The Outer Worlds 2 is finally here, and after playing the game for over 60 hours for review, I’ve learned a lot of tips and tricks that I wish I knew before I started. These tips will help you in combat, access more loot and crafting materials, get the most out of your companions, and much more. So if you’re just about to step into The Outer Worlds 2 for the first time, this is the best guide to get started!
🪐 Related
- TOW2 Character Creation Guide
- All Outer Worlds 2 Companions
- The Outer Worlds 2 Best Builds
- All Factions in The Outer Worlds 2
- Best Start in The Outer Worlds 2
1. Don’t Sweat Backgrounds
Let’s start at the beginning with character creation. You start by picking a background, and I spent way too much time worrying about this because it’s not a big deal. Backgrounds in The Outer Worlds 2 are basically for role-playing purposes. They give you access to maybe a dozen bits of flavor text during your playthrough but not much else. So don’t sweat the background – pick what you think will be fun in terms of role-playing, but it doesn’t affect the game much at all.
2. Double Your Traits
A more impactful beginner decision is your choice of traits. These matter, so take some time reading through each one and the bonuses they provide. Bonus: you can pick TWO positive traits to start with for double the bonus, but you’ll have to take a negative trait to balance things out.
I personally don’t think the negative traits are that bad, depending on your build. For example, if you’re playing a stealth or sniper build, then the Lucky trait for more crit chance and Nimble for quicker stealth make sense, and choosing Sickly as a negative trait wouldn’t be too bad, since you’d be avoiding a lot of combat anyway.
3. No Respecs Allowed (After the Tutorial)
After character creation, keep in mind that once you finish the tutorial, there are zero respec options – your character will remain however you’ve built them. This is a purposeful decision by the developers to encourage replayability and commitment to your playthrough. It takes some getting used to, but as long as you have a plan, it’s nothing to worry about.
You can check out all of our starting builds to get a head start on what’s possible!
4. Save Extra Skill Points – Trust Me!
Skills are another big part of your character development in The Outer Worlds 2. You’ll get plenty of skill points as you level up, and even more if you select the Brilliant trait. The tip here: never, ever spend all of your skill points at once.
You’ll often come across skill checks that require certain levels in things like Lockpicking or Engineering. If you don’t have enough invested, you might get slowed down. Keep 3–4 extra skill points saved up at all times just in case you need a shortcut.
5. Engineering for Early Progression
An example of this early on is putting at least one point into Engineering, because this is often the most common way of bypassing doors. Another option is the Brawny trait, which literally lets you break through doors and can be used even at high levels. But if it’s your first playthrough, a few points in Engineering to quickly bypass broken doors is a solid investment.
6. Using Tactical Time Dilation Effectively
Moving on to combat next, there are many tips and tricks here that can make your experience easier and more satisfying. Early on, you’ll get your first gadget: the Tactical Time Dilation Device, which can make combat much easier if you know how to use it.
The device slows down time, allowing you to line up headshots and precise damage. However, the slowdown effect drains much quicker while you’re moving. So the trick is to stay still – turn yourself into a turret, and you’ll get at least twice the duration.
7. Aim for Weakspots
Always aim for weakspots. There are several bonuses to weakspot damage throughout the game, including from the Observation skill (great for precision or sniper builds), as well as various helmets and gear.
For human NPCs, the weakspot is the head. For creatures, it varies – like the mouth on a giant crab for example. For automatons, look for glowing or lighted sections. Experiment to learn each enemy type’s vulnerability, and use this against them for a massive damage boost!
8. Easily Revive Companions
One of the best uses of Tactical Time Dilation, aside from headshots, is reviving downed allies. Reviving companions can be tough during a firefight, since any damage interrupts the two-second revive animation.
By turning on Time Dilation first, you’ll take little to no damage during those few seconds and basically guarantee a successful revive. This is a total game changer for fights versus crowds or powerful bosses.
9. Understanding Inhalers and Toxicity
Next up: inhalers. This is your healing device, which restores health but also builds a negative stat called Toxicity.
Different inhalers build up different amounts, and if your Toxicity maxes out, you can’t heal anymore and will die more easily.
Keep an eye on your toxicity meter and use your inhaler sparingly.
10. Healing with Food and Drink
To be more efficient, always heal after combat using food and drinks instead of the inhaler.
Healing with consumables you pick up during the game is instant and builds zero toxicity, though it can only be done outside of combat.
Watch for your healing icon at the bottom of the screen changing to a food icon – hold the button down to consume multiple items quickly instead of opening your inventory each time.
11. Trauma Kits
Last combat tip: use trauma kits! You can find them early on from doctors, vending machines, or as loot. They’re highly valuable because you can use them to revive yourself if you go down in combat, assuming at least one companion is still alive. You’ll get a good chunk of health back too, making trauma kits a literal lifesaver.
12. Using the Mini Map
When it comes to exploration, the minimap is surprisingly useful—especially for finding loot.
After combat, enemies that drop loot will show a container icon on your minimap. Use this after a big fight to make sure you don’t miss anything hidden in bushes or tall grass.
Also, watch for the red-tinted edges of the minimap, which warn you when enemies are nearby. I believe there’s also a Niles perk that shows enemies sooner, though I didn’t personally take it.
13. Picking the Right Lockbox
Lockboxes can contain powerful and unique items but require special keycards to open.
The tip here: you don’t need to open all boxes immediately. Advanced lockboxes are always stored on your ship, so since you won’t have enough keys for all of them, you can cycle through and preview the contents before opening.
For example, I skipped Val’s upgrade box because I wasn’t using Val as a companion and saved my keys for something else I actually wanted.
14. Bounty Missions
You can earn more advanced keys by completing bounty quests – most towns have a few.
Just approach the bounty terminal, accept the bounty, and once you return after defeating the targets, you’ll often receive keys as part of your reward.
15. Unmarked Quests
Not all quests are marked or given traditionally in The Outer Worlds 2.
Some appear after reading terminals, so make sure to interact with every one you find.
Other quests trigger from overheard NPC dialogue as you pass by—these will appear in the Mentioned section of your quest log.
I even got one quest by simply walking and accepting a radio transmission, so stay alert for unconventional quest triggers.
16. Collect Those Recipes!
Crafting is a major part of The Outer Worlds 2, and recipes are essential.
You can find them as drops, quest rewards, loot, or most often in vending machines. You’ll need recipes for nearly everything – from ammo refills and medical inhalers to lockpicks.
Vendors mark which recipes you already own, so grab every new one you find, especially ammo recipes, since you’ll burn through it fast unless you’re running a melee build.
17. Selling vs. Breaking Down Items
Break down unused or extra weapons and armor instead of selling them. This gives you components to craft the items you need when you need them. Breaking down junk also provides materials for crafting essentials like lockpicks and additional inhalers – extremely useful early in the game.
18. Niles Is Your Best Friend
To craft, you’ll usually need a workbench – available on your ship or around the world—but the most convenient option is your companion, Niles. He has a field crafting dialogue option that works exactly like a bench and can be used anytime as long as he’s in your party.
Being able to craft and break down items on demand makes Niles one of the most valuable companions in the game.
19. Inventory Management
As you play, you’ll collect dozens—if not hundreds—of weapons, armor pieces, and helmets. It can get messy fast.
Use the Favorites feature in your inventory to sort your top items to the front. You can also preview how gear looks before equipping it, which is a nice touch for customizing your style.
20. How to Pickpocket
Finally, if you want to score more items for free, the Pickpocket perk is fantastic. You can’t pickpocket right away – you’ll first need at least one point in Lockpick and then spend a perk point in Pickpocket to unlock the option when crouched behind an NPC.
Some of the best loot, including unique keycards that open new paths or chests, can be obtained through pickpocketing, making it a rewarding investment for stealth players.
Dive Into The Outer Worlds 2!
Check the links below to browse more guides and builds for The Outer Worlds 2:
