Developer: Appeal Studios
Platforms: PC, PS5 (Reviewed), Xbox Series X|S
Genre: Action
Publisher: THQ Nordic
Outcast – A New Beginning is a third-person RPG sci-fi shooter action game. It’s a vast open world that follows on from Outcast, which was released aeons ago-and I don’t remember it! It did remind me of Avatar in terms of the mix of characters, the scenery, and the animals you encounter throughout the game. It’s a vibrant and bright world that does feel sparse at times. The game is heavily story-driven, with complex quests to help drive the game’s narrative and immerse you into this alien world.
Even though it’s a follow-up to a previous game, no knowledge is required from the first game; it works as a standalone title. It seems like a relatively standard third-person shooter RPG set in a sci-fi world, but the game mechanics, particularly the jetpack, elevate this game to new heights. The game mechanics and being able to fly and kill a whole host of enemies is what I enjoyed about the game; the core mechanics, while not perfect, are fun.
The story and the missions themselves are okay; a flowchart describes how complex some of the missions seem. To add to the complexity, you will be given a menu option of a glossary to understand every alien term used in the game; there are many of them. The missions follow the same pattern: go to a new area, find material, save a person, defeat some enemies or protect someone or some resource; you get the idea; it’s a whole host of repeatable tasks that will level you up and progress the story. You will encounter a ton of NPCs, and the voice acting is cheesy at best, which detracts from the missions and means voice acting can be grating at times.
The weapon and upgrade system is excellent; it allows you to dictate your gun and fight style. As you progress deeper into the game, you will find stronger power-ups for your jetpack and guns. The gun power-ups can help you build an incredible offensive arsenal; the puny firearms at the start are much more powerful later in the game.
The graphics are good but nothing amazing; the landscapes and variety of terrain do give the player some places to go, test out their jetpacks, and reach areas that they wouldn’t be able to reach in such a cool way without.
With the mixed platformer and jetpack action, I did get stuck and find bugs in the game. There can be a slight slowdown when the screen is full of energy, and the popup can sometimes be noticeable. There are many cut scenes, and the load times feel long.
The game just doesn’t have the polish in every aspect you would have in other games. However, having access to the core mechanics early in the game makes for a fun experience that trumps the issues I encounter. It’s lots of fun.
Outcast – A New Beginning is a delightful game, mainly because of the game mechanics, the jet pack, and the ability to use it in an open world. The weapon customizations allow you to build and try all sorts of combinations. Upgrades and customizations are fantastic, and I enjoyed tweaking weapons to my play style. The voice acting is cheesy and okay, and the visuals are good, but I encountered a slowdown when there were many enemies on the screen. It’s an enjoyable game with a solid foundation that could be made into a great game.
Overall: 7.5/10
Enjoys more than the odd game, long time gamer, somewhat a technologist and everything else in between.
Also enjoys a good solid game of FIFA online. Currently PS4, XBOX 360 and STEAM.
