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At the first blush, Outriders it’s hard to distinguish from a sea of similar-looking looters and shooter RPGs. Destination is the benchmark comparison these days, mainly because the full-length title is perhaps the best example of the subgenre. Borderlands is another, although it’s hard to mistake that visually elegant festival of madness for anything else. Then there are the elements of Massive effect, Gears of war, Remnant: From the Ashes (coming to PS + as a free game next month), and even failed attempts like Anthem, Disintegratedand the limping Marvel Avengers to throw in the pile. I literally listened to each and every title mentioned for reference in my Twitch chat while watching the game. When Outriders’ The introductory chapter and character establishment, which is all set up in the free demo, struggles to differentiate itself from any of the above, it’s hard to get excited about another looter-shooter who might eventually die on the vine.
Nevertheless…
Maybe it’s just an illusion. Maybe it’s a matter of numbers, the hope that if the studios release enough looter and shooter titles, one of them will eventually stick. Or maybe I just want to spend time looking for great-looking gear, absolutely nasty perks on weapon rolls, and a fully-equipped skill tree that will make my fellow players jealous. I want the time I have invested in the game to pay off in ways I never expected, although I would settle for the game simply continuing to provide new content over the months and years; looking directly at you Anthem Y Marvel Avengers. So yes, I have already created a character for each of the four classes in Outriders, and yes, I am in the process of leveling them out as much as I can in the demo offering. Why? Because Outriders He’s dirty enough in his bullrush storytelling, engaging enough in his promised loot pool, and funny enough in his aggressive “kill for live” approach to combat that I hope against hope that he finds a main vein to tap into between. fans of hungry looters-shooters.
The basics
The story of Outriders it’s familiar even if you can’t pinpoint exactly where and when you heard each of its sci-fi beats: “The Earth is dead,” the opening scroll boldly reads. The last surviving members of the human race take refuge in cryostasis aboard two massive ark-shaped spaceships for a nearly century-long journey to Enoch, a supposedly habitable world. Only one ship survives intact. And the first to wake up, camp, and explore the new world are known as the Outriders, a name with roots in the Old West as horsemen who flanked huge herds of cattle to prevent them from being broken or stolen. The western aesthetic is strong on the group’s captain, Jack Tanner, who sports a cowboy hat, feather duster, and a voice (and mustache) worthy of Sam elliott.
Pretty standard setup so far. So even though the landing pods are casually destroying wide swaths of forest and setting them on fire, you can’t help but hope that everything will work out for your character, a capable Outrider who has earned Jack’s trust and confidence. Of course, as you probably expected, things work out do not Go well. Not in everybody. I’ll spare you the details of the story here (the demo is free, after all), but another jump throws your character into a hellish situation that has some life and death at stake. Fortunately, you are uniquely endowed with abilities that will not only allow you to survive this new world, but also to thrive in it, perhaps to improve one faction of survivors over others.
Classes and skills
The rather trope-filled story of the setup leads to an expected but attractive turn of events: You are disturbed by an anomaly, a kind of cosmic storm that should have killed you but actually empowers you. And yes, you guessed it, this is where your class selection comes in. You’ll choose between the Technomancer long-range support class, the Pyromancer mid-range attack class, the Trickster close-up stealth expert, and the classic tank. , the Devastator. Either class alone will allow you to demo solo with ease, but it’s the cooperative effects that I can’t wait to delve into in multiplayer and the main game itself.
Until now, I would suggest Devastator as a starting point for new players. His standard ground attack has a quick cooldown and is stupidly easy to use against enemies coming straight at you. The second ability acquired from Devastator is the rock shield that will allow you to tank more damage even while distributing it; it’s a good combination. Regardless of his class, he will have a complement of two long guns and a pistol at almost all times, and he will eventually fall with perks like Leech Life, but it is the abilities that will separate him from his friends. I much prefer the Trickster class, though I’m generally a stealth sniper, due to its ability to warp space-time and slow down a group of enemies or teleport behind one, with the added bonus of a shield. The addition of a quick death temporary slash ability comes in handy, and I never tire of watching enemies turn into skeletons before blowing up with the wind like dust at the Terminator.
Of course, the fire-wielding Pyromancer or the gadget-wielding Technomancer may be more your style; I would advise making at least one character from each class to play with and see what feels better. It’s too early in the game’s life cycle for there to be a goal yet, so have fun. Who knows what position your team will need you to play in once you face increasingly tough Altereds.
And speaking of difficulty, Outriders I could probably beat the challenge a bit, even in the demo. I think I’ve only died once so far because I got greedy in the final boss fight from the opening chapter. Apart from that, the combat has been very easy. You can take a chance, make a lot of messy mistakes, and manage to get out of a tight spot. It’s a little chaotic, a little frantic, and a little wild, but I kind of like it. (Only please for the love of the Enochian gods, Stop with all the crazy camera shake, Especially for dialogue scenes!)
From what we’ve seen from the available skill trees and hero shots of cosmetics, loot, and epic gear, there is a lot advantage to Outriders. History has room to grow and wild places to go. Enough seeds have been planted that could bear fruit for months and years to come. You just need content, content, content. And so far it seems that people want to check it out at least. The developer team is working hard to make sure their servers are up to the task of handling demand., a good problem to have a problem anyway. And the behind-the-scenes communications team has been adept at keeping the community up-to-date on availability, issues, and fixes on social media. All good signs. Just keep that content pipeline flowing.
We hope that the availability of next month’s demo will help spread the word about the up-and-coming looter-shooter. My friends and I will be in Enoch for the foreseeable future; Won’t you join us?
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