So you’ve jumped into The Outer Worlds 2, and honestly? It can feel overwhelming at first. The sequel to Obsidian’s beloved space RPG brings back everything fans loved about the original game while cranking up the complexity. Bigger worlds, deeper systems, more meaningful choices—it’s a lot to take in.
I’ve spent my first dozen hours making mistakes so you don’t have to. Here’s what I wish someone had told me before I started my journey through the Arcadian system.
Character Creation Isn’t Just Cosmetic—It Shapes Your Entire Playthrough
Here’s the thing about The Outer Worlds 2: those first few minutes in character creation matter way more than you’d think. You’re not just picking a hairstyle and moving on. Your background, traits, and starting skills directly impact which dialogue options, quest solutions, and gameplay approaches you’ll have access to early on.
What you need to decide:
- Background: This shapes your character’s history and unlocks unique conversation paths
- Traits: You can select two by default, or grab three if you’re willing to accept a negative trait
- Skills: Choose two to start (or three if you pick the Brilliant trait)
My advice? Think about your playstyle before diving in. Do you want to talk your way through conflicts? Pump points into speech-related skills. Prefer hacking terminals and tinkering with tech? Focus on engineering abilities. Want to be a walking tank? Build for combat.
The beauty of The Outer Worlds universe has always been player choice, and that starts here. Don’t rush it.
Your Medical Inhaler Isn’t Infinite—Treat It Like Gold
Coming from games where health potions grow on trees? You’re in for a rude awakening. The Medical Inhaler is your lifeline during combat, but it has limited charges that don’t regenerate automatically. You need to actively hunt down refills.
How to restock your inhaler:
- Find Auto Doc stations scattered throughout the world
- Collect drug pickups during exploration (they gradually fill your charges)
- Use VAL’s companion healing ability as a backup option
Pro tip: Early in the game, make a beeline for that Shield generator south of Westport. It’s a game-changer that reduces direct health damage, meaning you’ll burn through fewer inhaler charges in heated firefights.
Ammo Scarcity Is Real—Every Bullet Counts
If you’re trigger-happy, you’ll learn this lesson the hard way: ammunition is genuinely scarce in the early hours. You can’t just spray and pray when you’re scraping together enough Bits (the game’s currency) to afford your next meal, let alone a box of bullets.
Smart ammo management strategies:
- Keep a melee weapon handy for weaker enemies
- Complete side quests to build up your Bits stash before going on shooting sprees
- Carry multiple weapons that use different ammo types
- Break down unnecessary gear for crafting materials to make your own ammo
Once you’ve established yourself with steady income and crafting supplies, ammo concerns fade. But those first few hours? Treat every shot like it matters, because it does.
Side Quests Aren’t Optional—They’re Where the Magic Happens
Look, I get it. That main story quest marker is tempting. But rushing through The Outer Worlds 2’s campaign is like going to a buffet and only eating bread rolls. You’re missing the good stuff.
The sequel is significantly larger than the first game, with explorable zones packed with hidden stories, unique weapons, and memorable characters that exist entirely off the critical path. Some of my favorite moments happened when I ignored the main quest and just… wandered.
What you’ll find by exploring:
- Powerful weapons and armor you won’t get otherwise
- Fascinating side stories that add depth to the game’s world
- Crafting materials and Bits to fund your adventures
- Experience points that’ll make main missions easier
Clear that fog of war on your map. Talk to random NPCs. Investigate weird locations. The game rewards curiosity in ways that genuinely matter.
The Perk System Requires Forward Thinking
At level 2, you’ll unlock your first perk. Every even level after that, you get another perk point. Sounds simple, right? Here’s the catch: most worthwhile perks have skill prerequisites.
Want that Connoisseur perk that boosts healing from food and drugs? You’ll need at least one point in Medical skill. Interested in advanced combat perks? Better start investing in weapon skills now.
Here’s my strategy:
- Browse the full perks list early
- Favorite the perks that match your desired build
- Plan your skill point investments backward from those goals
- Every level, allocate your two skill points strategically
It’s like building a character in a tabletop RPG—planning ahead makes you significantly more effective than randomly assigning points.
Loot Everything (Seriously, Everything)
This might be the best news you’ll hear: The Outer Worlds 2 has no weight limit. None. Zero. You can pick up every weapon, armor piece, consumable, and random piece of junk you encounter without slowing down or managing inventory weight.
Why this matters:
- Sell excess gear for easy Bits
- Break down items into valuable crafting materials
- Stockpile consumables for tough fights
- Experiment with different weapons without commitment
The only exception: don’t steal in front of NPCs unless you’re ready for combat. Otherwise? If it’s not nailed down, it’s yours. Your future self will thank you when you have mountains of crafting materials and Bits.
Your Companions Are Combat Assets—Use Their Abilities
Niles and VAL aren’t just there for witty dialogue and story beats. Each companion has an active ability that can turn fights in your favor, and too many players forget they exist.
Companion abilities breakdown:
- Niles: Teleports to a target enemy, taunts them, and unloads rapid fire for several seconds
- VAL: Provides gradual healing over time—basically a free inhaler charge
These abilities have cooldowns, but they’re short enough to use in most fights. Niles’ taunt is particularly clutch when you’re getting overwhelmed, and VAL’s healing can save you from wasting precious inhaler charges.
Master Quick Saving Before You Need It
The Outer Worlds 2 features numerous points of no return—moments where your choice permanently alters the story. The game doesn’t auto-save frequently enough to always have a backup before these critical moments.
Quick save controls:
- PC: F5 to quick save, F9 to quick load
- Console: Manual save through the menu system
Get in the habit of quick saving before:
- Major story decisions
- Difficult combat encounters
- Conversations with important NPCs
- Exploring dangerous areas
If you’re the type who likes seeing multiple outcomes, quick saving before pivotal choices lets you explore different paths without replaying entire sections.
Take Your Time and Experiment
The Outer Worlds 2 rewards patience and experimentation. There’s no “correct” way to play—whether you want to be a charismatic corporate bootlicker, a trigger-happy mercenary, or a stealthy tech specialist, the game accommodates your vision.
Don’t stress about making “perfect” choices. Part of the fun is seeing how your decisions ripple through the Arcadian system. Save often, explore thoroughly, and embrace the weird corporate dystopia Obsidian has crafted.
Now get out there and show those corporations what you’re made of. The Outer Worlds isn’t going to save (or doom) itself.
