Should you save the hostages in The Outer Worlds 2 — another interesting moral dilemma, isn’t it? During the “On the Trail of the Traitor” main quest, Seer Wiley tries to stall you with the so-called “orb puzzle.” If you decide to solve the puzzle, you’ll save two innocent lives, but if you ignore the puzzle… Well, let’s hope the hostages didn’t suffer long.
Here’s what happens whether you save the hostages or not, and how to solve the orb puzzle in The Outer Worlds 2.
Should you save the hostages in The Outer Worlds 2?
If you haven’t decided whether to save the hostages, breathe easy; they won’t get crushed as long as you don’t enter Seer Wiley’s observatory or finish the orb puzzle, so you can ignore their screams for help while mulling it over.
Here’s what your choice may lead to:
- Save the hostages: You gain +3 reputation in the Order of Ascension faction. Later in the main quest, you can mention your heroic deed to convince an NPC of your good intentions, but there will be other ways to achieve the same goal. Unfortunately, saving the hostages means you’ll face more automech enemies (massive Protectorate Dragoons, to be exact) in the next main quest: “Fiends in High Places.”
- Don’t save the hostages: Your Order of Ascension reputation drops by -3 points, but there will be fewer automech enemies in “Fiends in High Places,” the next main quest.
- Kill the hostages: Your Order of Ascension reputation drops by -3 points. Instead of ignoring the hostages, you can also solve the orb puzzle as described below, but choose “activate keypunch cycle” to kill them yourself. If you do this, you will still face the automech enemies in “Fiends in High Places.”
So, should you save the hostages in The Outer Worlds 2? Although the Protectorate Dragoons are quite tough, they’re not impossible to defeat, especially if you’ve leveled your Hack skill, which increases damage against automechs. Pair that with an early game perk like “Manual Reset” to stun automech opponents, and they shouldn’t give you too much trouble.
In other words, the consequences of saving the hostages aren’t severe enough to warrant ignoring them. But if you do ignore them and are worried about loot, know that the inactive automech bodies will still be present during “Fiends in High Places,” ripe for the plucking.
How to save the hostages in The Outer Worlds 2
To save the hostages, you must solve the orb puzzle. Starting from the room with the two hostages behind the purple screen, head right, through the door that says: “Be a hero.”
See the library full of enemies to your left? Defeat them, head upstairs, and leave the library. You’ll see a large, colorful orb in front of you. The goal is to let this orb roll all the way down. First, step on the pressure plates, starting with the one next to the orb, then working your way to the left. Be sure to stand on each pressure plate until the orb has passed you by.
Next, drop down through the hole in the ground. Enter the square, and shoot the three targets blocking the orb:
Follow the red cables on the ground to find a lever and pull it.
Step on the left pressure plate and wait until the orb has passed to then move onto the right pressure plate.
That’s it! Walk down to the hostages, collect the keycard from the orb’s landing spot, and insert it in the machine in front of the purple screen.
Although you’ve already cleared the orb puzzle, you’ll be presented with two options:
- Disable auto-pneumatic keypunch: This will save the hostages.
- Activate keypunch cycle: This will kill the hostages.
If you pick one of these options, the choice is permanent. Remember, if you leave without using the keycard, speaking with Seer Wiley will serve as the point of no return instead (ignoring the hostages, leading to their deaths).
Before meeting Seer Wiley, you might want to do the “Imprisoned by the Riddles of Reality” side quest, which may unlock an additional dialogue option. You can also save this side quest for later.
For more help on your Arcadia adventure, check out our Outer Worlds 2 beginner guide and recommendations for the best skills and best perks. Make sure to recruit companions like Tristan to spice up your journey! Don’t forget to check out our interactive maps to help you navigate your way through space.