The Outer Worlds – Flaws Guide

Having a Flaw can be a drawback…but also a benefit.

No one is perfect. And you might learn that the hard way with The Outer Worlds. For every perk that you pick up in the game, there are also Flaws.

Flaws show the imperfection of your character. They serve as a negative attribute that you can’t shake free of within the game and have specific effects that play out amid combat. Once you get offered one and you accept it, you’re stuck with it. But living with a Flaw also grants you a Perk point. So it has its benefits.

So far, a handful of Flaws have already been revealed. More will come out when the full game releases on Oct. 25. But let’s take a look now at some of the flaws you’ll encounter within the game, as well as the effects that come with them.

The Outer Worlds – Flaws Guide

First up is Cynophobia. It’s a flaw that comes with being attacked by Canids. This flaw can leave an effect on you with shaking. Every time you get into a battle with someone, when they attack, you get “the jitters.” It affects your Perception by two points, as well as your Temperament by one point. So it helps to stand your ground when someone’s trying to attack you.

Herpetophobia, which is up next, is a little more specific. It comes from being attacked by either Mantipillars or Mantisaurs. Once you encounter one of them and accept the flaw, it ends up affecting you anytime you face off with a member of the Manti-family. This effect includes any creatures related to the ones above. So when they show up, you might expect a lack of Dexterity, Perception, and Temperament, all of which get hit with a negative point each. You might lose a bit of your head battling these things, so be careful.

Speaking of the jitters, Paranoid delivers this effect in spades. This flaw happens when you end up getting caught too many times by guards in Restricted Areas. Once accepted, this flaw makes you jittery anytime you’re around guards. The effect doubles up when you’re in restricted areas, adding a bit of nervousness to the proceedings. You lose Personality Attributes by one point when this takes place.

Then you have Plasma Weakness. This flaw is something that can be tied in with human condition. When you end up taking burn effects from fire too many times (it’s consistent with weapons like the flamethrower going around), you become more susceptible to Plasma damage. As a result, you’re hit with an additional 25 percent in Plasma damage compared to what it usually does.

Raptidons can be a nasty business in a game like The Outer Worlds. With that, Raptiphobia can come into play. Once you’ve taken enough damage by them, you take the Flaw and have less effect upon being attacked by one. Worse yet, the effect is about the same when your companions come across them, too. This hurts your Willpower, Endurance, and Temperament by one point each once it occurs.

And finally — at least for the time being, as more Flaws will be introduced in the game — there’s Robophobia. In case you haven’t figured it out, it’s necessarily a fear of robots. Run into them too many times and take damage, and you’ll end up with the “willies.” This effect is through all kinds of automechanicals. Whenever they attack you or your party, you’re “not as effective as you should be,” according to the game. Your Dexterity, Perception, and Temperament all take a hit as a result.

You’ll want to study each Flaw whenever you can and see what they do against you. And remember, there’s no penalty if you deny a Flaw, but you don’t get a Perk point either. The balance can sometimes justify the means. Good luck!

The Outer Worlds releases on Oct. 25 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. It’ll come to Nintendo Switch sometime in 2020.