The Outer Worlds is similar to the Fallout games, that much is clear. Obsidian Games, the developers, are upfront about this, and seemingly unapologetic. Well, we would be too if we made arguably the best Fallout game in the franchise, but were then left in the dust for nine years afterward. In any case, the game plays pretty closely as well.
The guns, dialogue options, and melee weapons all work mostly the same. But, surprisingly, Melee builds are a bit more difficult in Outer Worlds, since running up to swing on a soldier while they pump lasers into your chest doesn't seem to work as well as it used to. But have no fear! It's absolutely possible, and we're here with the best tips to help out those players who love swinging around a rock on a stick in a futuristic and capitalistic nightmare setting.
10 Heavy Armor And Some Tier 1 Perks Are Key
First and foremost, Melee players need to be able to tank damage. In the early Edgewater adventures, 5-10 bullets can take down the Captain of the Unreliable on Hard, so being able to survive until you're in melee range is tantamount.
We recommend searching vending machines for any heavy armor and getting the Toughness and Resilient perks as soon as possible. Doing all three of these will make it much easier to eat a few bullets while you charge at the enemy with your two-handed shovel.
9 Companions Are Mobile Distractions
We truly don't understand why anyone would play without Companions in this Firefly-esque simulator, but it's even less viable for Melee players. Why? Because the companions can knock down or distract opponents while you run up with a charged Power Attack.
Heck, there are even perks the companions have that make enemies more likely to target them! Sure, it's a bit rude to use your friends as walking bullet sponges, but hey, Outer Worlds is a bit of a grim setting alright?
8 It's Lame, But You'll Need To Have A Gun On Backup
Especially in the early-game, Melee isn't 100% viable. Sometimes running at 5 bandits while they pepper you with bullets isn't the best idea. We recommend having a backup gun to use in case there are large groups of enemies coming from far away.
That way, players can pick off the weak ones and swing at the chunkier lads. Plus, it's a great way to keep enemies coming while you wait around a corner to bop them on the head once they get too close.
7 A Bit Of Sneak Is Crucial
Sneak is amazingly easy in Outer Worlds, just as much as it was in the Fallout games. Sure, you can run and gun, but starting a fight with a sneak attack is usually the better option in the long-run. Plus, at a certain rank, Sneak attacks become a thing, which allows players to take an enemy out for free at the start of the confrontation.
Lastly, Sneaking allows players to get within Melee range without dodging bullets left and right the whole way. Overall, it feels a bit lame to sneak up behind someone to wack them with a giant hammer, but hey, we've all got to make sacrifices alright?
6 Forward Leap Is Better Than You'd Think
Outer World's melee combat is mostly the same as the Skyrim and Oblivion games, but one way it differs is with the dodge moves. Starting out, players can dodge boost backward or side to side. But, at rank 40, players can also Dodge forward!
This is more crucial than people would probably expect, as it allows Melee-builds to approach enemies with lightning speed, cutting down that tanking time to almost nothing. That, and players can hold their power attack while dodging, making it more viable to pre-charge said power swing.
5 Late Game Perks Change Everything
Just as much as Melee builds need the perfect blend of tank and crafty attributes, they also need a little sprinkle of health regain. This can come in the form of some of the health regen consumables with a second inhaler slot, or it can come with the Harvester Perk in the Tier 2 tree.
But, the most essential perk for Melee users is grabbing Tit For Tat in the Tier Three tree as soon as they're able. This Perk transforms 15% of the damage melee users do into pure health for them. And, when combined with all our other tips, makes it so players can keep swinging at groups of enemies while barely worrying about healing.
4 Have A Weapon For Both Hands
We only noticed this while we were fighting our 5th Mantisqueen on the path of pain in Monarch's Wilderness (We were too cheap to pay Grannie), but having a one-handed and two-handed option is crucial. Basically, when swinging with the two-handed weapon, it's difficult not to accidentally swing twice.
This makes blocking after a single attack almost impossible and allows for the faster creatures to do some serious damage. But, one-handed weapons are different, they can basically block-cancel. So, knowing what enemies you're up against and how fast they can counter-attack is amazing when you have both a fast and slow melee option.
3 The Second Or Third Inhaler Slot Makes A Big Difference
We mentioned it earlier but the Tech and Science skills in Outer Worlds are pretty important. Players can ignore them if they want but they'll be missing out on tons of extra loot and dialog options. And, one of the benefits of the Medical skill specifically is unlocking more of the slots for the Inhaler.
This allows players to use multiple consumables at once! This couldn't be more important for Melee players trying to survive the early levels on Hard or Supernova Difficulty. There are tons of consumables that buff base health, regeneration, or armor rating, and we recommend using these along with the Adreno.
2 The Right Mods Make Or Break A Build
This sort of goes hand-in-hand with the one and two-handed recommendation, but Modifications are important. Shock destroys robots, Plasma is great for humans, Corrosion is good for both, and N-ray is great for groups. Using different Melee weapons based on the enemies in front of you actually makes a big difference.
Even more than the elemental damage, There are mods that slow weapon degradation, ones that buff Power attacks specifically, and ones that buff attack speed. All of these are dependant on the player and the particular melee weapon they're using. But we encourage players not to ignore the Workbench mechanics, especially when it comes to Mods and Tinkering.
1 Some Experience With Similar Combat Goes A Long Way
And finally, the Melee combat is actually pretty simple. There are "combo's", blocks, dodges, power attacks, status effects, and debuffs. All of these play a part in Melee Combat. But, at its core, its all about Swinging and Blocking. Swing when the enemy is reloading, Block when they're shooting or swinging back.
Parries exist and Unblockables do as well. In fact, the timing is mostly the same as other melee-focused Bethesda games. Essentially, anyone who is familiar with the combat in Skyrim or Oblivion will quickly pick up the close-quarters combat in Outer Worlds.