25 years after the release of the first chapter (which revolutionized the world of gaming forever, paving the way for open-world games to come), the development team met again to bring Outcast A New Beginning to light. Expectations were certainly high for a series that remained dormant for a long time (if we don’t consider the remake of the first chapter released a few years ago). In this Outcast A New Beginning review, we will tell you everything you need to know about the game.
Cutter Blade is Back to Business
In Outcast A New Beginning, we once again take on the role of Cutter Blade, the protagonist of the first game. Although time has passed and the world he finds himself in is no longer the same as it once was, he has certainly not lost his humorous streak, which distinguished him in the first chapter of the series. In Outcast A New Beginning, therefore, we will pick up, in some senses, exactly where we left off.
This time, he will walk through the rainforests of Adelpha, a strange planet where the Talan people live. It’s not about invading, though. Because Cutter forgot why he came here, and the Yods, who are like gods to the Talan, decided he’s here to save Adelpha. With each step in the green forest, Cutter feels like he’s remembering why he’s here. He knows he has to keep this amazing world and its people safe.
The plants in Adelpha are bright and beautiful, and there are a lot of different animals that populate it. Cutter goes deeper into the forest, where old buildings tell stories from long ago. The Talan help him understand how to use Adelpha’s natural power to stop the darkness that’s trying to hurt the land. He knows his fate is tied to Adelpha’s life.
So, with a new goal and strong determination, Cutter starts a journey to make Adelpha peaceful again. He makes friends with the Talan and faces big challenges. In the deep forests of Adelpha, among whispers of old spirits and nature’s songs, Cutter shows he’s not here to take over but to protect and bring peace.
Dear Old Outcast
From a gameplay perspective, Outcast A New Beginning tries to meet the needs of both old guards and younger players. Was the experiment successful? Partly. Some of Outcast A New Beginning’s gameplay mechanics are actually modern-day, and this can be felt in certain sections of the game.
As if that wasn’t enough, there are also some problems that arise from an underlying monotony, at least as far as secondary activities are concerned. While they may seem fun in themselves (especially the parkour challenges), in the long run, they are always the same and don’t add anything new to the game. Furthermore, you may also come across strange behavior regarding the AI of the characters that populate the game world. But there are also some positive aspects.
Outcast A New Beginning is an open-world game, so exploration is definitely the focus. You will be called to explore different areas of this alien planet and face enemies of all sorts. In this regard, the game provides you with special skills and powers that you can use to get the better of your opponents.
Also, don’t forget about the presence of modules. It is very important to create a deeper gameplay structure that is able to adapt to different situations. There are technically only two weapons, which could have been decidedly different, but the aforementioned modules serve precisely to give the weapons a new look. Equipping one module over another will allow you to perform some actions rather than others. Cool, isn’t it? Yes, we have to say that it’s an interesting feature that, for the most part, masks the lack of multiple weapons.
Another feature that is certainly very useful and fun to use is the jetpack with which the protagonist is able to move around the game world. Thanks to it, you will not only be able to move faster, but you will also be able to reach higher places that you would not be able to reach without it. Therefore, don’t forget about its usefulness.
Some Technical Issues
Unfortunately, from a technical point of view, Outcast A New Beginning has some problems, although a patch should resolve them by launch day. In addition to the strange behavior of the AI that we told you about previously, there are also problems related to frame drops and textures not loading in certain areas of the game.
It is likely that, when playing, you will come across more crowded areas, with more characters on the screen, and the game may be affected by this situation. Furthermore, there are cases where enemies get stuck in objects and the character’s jetpack can suffer “malfunctions” that prevent you from using it as you should.
In short, Outcast A New Beginning is certainly not a perfect game from a technical point of view, but these are small precautions on which the development team can intervene without any problem and resolve the issue. As long as it concerns technical problems, we remember that it is never too late to resolve the situation (Cyberpunk 2077 is a clear example); the problem is when it comes to something related to content.
Outcast A New Beginning Review – 6,5
Outcast A New Beginning, as we refer to what we just said at the end of the previous paragraph, has some problems related to content. Generally speaking, the game isn’t absolutely bad, but it’s certainly not perfect. The story is uninteresting and inconclusive in some ways, while the secondary activities that you can complete are many, but always the same. So, the main problems with Outcast A New Beginning are an uninspiring story and a lack of variety in content.
In any case, if you are looking for an open-world sci-fi game in which you shoot to kill enemies and are able to overlook both the technical and content problems (certainly more serious), you could still have fun in the company of friends and virtual aliens. It must be said that the project was ambitious, trying to keep its feet in two different brackets, so the team should still be rewarded for its courage.
*The game has been reviewed on PC with a code provided by the developers.