We have already got to give you our thoughts on Outriders after a handful of hours in-game (find our review at this link), and in this Easter weekend we were able to fully deepen the developer's experience People Can Fly. With over 50 hours of gameplay accumulated on PC, we can confirm our excellent impressions we told you about the demo and the first hours of the full game. We tell you in no uncertain terms right away, and you can also see it from the vote at the bottom of this review, Outriders is an example to consider, a real goal that other developers will have to achieve in the future and that other software houses have not been able to achieve; let's find out why in the next few lines.
From the conquest of Enoch ...
Starting from where we left off in the last article, we can confirm that the quality of the campaign remained constant until the end, or almost, since then this also had a notable qualitative surge. Hour after hour, the planet Enoch on which the Outriders adventure takes place has become more and more fascinating, presenting us with an increasingly in-depth lore, adrenaline-charged side missions and a campaign that culminates in the correct way, closing the circle in the endgame but leaving endless glimmers for future expansions.
In fact, the Outriders we have in front of us is only a crumb of what it will become in the next few months and years, and what a crumb! Comparing the game with others in the loot and shoot genre, be it FPS or TPS, we realize how the new work of People Can Fly has arrived on the market with a straight leg, with a satisfying amount of content, which in itself is worth the price of the ticket (especially thanks to the free arrival on Xbox Game Pass from day one). Yes, this is a good start, since the problems are not lacking in the experience, let's be clear, but this is already excellent at present and able to adapt to players like few others.
While the plot may in fact be of little interest to some users, especially for those who decide to live the title in a cooperative (thus abandoning the deepening of the lore and the narrative to make room for the gameplay), it can be madly loved by those who will enjoy every second of the jaw breaker cutscene, or simply skipped in a few moments where dialogues and interlude scenes occur. However, these put the right piece to a not very incisive artistic sector and disappointing animations, recounting with the right fervor the - raw - events of this sci-fi setting, seasoned by a character who gradually succeeds in hinting more at his charisma, and by hordes of aggressive but magnificent monsters, various and able to create a crazy dive.
From the skill tree to every single mod - among the dozens present - of all the weapons and armor, the player has the keys to adapt his alter ego to his style, traveling different paths and learning gradually, and discovering how he prefers fight the threats that emerge from every corner. And this is where the beauty comes, when surrounded you find yourself using every single resource to defeat the thousands of dangers and take home the loot without leaving your skin, completely immersing yourself in the post-apocalyptic setting where the events are set. There are very few "dead" moments of Outriders, the playful and narrative rhythms are the points best centered by the developer, who presented an experience that can bewitch the players within a few hours.
… Up to the Outriders Endgame
The doubts posed in our ongoing review of Outriders mainly concerned the endgame of the game, which could have turned out to be somewhat disappointing, not giving a proper continuation to the game events. Surprising us, this is strongly linked to the narrative, ending up being part of it, and letting the hours spent grinding and dozens of attempts at Shipping had as their ultimate goal to close the circle of history, succeeding without themselves and without buts.
The crafting and economy system, in fact, blossoms more from the last level, letting each tool be useful for replacing part of the equipment, to add the mod that will complete your build, or provide you with the Scrap you need to get to upgrade your favorite items. Versatility gradually increases as you add more possibilities by letting that behind the hundreds of ammo flying through the air are strategies and combos, which will have the arduous task of facing the accurate artificial intelligence of the game. The qualitative peak is also felt for the progression system, which - absurdly - once reached the maximum level culminates in dozens of possibilities related to equipment and Legendary items, as well as increasing the difficulty of each Expedition.
Where works like Anthem they couldn't hit the mark, others like The Division they let the formula not entertain enough or be too technical, and more like Destiny (o Destiny 2) needed years to reach their best formula, Outriders immediately offers a fun, adrenaline-fueled experience with an excellent lot of content, which will hardly be able to bore the players. In the cauldron there is only a clear roadmap that will have to offer various and interesting contents, since there are several fixes (especially on PC) that the developer will have to take care of as soon as possible, while avoiding other server failures. However, the fact remains that Outriders is a product that can hit the masses, managing as few to convey the same grit perceived in the trailers, and which deserves the right attention, as it shakes up a stopped 2021 and offers players dozens of hours of fun, and an immense expansion potential to say the least.
