On the surface, Outriders seems like just another looter shooter releasing to an already saturated genre. With games like Destiny, Division, and Borderlands really cornering that market, it's hard to break into it without feeling derivative, yet Outriders manages to do just that. It's easy enough to compare Outriders to Destiny for its looter shooter elements or to Mass Effect for its RPG approach, but underneath it all is the heart of a vibrant new IP.
A prime example of this is how Outriders nullifies one of the biggest complaints against looter shooters. With such a focus on loot systems and combat, many stories found within these games come across as incomplete or lacking, but Outriders' story is its strongest element. The overall premise is humanity seeking a new home on Enoch, with the player character being warped by an Anomaly and gaining insane powers in the process, but it becomes much more nuanced than that over time. It's a slow burn, but Outriders steadily builds up its moments to a strong, emotional pay off in the final hours of it.
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Indeed, Outriders' story balances the mysterious with the familiar as players embark on this journey. Perhaps the strongest detail here is how so much of Outriders is effectively foreshadowed beforehand, yet when the obvious event happens, it doesn't take away from the story. Complete with an interesting crew who add so many human elements to the game, it seems safe to say that the story consistently feels like Mass Effect 2's Suicide Mission. From beginning to end, the circumstances are that dire.
That's not to say that it lacks in the main looter shooter element, either; Outriders' combat and gameplay are second to none. Choosing from one of four classes (Trickster, Devastator, Pyromancer, or Technomancer), players are thrust into combat that is both incredibly challenging and an appeal to power fantasy. Each class has multiple viable builds so players can really design their Altered in any way they want, and thanks to a well-detailed skill system, the highlights of each class comes through. The only drawback is how similar some of the classes feel early on, as some abilities seem to do the same thing but with changed status effects, but this seemingly disappears as players experiment with builds.
Players are encouraged to experiment with all sorts of Outriders builds to figure out what gameplay style they want most, and they can continue to tailor the experience to their liking with Outriders' World Tier system. Progressing forward and really pushing for the next World Tier only adds to the game's combat, but at the same time, those who want to kick back and enjoy the game in a "story mode" can lower the World Tier at any time. In turn, this allows players to make some more challenging encounters easier, and then turn it back up to really push the difficulty again afterward. The level of customization within how players approach the combat is certainly welcoming, but it doesn't end there.
Not only can players directly tailor how they approach the game's combat with World Tiers, but the loot and crafting system is designed with this in mind. While the "constantly changing gear" criticism can be applied to any looter shooter, Outriders allows players to "save" the mods from older weapons and put them on the newer ones. Keeping the best mods for current abilities, changing them up when necessary, and always having that option to improve gear rarity, gear level, and gear mods makes the combat even more satisfying.
All of this is important in the endgame, where Outriders players are pushed even more as the mobs and enemy AI really gear up. Those looking for a great raid-like challenge are likely to be satisfied with its offering (14 missions plus 1 mission unlocked at the end of those), but at the same time, those looking for a more straightforward RPG can put the controller down and be equally satisfied.
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Overall, it's fair to say that this game is an amalgamation of many things, and while there are games with similar appeal that may fit that do some things better, there are few games that do as much as Outriders as well as Outriders. That does not mean the game is perfect by any means, and there are minor nuisances scattered throughout.
For example, Outriders suffers from a plethora of technical bugs aside from the server issues that plagued its launch (and subsequently improved). Its cover mechanics can be finicky at times, as can the camera in the midst of combat. The camera is worse during cutscenes where the screen will shake and, at times, the cutscene will repeat or seemingly skip pertinent information. There are some setting options to try to mitigate the camera issues, but they never fully eliminate them.
Cutscenes can sometimes feel gratuitous and unnecessary, with the famous jump cutscene in the Outriders demo being one of many times this happens. It's nothing game-breaking and no technical issue with the game ever was, but as some Outriders players have reported losing loot, the technical issues are out there and they are known.
Moreover, while the variety and sheer ridiculousness of the higher-tier loot is extremely satisfying, there's not much variance beyond that. There are "variants" of shooting styles for every gun in the game, but they often feel tacked on. An LMG at the end of the day is an LMG, and a shotgun is a shotgun. Where the gunplay shines is when that single shotgun sets off a series of explosions or when an assault rifle brings down lightning, but the early guns can feel basic. And while the stronger Captains and mob leaders change up the combat, the game is at its best when players are mowing down enemies left and right. However, a lot of times, these enemies will be the same through most arenas found in Outriders.
Outriders is the type of game where players get what they put in. For those who want a pick-up and put-down RPG with an emphasis on story, Outriders has that covered. For those who want hundreds of hours of gameplay in tense and adrenaline-pumping combat with powerful builds, Outriders has that covered too. Ultimately, the strength of Outriders is how it connects to its players and what they want out of the game, meaning everyone walks away feeling different about it, and that can only be a good thing.
Outriders is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Game Rant was provided a PC code for the purposes of his review.