The Outer Worlds 2's Perk Revolution and My Avowed 2 Wishlist

As a hardcore RPG junkie who's sunk more hours into character creators than actual gameplay, I practically did a spit-take when Obsidian revealed The Outer Worlds 2's overhauled perk system. Seriously, over 90 perks? That's like going from a sad vending machine snack selection to an all-you-can-eat RPG buffet! But my excitement isn't just about stuffing my space-faring avatar with new abilities—it's got me dreaming about what this could mean for another Obsidian darling: Avowed 2. The original Avowed was fun, don't get me wrong, but its character building felt about as complex as assembling IKEA furniture with missing instructions.

The Perkalypse Is Coming 🔥

Let's geek out over TOW2's madness for a sec:

• More than double the perks from the first game (42 → 90+)

• Actual skill prerequisites for perks (goodbye, Jack-of-all-trades Mary Sues!)

• Specialized insanity like serial killer builds for chaotic evil players 🩸

The devs nailed why this matters in their IGN interview: OG Outer Worlds characters felt like Swiss Army knives that could do everything moderately well but nothing exceptionally. Now? My cannibalistic space janitor can truly specialize in... well, space janitorial homicide. Obsidian's finally embracing beautiful complexity over streamlined simplicity, and my inner min-maxer is doing cartwheels.

Where Avowed Dropped the Ball 😩

Now let's talk about Avowed. Great game! But its "Abilities" system (perks wearing a fantasy disguise) had some... issues:

Feature	Avowed	TOW2 Approach
Ability Mixing	Total free-for-all	Prerequisites & restrictions
Respec	Anytime, anywhere	Limited narrative respec
Build Identity	Soggy cardboard	Fort Knox specialization

It broke my immersion when my scholarly wizard could suddenly whip out Flurry of Blows like a monk who'd trained for decades—without so much as a yoga class! At least Baldur's Gate 3 had the decency to give Withers' respec magic some lore justification. Avowed just waved its hands and said "magic!" while letting me rebuild characters mid-dragon fight. Convenient? Sure. Satisfying? Not so much.

My Avowed 2 Fantasy Wishlist ✨

If Obsidian's cooking up an Avowed sequel, here's what I'm begging for:

1. Double the abilities (Pillars of Eternity's got decades of material to mine!)

2. Meaningful restrictions (no more warriors suddenly casting meteor showers)

3. Narrative respecs (maybe a grumpy archmage charges soul fragments?)

4. Truly unhinged builds (I want a pacifist bard whose insults literally melt armor)

TOW2's design philosophy proves Obsidian gets it now: limitations breed creativity. My space pirate can't suddenly become a quantum physicist without investing skill points? Perfect! That's how you make characters feel real instead of plastic action figures.

Will Avowed 2 Even Happen? 🤔

Good news, fellow believers! Game director Carrie Patel basically admitted she'd "love to do more" with Avowed in that Bloomberg interview. Plus, rumor has it the first game hit sales targets—always a relief when praying for sequels. Could we see Pillars of Eternity-style crowdfunding? Maybe! But honestly?

Why This All Matters 🎮

At the end of the day, TOW2's perk explosion isn't just about bigger numbers—it's about Obsidian rediscovering what makes RPGs magical: forcing us to make tough choices that define our characters. My cannibal space janitor won't just be "some guy with guns" anymore; he'll be THE guy who disposes of bodies... creatively.

So as I count down to October's TOW2 launch, I'll keep whispering to the RPG gods: "Let Avowed 2 learn these lessons." Because nothing would make me happier than agonizing over whether to make my fantasy hero a fireball-slinging maniac or a shield-bashing pacifist... instead of effortlessly being both. The struggle is what makes it real, baby! 🥳