Like any self-respecting RPG, *The Outer Worlds 2* has a ton of things to consider when you build your character, such as background, traits, skills, and perks. Yes, it’s all explained extremely well by the menus and tutorial tips, but that doesn’t mean the decisions are easy.
If you tend to get overwhelmed by too many choices, the number of selections in the character creation tool might feel a little daunting. If only there were guides on the internet to help players with exactly these kinds of decisions… Oh wait, there are! Below, we’ll talk about all 12 skills that you’ll be able to level up throughout *The Outer Worlds 2*.
From the very beginning, you’ll be able to select two skills to upgrade first, so let me help you make that choice. Keep in mind that these skills directly affect which perks you can level up earliest in the game. However, perks don’t show up until a little later in the intro, so you won’t be able to factor them heavily into your early decisions here.
Still, focusing on the skills towards the bottom of the list below will put you in good shape. All these skills are useful by nature, and whatever you choose will ultimately help you. That said, some perks are definitely better than others.
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### 12. Leadership – With Friends Like These
*The Outer Worlds 2* features a companion system, letting you bring characters along on missions to assist you in combat. The Leadership skill improves your companions’ damage and health by a percentage each time you level it up.
While this is helpful, it’s also one of the least important skills to focus on early in the game. You’ll mostly be the most useful asset in your party, so I recommend focusing on skills that directly buff you instead of your teammates. Plus, relying heavily on companions can sometimes detract from the action and fun, in my opinion.
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### 11. Explosives – Good For Situationships
As expected, the Explosives skill boosts damage for grenades and mines by 10% per rank, and it reduces damage you take from enemy explosives by 1% per rank.
Explosives can be effective, but you likely won’t use them as often as other weapon types listed later. If you love making things go boom, go ahead and max this skill. For most players, however, explosives remain a secondary option.
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### 10. Melee – Enter The Fist
Like Explosives, Melee focuses on a type of damage that probably won’t be your primary means of dispatching foes. Still, melee weapons in *The Outer Worlds 2* are more useful than grenades or mines.
There are more pure melee weapons than you might expect, and they come in handy when enemies get close or if you’re running low on ammo. Ammo scarcity isn’t a huge issue in OW2, but having a reliable melee fallback is never a bad idea.
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### 9. Medical – Not Covered By Your HSA
The Medical skill doesn’t directly increase your HP. Instead, it affects how often you can heal yourself using the Medical Inhaler, which you can use anytime you’re low on health. However, the more you use it, the more Toxicity you build up, which temporarily blocks healing.
Medical skill reduces the rate at which Toxicity prevents healing, letting you heal more frequently. It’s a nice perk, but not a game-changer if you’re good at combat. Medical also leads to interesting perks later on, like taming or recruiting creatures.
If you tend to get hit a lot, Medical is definitely a skill worth investing in.
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### 8. Sneak – If You’re BORING
Sneak depends heavily on your playstyle. There are many opportunities to move stealthily in *The Outer Worlds 2*, and sneak attacks deal 35% extra damage per level, which is significant.
However, unless you really commit to stealth, you’ll often get spotted and the fight will turn into a gun battle anyway. If stealth is your style, rank up this skill. Otherwise, it’s not a high priority.
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### 7. Observation – A Whole New World
In an RPG like OW2, you’ll constantly be looting anything and everything you find. Observation increases the number of lootable objects and enhances the information you can glean from them.
More importantly, it eventually unlocks perks that grant better and more frequent loot drops. Additionally, each level of Observation boosts damage to enemy weak spots by 15%.
At this point on the list, almost every skill is a good choice, and if the idea of better looting and weak spot damage appeals to you, Observation is a solid investment.
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### 6. Hack – What Some People Call My Writing
Since OW2 is a sci-fi game, there are many hackable devices like vending machines, terminals, and automechs. The Hack skill allows you to hack these devices, provided their level is at or below your skill rank.
I particularly like hacking automechs since it adds allies in combat. Plus, each level of Hack increases your damage against automechs by 5%.
Hacking is never the only way to complete quests but can be quite useful in certain situations.
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### 5. Science! – What She Blinded Me With
Fans of *Fallout: New Vegas* will recognize the influence of V.A.T.S. In *The Outer Worlds 2*, this mechanic is reimagined as the Tactical Time Dilation Gadget, which slows down time while active, governed by a cooldown.
Science! increases the gadget’s duration and boosts the usage of all other gadgets you can equip in the game. Gadgets integrate easily into combat, making this skill highly practical compared to options like Explosives.
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### 4. Lockpick – The RPG Staple
Lockpicking has been a longstanding RPG mechanic, and OW2 is no exception. This skill lets you open locks on doors, containers, safes, and more.
Increasing Lockpick skill grants access to more locks and unlocks perks like pickpocketing and the ability to preview container contents before picking a lock.
Mastering Lockpick makes your life easier by opening new loot opportunities and alternative paths to complete quests.
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### 3. Engineering – Outstanding In Your Field
Engineering might seem bland at first glance, but it becomes very useful as you level it up. It allows you to interact with mechanical systems in the game, which is handy but not revolutionary.
More importantly, Engineering improves all your armor and increases your overall damage reduction, significantly boosting survivability.
As you unlock more perks tied to this skill, Engineering becomes increasingly valuable for staying alive and resilient.
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No matter your choices, *The Outer Worlds 2* offers plenty of ways to customize and empower your character. Focus on the skills that align with your playstyle and enjoy exploring the Halcyon system in your own unique way!
https://www.dualshockers.com/the-outer-worlds-2-best-starting-skills-ranked/
