"Outer Worlds 2 Enhances RPG Character Customization - IGN First"

Having finally seen The Outer Worlds 2 for myself, it's clear that Obsidian has prioritized deepening the RPG elements in their sequel. While the first game offered a more streamlined approach to character progression, The Outer Worlds 2 is designed to encourage players to embrace diversity and unconventional gameplay. The goal isn't complexity for its own sake, but rather to inspire creativity, specialization, and perhaps even some quirky decision-making.

"We're looking for ways to incentivize the player to experiment with different builds, either traditional or non-traditional," design director Matt Singh shared with me. He emphasized the team's focus on enhancing player engagement through the synergy of Skills, Traits, and Perks, which can lead to unique and dynamic builds. This was evident in our exclusive 11-minute gameplay showcase, featuring revamped gunplay, stealth, gadgets, and dialogue. In this IGN First coverage, we delve into the intricate changes to these systems and what players can anticipate.

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. To address this, Obsidian has shifted from Skill categories to 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 I should invest in one Skill or the other. If I want to be a player that's all about guns and using medical devices, I know which Skills I really need to care about. By having them separated and not in groupings, it lets characters be more specialized."

Singh elaborated, "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 mentioned how certain Skill investments could enhance other gameplay elements, like Observation, which can reveal hidden environmental cues such as secret doors or interactive objects leading to alternate paths.

The Outer Worlds 2 Character Creation - Screenshots

4 ImagesWhile this may seem standard for RPGs, The Outer Worlds was unique in its Skill grouping. The sequel, however, uses the revised Skill system to enhance character build diversity and open new possibilities, particularly with the revamped Perks system.

The Perks of Getting Experimental

Obsidian is keen on offering specific and unique gameplay paths. "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. He highlighted the "Run and Gun" Perk for shotgun, SMG, and rifle users, allowing firing while sprinting or sliding, and when combined with Tactical Time Dilation (TTD), bullet-time action becomes a key part of the gameplay. He also teased the "Space Ranger" Perk, which enhances dialogue interactions and provides damage boosts based on your Speech stat. "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," he stated.

The Outer Worlds 2 encourages players to get creative, specialize their builds, and perhaps even embrace some unconventional choices. "We have a lot of Perks that are catered towards non-traditional play styles," Singh noted, citing a build for players who prefer eliminating every NPC, supported by Perks like "Psychopath" and "Serial Killer" that grant bonuses such as permanent health boosts. "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."

For more traditional playstyles, Koenig provided insight into builds leveraging elemental combat aspects. "Even if you want to mix and match them, you can be a character that's all about plasma and burning things alive while getting 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 take away all their armor and make it so all your attacks against them are critical hits that deal insane amounts of damage."

Singh also highlighted opportunities for experimentation through mechanics that reward taking risks, such as building a character who thrives by taking damage to enhance other abilities. "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." This approach, which was part of the original game, is now a core focus in The Outer Worlds 2, particularly in relation to Traits and Flaws.

The Positive and Negative Traits

"One of the things in The Outer Worlds that was a key off of Fallout was you could have negative attributes that would be actively detrimental to your character, but you get a few extra points to spend somewhere else," Koenig explained. This concept, embodied in the Flaws system of the original, where players could opt for permanent effects in exchange for Perk points, is being expanded in The Outer Worlds 2.

The system of Positive Traits and Negative Traits offers a balanced trade-off, allowing players to select a negative trait to gain an additional positive one. For instance, "Brilliant" grants extra Skill points during character creation, while "Brawny" allows you to knock down targets by sprinting into them. Conversely, choosing "Dumb" locks you out of investing in five Skills, and "Sickly" reduces your base health and toxicity tolerance. These are just a few examples observed in the early stages of the game.

The Outer Worlds 2 Gameplay - Screenshots

25 ImagesWhile I will explore the revamped Flaws system more thoroughly in a future article, it's clear that The Outer Worlds 2 is pushing boundaries with creative and sometimes whimsical implementations. In the original game, I often declined Flaws as the trade-off for extra Perk points wasn't appealing. Now, the game tracks your behavior and offers Flaws with both positive and negative conditions, adding a dynamic layer to the Traits system that appears unexpectedly based on your playstyle. You still need to opt into these Flaws, but they become a permanent aspect of your character.

Guiding Players and Ditching Respec

With the increased complexity in The Outer Worlds 2, Obsidian is committed to ensuring these elements are clear 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 stated. This is achieved not only through help text but also via short video demonstrations in the menus. A standout feature is the ability to mark Perks as favorites before unlocking them, aiding in planning and organizing your progression path or build. The requirements are displayed upfront, and icons in the menu help signify a Perk's general playstyle and associated Skill.

"We're looking for ways to incentivize the player to experiment with different builds, either traditional or non-traditional,"Obsidian wants players to make thoughtful choices, especially since there's no respec option after the introductory sequence. Once you've invested in a Skill, Perk, or Trait, your character is committed to that choice throughout your playthrough. "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 remarked.

Singh reinforced this philosophy, stating, "We really feel all of your choices should matter. They should be meaningful changes to your gameplay experience. And he concluded, "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."