Appeal Studios and THQ Nordic have teamed up to create a unique sci-fi open-world experience in Outcast – A New Beginning where players take on the role of Cutter Slade, a former Navy SEAL who finds himself leading an Alien rebellion against his fellow humans who are exploiting the planet Adelphea’s resources. Thank You to Appeal and THQ for the opportunity to check this game out!
When it comes to the controls for Outcast – A New Beginning, you have to take your time as some of the buttons used for combat (melee mainly) are not where you would normally map them. Just give yourself some time to learn the buttons and it will become second nature.
When it comes to the game’s art, it’s spellbinding! Brightly colorful and a dreamlike world filled with different plants and animals that fit the landscape, it’s pleasant on the eyes. I enjoyed how the faces of the characters are animated when they speak, not all games put so much detail into how the mouths look when someone speaks.
The game’s soundtrack goes in hard, which surprised me if I’m being honest, I was not ready for the song at the main menu to be so epic and it doesn’t stop there. The voice acting is top-notch and some of the lines that Slade has reminds me of 80’s action films where the hero is a bit of a smart-ass.
When it comes to gameplay for Outcast – A New Beginning, it’s what you want for an action-adventure game set in a sci-fi world. Exploring the world around you to unlock fast travel, weaken enemy forces by shutting down bases, completing side quests, it has what adventuring gamers want.
I will be the first to say this, YES, this game comes across as something like Avatar, but unlike the film, this game has a better storyline with a bit more originality. Slade is thrown into the savior role and over time as he regains his memories, he finds reasons to return home and to help the inhabitants of the world he’s in.
Overall, I really enjoyed playing Outcast – A New Beginning and look forward to playing some more of it when I get the chance! With a decent-sized world to explore, flora and fauna to see, and a variety of enemies and bosses to face, fans of open-world games will find joy in this sci-fi gem! On my scale of 1-10, Outcast – A New Beginning is a 9 as some graphical improvements could be made.
Outcast – A New Beginning will come out on March 15th for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
