Don't Screw Up Your Save: 7 Things You Need to Do First in The Outer Worlds 2
This isn't the first game. Obsidian has chucked us all in the deep end, and this time, you can't respec your mistakes.
So, The Outer Worlds 2 is finally here, and let me tell you, this isn't the breezy little RPG the first one was. Obsidian has scaled everything up. It's bigger, the systems are way deeper, and it's brutally unforgiving. This game chucks you right in the deep end and expects you to swim.
The choices are staggering, and you will get locked out of stuff. Because, and I need you to listen to this part very carefully, there is no respec. Let me repeat that. You cannot respec your skill points. What you pick, you're stuck with. So before you waste 20 hours on a character you hate, here's what I wish I'd known from the jump.
Stop Hoarding Points and Pick a Damn Lane
I know the RPG hoarder instinct. You want to put a few points in everything, "just in case." Don't. It's a trap. Because you can't respec, you must specialize.
This game is full of skill checks, and a "balanced" build will fail all of them. Pick three or four skills and dump everything into them. Decide before you even start if you're a smooth-talker, a master thief, or a gunslinger, and commit.
Get Your First "Level-Up" Gun for Free
Before you even leave your ship, the Incognito, go find the workshop. You'll see a container on the wall that needs a Lockpick level of 11. Ignore it.
Go to the corner with the workbench, jump on the storage boxes piled there, and look for a "Disable Power" switch on the wall. Flip it, and the container pops open. Inside is the "Rookie's Reward" SMG. This thing is a unique weapon that actually levels up as you use it, so grabbing it now is a huge boost for the early game.
The Double Jump Isn't a Luxury, It's a Necessity
The best new feature in this game is the double jump. It changes everything, exploration, platforming, just getting around. But you don't start with it, and it's tied to a missable side quest.
As soon as you're in Fairfield, find Huell Chaudry hanging around outside the police station. Talk to him and agree to help. This starts the "Perilous Journey to the Grove" task. Just do it. Get those boots. You'll thank me.
Clear Fairfield Before You Do Anything Else
The first main area, Paradise Island, is a massive 10-hour hub. But I'm giving you a critical, time-sensitive warning: finish everything in Fairfield before you continue the main quest The Saboteur of Paradise.
I'm talking every side quest, every little nook. One of my sources just said, "Don't ask why, just do it". That's the kind of warning I listen to. It means you're about to get locked out of a ton of content if you rush the main story.
Grab the Zyranium Shield Gadget
As you're exploring, you'll run into clouds of a nasty green gas called Zyranium. It's a hard barrier that will kill you.
To get past it, you need the Zyranium Shield. You can get this by starting the An Aegis Against the Miasma side quest, which you'll find at the Euphoria Coast Automech Repair Center on Paradise Island. Get it done.
Get Rich and Get a Pet
While you're mopping up Fairfield, stop by the bridge checkpoint that leads to the Vox relay station. Talk to Commander Torez and do his task. Your reward is the "Scrabbles" perk, which gives you a bonus on all the Bits (money) you find.
And if you want some company on the Incognito, head south of your landing pad to the beach. Follow the bay, avoid the killer crabs, and you'll find a crab farm where you can get a pet for your ship.
A Few Final Tips, So You Don't Die Like a Chump
Finally, a few quick things. Your TZD time-slow is your best friend in a fight; use it often and look for mods that boost its energy.
Oh, and don't try to melee robots. They explode in a nasty acid cloud when they die. And one last thing: pay attention to your companions. They have their own personalities and principles. If you constantly act like an asshole and go against their wishes, they will straight-up leave you. You've been warned.
