You can’t actually ‘die’ – losing all HP instead triggers narrative events, such as being captured by bandits or rescued by a passerbyOutward
THE LONG, SLOW ROAD TO ADVENTURE ROBIN VALENTINE
PUBLISHER DEEP SILVER / DEVELOPER NINE DOTS STUDIO / RELEASE DATE OUT NOW / COST £34.99/$39.99
back to town afterwards riddled with
complications and dangers.
Unfortunately, these moments are
as much a victory over the game’s
controls as its hostile world. Outward’s
combat is, without exaggeration,
some of the worst we’ve ever
experienced – clunky, unresponsive,
and imprecise. Its worst trait is a
simple lack of feedback. Enemies
don’t react to your blows, and your
character doesn’t flinch at theirs –
in a game as unashamedly deadly
as this, it’s unforgivable, leading to
situations where monsters barge past
your attacks and kill you before you
even realise you were low on health.
At first, there’s a novelty in actively
avoiding fights – hiding from passing
bandits as you roam, and perhaps
even laying traps in your wake – but
it wears off when you realise that the
game doesn’t really offer any other
way of interacting with the world.
With no non-combat skills to learn or
pacifistic quests to take on, you’re
ultimately forced into the life of the
sword-swinging warrior if you want to
make any kind of living.A fantastical world
unfolds before you,
full of monsters to
slay and treasures to
discover. But you’re
not the chosen one,
or even a mighty hero – you’re an
ordinary person, for whom dehydration
or infection could be as deadly as a
dragon’s claws.
For a certain kind of person, there
will be something irresistible about
this survival RPG’s underdog premise.
Outward is a game about the harsh
and hostile realities of adventuring,
from keeping yourself warm, fed
and rested, to treating your combat
wounds, to topping up your sputtering
lantern up with oil as you explore
gloomy dungeons.
There’s both joy and frustration
to be found in its gritty details.
Your backpack, which contains
your inventory, slows you down in
combat – you’re encouraged to chuck
it on the ground whenever you see
a monster. Bread can be toasted
over a campfire, or slathered in jam
(though, mysteriously, not both) for
different effects. If your jacket isn’t
warm enough, you might catch a cold
and have to take it easy with a cup of
herbal tea to recover.
Road warrior
These systems are fiddly and
awkward, but combined they create
a real sense of accomplishment. In
Skyrim, killing four creatures in a cave
and raiding their mushroom stores
would be a forgettable diversion; in
Outward, it’s a tense fight for survival
for a vital reward, with even your trip
It’s a great shame, because
Outward is at its best in its quiet
moments of travel. While its world
is far from pretty (the graphics look
positively ancient) it can be deeply
immersive – we found ourselves
stopping to camp in the evenings,
reading road signs for directions, and
coming to recognise local landmarks.
When it’s not forcing you into panicky
fights with bandits and hyenas, it’s
a game that understands the simple
pleasure of a long journey, and the
relief of seeing home on the horizon
after days on the road.
We’re left conflicted. In some
ways, Outward is simply an ugly,
overcomplicated mess, and even
where it succeeds, its subdued and
unforgiving style will turn many off.
But at the same time, few games
even attempt to create experiences
like this, and there is real magic to
be found on its winding trails. If only
it could whip its feeble combat into
shape, it’d punch above its weight. Qshort
cutWHAT IS IT?
A ‘realistic’ take on
the life of a fantasy
adventurer.
WHAT’S IT LIKE?
Detailed and
atmospheric, but also
hopelessly awkward
and ugly.
WHO’S IT FOR?
Those with enough
patience and
determination to
muscle past its many
flaws and enjoy its
unique strengths.“It’s a game that
understands the
pleasure of a
long journey”
OXM VERDICT
A tense and
immersive
adventure – but
with one too many
rough edges.6
LEFT There’s no
XP, so your only
source of
progression is
money, which is
frustratingly
hard to come by.
A bit like real
life, really.More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 085REVIEW