The Outer Worlds 2 Overhauls Skills for More Specialized Play-Styles

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In the upcoming sequel to “The Outer Worlds 2” by Obsidian, you can expect a game that’s twice as expansive as its predecessor, featuring more quests, companions, weapons, and locations. However, it’s not just about adding new elements; they’re also overhauling many aspects of the role-playing experience. As revealed in a recent IGN First feature, lead systems designer Kyle Koenig unveiled changes to the Skill system. Rather than being divided into distinct categories based on each stat, these skills will now have unique identities of their own.

This adjustment stemmed from the initial game’s tendency to standardize player builds. This frequently resulted in characters that excelled across all aspects, which, by the game’s conclusion, diminished the unique, individual journey associated with your character, as pointed out by Koenig.

The reason for this modification was because the original game tended to make player builds similar. This often led to characters that were good at everything, which made your personal experience with your character less distinct at the end of the game, according to Koenig.

The newly redefined skills are distinctly unique and valuable in their own ways. Our aim is to emphasize the significance of each individual’s growth and the importance of strategic investment. This separation eliminates ambiguity about when to focus on developing one skill over another. For instance, if a player aspires to excel in gunplay and medical equipment usage, they can clearly identify which skills require their attention. In this manner, characters can develop more specialized roles without being confined by groupings.

This alteration expands the possibilities for diverse construction methods, moving beyond the standard options of stealth-centric, combat-oriented, or dialogue-driven builds. Instead, there’s a fusion of ideas, experimenting with various systems, and merging them into an extensive yet distinct set of player character types.

The option of focusing on a particular skill set remains, such as Engineering, which offers a 1% resistance to damage and the ability to increase difficulty levels and simplify mechanical systems by +1. Conversely, Hacking enables the raising of difficulty levels and access to terminals by +1, while dealing an additional 10% damage to robotic devices. As you progress in level, these benefits become more potent.

This year, “The Outer Worlds 2” is set to release on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC platforms. Catch a glimpse of the newest gameplay and keep an eye out for its upcoming presentation on June 8th, immediately following the Xbox Games Showcase.

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2025-04-15 14:41