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Outward - Impressions and Thoughts


Mr.Vic20

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I LOVE Outward. I haven't been this hooked on a game in a very long time! How much do I love it? MORE than Warframe. In fact, I will be doing something I never do with a game, and that is completing all of its possible achievements, just so I can suck the marrow clean from its bones after having devoured its flesh! :sun: 

 

Right, so about the game! Outward can best be described as Dark Souls meets Gothic/Risen, with some light survival game mechanics tossed in for good measure. Voice acting is sparse but present and the writing is minimal but very serviceable for the tale its telling. The tale is one of three factions, all surviving and struggling to get by, after a cataclysmic event. The world consists of 4 large distinct zones (mountain, swamp, forrest, and desert), which you will have to traverse sans ANY fast travel. If that puts you off, don't play this game! You will spend a fair bit of time running here and there through out the game. You'll start in a "neutral" town and after a few days of solving local issues, you'll be tasked with heading to one of the other 3 towns in the game and selecting which faction you will join up with for the rest of the game. Each faction will take you to the "end game" after which you are free to explore the world and mop up any side questions you haven't and take down and beasties you think you're finally ready for! 

 

One very nice touch is that you can replay the game (I'm on my third run) and play the other sides of the same story via each of the factions. Eventually to see the whole story, you'll want to play from the beginning at least three  times. The game allows you to transfer your gear forward from character to character so each run let's you delve a little deeper into the world and take more risks as you're overall power level rises. As I start my third and final (?) play through, I am now a solidly tough character, thanks to the finest gear in the game being past down to my latest toon, who goes by the name "The Final Count", it would have been the final countdown of course, but apparently that was a few letter too much! :cry:

 

Your character, a pudwack if ever there was one, starts out as a truly fragile thing, just like Dark Souls. And just like a Souls game, your knowledge and some gear improvements will slowly tip the balance of power in your favor over the course of some 50-100 hours of play. The length of play will largely depend on how much the game grabs you, and how good you are at thinking through the combat scenarios and traps presented in the world. The world is full of food, gear, and mysteries to be found. The combat, movement, and world interaction is similar to most euro jank ARPGs. Think of this game like a weird cousin of Ashen, if that helps! 

 

Now the "Bad" stuff (which I enjoyed!)

 

1.) This game does not hold your hand, as nothing is known, exposition is limited, and there are HORRIBLY HUGE consequences to you failing a given quest. IF an NPC tells you that you have 3 days to accomplish a task, you best believe them! Ignore their guidance at your peril!  :lol: 

 

2.) THIS GAME DOESN'T CARE THAT YOU HAVE A JOB! You will lose a ton of time to this game. Nearly ever aspect of this game is MANUAL. Want a potion? You'll need to:

 

a.)Gather the ingredients

b.)Gather some wood

c.)make a fire pit

d.)light that puppy

e.)place your portable alchemy kit on said fire

f.)get cooking

 

Of course, you can buy a potion  but...

 

3.) Money is scarce for the first 10 hours of game play. Eventually, with enough learning you'll be able to make a good chunk of change, but its hard going at first.

 

4.) Several of the enemies can just destroy you, BE PREPARED! Don't skip making traps, having potions and bandges, and know your equipment range and stats before you pick a fight! 

 

5.) Weather, disease, cuts, the common cold, OH MY! Everything will kill you, or make your day worse. You'll figure it all out once you get the hang of it.

 

6.) Your map is just a map, it doesn't have a magic mark that shows your location. You'll need to learn the lands and the landmarks! Be thankful you even have such a nice map you whelp! 

 

7.) Death doesn't exist, but when you are defeated, you are knocked unconscious, resulting in your character being relocated somewhere in the zone or dungeon you were in last, near death, thirsty, hungry, and laying on your back. Trust me, it can be a fair setback. 

 

If none of this scared you off, then this game is wonderfully rich! The sense of discovery is amazing, I love the music, and the feel of overcoming impossible odds to succeed can be found in abundance in this title! I truly feel that this game scratches an itch That no other has in a long time! Absolutely my game of the year contender. Yes, yes, I know, its only April, but I remain confident that this title will stay in my top 3 for the year, and likely will take the cake when all is said and done! This is a game made just for me! :sun::vortex:

 

 

 

 

 

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I really wanted to buy this game on launch because it looked amazingly fun to run through a game with a friend. 

Then I watched a stream of a guy playing and he was using microsoft word to keep track of his open quests that he needed to complete and another page on areas he would need to come back to explore. 

 

Decided it wasn't for me and bought Risk of Rain 2 instead. 

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9 minutes ago, Nokt said:

I really wanted to buy this game on launch because it looked amazingly fun to run through a game with a friend. 

Then I watched a stream of a guy playing and he was using microsoft word to keep track of his open quests that he needed to complete and another page on areas he would need to come back to explore. 

 

Decided it wasn't for me and bought Risk of Rain 2 instead. 

Undoubtedly this is a niche game! I'm sure you can try it out when it hits the 20.00 or below price point. Its not likely to appeal to more than a handful of people, but I'm really happy I got the chance to play it! 

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The Coward's Guide to Surviving Outward (PC Gamer)

Based on the chatter online, I don't think I've died quite as many times as most people, and I’m feeling generous so I’ll send you off with the pro-level skills that have kept me alive even when surrounded by three bandits. The secret is: be a coward. Not an average craven who runs from fights when they realize that they’re in over their head, but a truly masterful coward so afraid of direct conflict that you plan the death of your assailants before they even spot you.

 

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On 4/8/2019 at 11:54 AM, Mr.Vic20 said:

1.) This game does not hold your hand, as nothing is known, exposition is limited, and there are HORRIBLY HUGE consequences to you failing a given quest. IF an NPC tells you that you have 3 days to accomplish a task, you best believe them! Ignore their guidance at your peril!  :lol: 

 

2.) THIS GAME DOESN'T CARE THAT YOU HAVE A JOB! You will lose a ton of time to this game. Nearly ever aspect of this game is MANUAL. Want a potion? You'll need to:

 

a.)Gather the ingredients

b.)Gather some wood

c.)make a fire pit

d.)light that puppy

e.)place your portable alchemy kit on said fire

f.)get cooking

 

Of course, you can buy a potion  but...

 

3.) Money is scarce for the first 10 hours of game play. Eventually, with enough learning you'll be able to make a good chunk of change, but its hard going at first.

 

4.) Several of the enemies can just destroy you, BE PREPARED! Don't skip making traps, having potions and bandges, and know your equipment range and stats before you pick a fight! 

 

5.) Weather, disease, cuts, the common cold, OH MY! Everything will kill you, or make your day worse. You'll figure it all out once you get the hang of it.

 

6.) Your map is just a map, it doesn't have a magic mark that shows your location. You'll need to learn the lands and the landmarks! Be thankful you even have such a nice map you whelp! 

 

7.) Death doesn't exist, but when you are defeated, you are knocked unconscious, resulting in your character being relocated somewhere in the zone or dungeon you were in last, near death, thirsty, hungry, and laying on your back. Trust me, it can be a fair setback. 

 

If none of this scared you off, then this game is wonderfully rich! The sense of discovery is amazing, I love the music, and the feel of overcoming impossible odds to succeed can be found in abundance in this title! I truly feel that this game scratches an itch That no other has in a long time! Absolutely my game of the year contender. Yes, yes, I know, its only April, but I remain confident that this title will stay in my top 3 for the year, and likely will take the cake when all is said and done! This is a game made just for me! :sun::vortex:

 

terrified ashton kutcher GIF

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