Remember the Fallout Games? Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, and yes, even Fallout 4. Well, one was made by Obsidian games, but all three are rife with secret weapons, homages, and easter eggs. And, Obsidian's newest title, The Outer Worlds, is no different. This game is a fair bit smaller content-wise than any of the Fallout games, but it's arguably better, and there are still plenty of hidden mechanics, weapons, and details to discover.
So we've arrived on our Unreliable cruiser to let players know some of the details, mechanics, and items they might be missing so far in their Haylceon-exploring adventures. Here are 10 hidden details you may have missed in The Outer Worlds.
10 Talk Your Way Out Getting Caught More Than Once
We don't mean to compare Outer Worlds with other Bethesda games so much, but they just work incredibly well as relatable comparisons! In Fallout games, stealing would lead to Karma loss and sometimes even combat. In Oblivion it could lead to jail time as well. But in Outer Worlds? Stealing really doesn't amount to much.
Sure, if the player doesn't have any points in the Speech Skills, they'll probably end up in combat, but if they have even 35 players can very easily talk their way out of any red-handed stealing with a touch of a negative reputation. And by a touch, we literally mean like 1-4%.
9 Tactical Time Dilation Debuffs & Bonus Effects
We all saw the TTD effects in pre-release interviews and gameplay, but not many of us were aware of the potential debuffs that unlock further in the combat skill trees. Basically, aiming at the head blinds enemies, the limbs can maim or cripple, the back tends to knock them down, and the... private areas... usually weaken.
There are some extra effects like Bleed with certain guns or weapons, but thats most of the Debuffs. Still, these are much more crucial to the core gameplay than any trailer made them out to be. Players should prioritize unlocking these in whatever weapon-type they're using most, as it's the best way to fight off groups of enemies.
8 The Holographic Shroud Wasn't Advertised At All
Was this a big thing Outer Worlds advertised? Did we just miss it? Because we had no idea the Holographic Shroud existed until we found it in-game. Basically, as the name implies, it's a holographic disguise. Players might be confused once it unlocks because there's no way to manually turn it on. Heck, even we were perplexed but it automatically turns on in Restricted Areas as long as the player has the right Identity Cartridge.
The first time it becomes apparent is during the Sick-ward based mission on the Groundbreaker, but main-story prioritizing players might miss this mechanic almost entirely. It's not really used as much as we thought it would be, so that makes it even more of a lesser-known mechanic.
7 Gun Holstering, Weapon Wheels, & Menu Shortcuts
We love multi-layered commands in games, whether its on console or PC. Any button/keypress that can be used for multiple things based on convenience is great. Would we prefer the game told us about them? Absolutely. Are we mad that Outer Worlds has a weapon wheel and secret menu commands? Heavens no.
The weapons wheel is the perfect way for us to avoid the scroll wheel and holstering our weapon is perfect for screenshots and role-playing. There are tons of little touches like this in Outer Worlds. Nifty shortcuts and key commands that make traversing the galaxy that much easier!
6 No More Karma, Only Reputation
You know it, we know it, Obsidian knows it; Outer Worlds has Fallout as its core. We don't mind it, and in some ways, we think it's better, but it's true nonetheless. But one big way Outer Worlds differs is the total lack of a Karma system. This was Fallout's telltale mechanic, where every stolen candy bar came with some "evil" Karma. Now, in Outer Worlds, it's reputation.
Helping workers of Spacer's Choice will cause the company to love you and offer discounts among other perks. Also, murdering their workers might turn them into enemies that charge you extra and attack on sight. But these are two separate bars. Players can absolutely have both negative and positive reputation effects stack on top of each other. There are no longer any moral repercussions for stealing, so fill those pockets (while unseen) as much as you want!
5 The Flaw System And How To Break It
Along with the Holographic Shroud system, we can't remember ever seeing the Flaws showcased in the trailers. So, not many people know about them. Are many players missing it entirely? Not likely, considering they'll probably be offered a few by the time end-game comes around. But it's a mechanic not many people know about outside those of us playing it. Basically, players can take a debuff tied to the specific flaw, but in exchange, they get a free perk point.
This is the best way to get Tier 3 Perks early, but in exchange, your player turns into a phobia-stacking quivering mess. The best part is, players who know the flaws in advance can expertly game the system for free perk points. Want some extra perks early on? Jump off a ladder over and over until you're offered the cripple flaw. It's an oddly dark method of exploitation, but it matches the tone of the game perfectlyl.
4 The Unreliable's Poorly Explained Decorations
The Unreliable is a great ship, horrible name aside. In fact, it reminds us of another stout-like ship piloted by a band of misfits (psst...Firefly). But it's a bit bare. While the Serenity had such a homey and charming atmosphere, the Unreliable feels a bit cold and lifeless.
Luckily, players can collect books, lights, signs, pyramids, and more for the ship in their travels throughout Haylceon. It's never explained, but anytime you come across something that explains bluntly like a Kick-Me sign, poster or book, grab it. It's a neat extra mechanic that adds nothing to gameplay but plenty to the individual experience.
3 Killing Sprats Is Totally Fine Anywhere At Anytime
One of our favorite ongoing jokes in Outer Worlds is the describing of things as the "Space-version" of a normal thing. Sprats, in particular, are the best, because their name comes from the words "Space" and "Rat" being slammed together.
These adorably horrifying little creatures constantly make noise when nearby and are found everywhere in the game. But what people might not know is that they can kill these things for free in any town at any time without aggroing nearby NPCs. Now that you know, it might be time to travel back to the Groundbreaker for a hunting spree.
2 Turn Off Companion Helmets Already
Accessibility options like this should be a given in every game. There, we said it!
If developers aren't sure if players will like a certain option or not, just give us the ability to turn it on or off. Outer Worlds does that with the helmets. Some people get a little frustrated after spending an hour making their original character only to have them covered by a helmet throughout the entire game. And that's fair.
Thankfully, the ability to turn off Companion Helmets as well as your own is a handy extra. For a time, both our companions were rocking similar armor and helmets (as it was the best available at the time), and we literally couldn't tell them apart. This way, the Companions keep their character, without losing out on defense!
1 Tap Test Your Lockpicking
And lastly, this isn't as much of a secret as it is a bit of an unintentional pro-tip. Lockpicking and stealing are back in Outer Worlds and while the punishment isn't severe, it's pretty easy to avoid being caught. First of all, close doors and hide yourself from sight however possible. Next, players can tap the interact button on locked objects to test who can see them.
It's not considered a "crime" until the player holds it for about a second, so this method is a great way to test the waters without constantly Quick-Saving and Quick-Loading. We personally used it to nab all the amazing weapons from right under this shopkeep's eyepatched eyes.