The Outer Worlds is Obsidian Entertainment's new first-person RPG, a Fallout-esque sci-fi adventure with retro-future tech and many colorful worlds to explore. Set in a time where Earth's ruthless Megacorporations are dividing up the galaxy, terra-forming and settling new and alien worlds, players will take the role of a frozen colonist woken by chance to find their place among The Outer Worlds.
As with any good RPG, attributes are at the beating heart of The Outer Worlds' character customization system. They are the most fundamental measure of a character's capabilities, defining a build long before the icing of skills and perks is layered on top. Though The Outer Worlds is short for an Obsidian RPG, picking attributes that will last the whole game can still be daunting. To help players along, here's our guide to The Outer Wilds' six attributes, and how they affect gameplay.
Body
The first of the two Body attributes is Strength, which contributes to melee weapon damage and carrying capacity. Players who focus on Strength will be tough, close-quarters fighters who prefer to brute-force their way through problems - great for those who are planning to kill every NPC who looks at them the wrong way. Strength boosts the 1-Handed Melee, 2-Handed Melee, Heavy Weapons, Block, Inspiration, and Intimidate skills.
Dexterity is the second Body attribute, and contributes to melee attack speed and ranged weapon reload speed. The traditional attribute of rogues, thieves, assassins and anyone who prefers a more subtle approach, Dexterity is no different in The Outer Worlds. Requiring reactions as fast as the frame-rate, players who can smash The Outer World's system requirements may have to work extra hard to keep up with a high-Dex character. Dexterity boosts the 1-Handed Melee, Handguns, Dodge, Block, Sneak, and Lockpick skills.
Mind
Intelligence is the first of the two Mind attributes, and primarily affects Critical Hit bonus damage. For players who like their characters to be knowledgeable about the world, or worlds, around them, Intelligence should be a go-to stat. Intelligence boosts the Long Guns, Persuade, Hack, Medical, Science and Determination skills.
A familiar stat to Fallout players in particular, the second of the Mind attributes is Perception, which contributes to Headshot and Weakspot damage bonuses. A favorite of gunslingers and treasure-hunters alike, a player with high Perception will ensure that no stone goes un-turned or head un-sniped. Perception boosts the Handguns, Long Guns, Heavy Weapons, Dodge, Lockpick, and Engineering skills.
Personality
Charm is the first of the Personality attributes, and affects Faction Reputation as well as the cool-downs on Companion Abilities. An essential Attribute for players aiming to talk their way out of trouble, or win the loyalty of their crew, Charm is all about making a good impression. Charm boosts the Persuade, Lie, Intimidate, Hack, Science, and Inspiration skills.
The only attribute on this list to take a step outside RPG tradition, Temperament is a Personality attribute which primarily contributes to natural health regeneration. As a measure of their character's level-headedness, a player who focuses on Temperament will be able to keep their cool even on Supernova difficulty, put the force of their conviction behind their attacks, and even tell more convincing lies. Temperament boosts the 2-Handed Melee, Lie, Sneak, Medical, Engineering and Determination skills.
The Outer Worlds releases October 25 for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
