Whenever I play an RPG, especially for the first time, I tend to err on the sides of advantage and power when it comes to skills. That’s to say, I pick skills/abilities/etc. that will give my character a leg up in battle and make them the most powerful person in the room. This means I’ll almost never make a choice that will put them at a disadvantage in any way. The Outer Worlds was the first game I ever played to really make me question that approach with its “Flaws” system. In it, flaws would pop up randomly but in response to certain play styles. They provided certain advantages along with matching disadvantages, and players chose to accept them or not. Bein far too worried about just be able to make it to the end of The Outer Worlds then, I ignored every flaw that was thrown my way.
Not knowing if this system had been transferred to The Outer Worlds 2, I was surprised when my first one popped up – “Bad Knees.” Taking it would improve my crouch speed, but, my joints would also crack and alert enemies within a certain radius. Instead of immediately saying “no,” I thought about it for a while. I thought about my “perfect,” unflawed character in The Outer Worlds and how distant I felt from her in the end. Would choosing flaws in this new game improve my connection with my custom Erath Directorate agent? While I said no to “Bad Knees,” I set my mind to being more accepting of future flaws. So far, my agent has accepted four, and having already looked up what flaws become available, there’s one more for which I want to try. Am I happy with my choices? Let’s get on with the list and find out!
Reckless Leadership
Positive: When a companion goes down, the other companion gets a significant boost. They are fully healed, and their companion ability meter is filled.
Negative: You can no longer revive companions.
This was the first flaw my agent accepted, because, holy cow, she’s terrible at attending to her companions during combat! Oh, but seriously…she is, and I am. I have a tough enough time just trying to stay on target during combat, it’s all I can do to keep my agent alive, let alone her companions. With this flaw, I no longer worry if one happens to go down fighting, because the second companion then becomes a momentary beast in battle, and I’m all for winning, no matter who fires that last shot.
Dependent
Positive: +25% damage to enemies recently damaged by a companion.
Negative: -10% damage.
Speaking of companions, when this flaw popped up, I didn’t give a second thought to saying “yes.” I quickly learned that I was going to be the short end of the stick in combat, so giving this advantage to enemy takedowns via my companions only made sense. It has absolutely proved positive in battles, which now clip along at a good pace, rather than become bogged down simply because I can’t aim to save my life.
Easily Distracted
Positive: +1 skill points gained per level.
Negative: When leveling, you can only add skill points into your lowest non-zero skill or any skill you have no points in already.
Taking this flaw was significant gamble, and while I don’t know yet if it’s paid off, it has been…interesting. It basically prevents max leveling of any one skill at a time, especially when taking it early in the game, as I opted. I said in my first impressions post that I disliked the game’s skill checks, and that hasn’t changed. But, rather than fume over it, I figured picking this skill would make me lean into that loathing, as it were, and allow me to become one with it. While I’m still coming to terms with the choice, I can’t say that I’m upset over it, as it has helped me set aside my annoyance over the checks, at least a little. Gaining an extra point per level is a welcome bonus, I’ll admit.
Overprepared
Positive: +50% magazine size.
Negative: -40% damage for 8s after a weapon’s magazine hits empty.
This is the last flaw currently in my agent’s queue, and again, choosing it goes back to me mismanaging during combat. The loss in damage might seem pretty heavy, and it’s not great for sure, but with this flaw, I don’t have to worry about reloading so often, and that helps takes the edge off. (One of my worst habits in shooters is going into combat with an empty magazine, d’oh!) In combination with Reckless Leadership and Dependent, I still rely heavily on my companions to make progress in battles, sometime before I even start in, and I’m perfectly fine with that.
Tunnel Vision
Positive: Gain 25% armor penetration.
Negative: Lose your second weapon slot.
While I have looked up The Outer Worlds 2’s flaw generally, to avoid spoilers, I’ve not gone deeply into finding out what triggers them, so I’m not quite sure what I need to do to obtain this one – stop switching weapons to frequently, perhaps? The Outer Worlds 2 is rife with incredible and outlandish gear, and it can be difficult to pick a favorite armament when faced with so many (and no carry weight, to boot!). But, as I head into the mid-game, I’ve realized that a few favorite rifles have filtered their way to the top of my most-used list. I’m not averse to giving up a weapon slot in favorite better performance during battle, especially since I’m basically working as back-up during combat anyway. The fewer weapons I need to worry about, the better. I’ve got plenty else to worry about in saving the galaxy, anyway!
All images, including lede, were captured by author during Xbox Series S gameplay of The Outer Worlds 2 (© Obsidian Entertainment).
VIRTUAL BASTION 