Outward Reviews
Outward is simultaneously mesmerizing and full of missteps. What could have been a truly special game is damaged by how tedious and ill-advised so many of its design decisions are.
Taken as a whole, Outward practically screams "cult classic." Its consistent challenge, cumbersome combat, and co-op systems won't resonate with everyone. But for a particular type of player—ones that don't mind trading dozens of frustrating moments for open-ended experiences—Nine Dot Studios' RPG is sure to find a dedicated audience. Outward's aspirations are commendable, but just like its protagonist, the end result is just average.
I am not incredibly enthused to fight more baddies in Outward. I’m not that excited to speak to more of its cardboardy NPCs. I’m not looking forward to getting up from my chair to do some light cardio while I wait for my character to warm up by a campfire in the middle of a snowstorm, so I don’t get diseased and have to trek to the nearest village for a herbal tea and sleep for a day before I’m healthy again. But that travel, maaaaan. It absolutely nails it.
If you love hardcore RPGs, then I'd say Outward is definitely worth picking up.
If you love the RPG old school genre, your feelings on the outside will increase, they will be valued in a greater esteem. A love that is perhaps blind in some aspects, but justified by what it can transmit. If you are not passionate about this type of adventure, we will not have enough patience to deepen your particularities.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Outward will appeal to people have enormous patience. But if that isn't you then it'll simply feel like a time drain. Jason Coles
Outward has a lot of potential, from the interesting death system to the complexity of the status effects, but the entire game is full of some big problems: clunky combat system, out-dated IA and rough (and superficial) gdr elements. Outward has definitely his little audience of early 2000-gdr lovers, and it's a bit charming in some ways, but in the end it's not even average.
Review in Italian | Read full review
There are many problems with Outward, but it also scratches an itch that many western RPGs simply do not. Outward will test the skills of any seasoned player, but the journey can be a rewarding one, if you want to risk it.
Outward isn't a game for everyone. It's challenging, rough around the edges and you need to persevere during the initial three our four hours to finally see some progress. Slowly it starts to creep under your skin, each new region being its own reward, each new jaw-dropping landmark filling you with awe and a true sense of accomplishment. How you've grown, from someone in its undies into a daring warrior carrying a larger-than-life sword.
Outward may aim high but is most definitely flawed, constituting a game just above par that's most ideal for RPG enthusiasts.
Overall Outward is a fun and unique experience for those who desire the harder type of gameplay reminiscent of Souls like games. The blend of survival with this combat and its different take on magic make for a fun ride. It's light story and issues in sound work detract from that though. At $40 USD though it can offer hours and hours of gameplay alone or with a friend.
Outward is a survival RPG that might seem a bit chaotic at first, but it might be able to entertain those who can overcome its many flaws.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Outward is an impressive, fresh take on the open-world formula, and the option to play in split-screen or online multiplayer is something I’ve been craving in an RPG for a long time. If Outward had released a decade ago, I have a feeling it would have been an instant cult classic, but in 2019, it’s harder to look past some its more outstanding issues. But even with its long list of flaws, I’d still happily get lost in Outward again.
A deeply flawed open world role-player but also an extremely ambitious and unique one, whose approach to co-op play and survival deserves further iteration.
Learning to manage the game's many systems is the biggest potential stumbling block players will face. If you're the sort to revel in micromanagement and extreme challenge and enjoy the thrill of actually exploring and living in a place rather than wandering from objective to objective, then Outward could be something special for you from the get-go. It's a hard sell otherwise, with such overwhelming depth, occasionally misfiring combat, and rather grimy visuals. Then again, perhaps that might be the best way to deliver the purest form of Outward, a flawed, aggressive beast that requires time and patience. It would possibly lose something in being too refined. It makes adventuring into something different and intriguing, after all.
I remain undecided whether I enjoyed my playtime with Outward. On one side it’s an interesting throwback experience to a time long-forgotten, ignoring the Souls games of recent times that is. No clear direction, fiddly combat and the fact you can just roll up somewhere after a KO are quirks not seen in many games these days. I would say fair play for attempting to offer this aspect. For people who don’t want hand-holding and require a more methodical gaming experience then this works…kind of. This is a good game, not a great game in my view and really it is what is it. No amount of changing it will make it any better. Perhaps the developers should actually just keep it this way to appeal to its specific audience. I’m done though.
For those players looking for a truly hardcore experience, Outward is more than happy to provide but for others, it may just be too much effort for too little payoff.
A resolutely no-nonsense open-world, survival RPG that forfeits the hand-holding and unearned grand destinies of other genre titles, Outward instead replaces such comforts with a thoroughly player driven affair where satisfaction and reward come in the completion of the smallest of tasks and everything must be earned.
Outward mixes elements of survival games and the old school RPG virtues, but its creators needed more time and money to create a memorable experience. It is a big map, there are many things to do and it is a difficult journey. However, all that is not enough for him to work perfectly. There are technical errors. If you want a challenge and remember another time of RPGs, enter in its spell.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
At the end of the day, it’s undeniable that Outward‘s combat is sub-par, and that its systems prove to be very punishing when combined.