Outward - Review

[HiddenX]

Ye Old Entertainment reviewed Outward:

Outward is top tier game... for the right player

More information.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Started watching this and it's a good one.

I like first 10 mins or so where he argues that we have way too many options nowadays. I kinda agree from a certain pov.
Having these huge backlogs means you're always conflicted on what else new to consume or should you just replay something you really enjoyed. But I guess that's the result of being spoiled for options.

 

[num4!vr34umu5t4r!]

I'll play it when they add cloud saves option, which is probably never.

 

[duerer]

Outward is top tier game... for the right player

I'll second that.
There are about five games in my long, jaded gaming life where I truly feel the "call to adventure". This is one of them.

 

[JDR13]

There are about five games in my long, jaded gaming life where I truly feel the "call to adventure". This is one of them.

I wish it had that effect on me. I tried several times to get into Outward, but I bounced off every time. I even purchased all the DLC, but I never played more than a few hours. The survival mechanics just felt like busy-work to me. Too bad there's no option to disable that layer.

 

[biggoron]

This is one of my favorite games of the past few years. I found it truly magical. There are quite a few mods that may take away from some of the challenge, but to my mind make the game more fun. ActionUI is a must have (let's you hotkey more then 8 abilities). I up my carry weight to end some of the tedium and towards late game I will use debug mode to teleport to regions just for expediency.

The survival mechanic is annoying at first, but before you know it you are consuming potions/food items for buffs and you don't really have to worry about it, at least that was my experience.

 

[docmars]

...I will use debug mode to teleport to regions just for expediency.

It's funny you say that, I do the same thing in Gothic 1 and 2, and they're two of my favorite games. Sometimes really great games just don't have the right travel mechanisms to feel like you're playing efficiently. Similarly, I mod in (or acquire) the Eternal Ferrystone in Dragon's Dogma 1 and 2 now that I've played both to completion.

I just don't have time to waste running across maps because a few quests were poorly designed -- and fast travel is too much of a QoL in modern RPGs that maybe I'm just too spoiled.

I need to give Outward another try. It didn't hook me when I first did a few years ago, but it could have been that I wasn't ready for it. Now that I know more of what to expect, it's worth another shot.

 

[Couchpotato]

Personally I loved pleying the game but the constant backtracking put a damper on the fun. Most of the story and campings for each faction, ends up being hit or miss.

The sequel looks to vastly better though with a publisher providing more money.

 

[duerer]

I wish it had that effect on me. I tried several times to get into Outward, but I bounced off every time. I even purchased all the DLC, but I never played more than a few hours. The survival mechanics just felt like busy-work to me. Too bad there's no option to disable that layer.

Hmmm here are two core tips to get into the proper mindset:
1. This game is a hardcore expedition simulation.
NOT a survival soulsike with crafting, not a looter hack'n'slash with survival elements.
The main objective is NOT to kill anything that moves, but to REACH your destination.

Thus...
2. This game is all about preparation.
Think AHEAD. What is the risk of your expedition? Will you go as a HIKER, a HUNTER or as an EXPLORER?
This game is not very tolerant on improvisation - if you go unprepared, you'll fail.

If I really want to compare Outward to something more in common: it would be a VERY DISTANT Morrowind on hardcore difficulty.
Not as a story driven RPG, but as an exploration of a strange new world without any hand holding.

 

[JDR13]

The main objective is NOT to kill anything that moves, but to REACH your destination.

But what if I really like to kill anything that moves?

I kid, but seriously, maybe I'll give it one more shot someday. I just wish there was an option to tone down the survival elements a little bit.

 

[docmars]

But what if I really like to kill anything that moves?

I kid, but seriously, maybe I'll give it one more shot someday. I just wish there was an option to tone down the survival elements a little bit.

Same. I felt the same way when I first tried it. I was expecting the game to come through and throw me a line at some point, and it was all like: