I’ve been itching to write this Outriders review for quite some time now. But, what with some many other games to get through, I kind of put Outriders on the back burner.
As the latest third-person action game from People Can Fly (the developer behind chaotic titles like Painkiller, Bulletstorm, and Gears of War: Judgment), this cooperative sci-fi shooter blends the loot-driven gameplay of boosting Diablo IV and Borderlands, but with a bigger emphasis on character classes and combat strategy.
Playing as a super-powered soldier stranded on a volatile alien world, it’s your job to uncover the mysteries of the planet while ensuring humanity’s survival. People Can Fly has proved their ability to create a competent shooter before.
But will ‘People Can Fly’ continue its success with Outriders?
Let’s find out! 👇
Outriders Review Contents:
Outriders Storyline
Outriders is set in the not-so-distant future where Earth has been ravaged by seismic activity, forcing humanity to search for a new home. After discovering a potential new home on planet Enoch, a colonization group called the ECA embarks to settle.
As you might expect with this sort of backstory, the plan goes awry, resulting in chaos among survivors stranded in a brutal and barely hospitable world. As a skilled soldier called an Outrider, you (and up to two other friends) must shoot your way through Enoch’s various dangers, ranging from human threats to alien wildlife.
Although Outriders has an interesting premise and gripping opening, it struggles to maintain its momentum over the lengthy story. Since upgrading your character and earning new loot is the main focus of the experience, the plot has a tendency of being pushed to the side in favour of explosive firefights. You’ll explore new areas with frequency, offering a consistent change of environments and visuals, but the characters and quests quickly become repetitive.
While the story in Outriders serves the action well, don’t expect to have your mind blown by intricate and thought-provoking science fiction. In fact, any fans of the gripping storylines of RPG games like The Witcher 3, who dabble with some third-person shooters, are likely to be a little disappointed. At its best, Outriders can be surprisingly effective and atmospheric, but it always maintains a level of awkward campiness.
Gameplay & Combat
Whilst the storyline might prove a little lacklustre, Outriders has an interesting combat experience that contains elements of cover shooters like Gears of War, looter-shooters like Destiny, and tactical shooters like Tom Clancy’s The Division 2.
Whether you play solo or with a group of friends, you’ll spend a lot of time frantically taking cover as you’re pelted by enemy shots, abilities, and grenades. Since regenerating health is limited in Outriders, your primary means of survival is going on the offensive, using abilities and gun mods to restore your health during the fray.
Combat is tough but rewarding, steadily offering satisfying progress towards becoming an all-powerful killing machine. There’s also a weapon crafting and modification system that, at first, can seem overwhelming, but is actually pretty easy to learn.
Provided you have the right resources, you can take any piece of gear and increase its stats, rarity and level with modding. So, if you find a weapon you like, don’t worry about having to leave it behind as soon as you discover something with more firepower. You can gain new weapon mods and crafting resources as you dismantle unwanted loot.
Even on lower difficulties, the game provides enough items for making those upgrades. That said, the guns lack creative flair and feel simplistic, so don’t expect any Borderlands or Tiny Tina Wonderlands classes and weaponry with whacky abilities.
Characters & Classes
In Outriders, there are four unique character classes to choose from, including the Technomancer, Pyromancer, Trickster, and Devastator. Technomancers work best from to support other soldiers, while the Devastator works well as an aggressive tank.
The Pyromancer and Trickster are both high damage-dealing classes, with the Pyromancer scorching the battlefield at medium range and the Trickster dashing in and out of combat with a mixture of speed and stealth.
Regardless of your chosen class, the gameplay is ultra-hectic and requires some significant focus, as it’s easy to get overwhelmed by enemies if you’re not paying attention. Luckily, the game’s difficulty can be easily adjusted thanks to the “World Tier” system.
It provides 15 different levels of challenge to choose from. Those who just want to experience the story can set their world tier to the lowest setting, while sweaty-handed gear heroes can crank up the difficulty and reap extra loot for their hard work.
Naturally, the game is better played with a squad that figures out create the perfect blend of Outriders classes which compliments each character’s abilities and specialities.
Levelling & Grinding
The primary source of experience points in Outriders is through the game’s main story and side quests. The current level cap is 30, and simply going through the story will get you close to that. Complete a few side quests along the way, and you’re pretty much guaranteed to hit the level cap before the ending.
If you feel the need to raise your level before progressing the story for whatever reason, then the traditional method of grinding out XP by repeatedly defeating enemies is still an option. Should you decide to go this route for levelling, try lowering your World Tier instead of raising it. Enemies in higher World Tiers give out more experience points when defeated, but they’re also tougher to deal with, ultimately slowing down the level grind.
Multiplayer & Crossplay Support
As for multiplayer and cross-platform gameplay, Outriders is available to play on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One.
Since the game puts a lot of emphasis on cooperative play, players will be happy to know that Outriders supports full crossplay between all of these platforms. Take note, though, that crossplay is disabled by default. To change this, go to your Gameplay settings and look for “Enable Crossplay”. Once crossplay is enabled, use the “Play With Friends” button in the lobby to start a game with your friends on different platforms.
Once you’ve connected with your buddies in game, you can form a team of up to three players. Due to the uniqueness of each Outriders class, you can come up with some interesting interactions, synergies, and strategies when exploring Enoch.
It should also be pointed out that there are a lot of reports of lag when playing co-op, and it’s most commonly experienced by those using the crossplay function.
Outriders Review Verdict
Overall, Outriders is deceptively addictive and contains enough to keep you busy for a fair few hours. Although at times it can feel slightly repetitive and weak in the story department, Outriders is still an enjoyable sci-fi romp for fans of third-person shooters.
The chaotic and firefight-heavy adventure of Outriders plays out far better with friends, thanks to the varied character classes and unique ability synergies. New locations continue to keep the experience fresh, while climactic boss fights bookend big moments in the plot.
If you’ve got a squad of buddies who are willing to take the plunge with you, Outriders is an entertaining ride with a few dozen hours of content to check out. The expansive difficulty system and promise of better loot provide a bit of replayability, especially for those who enjoy loot-driven progression.
While it might not hit the mark in everything it attempts to do, for the action-loving, rage-quitting types, Outriders may be one of your favourite time-kills this year.
Thoughts on Outriders? Join the comments below. In the meantime, check out some of our other game reviews and product roundups.
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Outriders FAQs
Questions about Outriders? Check out some of the most frequently asked questions we receive about Outriders and its gameplay:
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