The Outer Worlds 2 FAQ: The Hard Truths About Respecs, Romance, and That Third-Person Camera

Answering the big questions you're afraid to ask. Yes, you're stuck with that haircut.

Okay, I need to set the record straight. In my beginner's guide, I warned you that you couldn't respec and that you had to pick a lane and stick with it. I was... mostly right. The actual truth is somehow more convoluted and, in classic Obsidian fashion, more stressful.

Here are the hard answers to the questions I'm seeing everywhere.

So, Can I Respec My Character? (Sort Of)

Yes, you can respec your character... exactly once. That's it. At the end of the prologue, after you're rescued, Niles and Valerie will talk to you.

The robot will prompt you, and you'll get a single dialogue option: [Respec.] That’s probably for the best. I do feel a little different This is your one and only chance. If you accept, you can re-allocate your traits and skills.

If you say no, or once you accept the changes, you are locked in forever. This just reinforces my earlier advice: you must specialize. You get one shot to fix your build, so make it count.

Can I Change My Appearance?

No. Full stop. Unlike that single moment of pity for your skills, the game gives you zero chances to change your appearance after the initial character creation.

No plastic surgeons, no hairdressers, no magic mirrors. You're stuck with that face, those tattoos, and that hairstyle for the entire game.

Your only "fix" is to go into the settings and hide your helmet. Or, if you really hate your character's face, just... play in first-person.

Wait, You Can Play in Third-Person?

Yes! This is actually a fantastic, fully supported feature. If you're tired of the default first-person view, you can just pop into the settings menu, go to "Gameplay," and change the "Perspective".

You get two options: "Third Person Near" and "Third Person Far," which are pretty self-explanatory. You can also swap shoulders (H on keyboard, D-pad Up on controller), which is a nice touch.

You can even hotkey the perspective swap (U on keyboard, hold the left menu button on controller). It's a great way to actually see that armor you've been collecting.

And... Can I Romance My Companions?

No. Absolutely not. The game is refreshingly blunt about this. The companions trailer even had the narrator say, "And no, you can't sleep with them".

There are no romance options in the game, period. Not with companions, not with anyone else.

Frankly, you should be more worried about their utility. Your companions are combat tools, and your choices for them have permanent effects, like deciding whether Inez gets a healing ability or a useless plasma claw. This game is about making hard choices, not flirting.