The Outer Worlds 2 Companion Guide: Meet Your New (and Still Non-Dateable) Crew
Here’s a rundown of the six poor souls you can convince to join your doomed mission.
So, you're the proud new captain of the Incognito, and it's time to fill it with people who are probably just as screwed up as you are. The Outer Worlds 2 gives you six companions to find and recruit, and you can bring two with you at any time.
As I mentioned in my FAQ, you cannot romance any of them. They're here for combat and story, not for "sleeping with". Each one has a personal quest, and while you don't have to do it, that's how you unlock their best upgrades.
Be warned: they have their own personalities. If you're an asshole who consistently goes against their wishes, they will leave you.
The Freebies (Niles & V.A.L.E.R.I.E.)
You get two companions right from the start, so you don't have to do any work.
Niles is your old buddy, an Earth Directorate agent who got stuck with you. He's a solid all-rounder whose main ability, "Spread Out, I'll Hold 'em!", taunts enemies and then fires three high-damage shots at one target. His real magic, though, is his "Field Tinkering" trait. He is a walking workbench, letting you craft and upgrade your gear from anywhere just by talking to him. That's a massive quality-of-life win.
V.A.L.E.R.I.E. (or VAL) is your other automatic companion. She's a floating robot and your dedicated healer. Her "Emergency Protocols" ability is a lifesaver, giving you a strong heal-over-time and massive damage reduction. Her traits are also clutch: she'll automatically heal party members whose health gets low, and she gives you a chance to save your Bypass Shunts when hacking.
The Paradise Island Recruit (Inez)
Inez is the first companion you have to actively recruit. She's an Auntie's Choice-affiliated combat medic you'll find in Fairfield when you go to see Minister Milverstreet for the main quest. I managed to recruit her by jumping in while she was talking to Milverstreet, suggesting he let her fix her graft, and then talking to her at the entrance afterward to accept her deal.
Her utility is directly tied to that major choice I wrote about earlier. Her ability, "The Magic Bullet," completely changes depending on whether you give her the Raptidon Fin or the Crabble Claw. As I said before, the Raptidon graft is the only smart choice. It turns her ability into a retreat that drops a healing mist Inez cloaks and retreats to your position, throwing down a healing mist...]. The Crabble graft just gives her a weak plasma shot, which is a total waste Inez launches a volley of hot plasma...].
The Golden Ridge Recruits (Aza & Marisol)
Aza is an eccentric, violent cultist you'll find on Golden Ridge, the second major region. She's locked in a room upstairs in the Decommissioned Autonomous Extractorium, a building full of enemies. I just went in, told her I enjoyed a good revenge killing, and she was in. She's a melee damage dealer with a frontal cone attack, and she's great for stealth builds since she gets two ability charges and has a perk for +50% sneak attack damage.
Marisol is your reward for not being an idiot during the "On the Trail of the Traitor" quest. This is "Initiate Alva," the one I told you to side with at the Zyranium Manufactory. After you help her prove her innocence and deal with Svoboda, she'll reveal her real name and you can recruit her. She's a master of gadgets. Her "Torpifying Blast" ability stuns an enemy and makes all your attacks against them critical hits. This is absurdly powerful. Her traits also boost your TTD energy generation and make your scanner show detailed enemy stats.
The Judge (Tristan)
Tristan is the last companion, a "judge, jury, and executioner" for the Protectorate. You'll find him at the 2nd Choice bar in the Free Market Station, arguing with the barman. I just interjected, offered to help him meet the Broker, and it kicked off his "Arbitrary Measures" side quest.
After you finish his quest, you can find him again in the bazaar and recruit him. He's a heavy-hitting tank who taunts enemies with his "Judgement" ability, which is a massive AoE smash that sends enemies flying. His traits are wild: his giant hammer is also a grenade launcher, and he has a passive chance to just... find hidden objects for you. He's a walking, talking loot detector who blows things up. What's not to love?
