Outward

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 100 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 100
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 100
  3. Negative: 25 out of 100
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  1. specialguest--
    Apr 28, 2019
    7
    Wow, this game is a mess- but I'm still playing it (mostly solo on PS4pro) I Like so many, who have been cursed by the unholy affinity for Jank RPG's in the vein of Gothic- will find that this game scratches that frustrating itch in some way. If you have not done so yet, pass on this and play Elex instead, or any of the other Gothic-likes that are super cheap right now. Maybe evenWow, this game is a mess- but I'm still playing it (mostly solo on PS4pro) I Like so many, who have been cursed by the unholy affinity for Jank RPG's in the vein of Gothic- will find that this game scratches that frustrating itch in some way. If you have not done so yet, pass on this and play Elex instead, or any of the other Gothic-likes that are super cheap right now. Maybe even Arcania, or any of the Risen titles. At today's pricing, any of those are a better value than this. This game is maybe a decent value at $20, not more.… Expand
  2. Laggy1000
    Apr 11, 2019
    9
    When first picking up Outward I was entirely unsure what to expect. It was just a game I had seen online and I showed it to my buddy and we figured it why not give it a try. After all, tbere isn’t too many fantasy RPGs you can play alongside a friend. Diving into the first couple hours we were overwhelmed to say the least. The learning curve in this game is huge even for players who’veWhen first picking up Outward I was entirely unsure what to expect. It was just a game I had seen online and I showed it to my buddy and we figured it why not give it a try. After all, tbere isn’t too many fantasy RPGs you can play alongside a friend. Diving into the first couple hours we were overwhelmed to say the least. The learning curve in this game is huge even for players who’ve mastered both dark souls combat style games and survival games. When IGN reviewed this game the used a sentence along the lines of “attack, dodge, attack, block, attack, repeat” as if that isn’t exactly what dark souls is. Of course, the combat is so much more than that, you almost always have options on how you want to start a fight, maybe you want to master dagger skills and use the backstab ability, maybe you want to set tripwire traps or pressure plate traps or maybe you just want to buff up with potions and abilities and run in guns a blazin’. The abilities system is advanced and in my option one of the best parts of the game. But yes. It was developed by a small team and it definitely shows at times. From lackluster voice acting to some glitches that’ll make you very sad to say the least. But looking past all that, the core mechanics of the game, the originalality of the entire experience and the fact you can play with a friend from the beginning of the game, makes it almost impossible not to enjoy if you’re into any kind of RPG/fantasy games. While now doubt it is very difficult and not for the faint of heart, I highly recommend at least giving this game shot.… Expand
  3. shjo0703
    Mar 27, 2019
    2
    ***This review is specific to the PS4 version of the game***

    It appears as if there is a STEEP graphical down-scaling on the PS4 version of this game, the most prominent offender being the particle effects and enemy textures. An example is the Pistol Shrimp that populate the beaches of the starting region, they have muddled pixelated appearance and the particle effects of their electric    ***This review is specific to the PS4 version of the game***

    It appears as if there is a STEEP graphical down-scaling on the PS4 version of this game, the most prominent offender being the particle effects and enemy textures. An example is the Pistol Shrimp that populate the beaches of the starting region, they have muddled pixelated appearance and the particle effects of their electric attack are stretched out 32x32 sprites that look like original DOOM explosions. Besides this the text is very small and difficult to read as it doesnt scale proportionately with the rest of the visuals on larger TVs, sitting farther then 3ft from a 40"+ TV is a no-go for reading the frequent Text.

    Overall I found the gameplay both challenging and enjoyable, but visually it is a miss-match of resolutions that ended up giving me sore eyes frequently in my first 4 hours of play. I would say avoid picking this up on PS4, I expect given some streams and PR video that PC copies have better graphics and resolution options, so you'd be better off there.    … Expand
  4. Nate3nate
    Apr 3, 2019
    3
    Outward is what would happen if you take Gothic 3 (which is already not a good game) and turned it into a bad MMO. The world is empty and lifeless, the combat is extremely boring, and you will play for hours without ever feeling like your character has become stronger.

    The only positive Outward has, is that it is co-op, which is why I did not rate this a 1.
  5. Cosmos36
    Mar 27, 2019
    8
    I've spent a total of 18 hours in this game. So far, the game is very enjoyable for a 'survival' game.
    Pros:
    - combat is very fluent ( every weapon has its own combo mix) - inventory is easy to manage - realistic survival aspects Cons: - The loading after getting killed / captured is very annoying [ 2 loading screens is annoying ] -Getting dc'ed every 2-3 hours. There's a potential    I've spent a total of 18 hours in this game. So far, the game is very enjoyable for a 'survival' game.
    Pros:
    - combat is very fluent ( every weapon has its own combo mix)
    - inventory is easy to manage
    - realistic survival aspects
    Cons:
    - The loading after getting killed / captured is very annoying [ 2 loading screens is annoying ]
    -Getting dc'ed every 2-3 hours. There's a potential case where you're going to lose a lot of item in your backpack when you log back in after getting dc'ed. hopefully this get patched soon, because i lost a lot of valuable items because of it.

    Overall this game is still very enjoyable    … Expand
  6. ZXSth
    Apr 2, 2019
    7
    Having written this review a few times now, I keep coming to realize that despite my initial attitudes toward this game, I have come to see that I've kept playing it for hours upon hours (at least 30 now), and that this game, while not perfect, has more redeeming qualities than I initially thought.

    Outward's combat is passable (and mostly enjoyable), and the gear you acquire - which    Having written this review a few times now, I keep coming to realize that despite my initial attitudes toward this game, I have come to see that I've kept playing it for hours upon hours (at least 30 now), and that this game, while not perfect, has more redeeming qualities than I initially thought.

    Outward's combat is passable (and mostly enjoyable), and the gear you acquire - which affects your stamina consumption and, therefore, how many actions you can take in combat - allows you to choose whether you want to fight at range, take hit after hit, or use lighter armour and rely on your skill at dodging to keep you alive. Having said that, since bigger backpacks (your means of collecting and holding onto items) often negatively affect your roll, the game seems to push you toward wearing heavy armour rather than having a lighter backpack and being able to dodge. I'd consider this an interesting design choice that ends up being slightly more detrimental and frustrating than engaging.

    The graphics and textures are certainly outdated - In my opinion, better graphics have existed in games from nearly a decade past. Furthermore, the loading screens are frequent, and are rather long despite their high frequency. In addition, I have not yet found a way to adjust the screen size/ratio, meaning that I have spent 30 hours playing a game that hides about a third of my health bar. As well, the game has crashed on my numerous times. While each of these issues on their own would not prevent me from potentially seeing a game as excellent, when they exist in tandem, they make for a game that feels sloppy. I think seeing the way enemies simply 'flop' when they die (á là the Havok physics engine seen in many games in the 2000s and beyond) was the final nail in the coffin that made me see this game as outdated, slipshod and akin to something you might see in Steam's Early Access catalogue.

    On the note of the game feeling slipshod, this game's character creator is outright abysmal. You have a limited choice of pre-made faces for your character with no way to modify them or your body type. As well, the dialogue is mostly fairly campy, and the voice acting, while not atrocious, does leave something to be desired. The music, on the other hand, is fairly interesting, and I will often find myself humming along to the songs that play in both the Hallowed Marsh and Enmerkar Forest.

    Unfortunately, exploration feels like more of a chore than something you might find engaging. The only thing that might pull you into venturing into some of the dungeons is the potential for some interesting new piece of gear - while you do eventually feel more powerful after acquiring better gear, the opportunity for your character to grow is limited, as there aren't exactly a wide variety of skills in-game. Furthermore, the game asks you to venture across a variety of vast landscapes with no opportunity at all to fast-travel. Rather than making the game more challenging and interesting, this forced walking feels like a chore, especially when your ability to run is limited, due to the fact that running costs stamina.

    Despite this game's flaws, I have been playing it for many hours, though I have trouble explaining exactly why. It has moments when it is highly engaging, but to see those moments, you are forced to push through eyesore-level graphics (by today's standards), lacklustre voice acting, and a dedication to a realistic adventuring experience that often feels more like blind adherence than a design choice that makes the game more interesting.

    If you could put up with Two Worlds and its multiple faults, this game will feel similar in many ways (but with a tad more polish and less endearingly bad qualities). Otherwise, I'd say you should steer clear of this game until its price drops to something under $40 (Canadian) at the very least. To its credit, however, this is a good way to scratch that itch for an open-world fantasy RPG until something more polished and engaging comes out.    … Expand
  7. Mbuckets
    Apr 6, 2019
    0
    I was into this game for awhile, I accepted it's jank and it's GLARING flaws and was actually having fun with it. The combat is just ok, but the survival and RPG elements are good enough that it was fun. And then I encountered a game ruining bug, which ruined my file and forfeit my stash in the town. Literally all of my time wasted. This should've been free to play, or had an early access.I was into this game for awhile, I accepted it's jank and it's GLARING flaws and was actually having fun with it. The combat is just ok, but the survival and RPG elements are good enough that it was fun. And then I encountered a game ruining bug, which ruined my file and forfeit my stash in the town. Literally all of my time wasted. This should've been free to play, or had an early access. I never review games here, but came here solely to give it a zero and warn you away from it.… Expand
  8. Chadpowers
    Apr 3, 2019
    5
    Graphics: 8/10
    Not the best, but functional enough. Loading times can be quite long.
    Sound: 7/10 It's ok. Story: 4/10 Below Average. Some nice ideas for the setting, but drops off hard right after the start. By now, the "you are nobody special" setting is just as much a trope as being the chosen one. All in all the story doesn't really create gameplay and is more of a backdrop /    Graphics: 8/10
    Not the best, but functional enough. Loading times can be quite long.

    Sound: 7/10
    It's ok.

    Story: 4/10
    Below Average. Some nice ideas for the setting, but drops off hard right after the start.
    By now, the "you are nobody special" setting is just as much a trope as being the chosen one. All in all the story doesn't really create gameplay and is more of a backdrop / excuse to make the player go to places. It also lacks strong characters and the world design is very generic and uninspired.

    Gameplay: 3/10
    The game has some nice ideas but poor execution and lots of tedium.
    Survival stats and carrying backpacks, weight limit, item degradation are all nice in theory.
    But only once in practice...
    Constantly being forced to look after all those things mostly gets in the way of playing the actual game, i.e. exploring and fighting.
    Also there are no stats to improve other than some skills and items. It's kind of stupid to think your character doesn't get a little bit stronger or faster etc. during all the adventuring. I am sure they had some gameplay related idea when they opted for not having experience or levels, but they also failed to think about why those things are in games. As a result all the fighting and exploring feels not very rewarding at all.
    Lastly the combat also suffers from good idea, bad execution.
    In melee combat, you gotta balance your stamina, poise, dodging and attacking. In theory that makes for challenging gameplay like in Nioh, but in practice all those elements are terribly unbalanced in outward. First of all, the stamina regenerates way too slow compared to its consumption and overall amount available. Because of that, as a player you will seek to maximize your performance : stamina ratio, which means using twohanded weapons. Twohanded weapons are grossly overpowered, allowing the player to kill most enemies in the game with a single combo that will hack through their shields, poise and health. Onehanded weapons and shields on the other hand seems almost useless, since the enemy can just as easily overwhelm the player. Ultimately each fight boils down to baiting an enemy attack and then unleashing the killer combo with you twohanded weapon. If you don't end the fight within that combo, or you got a couple more enemies, you will spend the next minute running in circles waiting for the stamina to come up again. Of course the game comes with the obligatory way too fast / powerful dodge roll that makes outplaying the slow as enemies child's play.
    Ultimately melee combat is too easy, too tedious, enemies die too fast and in general it's not very exciting.

    In ranged combat, the fact that enemies are so slow and the player can be so ridiculously fast and nimble completely destroy the gameplay. Also the range on ranged weapons is way too high for this game, allowing to kill enemies without them ever reaching / finding you. Even in tight caves it is incredibly easy to avoid enemies while regularly shooting at them. They won't even think of defending against your shots or evading. Ranged combat is the easiest way to cheese the game or in other words the absolute easy mode for this game. At least in melee you can still die if you don't roll away fast enough. As long as you keep moving, no enemy in the game has any chance to ever hit you. Almost as bad as shadows of mordor, though it takes more than one button in this game and it's very easy to die. Talking about dying - in this game you can't die. Instead you can be captured, which will add the tedium of having to fight through some generic enemies instead of just reloading and fighting again. But then again, if you could reload that easily and repeat the same fight, the game would become so incredibly easy.

    Magic combat is just as sad. Basically most stuff that applies to ranged combat also applies to magic combat. However, magic is in addition also tedious. The game forces you to draw some magic circles in the ground and lure enemies over it to make the magic work... That kind of stuff works nice in a book or a movie, but is absolute antifun if you have to do it for every enemy yourself.

    It's really a shame, as it is clear that the devs thought about many ways to create good combat. Regrettably in the end the combat turned out barely any more interactive than clicker games like Diablo and many of the mechanics such as stamina and poise are unbalanced or easily circumvented.

    Overall Score: 5/10
    That 5/10 score comes with a 3/10 gameplay. Unless you really enjoy exploring yet another generic fantasy world and getting some loot, you will most likely be disappointed by the below average gameplay. Also where other games still might draw you in with a decent story, there is no such thing is this game.    … Expand
  9. Blackbriar
    Mar 28, 2019
    3
    Oh cool! It's like Gothic! Remember Gothic? And with split-screen co-op?! Wow! 10/10!

    < takes off rose-tinted goggles of nostalgia +1 > The PS4 version suffers from horrible, muddy textures, excessively long--and numerous--loading screens, and is more bug-ridden than an ant-nest. Whatever charm this game may possess; whatever this game does right--exploring/surviving the open world,    Oh cool! It's like Gothic! Remember Gothic? And with split-screen co-op?! Wow! 10/10!

    < takes off rose-tinted goggles of nostalgia +1 >

    The PS4 version suffers from horrible, muddy textures, excessively long--and numerous--loading screens, and is more bug-ridden than an ant-nest. Whatever charm this game may possess; whatever this game does right--exploring/surviving the open world, split-screen co-op, spelunking deep dungeons filled with loot--is marred by crippling bugs that will either delete random items from your inventory upon loading into the game, drop loot through the world, or give you a one-way ticket back to your dashboard at an alarmingly high occurrence. Too bad your one, and only, save-file constantly overwrites itself. Cross your fingers and hope you don't lose anything too important!

    To release a game in such a sorry state is, quite frankly, appalling. If you can, grab the PC version instead. As of now, judging by the number of complaints generated by users of either platform, it currently appears to be the more stable. If you absolutely MUST play this on PS4, wait until further patching removes the most egregious of the bugs, at the very least.    … Expand
  10. LordAzuRa
    Mar 26, 2019
    10
    Absolutely lovely title!

    Definitely one of the best adventuring simulator on the market, it is harsh, it is fair, it is pretty and there's lots and lots to do! It always manages to pique my sense of curiosity, there's always something I'm wondering about and something I want to do. Sure the world isn't extremely over-populated... but I believe that's part of the vision that sparked    Absolutely lovely title!

    Definitely one of the best adventuring simulator on the market, it is harsh, it is fair, it is pretty and there's lots and lots to do! It always manages to pique my sense of curiosity, there's always something I'm wondering about and something I want to do.

    Sure the world isn't extremely over-populated... but I believe that's part of the vision that sparked the creation of this game. Again, this is an adventure simulator... and part of an adventure, is seeking an adventure. In plain fields, in real life, there isn't a point of interest every 50 meters.

    They take a few very interesting twist on well known game play elements (see Magic, Alchemy, etc.)

    Sure there's a few frustrations here and there, and a few issues here and there, but overall I am so pleased with the title that I believe it deserves a well rounded 10/10.

    Oh did I mentioned it has Drop In/Drop Out SPLIT-SCREEN COOP!?    … Expand
  11. thedstrat
    Mar 31, 2019
    10
    I very rarely give 10/10 reviews, but this game has everything that I wanted from a coop split screen rpg, and more. The survivalist elements truly make fear and caution real. This game makes me feel like I’m actually fighting for my life, like I’m actually in a fantasy world, in a way that Skyrim et al never could. 10/10
  12. Nightmare_Mode
    Mar 26, 2019
    10
    This game is amazing! It proves you dont need great graphics to play a great game. With no hand holding, this will appeal to old school RPG lovers. The survival aspect, in depth crafting, and exploration are spot on!
  13. tredel
    Jun 6, 2019
    10
    I play tons of different games and have been playing RPGs since the times of Baldur's Gate and Morrowind. Although It took a few hours to get into it, Outward turned out to be a real gem. I played through the whole game with my friend and can say despite the occasional bug (never had anything game breaking, it seems recent patches were effective), the initial difficulty and your charactersI play tons of different games and have been playing RPGs since the times of Baldur's Gate and Morrowind. Although It took a few hours to get into it, Outward turned out to be a real gem. I played through the whole game with my friend and can say despite the occasional bug (never had anything game breaking, it seems recent patches were effective), the initial difficulty and your characters slow progression to awesomeness makes for a fun and thought provoking game. The usefulness and necessity of the item system is reminiscent of The Witcher, combat/enemies/dungeons shares some similarities with Dark Souls and the ease of coop provides for a refreshing RPG experience you can share with your friend. I for one look forward to seeing more games like this in the future.… Expand
  14. Debris44
    Apr 1, 2019
    9
    First of all, this is not a perfect game. There are glitches, some frustrations, low resolution textures, limited character creator, hit or miss combat animations, disappearing inventories, etc. However, I trust this small team of developers to iron out at least the game-breaking bugs in the coming weeks. The reason I am rating this game a 9/10 is quite simply because of the love pouredFirst of all, this is not a perfect game. There are glitches, some frustrations, low resolution textures, limited character creator, hit or miss combat animations, disappearing inventories, etc. However, I trust this small team of developers to iron out at least the game-breaking bugs in the coming weeks. The reason I am rating this game a 9/10 is quite simply because of the love poured into this game. It is an old-school/new-school blend of RPG goodness. The sense of exploration is beautiful, the mechanics of the survival/RPG hybrid genres works perfectly, and the ability to co-op the entire game start to finish with a friend is just unbelievably fun. Please give this small game a chance, so that the studio can continue to flesh this theme out with DLC and/or future similar releases and sequels. I am looking forward to my continued playthrough. Great job Nine Dots.… Expand
  15. MarkFM
    Mar 26, 2019
    9
    great rpg feeling
    survival aspect is challenging and rewarding
    Graphics aren’t overwhelming, but charming
    First impression is great
    I guess if you will give this game a chance you will have a wonderful and very impressive adventure!
  16. solothehero
    Mar 26, 2019
    9
    this is my first opinion of the game i have played around 4 hours of it and so far i am enjoying the heck out of it
    the controlls are good the graphics might look a little bit dated but i think it adds to the charm of the game
    the only thing i think they can add more of is customization of the character other wise its pretty darn good
  17. Darthtidus
    Mar 26, 2019
    8
    Although I am not really a fan of the survival genre, this game's classic RPG elements enticed me to try it out day 1. Before I start, I want to point out that this game is most definitely not for everyone. However, I can say that wow, this game has me sucked into it right from the start. It does not hold your hand, and throws you right into a world that can be a little overwhelming atAlthough I am not really a fan of the survival genre, this game's classic RPG elements enticed me to try it out day 1. Before I start, I want to point out that this game is most definitely not for everyone. However, I can say that wow, this game has me sucked into it right from the start. It does not hold your hand, and throws you right into a world that can be a little overwhelming at first. It forces you to take your time and really get to know the nuances of its survival aspects, which thankfully aren't terribly punishing. Graphics and combat physics were put to the side in favor of an extremely deep and rewarding RNG system with tons of options for crafting, cooking, spell-making and bartering. The backpack system is surprisingly well-balanced, and the expanse of the world makes for an immediate well-paced adventure. Oh and I haven't even touched the split-screen co-op yet!

    Overall this game is amazing for such an under-the-rug launch, and I will be playing this for hours on end for the foreseeable future, however it might not be worth the 39.99 price point due to its underwhelming conditions. It definitely isn't for everyone    … Expand
  18. Lestatman
    Mar 28, 2019
    1
    Hate everything about this game mechanics. Why does every developer think we all like to die constantly in a game like Dark Souls. Wish I'd never laid eyes on this game and will never ever buy anything from this developer ever again.
  19. Nosmont
    Mar 26, 2019
    10
    You don't need incredible graphics to make a good game. This by the way is an amazing game.
    There is no hand holding, it is quite difficult as well. But the number 1 reason to get this? FRIGGEN SPLITSCREEN COUCH CO-OP Number 2? No buying items in game with real world cash/ no loot boxes. If anything, get this game to play that, have put 3 hours into the co-op mode and it is just about the    You don't need incredible graphics to make a good game. This by the way is an amazing game.
    There is no hand holding, it is quite difficult as well. But the number 1 reason to get this? FRIGGEN SPLITSCREEN COUCH CO-OP Number 2? No buying items in game with real world cash/ no loot boxes. If anything, get this game to play that, have put 3 hours into the co-op mode and it is just about the most fun I have had in years.
    It is funny how a game with dated graphics, and made by a team of 10 people invokes the same enjoyment of exploration that only Breath of the Wild was able to do so well.    … Expand
  20. DetectPika
    Mar 26, 2019
    10
    Really solid under-the-radar RPG. The couch co-op really sets this one apart. Also, the reasonable price point creates value. This is a tight, targeted title that provides great bang for the buck. The graphics are fine. Pick this one up!
  21. RealDan
    Mar 28, 2019
    8
    I rarely write reviews, but after seeing some fairly negative responses to this title, I felt compelled to give my opinion.

    Let's first address the obvious issues with Outward (and the first thing people notice when judging gameplay videos) – the presentation. It certainly won't win any awards for graphics – the PC version is definitely the best looking version of Outward, and even this    I rarely write reviews, but after seeing some fairly negative responses to this title, I felt compelled to give my opinion.

    Let's first address the obvious issues with Outward (and the first thing people notice when judging gameplay videos) – the presentation. It certainly won't win any awards for graphics – the PC version is definitely the best looking version of Outward, and even this version isn't anything to write home about, but the PS4 port seems to have drawn the short straw as the graphics are borderline last-gen. Many of the high-res textures are slow to load (or simply missing altogether), and the effects are really nothing special. The character animations are also fairly clunky and unappealing. I will say that the frame rate seems to be hold fairly steady which is probably a trade-off for the graphical downgrade.

    The game on the whole plays fairly well, but the combat can often be a bit janky and old-school in places, and as with most PC ports the inventory suffers due to the text being too small to read unless you're two feet away from your TV.

    If AAA graphics and presentation are crucial to whether you enjoy a game or not, then this one might not be for you, however there is more to this title that I feel warrants praising.

    Where this game really shines is in its survival elements, you are not an invincible warrior or all-powerful mage, you can 'die' incredibly easily, which forces you to consider your moves carefully – yes you could rush out into the wilds to complete a quest before the time limit, but without proper preparation and supplies you will likely die before you get anywhere near your destination. You are also intrinsically tied to your character's satchel (or larger backpacks later in the game) which are crucial for carrying supplies but also slow you down the heavier they get. You can drop your backpack at any point to give you a slight speed advantage in combat, but for the most part you will need to consider if items are truly worth the extra weight, and it's this kind of resource management and risk/reward gameplay that makes for some difficult decisions. Although it isn't quite as unforgiving as the 'Souls' series, you'll quickly find your character in dire situations if you are not prepared.

    Which brings me on to what I feel is the most unique aspect of this game, the death and saving system. You cannot reload an old save in Outward – basically you only have ONE save slot per character, which is automatically overwritten when you die (and at regular intervals), meaning whatever mistakes you make during your character's journey stick with you. I was initially worried about this, as I've played too many RPGs to know that not being able to revert to a previous save after a questline glitches is just asking for trouble, however this has not yet been a problem for me in Outward (although I'm sure it's a possibility).

    So if you can't reload your old saves, what happens if you die? In Outward you don't actually 'die', instead you are knocked unconscious and awaken in any number of different scenarios and locations depending on how you died. Again, at first this sounded like a nightmare to me, but let me give you an example of how this actually enhances your character's story (very slight spoiler below).

    Whilst exploring the wilds, I was ambushed near a large fortress by a group of bandits (my fault for travelling at night, which in this game is realistically dark). I lost the fight and after being defeated, woke up inside the walls of the fortress in an underground mining colony with my satchel gone and no supplies. Now in any other game I would've panicked at the thought of losing my items and reloaded an old save, however as this wasn't an option, I had to work at my escape, trade items, learn a new 'backstab' skill, retrieve my satchel from the guards quarters and then escape down a hole which respawned my character on the nearby beach. So a situation that would've likely been totally avoided in any other game actually provided me 30 minutes of unexpected gameplay, a new skill and even extra coin from the items I collected and sold along the way.

    These types of experiences make Outward worth the (reasonably low) price of admission alone, and add to that the fact that this game has both online and split-screen coop, I feel that judging this title solely on it's outward appearance (no pun intended) would be doing it a disservice.

    I feel the small development team at Nine Dots should be praised for their mammoth efforts with this, ultimately though Outward will likely only appeal to people who enjoy older-style action-RGPs such as Gothic and Morrowind etc, as this very much feels like a blast from the past in the best possible way.    … Expand
  22. BathSaltZombii
    Apr 10, 2019
    5
    What is going on with the Steam community and their reviews sometimes. This is not the best RPG ever nor is it even a good one. It's not even the graphics that bother me it's just everything else. The combat is so clanky and stop saying it's like Dark Souls combat because if it was I would say it was good. The sound design may be the worst sound design I have ever heard for a game ofWhat is going on with the Steam community and their reviews sometimes. This is not the best RPG ever nor is it even a good one. It's not even the graphics that bother me it's just everything else. The combat is so clanky and stop saying it's like Dark Souls combat because if it was I would say it was good. The sound design may be the worst sound design I have ever heard for a game of this scope and voice acting is pretty bad but I will let them get away with that. Just Stop acting like this game is actually great because it's far from that.… Expand
  23. ShadowPeter
    Apr 8, 2019
    8
    Nine Dots Studio is an indie game producer that has in its curriculum games like Brand (Xbox 360, PC) and the online fighting game in space, GoD Factory: Wingmen (PC). And now we have a costumed Survival game, called Outward, which has Role-Playing Game elements in its veins.

    As usual in survival games, we start by customizing our avatar. Then we start an adventure that will lead us to    Nine Dots Studio is an indie game producer that has in its curriculum games like Brand (Xbox 360, PC) and the online fighting game in space, GoD Factory: Wingmen (PC). And now we have a costumed Survival game, called Outward, which has Role-Playing Game elements in its veins.

    As usual in survival games, we start by customizing our avatar. Then we start an adventure that will lead us to choose one of these three machetes of the game: Blue Chamber, Heroic Kingdom or Holy Mission. Outward is a more realistic Survival RPG. In other words, an RPG Simulator. For those who love old-school RPGs, Outward is for you. This game has several inhospitable areas to explore and always in a more realistic way than the one seen so far in this genre.

    Initially we will have difficulties due to this style. For example, Outward doesn't show on the map where the player is and to guide us and get to our destination, it is recommended to look at the map and try to find landmarks. Okay, it's possible to put our waypoint on the map, but that's no use because it's not shown on our compass. It is noticeable that this title is more for the hardcore players and will not please everyone. By this I do not mean that it is a negative point for the game. Perhaps this Outward is more made for players who play Co-Op than Solo. And just so you know, we only have one save slot.

    During our adventures we will have to complete quests and sub-quests. But not only that, sometimes we will have to face adverse weather conditions. We'll have to wear warm clothes to protect ourselves from the cold, for example. And as if that were not enough, creatures and not nice people try to send us to death. They think they're going to have a lot of frustrations about how many deaths they're going to have. Sounds strange indeed but we don't earn experience points by killing enemies or completing quests (we only won items). On the negative side, when we are dead or when we enter the game, we take with two desperate long loadings.

    Swords, Bows and Axes are just a few examples of the arsenal in this game that can be used on our beloved enemies. Without forgetting that they can take a little help from the magic (Skills). An example of this is the Infuse Light, which temporarily adds electric damage to the guns and can also be used as a light source. About Outward fighting, I must say they are super smooth and very enjoyable, something uncommon in the survival games genre.

    One thing not less important than the rest we have already said is the need to pay attention to our character's hunger, thirst and sleep, otherwise inevitably dies. Eating or drinking something can give us a positive side effect. For example, when we drink pure water, our Stamina regains 0.3 per second and increases our defenses against hot temperatures. But you still have to be careful about what you eat and drink, because it can give you a negative side effect to the point of being fatal.

    Crafting, like any other Survival, is also a word present in this Nine Dots Studio game. Arrows, Bandages, Campfire Kits, Improvised Bedroll and many other things that can be learned through the Scrolls we pick up and can be created. As I said it is possible to play cooperative online or offline. Speaking in the latter case (offline), I haven't noticed any problems with the performance of the game.

    About the graphics, being an indie game, are well achieved and are well detailed for the genre in which it is. I also highlight the soundtrack that is fantastic giving me the desire to say "Yeah, i want to be on this site because of this song, i will done the quests later." An excellent work by the composer Jean-Francois Racine. Overall, Outward turns out to be a very good game, and those who like to play cooperative will still like it more. Those who don't have the patience for the game's enormous difficulty will not find much of a joke. Outward isn't a game for everyone, but anyone who has perseverance, will enjoy the game.    … Expand
  24. mrace92
    Mar 29, 2019
    10
    It's not bad. bugs will be fixed. Must get if you love classic rpg. However keep in mind since it has classic vibes to it the graphic are 2010ish. Quit rating it poorly if you dont have the proper Pro/cons.
  25. Gabsparks
    Apr 2, 2019
    10
    I wasn't really hyped about Outward, mostly because I didn't even knew the game before it's release. I'm glad to tell that this game is really a masterpiece. The game starts telling you that you're a nobody, just another civilian in the world, and is up to you to make yourself relevant.
    This is not a game for everyone. It's hard, punishes you every time you commit an error, and you should    I wasn't really hyped about Outward, mostly because I didn't even knew the game before it's release. I'm glad to tell that this game is really a masterpiece. The game starts telling you that you're a nobody, just another civilian in the world, and is up to you to make yourself relevant.
    This is not a game for everyone. It's hard, punishes you every time you commit an error, and you should learn with it. It doesn't take you by hand and tell exactly where to go, but still it helps you to understand every single functionality, if you have patience enough to learn.
    The craft system is delicious and fits perfectly with tha game. It's not hard, it makes senses, it's important and it isn't your main concern. Gathering materials is just natural.
    The battle system seems broken at first, with strange movements, attacks and it feels frustrating in the beginning. If you try a little hard, with more patience and play more carefully, you'll surely get it.
    The bugs, well, in the release date there were several, game-breaking ones. The developers patched soon people started to report it and the game is now working perfectly. Of course, mind this is a 10 people studio game.
    The graphic aren't last gen, but they aren't ugly. The PS4 version have a little problem with textures so far, but I guess it will be corrected soon, so I wouldn't worry with that if I was looking forward to buy it.
    There is also coop game. You can choose between split screen (which is great!) or online coop. Even though you can keep your progress with inventory, skills and recipes, the story just unravel for player 1 (or the host). Not a big problem if you'll always play with the same character, with the same friend.
    The idea of the game itself already makes you wanna buy it, if you like this kinda of RPG, of course.
    Watch some videos, read about it and if you still comfortable with what this game is (a gift for old school rpgs fans), don't think twice and buy it. You won't regret.    … Expand
  26. Flopflop
    Apr 5, 2019
    7
    I find it curious that when a game is not a AAA title the critic scores are more in line with user reviews. I'm not a big government person but I really think that this billion dollar industry should be investigated. Outward is a fun game to play in splitscreen coop. Graphics are below average, the combat is a little flighty, but overall it's a solid RPG experience.
  27. kylematthewells
    May 29, 2021
    0
    Clunky and overpriced. Do not buy unless its $5 or less. Just paid $40 for it because I read one review and it sounded good. Do not get ripped off like I did. Its not worth it.
  28. DoctorAngelicus
    Mar 7, 2020
    9
    Outward offers an experience that is hard to find in the current generation of games, hard to find in the genre, and damm too hard to find in a indie.

    As you probably know this game was made by a group of 10ish people, and let me tell you, you won't find the level of detail; storyline; lore or nothing remotely close as good as the soundtrack of this work whit the same budget. This is    Outward offers an experience that is hard to find in the current generation of games, hard to find in the genre, and damm too hard to find in a indie.

    As you probably know this game was made by a group of 10ish people, and let me tell you, you won't find the level of detail; storyline; lore or nothing remotely close as good as the soundtrack of this work whit the same budget. This is possible only thanks to something so weird nowadays in the game industry: The continuous work of the developers after the release of the game. They fixed bugs, added 12 secret endgame boss arenas (placed in different iconic locations and acording to the lore), a lot of new sets/boss weapons, and the upcoming DLC that's going to incorporate a new faction to the 3 already known in the base game. They also improved the legacy system, and gave well placed rewards in the form of improved items (weapons and armor) "passed down by your ancestors". This is a good demonstration that the developers actually care for their game, when they could just leave it like it was at launch, just like so many indie studios ends up doing.

    Putting that aside and continuing whit the game itself:

    THE WORLD

    The first thing you'll probably notice beginning your journey out of cierzo is the vast extent of the terrain, the soundtrack contributing to the ambient, and the difficulty of the enemies as you learn the basics of the combat. Every map is designed to have different climate, flora/fauna, enemies and of course battle/exploring themes. My only concern whit the game's locations is that you may need to do a lot of running if you want to explore the whole thing, but +%movement speed gear and items deals whit this pretty well.

    Most of the dungeons are really fun to explore, some even rewards player's preparation/curiosity whit special items and gives away details of the world's lore.

    THE STORY

    Outward offers 3 different storylines bassed on the faction you choose, and every one of them is filled whit choices and consequences that will affect not only the fate of Aurai, but the people around you, and of course you. The possibility to fail those quests or to choose different outcomes adds weight to the player's actions, but it's not gonna impede you from exploring to your heart's content (there's even a free-time given to you every time a main quest is completed, wich you can use to explore indefinitely until you are ready to go on).

    THE GAMEPLAY

    At first it may be difficult to understand the basics, but the game gives you a great amount of possibilities to make your own build acording to your playstyle. There's 8 skillchains to choose, an extensive magic system and a wide variety of npcs that will teach you skills as you find them. There's also storyline specific skills (both active and pasive). All of this adds ups to the combat to give a satisfactory experience, and even more if you co-op whit a friend on splitscreen/online.

    THE SOUNDTRACK

    Oof, this one got me the most. If you are in doubt of giving this game a chance I encourage you to look for some youtube videos of the area's exploring/battle soundtrack. Some of the ost is just f*cking good. Period.

    So in general, for me Outward is an excellent example of what an indie can aim to be. The open world, lore and music made me join, but the good support of the devs made me stay.    … Expand
  29. exhem
    Dec 16, 2020
    10
    This game is pure gold if you were born in the '80s and liked the RPG genre over your youth. You need to think about what you are doing, you get lost trying to reach your destination, and suddenly you bump into a cave while trying to get back on track. You are hungry and cold so you get in. Inside you struggle to kill a monster to find a chest full of goodies, you now have to think aboutThis game is pure gold if you were born in the '80s and liked the RPG genre over your youth. You need to think about what you are doing, you get lost trying to reach your destination, and suddenly you bump into a cave while trying to get back on track. You are hungry and cold so you get in. Inside you struggle to kill a monster to find a chest full of goodies, you now have to think about what you get rid of from your bag to make room for this new shiny sword, hoping to fetch a good price when you reach town. What reminds you that you have no clue where town is.
    Much more enjoyable in coop. Part of the charm is figuring out things by yourself, so try to stay away from wiking it too much, at least at the beginning. I hope they made more games like this.    … Expand
  30. SpecterWSA
    Jun 1, 2020
    1
    I have gave this game a good 5 hours. Thank god it was only 20 dollars.

    The combat makes Conan Exiles seem like a polished AAA game. The graphics are ps2 quality. The music is cancer The crafting mechanics are thoughtless and make dayz seem like it wasnt a total ripoff The fact the devs are releasing dlc before idk make their game have content is weird af. I am legit confused at how    I have gave this game a good 5 hours. Thank god it was only 20 dollars.

    The combat makes Conan Exiles seem like a polished AAA game. The graphics are ps2 quality.
    The music is cancer
    The crafting mechanics are thoughtless and make dayz seem like it wasnt a total ripoff

    The fact the devs are releasing dlc before idk make their game have content is weird af. I am legit confused at how the blowhard youtubers found this game fun. I feel like I just flushed 20 down the toilet.


    Take dragons dogma, release it for ps1 thats outward. Dont waste your god damn money
    It doesnt even have a story for christs sake    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

62
#62 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2019
48
#48 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
62

Mixed or average reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. PLAY! Zine
    Jul 8, 2019
    70
    A buggy third person PRG that shines like an old school game but is hindered by technical problems, endless running and pointless survival elements.
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  2. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    May 3, 2019
    70
    For all its intricacies, Outward is surprisingly easy to enjoy, but preparation is key if you want to explore everything that this RPG has to offer. A game worth exploring. [Issue#162, p.80]
  3. GameCritics
    Apr 29, 2019
    50
    Outward‘s main issues are that it’s an average experience with a lot of competition to contend with, and that it doesn’t lean into its core concept hard enough. It would never have stood apart from the crowd with its production values, but it had a chance (and missed) at making a mark by failing to establish a truly unique identity.
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