Over the years, Obsidian Entertainment has become known for its successes in RPG storytelling, defined by player agency. Nowhere was this more evident than inFallout: New Vegas, a game lauded not just for its branching narratives but also for its deep and satisfying character progression system. WithThe Outer Worlds 2on the horizon, early information suggests that the sequel is taking a page directly fromNew Vegas' playbook once again to take the RPG series to the next level. If the rumors are true, the clear inspiration from a fan-favorite RPG is a promising sign for the future ofThe Outer Worlds 2.
The Outer Worlds 2’s New Character Customization System Is Reminiscent Of Obsidian’s Fallout Title
The first entry inThe Outer Worldsseries, while praised for its engaging world, was often criticized for its somewhat limited character-building and customization options. Players could allocate points to different attributes and skills, but the system lacked the depth that Obsidian showed it was capable ofcrafting inFallout: New Vegas. Builds were streamlined, and the impact of individual customization choices on the overall gameplay experience was not always significant.
Obsidian seems to have taken this feedback to heart. In recent interviews,The Outer Worlds 2Design Director Matt Singh and Lead Systems Designer Kyle Koenig have emphasized their team’s commitment to expanding how players can build their characters withreworked perks, flaws, traits, and stats system, giving them more room to customize their builds for specific playstyles. With all these character customization options, the aim is to encourage players to specialize in certain builds while also leveraging the availability of individual skills rather than the jack-of-all-trades approach (although that remains a viable option).
Judging from available information, a shift from traditional playstyles such as stealth, combat, or speech-focused builds is expected. The developer is reportedly giving players more options to blend customization concepts to create their ideal characters. While this should be the norm in RPG titles, Obsidian’s decision to group allskills inThe Outer Worldswas an outlier. However, it is nice to see a return to the RPG system that madeFallout: New Vegasa success.
The Outer Worlds 2’s New Perk System Looks Robust
According to Kyle Koenig, there are significantly moreperks available inThe Outer Worlds 2, with the upcoming title sporting over 90 of them. Obsidian wants players to put more effort into investing in skills, so these new perks require certain skills to unlock. The originalThe Outer Worldsgame already featured negative attributes keyed off fromFallout, and the sequel’s new traits system is set to take it to a new level.
There are new positive and negative traits that players can select from to build their unique character. Players can choose to be innovative, lucky, or brilliant, and these options come with unique perks that reflect these positive traits (being brilliant makes it easier to pick up more skills, among others). To select a second positive trait, players will have to choose a negative trait, such as being dumb or sickly, which also comes with unique disadvantages to reflect the choices (dumb characters are locked out of certain skills later in the game).
Obsidian Entertainment is also limiting the respec aspect ofThe Outer Worlds, only allowing it early in the game for players still experimenting with builds. Logically speaking, this is a unique way for the developer to incentivize its player base to experience the game.
Additionally,The Outer Worlds 2is expected to map out skill functions in both text and video format. The idea behind this is for players to visualize the impact of selecting perks on gameplay going forward. To further this dynamic of customization, Obsidian is reportedly working on a system where perks can be marked before unlocking as a form of build planning. If one thing is clear,Fallout: New Vegasis serving as a blueprint forcustomization inThe Outer Worlds 2, and Obsidian appears more than willing to right its wrongs from the original.
