Welcome back to the Halcyon colony! In The Outer Worlds 2, the distinctive ‘flaws’ system makes a triumphant return, introducing a host of new negative attributes that promise to be even more impactful than those in the original game. By strategically embracing these optional flaws, you can earn valuable perk points, granting you access to powerful new abilities—all in exchange for embracing some truly quirky character setbacks. The number of flaws you can acquire scales with your chosen difficulty, offering a dynamic way to customize your journey, whether you’re seeking an easier path or a more formidable challenge.
With a universe of The Outer Worlds 2 skills, perks, and traits awaiting your selection, crafting your ideal character build can be an extensive process. Flaws are an integral component of any well-rounded build, but they demand careful consideration in this role-playing game, as their effects are permanently etched onto your character’s identity.
While the game doesn’t explicitly tell you how to trigger these flaws, keen observation of your actions will often reveal the direct link. Embrace the unexpected consequences!
Here’s a comprehensive list of all the flaws we’ve uncovered in The Outer Worlds 2 so far:
- Consumerism
- Flawed
- Kleptomania
- N-Radiated
- Reckless Leadership
- Hermit
- Easily Distracted
- Anger Mismanagement
- Bad Knees
- Energy Hog
- Sungazer
- Overprepared
Consumerism
You’ve fallen prey to the constant barrage of sales and promotions, developing an insatiable urge to purchase items, even when it’s clearly detrimental to your financial well-being.
-15% Vendor Prices
-10% Sell Value at Vendors
How to unlock: Acquire the Premium edition of The Outer Worlds 2.
Flawed
Life has thrown you many curveballs, but you’ve consistently powered through disadvantages, emerging stronger each time.
You must accept any flaws offered, but you gain an additional perk point every 5 levels. This bonus is applied retroactively.
How to unlock: Accept two consecutive flaws during your adventure.
Kleptomania
You harbor an irresistible urge to take what isn’t yours. While you’ll occasionally find yourself automatically pocketing items, anything you manage to steal will fetch a significantly higher price.
+100% Vendor Buying Price for stolen items
How to unlock: Steal several items throughout your playthrough.
N-Radiated
Prolonged exposure to the N-Ray Range has left a lasting impact on your very being.
Whenever you take damage, there’s a 5% chance you’ll automatically become Camouflaged, but you’ll also suffer an additional 5% of your maximum health as N-Ray damage.
Camouflaged: Renders you invisible to enemies and grants bonus damage.
Cooldown: 30 seconds.
How to unlock: This flaw typically appears after you complete the N-Ray Range section and deal with Victor.
Reckless Leadership
Your unconventional leadership style often puts your companions in harm’s way.
You can no longer revive your companions in combat. However, when one falls, your other companion receives a significant boost: they are fully healed and their companion ability meter instantly refills.
How to unlock: Allow your companions to be incapacitated repeatedly during battles.
Hermit
Your intense self-reliance has caught the attention of vendors, who are now hesitant to sell you items, leading to inflated prices.
+50% Vendor Prices
25% chance to double items when breaking them down.
How to unlock: Craft a large number of items.
Easily Distracted
You’re a true jack-of-all-trades, able to develop numerous skills quickly, but mastering any single one becomes a greater challenge.
When leveling up, you can only allocate skill points to your lowest non-zero skill, or to any skill you haven’t invested in yet.
+1 Skill Point Gained per Level
How to unlock: Consistently distribute your skill points evenly across various skills as you level up.
Anger Mismanagement
Your fiery temper makes you less effective at blocking incoming attacks, yet your power attacks strike with increased ferocity.
+50% Damage Received while Blocking
+25% Power Attack Damage
How to unlock: Focus on using melee weapons and consistently avoid blocking.
Bad Knees
Years of continuous crouching have taken their toll on your knees, but maintaining a crouched posture offers relief from the aches, pains, and tell-tale squeaks.
+50% Crouch Speed
Crouching emits a 10m radius sound that hostile entities can detect and investigate.
How to unlock: Spend prolonged periods of time crouched.
Energy Hog
You have a penchant for needlessly expending power. As a result, your gadget energy recharges more slowly, but you benefit from a significantly larger reserve to utilize (or squander).
-25% Energy Recharge Rate
+50 Gadget Energy Meter Max
How to unlock: Frequently deplete your gadget energy, even when it’s not strictly necessary.
Sungazer
Prolonged sky-gazing has permanently impaired your vision. Your sight is now blurred, and your ranged weapons suffer from reduced accuracy. However, you’ve forged an enduring connection with daylight.
Permanent damage to your vision
+100% Ranged Weapon Spread
You continually heal while outdoors during the day, up to 50% of your total health.
How to unlock: Stare directly into the sun for a significant duration.
Overprepared
You meticulously ensure your weapon magazines are never empty. Should you ever deplete your ammo, you’ll temporarily deal less damage, but your magazines now accommodate more rounds.
+50% Magazine Size
-40% Damage for 8 seconds after a weapon’s magazine runs dry.
How to unlock: Always reload your weapons before they run out of ammunition.
With this knowledge of The Outer Worlds 2 flaws, you’re better equipped to plan your character. Now, go forth and explore all the companions you can recruit to your party and the various factions you’ll encounter on your grand adventure!