Phrasemaker

If you’ve ever started a game, dumped all your points into Guns, then immediately regretted not putting more into Speech, The Outer Worlds 2 doesn’t make you start again to undo that mistake.

That said, this isn’t an RPG for commitment-phobes. Builds are deeper, traits cut both ways, and the studio wants every decision to carry the weight of consequence. But does that mean you’re stuck with your bad choices forever? Well, not immediately.

Play the tutorial then decide on your build.

After the opening mission — before you officially step into the wider wasteland — you’ll get one last chance to retool your stats and skills. It’s just like in New Vegas, you try the build then decide if you want to commit.

If you want to know exactly when you get the chance to respec (minor spoilers), it’s when you wake up from cryo sleep after the De Vries mission. You can’t miss it.

Why You’re Stuck With Yourself

Game director Brandon Adler told RPG Site that the removal of respeccing was deliberate. “We really want your choices to matter,” he said. “You shouldn’t be able to respec your way out of a mistake.” That design philosophy extends to the game’s expanded skill trees and revamped flaw system — both of which can radically reshape how you approach every fight, conversation, or moral dilemma.

The first Outer Worlds let players use a machine aboard the Unreliable to redistribute skill points for a fee. That machine is gone now, replaced by an ethos closer to New Vegas than Mass Effect: once you commit, you live with the fallout.

It’s never game-breaking.

The game does want you to take your skills and speccing seriously, but it’s never that serious. The most impactful choice when making your character is, surprisingly, your backstory. Characters mention it often and you get special dialogue choices with each other. Aside from that, your traits and skills can all be fixed in post (but the Lucky Trait is a great one to have if you want to be picky).