(Image credit: People Can Fly)

A Different Grind

Staying a safe distance from enemies is not an option in Square Enix’s Outriders. The third-person Looter-shooter is doing things its own way in two game modes and four selectable classes. Even the grind is strategically different which varies in location and enemy composition but never lacking the constant action required to fuel in-game abilities. Outriders has data and network issues that interfere with the always-online connection required to play but People Can Fly is working on and patching. When those problems are cleared the game should see a strong following of loyal gamers who enjoy the unique loot system, intense gameplay, and PVE nature. I experienced minor issues with the length of some cutscenes, graphics glitching, audio layering, and the overall story, but my narrative issues are more of personal taste than substance. Other than some low framerate action-intense scenes, the Xbox One version was surprisingly smooth.

Is Outriders a single-player game that allows the player to partner up with friends or a multiplayer Co-Op that allows the solo gamer to struggle through? With the way each class is balanced, it is possible to specialize in solo or support roles. Some classes feel as if they were meant for single players, but the abilities work just as well in multiplayer. The only real advantage Co-Op gameplay offers is two additional targets for enemies and reviving teammates instead of a failure at any death. I enjoyed the ferocious action of solo play, but in multiplayer, I felt as if I was part of an unstoppable elite squad of superhumans shredding enemies into pieces.

Each class is distinctive in Outriders since they do not feel pieced together or overpowered. The class trees have an epic number of options that can seem overwhelming, but completely swapping class tree builds is a free option at any time. Feel free to try an ability without fear of choice permanence or lengthy respec process. I have played plenty of RPGs that have a painful or costly retune process, so the Outriders setup is refreshing and not bound by microtransactions.

Outriders’ four classes are Devastator, Pyromancer, Technomancer, and Trickster. They are set up for specific gameplay but can expand roles with the class trees available. People Can Fly did a good job reinforcing the fundamental nature of each class with specific methods of health regeneration. When the player gets to class selection in the game, the menus explain clearly what the classes do and how they do it so the player can pick a class that aligns with their intended gameplay. Each class has separate anomaly powers and skillsets, and there are only eight unlockable abilities per class. While only three are usable at once, developers gave the option to swap them at any time,  especially under fire.

(Image credit: People Can Fly)

Every class ability can get better with the full range of weapons, gear, and the underlying crafting system. Some of the weapon sets feel similar such as Dual Guns and SMGs but each keeps up the drive in a game that focuses on nonstop combat. Once the gamer finds a weapon or type that they enjoy, Outriders makes it possible to upgrade or dismantle those weapon abilities until the endgame. Weapons and gear can vary in rarity from common to epic while crafting can increase an item’s quality for the cost of a limited number of ingredients: iron, leather, or titanium. Individual item attributes can upgrade with shards that are recoverable from dismantled weapons.

The crafting might seem full of headaches but compared to other looter shooters the system is far more straightforward. Any weapon is improvable and not limited to the original rarity at which it was dropped at. Even the legendary loot has static bonuses, so I did not have to grind for the right build. These two factors make Outriders way more forgiving with random drops and acquiring the best equipment since guns could always upgrade.

Weapon and Armor Mods expand the interesting upgrades available, with legendary equipment having one permanent mod. New mods are acquired through dismantling gear that has one attached. It might take a while to get a specific version, but there are ones that can bolster every damage type and class power. Additionally, the player can set up gear to take advantage of the damage types caused by their teammates for dynamic multiplayer gameplay. This means that even mods that do not benefit a class directly, can still have value when in a party.

(Image credit: People Can Fly)

The world of Enoch is beautiful but develops quickly into a hellish landscape. The early jungle sequence is short compared to the majority of gameplay spent in the wastelands brought by an alien storm. I wanted more story spent in the untouched world of Enoch with lush lands, but the fun of Outriders begins once humanity’s final hope falls apart. It seemed as if it was an odd choice to have the player character jump forward in time through cryogenic refreezing, but it works within Outriders. I cared little about possible freezer burn once I was thrown out onto the frontline and into the game properly.

Outriders is a looter shooter that will have players grinding through levels. The action varies enough on different World Levels for story missions or Challenge Tiers postgame Expeditions. Each time a level is repeated on higher difficulty the increased amount of rare loot makes additional plays worth it. The story is separated from the endgame camp, so the grind does not constantly have the player replay already beaten story missions endlessly once the main narrative is completed.

Despite all the good within Outriders, some issues can cause grief. I did not suffer any of the data loss issues, but I did have some connection issues when playing online. The length of some of the cutscenes and the need for load screens as well seemed excessive within the story. It was brutally apparent that I was the slowing quick progression through scenes when playing with friends on their Xbox Series X, but no loss in gameplay when the intensity amplified. I had a bigger issue with the protagonist's utter lack of empathy, they treated almost every human interaction as transactional and baring little emotion. Worse yet, the NPCs are not given enough time for a deep emotional connection, but I was not playing Outriders for the story and character development.

People Can Fly made a looter shooter with gameplay that could have fans for years, if only they can solve the game-breaking network and data issues. The way Outriders is designed to push combat over cover is refreshing and worth experiencing. The loot, the upgrade system, the classes, and the gameplay are extremely fun and rewarding, it is a shame that technical issues are holding Square Enix’s Outriders back from its full potential.

Outriders

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia

• Developer: People Can Fly

• Publisher: Square Enix

• Release Date: 4/1/2021