Outward Definitive Edition Review (PlayStation 5)
Back again for our Outward Definitive Edition Review, where no remarkable journey is achieved without great effort. Outward is an open-world RPG where the cold of the night or an infected wound can be as dangerous as a predator lurking in the dark. Explore the vast world of Aurai, and embark on memorable adventures alone or with your friends.
Outward Definitive Edition Review Pros:
- Decent graphics thanks in part to the overall quality update on the visuals.
- 15.31GB Download size.
- Platinum trophy.
- Graphics settings – bloom and motion blur.
- Controller settings – Invert axis and sensitivity sliders.
- Field of view slider for both solo and split-screen.
- Two difficulties – Normal and hardcore.
- RPG adventure gameplay.
- Includes bot DLC packs – The Soroboreans and The three brothers.
- Tutorial option- Multilayered tower where you learn every aspect of the game.
- New building mechanic where you can source, plan and create your own settlement/town.
- Two players split-screen support.
- Online co-op.
- Three save slots.
- Character creator-Name/Gender/Race (Kazite, Auraian, Tramon)/Hairstyle/Legacy.
- Massive open world.
- Improved loading times.
- Play how you want.
- Multiple choice conversations.
- Interactable objects have a distinctive blue glint.
- Sleep- Choose the length and guard setting as you can be ambushed.
- The main storyline and optional side missions.
- A clear easy-to-use mission selector menu.
- Deep crafting system.
- Scavenge materials from wildlife and nature.
- Loot chests to be found.
- Has Skyrim/Dragon Age vibes.
- A cold/hot mechanic whereby proper clothing is needed to stave off death.
- A clear easy-to-read HUD.
- Compass will show points of interest and any mission markers you have set.
- Combat has a degree of skill in it with a block, counter-type approach.
- A ton of replay value.
- Food will rot over time.
- A lot of work on the magic side of your character. It is not a case of just picking up and scrolling and off you go, You need to -put time into the craft and go through the stages.
- Dungeons to find and explore.
- Such a rich living world.
- Enchanting soundtrack.
- Some glorious vistas and locations.
- Autosaves so regularly that every decision is nearly enough irreversible.
- You can watch other people/beasts fight each other and even kite them into each other.
- Difficult, Very difficult.
- Better in a co-op than solo play.
- You can initiate online and split-screen at any point from the pause menu.
- Performs and runs much smoother than before.
- Feels and looks more vibrant.
- Can see enemy levels when looking at them.
- Runs well on split-screen.
- Satisfying combat.
- Has an old-school vibe to it with little explanation and a lot of player interpretation needed.
Outward Definitive Edition Review Cons:
- Never sure when it’s saved.
- Slow starter.
- Couldn’t see any way to import my PlayStation 4 save from before.
- No tutorial baked into the game and doesn’t make this clear.
- The learning curve with the controls.
- Co-op play is fine except the second player gets shafted a lot by not getting loot properly or at all, and cannot always see dialogue choices.
- Co-op goes by and saves by the first player.
- Huge difficulty curve with the combat.
- A lot of reading.
- Small text in places.
- Not the strongest voice acting.
Related Post: Dodonpachi Resurrection Review (Steam)
Outward Definitive Edition:
Developer: Nine Dots
Publisher: Deep Silver
Store Links –
Summary
Outward is a game that sounded right up my street. I love an RPG that leaves the player to explore and play how they want. Outward does allow this but to be honest the game is played at a running pace, Why? Well, you are constantly getting mobbed by groups of enemies whether it be human or otherwise and you are always the underdog. I do have an admiration for the game though as even though it is difficult and dealing with the harsh weather climates is annoying more than fun, Outward does create a rich world full of characters that you want to learn more about, The way you can craft up a makeshift camp and sleep in the wild is cool but being ambushed just goes next-level immersion. As said it is difficult but, to be honest, that’s something that does get better over time, I found it really hard for the first few hours for sure with the awkwardness of the controls rearing its ugly head to the constant need to buy and upgrade gear. Once I put serious time into scavenging and selling I found fights got easier, I could roam the land a lot better and with that, I could be more adventurous and seek out the game’s many dungeons. I would pre-warn anyone looking at this for co-op only that it is clearly set up for the second player to just be the backup or hired goon. All dialogue choices and loot goes to player one only and stash/inventory has gone wrong (deleting itself) for the poor player two. I only make a fuss over the issues with co-op as the game markets itself as a co-op game. In-game, the co-op is brilliant and really changes it up. I loved playing it in co-op and yes it is better than solo but the bugs and constant anxiety of what state our player 2s character would be in the next session really took the edge off. In short, Outward is a good step forward for RPG games and does have some merit but you really need to prepare yourself for a hard slog at the start and up and down co-op play. What I do appreciate is the work that clearly went into this new edition, it plays better, looks fantastic and clears up a lot of initial niggles, and even adds new mechanics such as the awesome and powerful town-building aspect. The Definitive Edition really did give the game a boost of life and a reason to go back and even start a new adventure. A lot of the review here is my initial thoughts on the first version and the new definitive version. At the end of the day, this is a really good top-tier RPG.
