All The Outer Worlds 2 companions and how to recruit them 

The Outer Worlds 2 very much sticks to the established Obsidian formula and follows a strong trend in contemporary RPGs that revolves around finding and recruiting a bunch of companions.

There are a handful of them you can encounter and subsequently add to your roster, taking them along on adventures and fulfilling their unique quests that grant one-of-a-kind rewards. So, here are all The Outer Worlds 2 companions and how you can recruit them.

The Outer Worlds 2 companion list, locations, and ways to recruit them

Niles

Niles is one of the first two companions and is available right off the bat. As soon as you start the game up, you’ll have a chance to meet, talk, and play alongside him, and there is no special circumstance or quest you have to do to get him into your roster.

Niles, unlike most other companions, has an ability and a bonus perk, but can still be upgraded with six more perks when you reach levels 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30, like all the rest.

• Ability: Spread Out, I’ll Hold ’em! – Niles shoots three times at a select enemy and taunts it into attacking him instead of you. All companion abilities in the game have to be fully charged to be used.
• Additional Perk: Last Defender – Niles becomes near-invulnerable, negating all incoming damage after you use his ability.
• First Trait: Field Tinkering – Niles acts as a portable workbench and can upgrade companions and equipment on the go.
• Second Trait: Reflex Amplified – Grants Niles enhanced evasion and damage negation.

V.A.L.E.R.I.E. (VAL)

Like Niles, VAL is available from the very start of the game and does not have to be unlocked.

VAL only has an ability and no additional perks.

• Ability: Emergency Protocols – VAL shoots a load of healing syringes at you, boosting your HP recovery and significantly reducing enemy damage to you.
• First Trait: Life Injection Module – VAL heals you or a companion low on HP, but this has a cooldown.
• Second Trait: Integrated Bypass Repair – VAL gives you a chance to not spend a Bypass Shunt when hacking.

Companion traits only affect you if you have the related companion in your party, and you cannot have more than two companions active at a time.

Inez

Inez is the first unlockable companion in the game and is available rather early, during the initial hours of your playthrough. She is an Auntie’s Choice corporate soldier who carries a “graft” on her arm, a mark of her time as a member of Auntie’s elite squad that attempted to augment humans with various animal parts.

Her strongest point is her ability to improve your overall healing, boosting your Inhaler, adding extra charges to it, and throwing healing mists to recover your HP.

Finding her is super easy, as you’ll only have to follow the main quest in Fairfield on the moon Eden. The best way to approach this is to take up Milverstreet’s offer in Fairfield and subsequently bring Inez back to him, convincing him to let her fix her graft. You’ll get a companion quest afterward that’ll improve Inez’s overall abilities.

Here’s what she can do:

• Ability: The Magic Bullet – Depends on her companion quest; we’ll not divulge that information to avoid spoilers.
• First Trait: Combat Drugs – Enhances Inez’s rate of fire and weapon accuracy.
• Second Trait: Unlicensed Chemist – Grants additional Inhaler charges to you.

With level-up perks, Inez can become a healing powerhouse, making her a vital member of any party. Just make sure you don’t go around murdering Auntie’s Choice folk in front of her.

Marisol

Marisol is a lethal, unpredictable, and downright scary and mysterious woman who locks herself inside a room in the Zyranium Manufactory VII, located on Golden Ridge, moon of Dorado. This is the second area of the game, and a big one at that. Playing through it, you’ll be granted a quest regarding the Manufactory, which will lead you to Marisol.

Merely complete the quest line, making sure you help Marisol uncover the truth about what had transpired at the Manufactory, then speak to her and allow her to join your party.

Here’s what she can do:

• Ability: Torpifying Blast – Marisol incapacitates a target, making every shot against them turn into a critical strike instead.
• First Trait: Gadget Optimization – Increases your energy generation rate.
• Second Trait: Threat Analyzer – Buffs the N-Ray Scanner with additional information, revealing numerous aspects of any enemy you come across while using the gadget.

Aza

Aza, like Marisol, is located on the Golden Ridge and is much easier to recruit than her counterpart. She is located on the top floor of the Decommissioned Autonomous Extractorium, itself sitting south of the N-Ray Range. The Extractorium is packed with Glorious Dawn cultists, which you will have to fight or sneak by to reach Aza, who is locked in a room above the main chamber.

After coming up to her, simply exhaust her dialogue, making sure you don’t insult her, and try to offer her help. Aza will want to return to the N-Ray Range to find those who betrayed her; the outcome of this will be different if you’ve approached her after beating everyone inside. Accept her offer anyway, and she’ll be added to your squad.

Aza is quick, nimble, and lethal, preferring melee encounters, flanking, and sneaking up on enemies.

These are her ability and traits:

• Ability: Spread the Message – Aza shoots an explosive to a target location, which explodes in a cone, dealing tons of physical damage to any enemy hit. Those affected are also stunned for a duration.
• First Trait: A Chaotic Purpose – Aza’s ability is recharged more quickly and has an extra charge.
• Second Trait: Hidden in Palin-Sight – Aza makes it harder for factions to think you are an Outlaw.

Tristan

An Arbiter of the Protectorate and a stern personality through and through, Tristan is found in the most unlikely scenario and location for one of his number: the Free Market Station. This derelict ship hosts a lot of content, among them Tristan Rao himself, who is found bickering in a bar on the station.

Walking up to him and the bartender will put you in a dialogue, where you should offer your assistance and assurance to the bartender. This will start a quest, leading you to Golden Ridge, where you will have to help Tristan investigate the site of a horrible attack. After completing the assignment, head back to Free Market Station, and Tristan will offer himself up to be recruited.

His skills are:

• Ability: Judgement – Tristan rushes an enemy and smashes them with his hammer, knocking down the target and those close to it. Additionally, Tristan taunts nearby enemies to attack him instead of you.
• First Trait: Supreme Arbiter Hammer – His hammer acts not only as a melee weapon, but can also be a grenade launcher.
• Second Trait: Observant Adjudicator – Tristan gives you a chance to reveal hidden items during exploration, but only if you don’t have the skill to reveal them on your own.

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