Outriders, but It Takes Two
Come for the superpowers, stay for the loot… but if you’re looking for a proper next-gen shooter, this one remains stubbornly old-school
The sci-fi premise of Outriders is humanity looking for a fresh start as your character lands on a lush alien planet. Don’t get comfortable, though, because then you’re catapulted 30 years in the future to find your new home has gone to hell. Tsk, typical.
With the feel of a last-last-gen cover shooter, it’s not the best first impression – and you won’t find an engrossing storyline – but really you’re playing Outriders to shoot things. The gunplay is Gears of War solid, but it’s the added superpowers – you get to choose one – that make battles engaging. There’s the Technomancer, great for long-range support, the fiery Pyromancer, and for close-quarters havoc the Trickster and Devastator.
Proactively aggressive play is encouraged as killing enemies is how you heal, and there’s a really exciting balance of risk and reward as you rush a mob while your health is low. But it can be clunky, with no jump button and a run that doesn’t always register, while getting behind cover (or vaulting over it) can be just as sticky.
Even though you’re locked into your class, there are plenty of skills and buffs to unlock as you level up, but you can only equip three skills at a time. And don’t expect to steamroll your way through, as waves of enemies – from soldier factions to the planet’s hostile fauna – respond in kind.
Things continue to get more challenging, with the enemy levels rising as well as the regularity of loot drops (see panel opposite). Fortunately, you’re also free to lower the tier if combat gets overwhelming; for hardcore players, striving to reach the highest tier for the toughest encounters and rarest loot will be its own challenge.
Outriders isn’t going to win any awards for originality; but once the shooting starts and the mobs rush in, you’ll have a right old time fighting for your life with your chosen superpower.
Alan Wen