This is an ongoing review. Due to server issues, we weren't able to spend as much time with Outriders as we'd like to try out everything it has to offer. This review will be updated in due course with our final resolution and is subject to change. Outriders doesn't make the best first impression, partly because we couldn't play it for the first few days after launch. We've seen this time and time again with online-only games, but a plea for revolutionary server issues, glitches, and glitches were present throughout Outriders' turbulent launch, and it's still in a rocky state now. of the writing. We found all kinds of anomalies throughout our time with the game, such as audio issues, a possessed controller that kept vibrating, disconnecting during missions, and the inability to test crossplay itself. Full potential (although it worked admirably throughout the Outriders demo). While these issues will undoubtedly be addressed in due course, this is yet another example of a game that seems to have been rushed before it was even ready. And due to the always-online nature of the game, there's the potential for more frustrations to flare up in the future, which is worth considering. Controversial quality control aside, what does developer People Perro Fly have to offer about the looter shooter genre? And does it do enough to stand out from its more established peers like Destiny XNUMX and The Division XNUMX?
Outriders price and launch data
- What is it? A loot shooter game developed by the authors of Bulletstorm, People Dog Fly
- Launch date? April 1th 2021
- What exactly can I play in? PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Prize? € fifty-nine and ninety-nine / € forty-nine and ninety-nine / AU € 99.95
Misbehavior
(Image credit: Square Enix)
- It is largely based on others
- Mix of old ideas
Long story short, not really. It's immediately obvious from the start that Outriders shamelessly borrows elements from the two aforementioned games, which only leads to comparisons it would do well to avoid. I tend to hate playing 'Game A over Game B', but the Outriders' inspirations are so obvious they're impossible to ignore. There are countless pieces of cover to nestle in throughout firefights and multiple weapons to pick up with different range values, power and stat bonuses, just like in The Division 2; and the familiar slider used to navigate most of the menus was taken directly from Destiny, with the sci-fi settings. You'd be forgiven for thinking Outriders was nothing more than a poor tribute, especially since the game's quirky characters and rather forgettable story do little to advance its situation. But beneath the cringe-worthy dialogue and often downright grim visuals is gameplay that's essentially enjoyable, but takes far too many liberties with player timing and patience.
Misbehavior
- Hostile characters
- Bad dubbing
- Unforgettable story
The Outriders story doesn't appeal to you much. Earth is considered habitable due to too many wars and natural disasters, so the human race considers finding a new home on a planet called Enoch. What was meant to be heaven soon transforms into a deadly hellscape, and your player-created character, known as the Outrider, is put into cryogenic sleep after barely surviving the disastrous events that unfold. You wake up more than thirty years later to discover that the human race is still fighting for its existence and that a large part of its destiny is in your hands. The less we say about the dialogues and cast of characters, the better. All of the usual tropes are here, with repellent sentences, usual F-bombs, and some seriously gruesome facial animations that make scenes feel like work, rather than serving as a nice respite from the action.
Reverence
(Image credit: Square Enix)
- Playing violently is the key
- Outriders makes you feel impressively powerful
- Four elective courses
While you use multiple weapons in Outriders such as shotguns, submachine guns, and high-powered pistols, a key philosophy that Outriders brings to the table is belligerent play. Your character is endowed with impressively destructive supernatural powers, which you will have to use to the limit if you want to overcome the many threats that threaten the planet Enoch. Fundamentally, you're like a god, and it's in this element that Outriders excels the most. While coverage is plentiful in the various Outriders biomes, you won't connect very often. Instead, you must lead the fight against your opponents, as defeated opponents truly heal your character. Luckily, the Outriders' powers and marksmanship are strong enough to make combat enjoyable, though the opponent models you'll encounter are, again, more than we've seen before. There's an undeniable sense of satisfaction when you smash an opponent's skull with a well-aimed sniper rifle, but it's your character's unique powers that will ultimately determine whether you live or die. With fast cooldowns and multiple unlockable abilities, Outriders don't require you to wait an age to unleash a super like in Destiny 2; we encourage you to use them as much as possible for crowd control, disrupting opponent attacks. More powerful and fundamentally erase everything that bothers you. It's a careful balancing act, though, since you're going to be balled every time you step out of cover, which means you can't just run with irresponsible abandon. The Outriders' level of complexity, which is dictated by world levels, also ensures that you'll need to fight tooth and nail to survive some of the more grueling encounters, but you can dial this down if you want a more relaxing experience. With 4 classes to choose from: Devastator, Technomancer, Trickster, and Pyromancer, there's plenty of free replayability. You can create multiple characters, each with their strengths and weaknesses, and create a version that suits you. Whether you want to act like a bullet sponge like Devastator, suppress opponents from afar like Technomancer, or wear down the opponent with multiple time-shifting abilities like Trickster, Outriders' 4 classes should suit all kinds of playstyles. . .
(Image credit: Square Enix) Again, when you engulf opponents in a sea of flame, smash frozen creatures into tiny pieces, or watch an unlucky opponent hover in motion as you impale them with bullets, Outriders can be a good moment But then you're left with the task of doing it over and over again, with an emphasis on getting better loot as you go. If that's one thing that appeals to you, then Outriders offers hours of entertainment, including a juicy endgame called Expeditions, something we've yet to experience and have high hopes for. But there are other games that not only offer a relentless drop in endorphin play loot, but provide a more polished, engaging, and technically accomplished experience normally.
Early verdict
(Image credit: Square Enix) As it stands, we don't think Outriders is going to change your opinion of the loot shooter genre as a whole, as the criticisms many still have ring true here: the missions you get involved in revolve around that. From `` go here , delete this '' with very little alteration in between. Ultimately, it all comes down to collecting more powerful loot and leveling up to help you destroy each and every outpost. That might be enough to put some players off altogether, but there's no denying that the Outriders made us smile with their over-the-top abilities and gore-laden explosions. It's a game that doesn't take itself too seriously, and honestly, you shouldn't either. We just wish People Perro Fly would lean more into their ideas, rather than have them act as the icing on a family cake we've been stuffed to countless times before.