The Outer Worlds 2’s Stealth Overhaul Might Be Its Biggest…

Summary

The Outer Worlds 2 improves on stealth gameplay with new abilities, silent takedowns, and body hiding - making it more immersive.
The introduction of the N-Ray Scanner in The Outer Worlds 2 allows players to see enemies through walls and enhances stealth strategies.
Stealth in The Outer Worlds 2 is no longer an optional strategy - it's now a core pillar with smarter AI, new gear, and silent takedowns.

The Outer Worlds 2 already looks to improve upon its predecessor in a number of ways, but one of its biggest upgrades might be its extensive stealth overhaul. In the first game, stealth was little more than a supplementary tactic that players could use if they wanted to, but in The Outer Worlds 2, stealth is looking like something players may end up feeling like they can't do without. Based on what has been revealed so far, stealth in The Outer Worlds 2 appears to have been transformed into a fully-fledged, rewarding playstyle, addressing criticisms of the first game's stealth in the process.

Stealth in The Outer Worlds was a bit of a contradiction. While it encouraged stealth gameplay with dedicated skills, perks, armor mods, and consumables, its gameplay was not mechanically designed to complement those features. In other words, while stealth in The Outer Worlds was technically a valid playstyle, there was little reason to commit to it. That's where The Outer Worlds 2 comes in, with new stealth-based abilities and gear, as well as enhanced enemy AI that should make stealth a more immersive and rewarding way to play.

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By J. Scott Thurlow

The Outer Worlds 2's Massive Stealth Overhaul Is One of Its Biggest Changes

Players Can Perform Silent Takedowns and Hide Bodies

One of the most significant changes being made to stealth in The Outer Worlds 2 is the ability players will now have to perform silent takedowns. For some reason, it wasn't possible to perform silent takedowns in The Outer Worlds, which automatically trivialized its stealth gameplay — or, at least, limits it to passive play only. Attempting to execute covert kills would generally alert nearby enemies, not only breaking immersion but also making stealth a less viable way to play. Not only were silent takedowns not possible in The Outer Worlds, but there was a notable lack of silent weapons as well, like crossbows or silenced guns.

Based on what has been revealed so far, stealth in The Outer Worlds 2 appears to have been transformed into a fully-fledged, rewarding playstyle, addressing criticisms of the first game's stealth in the process.

Fortunately, The Outer Worlds 2 is aiming to alleviate those issues by not only allowing players to perform silent takedowns but also letting them hide or disintegrate bodies to avoid detection. This will especially come in handy in The Outer Worlds 2, as enemy AI has been improved to produce more realistic reactions to players. Enemies will now investigate suspicious activity and respond to the discovery of bodies, encouraging players to think more strategically about their next move and plan accordingly.

The N-Ray Scanner Allows Players to See Enemies Through Walls

Apart from enhanced stealth mechanics, The Outer Worlds 2 is also introducing the new N-Ray Scanner, which should help tremendously in stealth situations. Based on recent gameplay footage of The Outer Worlds 2 by IGN, it seems as though players will acquire the N-Ray Scanner through the main story, which further suggests that the sequel might be more strongly encouraging a stealth approach than the first game did.

In The Outer Worlds 2, certain characters have the ability to cloak themselves, making them invisible to the naked eye. When using the N-Ray Scanner, however, these enemies are revealed. It's possible that such enemies don't know that they have been detected, which means players can approach them with a stealth advantage. The scanner also allows players to see specific objects and NPCs through walls, making a stealth approach even more viable in The Outer Worlds 2 and giving players the upper hand in a variety of scenarios.

Beyond enemies, the N-Ray Scanner can also reveal hidden items and pathways, encouraging exploration and rewarding thorough players.

With everything that's been shown so far, stealth in The Outer Worlds 2 looks less like an optional playstyle and more like a core pillar of gameplay. It's not just that players can now perform silent takedowns or hide bodies, but also that those mechanics are complemented by smarter AI and gear like the N-Ray Scanner. Of course, players will still be able to choose their playstyle and won't be locked into stealth, but they might wish to go the stealth route after all with these changes in The Outer Worlds 2.

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