey.
Guiding Players and Ditching Respec
With the increased complexity of *The Outer Worlds 2*, Obsidian has made efforts to ensure these systems are accessible and understandable through in-game explanations and UI enhancements. "Right from the get-go, from character creation, we really wanted to put in the forefront what are the differences of these skills and what they do," Koenig said. This includes help text and short gameplay videos in the menus that demonstrate the impact of Skills. A standout feature is the ability to mark Perks as favorites before unlocking them, aiding in planning and organizing character progression.
A significant change in *The Outer Worlds 2* is the absence of a respec option after the introductory sequence. "By removing respec, we really incentivize it to be your experience. It is a part of your experience that no one else had, and I think that's really special about RPGs and something that respec tends to lessen," Koenig explained. Singh echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that all choices should be meaningful and impactful. "Philosophy-wise, we really feel all of your choices should matter. They should be meaningful changes to your gameplay experience. And 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," he concluded.
