The Outer Worlds 2 will not feature respec to make player decisions matter. Read on to learn more about the developers’ design philosophy and how this approach respects players’ time.
The Outer Worlds 2 Does Not Have Respec
Making Player Decisions Matter
The Outer Worlds 2 continues the series’ retro-futuristic sci-fi elements, but leaves behind a popular RPG mechanic: the character respec option. In an interview with RPG Site on June 21, Game Director Brandon Adler confirmed that this mechanic will not be a feature in the game.
Respecialization, or "respec," is the ability of players to reset a character’s skill points or attributes, allowing them to change their build. In the first Outer Worlds game, this feature was available via the "Vocational Competence Respecification Machine" on the base ship. However, it seems that the development team looks to abandon this mechanic for a good reason.
According to Adler, the team wanted to emphasize the importance of player decisions, which can affect how they approach and play the game. He stated, "I personally want the player to understand their choices are permanent - they matter - and then they think more about their choices."
The team’s goal was to create an authentic RPG experience where player choices truly matter. Adler explained, "There's a lot of times where you'll see games where they allow infinite respec, and at that point I'm not really role-playing a character, because I'm jumping between -- well my guy is a really great assassin that snipes from long range, and then oh, y'know, now I'm going to be a speech person, then respec again, and it's like–"
Adler was not part of the original Outer Worlds development team, but has extensive RPG experience from working at Obsidian, including Alpha Protocol, Pillars of Eternity, and Fallout: New Vegas, which heavily inspired The Outer Worlds 2.
He admitted that this design change would divide the community, but remained adamant about their decision. Adler said that it was not wrong for people to like respec, but they wanted to push through their design concept.
"Look, if we're going to do The Outer Worlds 2, I want to make sure that the role playing is really strong. I want to make sure that you're building your character and really doubling down - making sure that role-playing comes through the whole experience," Adler elaborated.
The game still allows players to experiment with builds in the starting area, but beyond that, their decisions are locked in. Moreover, the menus provide detailed information about perks and ability progression, giving players a chance to plan before making decisions.
Respecting People’s Time
The game will be available on Game Pass, so people can casually test it out. However, those who just want to try the game may not realize the implications of their decisions when they buy it later on and continue playing. Adler was frank and said that it was not important for them as it does not "come into the calculus of the cool, fun game" they wanted to create.
He reiterated their goal of making every decision feel important and that pushing through with this concept respects people’s time. Adler stated, "Saying your choices matter, so take that seriously - and we're going to respect that by making sure that we give you cool reactivity for those choices that you're making. That's respecting your time."
There will be risks of not catering to a wider audience, but he understands that it is part of the consequences they are willing to live with. Adler hopes that their approach convinces players to try the game out, but stands firm on their stance as adhering to the wants of many, "waters down the experience a lot."
"I mean, yeah - we want to make a game that people want to continue playing for a long time, obviously. But I'll tell you, not every game is for every single person. Sometimes you have to pick a lane," he said.
The Outer Worlds 2 looks to uniquely distinguish itself by making player decisions matter more with the removal of the respec option. Time will tell whether this design choice will be popular within the community, but the development team strongly believes that this will make the RPG experience a whole lot better.
It’s also up in the air whether it was the right choice to make the game Xbox’s first $80 title. The Outer Worlds 2 is set to release on October 29 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. To stay up to date with the latest information about the game, check out our article below!
