Outcast – A New Beginning Review: A Nostalgic Return With Modern Hiccups
Outcast - A New Beginning puts players in the role of Cutter Slade again, an ex-Navy SEAL with a sharp wit, who ends up on a strange planet called Adelpha. The first Outcast, out in 1999, is thought by some as the earliest real 3D open-world game, coming out two years before the huge hit Grand Theft Auto 3. This follow-up game, made by Appeal Studios and brought out by THQ Nordic, keeps telling the story of Cutter's time on Adelpha, but the outcomes are varied.
Plot/Storyline
Outcast – A New Beginning tells the story of Cutter as he tries to bring together seven villages on Adelpha to stop humans from invading. This game has a great story about caring for the environment and how humans and alien cultures clash. But, the game’s main story isn’t as strong as it could be. There’s too much focus on extra tasks that don’t add much, which makes the story less engaging. If you’ve seen James Cameron’s Avatar, it’s a bit like that. Both have amazing alien worlds, show how aliens and their planet live in peace, and have a human hero who messes things up. But, unlike Avatar, Outcast – A New Beginning doesn’t dive deep into these cool ideas, making them feel left out and not fully made.
Gameplay Mechanics
The game shows its age in its design. While the big open world is cool, the way you play it feels old. You get to do things like help the locals, called the Talans, by gathering stuff or walking them places, or fight against humans in places packed with robot enemies. Helping the Talans usually means doing the same pick-up and delivery tasks over and over, and fighting at the bases means you’re basically on repeat with starting machines, fighting enemies, and destroying things. This is something you’ve probably seen a lot in other big world games. This game reminds people a bit of the first Mass Effect when it comes to exploring planets. Mass Effect had missions on the side that weren’t always new, but it did a great job of making you want to see more of its world and had a big story that kept you interested. Sadly, Outcast – A New Beginning doesn’t have that kind of engaging story to make up for the parts of the game that aren’t very exciting.
Graphics and Visuals
Adelpha’s world is really pretty. The people who made it did a great job making an alien place that looks amazing, with all kinds of different areas like green jungles, big deserts, and tall mountains with snow. The bright colors and strange animals make it fun to explore. But, there are some tech problems that make it not perfect. Sometimes the picture doesn’t move smoothly, and things don’t look right, which can make it hard to feel like you’re really there. The studio that made it, Appeal Studios, said they know about these problems and will fix them when the game comes out.
Sound and Music
The music in Outcast – A New Beginning has both good and bad points. It uses world music well, mixing different instruments and sounds to really show what Adelpha feels like. But, not all the characters sound great. Some of them come off as dull or not really believable.
Controls and User Interface
The movement and looking around parts are mostly made good. Using Cutter’s sky backpack feels right and gives people a happy way to go up and down in the place. Jumping around and using the simple ride-ons works fine too, even if they sometimes seem to hang in the air too much. But, talking about the part where you use the game, it’s not so good. It’s packed too much and not easy to know how to use, with lists that aren’t simple to go through. This might make folks mad, especially when they want to fix their carried items or get to different skills they can do.
Performance and Optimization
Earlier, we talked about how the game isn’t running as smoothly as it could. Sometimes the game slows down, especially where there’s a lot to see. Also, the game’s enemies don’t always act like you’d expect. The company making the game, Appeal Studios, said they’ll fix these problems right when the game comes out. But it’s good to keep in mind these glitches might happen.
Replay Value
Outcast – A New Beginning has a lot to see and do, but doing the same missions over and over and not having fun things to do on the side make it less fun to play again. After you finish the main story and beat all the human bases, there’s not much reason to go back to Adelpha. The place looks great, but without better things to do or a story that pulls you in, there’s not a big reason to come back.
Innovation and Uniqueness
Outcast – A New Beginning tries to add some new ideas despite its issues. It brings in a jetpack system that makes exploring and platforming fun. Plus, using alien tech in weapons and gadgets makes fighting feel a bit different. Yet, these new ideas aren’t enough to make the game stand out. It ends up feeling too similar to other open-world games, and it’s not always smooth in how it plays.
Immersion and Atmosphere
Adelpha’s world pulls you right in. The folks who made it have built a real-feeling alien world with different kinds of places, a variety of plants and animals, and a deep culture for the Talan folks. But, playing the same stuff over and over and a story that doesn’t stick around can break that feeling of being there.
Character Development
Cutter Slade seems like the kind of character you’ve seen before. He’s the tough, ex-military guy who likes to crack sarcastic jokes and doesn’t look at the world too kindly. Sometimes, what he says can be funny, but there’s not a lot going on with him beyond that. The people around him in the story aren’t given much attention either, making them hard to remember.
World Building
Adelpha’s world is a key part of Outcast – A New Beginning. The creators worked hard to make a realistic and beautiful alien place. The various environments, the culture of the Talan, and the planet’s past help make a deep and engaging world.
Final Verdict or Conclusion
Outcast – A New Beginning is a game that sits in the middle of two worlds. It has a really pretty and deep alien world that’s fun to explore up and down, but the old-school gameplay and doing the same missions over and over make it less fun. People who loved the first game might like this for the memories, but if you’re new, you can probably find more exciting games with big worlds to explore.
If a stunning place from another world is what you want to discover, Outcast – A New Beginning can give you that. But, if you’re hoping for a story that pulls you in or new and cool ways to play the game, it might not hit the mark. All in all, Outcast – A New Beginning is okay, but it doesn’t stand out as an amazing comeback of a game that some people really liked before.