The Outer Worlds 2 puts a lot of choices before the player, but few are delivered with such aplomb as the hostage decision in Alexandra Monastery. There, the fanatical Seer Wiley will lay out the choice between solving a puzzle to save some hostages or forging full steam ahead, decorating two doors with the inscriptions “Betray Your Values” and “Be A Hero.” You can consult with your companions before making a call, but depending on which ones are along for the ride, you might get dissenting advice.
While saving the hostages seems like the obvious moral choice, the lingering implications can be scary. It might be nothing more than an elaborate trick, and even if it’s possible to save them, there’s always the chance that it could result in more deaths down the line. Luckily, the scenario isn’t quite as complicated as it might seem.
What Happens If You Save The Hostages
Mercy Is Both Rewarded & Punished
Choose to save the hostages in The Outer Worlds 2, and you’ll discover a large puzzle involving a large ball rolling down a ramp. To get the ball to the bottom, you’ll have to clear out the enemies in the area so that you can raise and lower a variety of obstacles in its path.
The puzzle looks complex, but it isn’t actually all that elaborate. Timing doesn’t matter, so you can simply address each obstacle in turn and wait for the ball to proceed before moving to the next.
- Head upstairs and step on the switch next to the ball
- Step on the subsequent switches long enough to let the ball pass each threshold
- Head downstairs and shoot the crates, which will take several shots each
- Activate the switch near the entryway to flip the path in the correct direction twice
- Step on the switches to the right to raise the ball twice, allowing it to reach its destination
Head back down to the area where the ball landed, and you’ll be able to take the Auto-Pneumatic Keypunch Activation Card. Return to the hostages and insert the card, then interact with the machine again to choose to save them. You can also choose to kill them at this point, but unless you’re roleplaying an evil character, there’s no good reason to make the latter choice.
To complete the “Imprisoned by the Riddles of Reality” side quest, you’ll also want to grab the book Only Real Numbers: The Casualties of Appeasement from a room on the upper floor of the library, which can be accessed by a hatch or by unjamming a door.
Saving the hostages will ultimately give you +3 Order rep, and you’ll be able to use your moral decision as a convincing argument in one conversation. You’ll also pick up a Pinnacle Perfume Kilo primer for the Medical Inhaler.
However, Seer Wiley takes advantage of your delay to send Augustine de Vries what she needs to take control of Protectorate Dragoons at the Greater Tranquility Substation. This will make your next mission more challenging.
What Happens If You Leave The Hostages
The Simpler Path
Head through the “Betray Your Values” door, and Seer Wiley will make good on his threat, although not immediately. If you change your mind, you can double back and solve the puzzle before reaching the Seer Wiley showdown. Otherwise, you’ll catch Wiley by surprise, leaving him without enough time to send the security codes to de Vries.
The hostages will die, costing you 3 rep with the Order. Without Protectorate Dragoon control, however, de Vries will have fewer automechs to assault you with, making the next mission easier.
You Should Save The Hostages In The Outer Worlds 2
Fighting More Automechs Is Worth It
On the whole, saving the hostages is the better decision in The Outer Worlds 2. It’s the obvious best choice from a moral standpoint, but even from a mechanical perspective, gaining favor with the Order has more long-term benefits than getting rid of some enemies in the next mission.
If you’re not looking forward to a big fight, however, letting the hostages die will make things a little easier in the immediate future. It’s a choice that makes sense for characters with evil inclinations or even those who approach situations with only efficiency in mind. Characters with combat-oriented builds might not be concerned with hostile threats, but if all your points are in more esoteric attributes, this could be a big help.
The only decision that doesn’t make sense is solving the puzzle and then choosing to kill the hostages. For truly evil characters, it could be an appropriately malicious act, but it leaves the player without any advantages. While Aza might appreciate the cruelty, other The Outer Worlds 2 companions are less likely to see any wisdom in this cruelty, although companion opinions shouldn’t have any real repercussions here.
Ultimately, it’s not very hard to save the hostages in Alexandra Monastery, and you can always stock up on extra ammo and supplies ahead of facing the new threats at the Greater Tranquility Substation. The Outer Worlds 2 features some complex moral decisions, but all things considered, this isn’t one of them.
- Released
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October 29, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
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Obsidian Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
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Xbox Game Studios
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
