The Outer Worlds isn’t the first game to introduce the concept of perks and flaws, especially when considering Obsidian Entertainment’s other standout game Fallout: New Vegas. The Outer Worlds has a distinctly different feel to it, though, especially when compared to New Vegas—more capitalism in space, as opposed to the Western aesthetic of its spiritual predecessor. However, both games have an in-depth perks and flaws system that enhances players’ gameplay and immersion in the story. Both games also added new perks and flaws in each DLC addition.
While Fallout: New Vegas has been over-and-done with for quite some time, The Outer Worlds only released two years ago and has already added one DLC, Peril on Gorgon, to the mix. Though no official date has been announced yet, the next DLC, titled Murder on Eridanos, is set to debut sometime this year. Peril on Gorgon added a few interesting perks and flaws in the game, so it would be interesting to see Murder on Eridanos add the same amount, or even a little more, for the overall gameplay experience.
Peril on Gorgon added the mystery and intrigue of the Gorgon asteroid to the game, and Murder on Eridanos seems to be following a similar pattern. However, instead of a shut-down Spacer’s Choice facility, the upcoming DLC will focus on Halcyon Helen, the main actress in the serial “Terror on Monarch” and her last adventure. This story could add intriguing new perks that somehow reference the story being told, but could also just exist separately as new abilities.
The last DLC added 6 new perks (2 in each tier) for the player character. Companions also had 2 new perks added with Peril on Gorgon (one for Tier 4 and one for Tier 5), with one hilarious standout being Felix’s This. Is. Tossball!, which unsurprisingly gives him increased damage when using Tossball equipment as his weapon. While these perks were beneficial to players, they also seemed only loosely tied to the Peril on Gorgon storyline.
For example, Applied Science could easily relate to the science-based facility on the Gorgon asteroid and the abandoned lab players had to explore on the planet Olympus. Others, like Improvisation Warrior or Lone Master, didn’t seem related to the story at all and were just newly unlocked perks. There’s nothing wrong with these additions, as they can be very helpful perks depending on the playthrough players want, but it would be interesting to see “themed” additions referencing things like the Greek mythology of Eridanos or some of Halcyon Helen’s other adventures.
Conversely, The Outer Worlds might do well to take a page from Fallout: New Vegas’ many perks, but specifically the Hunter perk. So far in the game, The Outer Worlds has limited perks that give players advantages over certain kinds of enemies—mainly Automechanicals, thanks to companion perks from Parvati and SAM, but also a bit of a bonus against Creatures when Nyoka’s companion quest is completed. However, adding in perks that allow extra damage to Mantisaurs, Raptidons, and Primals would come in handy for players who don’t have Nyoka in the party. Also, with Automechanicals, it would be an interesting perk to allow players to sneak up and power down Automechanicals similarly to how players can pickpocket when they reach level 40 in Stealth.
Fallout: New Vegas had a trait system, rather than a flaw system, with traits having both a positive and negative effect. The Outer Worlds’ flaws, however, have purely negative consequences when they’re accepted but give players an extra perk point to redeem whenever they want. Some flaws only take effect when triggered, like Cynophobia activating when near Canids, while others are permanently in effect from the moment they’re accepted. Flaws like this include Drug Addiction (using too many drug consumables) or Corrosive Weakness, where players are more sensitive to corrosive damage at all times, whether it’s from a Raptidon attack, falling into a sulfur pit, or just fired from a weapon.
Though Nietzsche’s Reward was a perk included with Peril on Gorgon, it’s tied to flaws in a big way, as each flaw the player takes on adds 5% damage to every attack. Flaws are triggered within the game when players do the actions impacted by the flaw, and players have the option to accept or deny the flaw presented. Peril on Gorgon did add new flaws to the game, but it’s difficult to distinguish what they are because flaw prompts come up so infrequently and only after doing something repetitively (like falling excessively or using too many nicotine consumables.)
As for Murder on Eridanos, it would have to add flaws that aren’t too similar to what’s already in the game. Players can already suffer a variety of “phobias” based on their encounters with different groups (robots, Mantisaurs, etc.), so if the next DLC adds access to the planet Typhon, it presents a unique opportunity for extra phobias. Typhon’s Greek roots indicate that it could be a planet full of monsters, and unique monsters would mean an extra opportunity for players to accept a flaw based on too many encounters with these new creatures.
The planet Hephaestus is owned by the Hephaestus Mining Company, which may actually mine things, but could also be a top-secret science lab, based on the Mandibular Rearranger that was manufactured there. If the Mining Company has found refuge under the surface of the planet, it’s possible that the game could add a flaw that’s modeled after being scared of the dark because being underground could potentially be dimmer than being on the planet’s surface. A flaw like that would fit into the game pretty well, as players also have a day and night cycle when playing.
Though there’s been no word about when Murder on Eridanos will release, the last thing fans knew is that it would be sometime this year. Until then, players can always dive back into Peril on Gorgon, or even just the base game, to reacquaint themselves with the perks and flaws they’ve chosen for the Stranger.
The Outer Worlds is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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