Useful tip for new players that the game doesn't tell you. If you're out exploring and find a patch of butterflies, you can safely set up camp there without having to worry about ambushes.
@@SALVANTR It's immersion breaking not because they didnt tell you but because 100% safe space in the wilderness exist and is marked by a circle of butterfly. A better "marker" would be an armed caravan or something
Man this game is truly a diamond in the rough. Tried ti get into it half a dozen times before i took a full weekend to just power through and HOLY CRAP was it worth it. Once i got a rhythm it was magical. Got my girlfriend to join in co-op and we straight up no-lifed it for over a month. Every weekend, every night after work we were glued to the tv. Quit cooking dinner and were eating out constantly. Pushed the coffee table to the side and pull the couch directly in front of out tv lol. Game was truly something special.
The sense of mystery in this game is one of its strong points in a generation of hand holdy triple As. Outward really captures the feeling of being thrown into a world that you have to struggle through, but that makes the triumphs so much greater. Also in combat there's a button to quick drop your backpack and it adds to the immersion, love this game
I remember some truly thrilling escapades when my character got captured and made a daring escape, and also doing some early cave exploring. Darkness actually exists. Enemies can see you. You don't always have a light source early on. Very cool game. I just sort of... stopped playing it after awhile, not really sure, but I wouldn't want to go back to that saved character now, would want to do a new one and I never quite feel like I want to take the plunge. :P
What makes more difficult games more fun there is actual learning, experimenting, and mystery. The hand holding games steal that experience and just feel pointless most the time.
I truly love this rough gem of a game. I adore the courage of the developers to try new and unconventional ideas in many systems instead of walking the same trodden paths.
My wife and I LOVED Outward. We even did hardcore/no-death runs together, which really amped up the survival roleplaying aspect. What a treat of a game - not perfect by any means, but very fun for what it is. It also happened to be one of the most co-op friendly RPGs we've found, which helped us stay connected when we were long-distance for 6 years.
I really love this game, its magic system is one of the best around. Stacking elemental sigils and bursting multiple effects at once is super satisfying. On the note of fast travel, I have been playing alot of Dragon's Dogma lately and I feel that its system would work really well in Outward. Finding the fast travel crystals in the world and placing them down yourself so you can use them late game. This would keep the survival travel mechanics in place in the beginning but largely remove the tedious walking late game when survival becomes more or less trivial.
The "Defeat Scenarios" is such a cool mechanic that is ripe for exploration. The player being forced to deal with the consequences of their actions. The sense of immersion that brings. Seems like the perfect answer for save scrumming in stealth games. Definitely love that they added that mechanic to the game. Wish more games would follow suit. Fighting your way out of captivity, working in a mine, being saved by a diety. So much better than "load last save" imo.
It gets real old, real fast, when you get caught out lacking stamina in hallowed marsh just to respawn without armor. Then you die again to a pair of bandits and your armor just vanished from existence. It doesn't get better the second time around, trust me. The only advice I could give is always have master trader armor and never accidentally drink rancid water when picking up wood.
Star Citizen is also doing that. If you are criminal and dead/caught by security, you wake up in prison and forced to work there in order to get money & use the money to pay the fine OR you can find the hidden path to escape the prison. Seems like novelty at first but become a chore multiple times. Star Citizen is MMO, you get good laugh with a group of people while doing a chore. In single player games like Outward it's just really pain & annoying.
Man I remember joining this channel when I think there were about 6 of us in the channel credits. Now you're doing sponsorships and hitting it big. You love to see it! Congrats on the success!!! And no doubt it's still the beginning. Anyway , yet another great Review. I've tried Outward a bunch of times and always wanted to love it. But could never figure out why I was getting killed in every early game combat encounter. And ended up giving it up. Now I know where I went wrong and absolutely going back to it now! Keep up the great work!
Great review! I love this game. There’s weight to it. And a feeling of realistic progression right from the start. Leaving town for the first time and having to turn back relatively quickly, but making it a bit farther each time until you can reliably make it to the next area. There’s a real sense of sadness in some areas and relief and safety/comfort in others. And the backpack mechanic was so cool and so different from anything I’d seen in an RPG/survival game up to that point. Such a hidden gem of a game.
Hey Mort and commenters, just wanted to share an old game that's been in my library for over a decade and I finally tried: Divinity 2: Developers Cut. Not to be confused with Divinity: Original Sin 2. I might have just lost my mind or something, but it scratches an itch I've had for a while. If anyone does decide to try it, I highly recommend the larger text mod. Happy gaming everyone!
I wish more games had these dynamic mechanics. One idea is have enemy types that spawn to match what your skill tree is. So if you are a melee class you won't be be bombarded by archers
This was one of my favorite games ever. I played this with one of my best friends and I’ve never played anything like it. He made a super tank melee character and I went into runic spells! We got best in slot gear for my mage and than grinded Tsar stones to make him a full set! I loved every minute of this game. 10/10
Dude, what an amazing video. I've watched about 6 videos already to try and decide if I should pickup the game in the current 70% off sale it's going now, and your video is DEFINITELY the best.
A long time subscriber and Just want to say it’s impressive how quickly you 100%-ed it. I’m almost 200 hours into it (I did abandon a few false starts as I tried to learn the mechanism of the game) and I’m still on my first playthrough with 44% achievement.
I'm about the same hours and achievements as you, and I play on and off this game for about a couple of years now. And I just started another playthough tonight... this game has something special
That's how I got into it... played for a while. Was showing a friend... said bro grab a controller, we'll splitscreen it. Guy was what like what really? After 2 weekends he bought it himself and we played online together for months. Good times.
I really enjoyed this one. Especially in co-op. I love your reviews. Off topic, but relevant to this channel: I was thinking a lot about one of your previous videos about tabletop rpgs and crpgs, and I feel like call of cthulu would lend itself so well to the crpg treatment. They have so many good modules to use.
I've been enjoying your reviews lately. I bought this on release and it seriously needed some updates so I think I'm going to download for a fresh look at the definitive
OUtward should have added mount in mid/late game. Like that you continue to explore, we could have storage on your mount, take care of it, feed it etc... And like that fast travel become unecessary and exploring the world become funnier, because main part of the game is about to explore dungeon, so you have to let the mount outside and it's fine
You have made me genuinely interested in trying this one, it’s been on the maybe list for a while. The magic system has sold me, not enough games treat magic like a careful art of preparation it should be and I really like the sound of the runes. Thanks for the review.
I personally loved the system where you were born a normal person with no magic capacity so to obtain magic you must find the ritual area and then sacrifice a bit of health and or stamina. It makes it a very intentional system and you know you have to at least put some effort into using the strong magic stuff, and you don't necessarily need a ton of mana unless you want to use it rapidly.
I appreciate the perspective from someone who has completed 100% of the game reviewed. Any game I purchase I hope to play to the end. It is nice to know whether the effort is worth it. Thanks!
Just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your work! You put real effort in the games in order to provide a thorough evaluation. The videos are to the point and don't become too lengthy, which is much harder than just rambling on for hours. You don't hide your content behind a pay wall and you review games that are often not as mainstream (namely cRPGs). This is real quality content, which is a scarce thing on youtube. Thank's a lot.
Great review. I played this back b4 the dlcs. It was fun, but I had the same complaints u did. I look forward to see what this dev team could do next. Lots of potential here.
I feel like Outward could have been truly amazing had it had a few QOL features and less tedium associated with travel and survival mechanics coupled with a world that is a bit more lively and reactive. I also remember that my main issue besides the above was the very limited hotbar. 8 slots is just not enough.
This is by far one of my favourite games (top 3 I would say). It captures something oldschool that I think a lot of modern ARPGs have lost. If I had to compare it to a specific game, I would say it's the most like Gothic 2 with the Night of the Raven expansion. You will die a lot and it won't be very fun for your first few sessions, but once it clicks, it'll capture you and you'll have the time of your life with it
Thanks so much for the deep dive! This game has tempted me more than once! I just haven't pulled the trigger mostly because of the vastly inconsistent reviews! Just like you said this game is polarizing. I'm just not sure if I'm ready to jump in and commit the time it takes. Maybe down the line during a Steam sale!
This game is extremely fun in split screen coop and online coop. It really brought me back to simpler times before gaming became what it is today. Definitely try it out. 💯🥊
I have over 500 hours in this game. I'm completely in love with it and I play it with my daughter and my brother. I hope there is a sequel in the future.
I kind of disagree with the idea of "getting your build together" and using wikis to find out everything right away. I think the punishing combat and naturally improving your character overtime while also discovering things mostly blind makes for a much more rewarding and fun experience. Overcoming your first dodo bird, then your first bandit, then your first bandit camp is super rewarding knowing you are slowly getting better and better. Also the game is fun discovering things both in mechanics and locations. However I think using a ton of guides and rushing to "get your build together" would take a lot the fun away with both challenge and the fun of progression in this game. This game was definitely "it's more about the journey than the destination" type of experience and I would not rush it to just try and be a goated character personally.
Heh. I was able to set up a city quick travel network because of how the games split screen play works. Just park a throwaway character next to every trainer and your good. Those characters names can literally be the name of the city or trainer they are next to.
Just an interesting tidbit I noticed in my various playthrus: I did the Soroborean storyline on my zero mana character, and several members continuously hounded me to get mana throughout the questline. Thought it was a nice touch.
Great review. I was thinking of playing this game, but only if the survival elements were less harsh (is there a word for that?). From what you said, this game would probably start feeling a like a chore very quickly for me.
IDK I learned the systems from the game, like the tent. It was the endgame systems i wasn't truly familiar with, but all the survival and prep expectations were pretty up front.
Fast travel can definitely ne added in a way that feels earned and does trivialize the game. Having player to clear certain bandit camps and monster lairs between two points, surveil points of interest, putting markers on hight points and whatnot, building transportation hubs, like horse stables. Requiring experience, materials and time. In the end ability to fast travel will feel earned.
Thanks for this review. I bought the game back on the ps4 when it had no dlcs and the whole "bad first few hours experience" happened to me. But the definitive edition is now on sale for ps5, so I am definitely gonna give it another go!
Nice tips, after 10 hours (real time) going in Hallowed marsh because used caravan to Monsoon and died there like 100x times I will restart and play more wisely :D step by step :D
Definitive Edition is on sale today (Steam) and I FINALLY picked it up! Also, finally subscribed to your channel. Sorry it's taken so long, I've grown to appreciate your input and views on games over the last few years and finally decided to make it official with a sub. Sorry it's taken this long, here's to a year full of gaming and commenting/reviewing in 2024!
Hey Mortisimal, great vid mate as always. I know your schedule is tight and you dont generally play MMOs but would love to hear your take on Dungeons & Dragons Online (DDO).
Also personal comment on time, aside from the main quest centered around the home town it rarely has effect but with that questline I'd tell you to hold as much importance of the time you have when it's brought to your knowledge because once you fail that timer the consequences are extreme
I 100% agree with you with the initial gameplay experience, the first time I play the game I completelly hate it but after I came back a week later and start learning the mechanics and the crafting I felt in love with the game. Great Review !
I'm always hinting at folk to "give games a chance" or "wait until it bites ya" lol because we often miss the full picture of what the devs have put on offer. So very well done in doing a review after playing it to 100%. Subbed
SO glad you’re reviewing this. It’s 65% off right now and I need more info before pulling the trigger lol. Looks like Skyrim and Skyrim and elden ring had a baby, and I’m here for it.
Another tip for new players: many different enemies will aggro onto eachother, if you're being chased by bandits and can run them toward a pack of hyenas they are likely to start fighting eachother which can give you a chance to escape or pick off the weakened survivors
I remember the first time I played Outward, went out exploring, fighting the chickens and stuff then went to the beach and I was like "Is that a shrimp?" Then proceeded to shit myself as I got nearly one shot. That and the bandit fort (you know the one) were so memorable for me. Lots of jank in Outward but lots of stuff that dares to be different, kinda like TES III Morrowind, it's just a very unique game.
How did you not mention the score. I think the music kept me going long enough to get settled into the game. Also, you mention timed quests not being an issue. Did they change the starting town being destroyed if you take too long? Heck when it released, you barely knew you had a quest let alone it was timed. Went to Levant to get the best back pack. Came back, town destroyed.
Welp at least I got in a deep sale for $12 something today 3/5/23 so if you're recommending it all full price for some people I think I'm okay with the purchase. Even if I end up not liking it at least my price of admission was low and as you said will love this game and maybe I'll be lucky enough to be one of those. I just got tired of the thing always popping up in both my Steam and GoG feeds because I've played and own a lot of titles in the Genre'. Thanks Morti for the honest review as always and your reviews I always know I can trust because you put in the time to 100% everything you review. Just an awesome work ethic and attitude, thanks again...
Thanks for the great review! I like how PC Gamer put it, that "...Immortality is far more terrifying than death, and "...The auto-save and never-die principles of Outward are harsh, and feel punishing at times...but beyond making your failures meaningful they also make triumphs, even tiny ones, monumental." I'm looking forward to 100% including Three Brothers after your review!
On my second attempt I discovered that in the beginning, it's more lucrative just to stay in town and fish. Then cook and sell the meals for more money than any other activity to earn money with much less danger. Yeah, Outward the cooking simulator!
I played thus a lot and got quite far into it. I don't remember if I actually finished it. I remember some of the bosses being quite difficult for me. Overcall I did enjoy it.
Setup and preparation - The game. I still have to finish this game but I had more good moments than frustrating ones with it so far. It's deconcerting at first but very interesting once you understand it's a survival and exploration game first and an action-aventure game second. You've got to prepare for each trip, think about engagements about expandable resources versus gain, etc. With some polish here and there I think there would be less moments when you just quit the game for a few months because you got your ass handed to you due to some janky implementation. On the other hand same jank can be exploited in your favour too sometimes :p
This game is kinda makes me play things differently, 99% of the time i always play as a dual wielding warrior, or classic melee sword & shield, but in this game i find so much fun playing as bow, pistol + traps gameplay, truly bizzare for me, or maybe i finally find a game that make planning an attack worth my time and actually fun, nothing better for me in this game than just setting a tram then snipe enemy from far away, i have such amazing time, they get close? So I started blasting
Dunno if its still as op but when i played the game with a friend whenever there was an insanely hard enemy we would resort to spike traps which would destroy them also the game lets you put weapons in the trap as well that scaled with it. Overall had a really fun time with it, usually don't like survival games but this one felt so rewarding still have to play the DLC though.
When one person dies they are in a "downed" state until the other tm8 either dies or revives them (its free too revive) but after both die it does the normal spawn you in wherever
I own this and have tried to play it a few times but I just struggle to get into it. I'm not a huge survival fan so that's a knock against it for me which is too bad because I think I would enjoy the gameplay.
I know it's a wildly different system but the magic kinda reminds me of Tyranny. Perhaps it's that it does magic in a different way than most other games like Tyranny does.
I know this video is a year old now. But, Outward Definitive Edition is discounted to $9.99 on Steam right now until 07/27 I believe is the end date. Just a heads up for those wanting to give Outward a shot. I highly recommend it to anyone who was a fan of Morrowind and Survival games.
The survival mechanics are actually not that hardcore. In the beginning you have to take care a bit to have enough water and food, but the more you progress, the less of an issue it will be. Don't be scared away by that :)
There are skills taught by trainers that reduce your hunger, thirst, and tiredness rates to help with the survival mechanics, iirc they are all basic skills so no breakthrough point required
I didn't have much trouble with the combat playing it completely blind but I've played a lot of these kinds of games. Outside of that it was a pretty decent experience. Since your touching this world (and Elden Ring) how about the Nioh games? They are hugely more RPG and combat focussed than a lot of these games. Could be an interesting take from you I reckon.
If you have a buddy to play this with (online or split screen) it's way better, also the long travel times don't feel as long, actually can be fun wandering
I loved this game when it first came out several years ago and this is a massive upgrade on the looks side at least. I enjoyed the hell out of it, lots of fun and intresting to say the least ha
If you name your character sonic, you can activate a super speed mode and travel really really fast, wouldn’t recommend for the first play-through tho so you can get familiar with the maps.
I personally installed cheat engine for that game. Once I knew I only have to walk from A to B, id press my speed x5 button and quickly run there. Since Depletion and enemies are sped up as well, it does not relly feel like cheating. But going from Cierco to Lavant now wasnt 20 minutes anymore which really imporved my enjoyment.
Played most of the Soulsborne games, some difficult to handle ones like Lords of the Fallen and The Surge, games with a varying difficulty from the start like Elex, but this one was really more of a brick wall. I don't have great skills in these games, though wouldn't say i'm bad and i enjoy a good challenge. Yet, the beginning feels like it's really not worth to persevere, just getting ganged up even more as the time goes by. Perhaps it's just a manner of the game going in the first hour from mild 1 to rough 8 (on a 10 point scale) and in the next few hours it will not go past 9 or even fall down to 7. It's like with those books or movies when people say "just get through the rough start, it'll get better later on". It's even more frustrating with the fact that many other games that have such rough beginnings are quite worse after you go deeper into them, so you really can't compare any of them until you go halfway in. All this time you're wondering if you're wasting your time or enjoying yourself... And i don't mean all those masochists (me included) that like to have their butts whooped in a really rough gameplay. I just assume there's always a light in the tunnel, some hope or even the slightest progression from being pummeled and not getting whacked just for the sake of humbling me or teaching me a lesson in a language i don't yet understand. It's definitely not fun getting killed on an open road 2 minutes out of going from the main gates of starting location, just to be killed by hyenas over and over, losing your equipment, etc. (my very first impression and not the last). After a mild tutorial, getting sucked into a death loop... Yet, i'm still drawn to this game and perhaps in some time i will try it again. I tried a couple times already. It's a rough start. It's written left and right that this game can be REALLY difficult to understand how to play. It requires a lot of effort to persevere. For now, it's waiting for a good moment. Maybe one day it will come.
This game is dope. Bought it yesterday, stayed up to four in the morning playing it. I'm a person who loves the Dark Souls series, and the combat here is a bit like that, minus the boss fights (at least so far?) but with a great twist - every time you die (in hardcore mode only) you have a 20% chance of permadeath. That danger makes every little encounter meaningful and exciting. Oh and also you can starve to death, freeze, etc. In some ways it's actually harder than a souls game, and I love that.
You should check out Kingdom Come Deliverance. I love Dark Souls. I really enjoyed Outward. Kingdom Come Deliverance has become my favorite RPG of all time.
I'm going to touch on two things missing from this otherwise comprehensive review as Mort tends to omit these aspects frequently (by choice I suspect as he is more narrative focused). The graphics and soundtrack, and how they work in unison to create an immersive experience. Graphically, the title is not special, it is simplistic actually and the footage shows that, however, the team did a spectacular job on the lighting and art design making it aesthetically pleasing. The soundtrack is simply one of the best available. I cannot do it justice in description, I simply urge those interested to listen to the track "Chersonese" on the OST. It is one of the earliest tracks that plays on your introduction to the wider world. With that track in your head, imagine setting out into an unknown journey, a distant mountain on the horizon with fields of long grass changing from cyan to purple glowing beneath it. You are going on an adventure and you know it.
The hardships are what makes the game fun and what people want in survival game. The game is very immersive and is also a great game for coop. I've played it every time new DLC came out with my gf and we had an amazing time.
My friend and I were playing this on co op splitscreen. We were exploring and had a saying about the quickest way back to monsoon was to die and let someone carry us. The last time we took that Uber I lost my sword and he lost his litch hood. It was indeed not the quickest way back to monsoon after all the rerouting it took to regear.
I would love to see you reviewing the game made as a mod for gothic2,its called chronicles of myrtana - archolos, I really loved this game, its pretty much a masterpiece
Recommend this to anyone just got it for Xbox with the updated version I got this on release and I can this game is one of my favourites I come from the 90s so this is the rpg styles I'm used to maybe not so much the next generation
![Sean Rii, Karyon, Sharzkii - Taungule [My Love] (Official Music Video)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eJoMuypbSzQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Useful tip for new players that the game doesn't tell you. If you're out exploring and find a patch of butterflies, you can safely set up camp there without having to worry about ambushes.
I've been playing this game on and off for years and had no idea about this. Thanks for the info!
Is that really something they couldn't tell you? Is that too immersion breaking for them?
I can't swear to it but I think they're also potential spawn locations for the traveling merchant. Again not 100% sure on that though.
@@SALVANTR It's immersion breaking not because they didnt tell you but because 100% safe space in the wilderness exist and is marked by a circle of butterfly.
A better "marker" would be an armed caravan or something
@@SALVANTR agreed - obtuse game mechanics aren’t made more interesting or more well implemented because they’re obtuse and hidden
Man this game is truly a diamond in the rough. Tried ti get into it half a dozen times before i took a full weekend to just power through and HOLY CRAP was it worth it. Once i got a rhythm it was magical. Got my girlfriend to join in co-op and we straight up no-lifed it for over a month. Every weekend, every night after work we were glued to the tv. Quit cooking dinner and were eating out constantly. Pushed the coffee table to the side and pull the couch directly in front of out tv lol. Game was truly something special.
Your girlfriend is pure gold, man. Never give up on her .....😂😂😂😂😂
*is
Now thats LOVE!
Lol I'm stealing the "no-lifed it"
yeah that sounds healthy you big pig
The sense of mystery in this game is one of its strong points in a generation of hand holdy triple As. Outward really captures the feeling of being thrown into a world that you have to struggle through, but that makes the triumphs so much greater. Also in combat there's a button to quick drop your backpack and it adds to the immersion, love this game
I remember some truly thrilling escapades when my character got captured and made a daring escape, and also doing some early cave exploring. Darkness actually exists. Enemies can see you. You don't always have a light source early on. Very cool game. I just sort of... stopped playing it after awhile, not really sure, but I wouldn't want to go back to that saved character now, would want to do a new one and I never quite feel like I want to take the plunge. :P
What makes more difficult games more fun there is actual learning, experimenting, and mystery. The hand holding games steal that experience and just feel pointless most the time.
Yea the game is hard not to get sidetracked, it means a lot how captivating the world is
I truly love this rough gem of a game. I adore the courage of the developers to try new and unconventional ideas in many systems instead of walking the same trodden paths.
My wife and I LOVED Outward. We even did hardcore/no-death runs together, which really amped up the survival roleplaying aspect. What a treat of a game - not perfect by any means, but very fun for what it is. It also happened to be one of the most co-op friendly RPGs we've found, which helped us stay connected when we were long-distance for 6 years.
I really love this game, its magic system is one of the best around. Stacking elemental sigils and bursting multiple effects at once is super satisfying.
On the note of fast travel, I have been playing alot of Dragon's Dogma lately and I feel that its system would work really well in Outward. Finding the fast travel crystals in the world and placing them down yourself so you can use them late game. This would keep the survival travel mechanics in place in the beginning but largely remove the tedious walking late game when survival becomes more or less trivial.
which DD game is that?
@@AdrianskiASMR Dark Arisen for the PC.
@@AdrianskiASMR also on Xbox
Is there a mod like this?
The "Defeat Scenarios" is such a cool mechanic that is ripe for exploration. The player being forced to deal with the consequences of their actions. The sense of immersion that brings. Seems like the perfect answer for save scrumming in stealth games. Definitely love that they added that mechanic to the game. Wish more games would follow suit. Fighting your way out of captivity, working in a mine, being saved by a diety. So much better than "load last save" imo.
It gets real old, real fast, when you get caught out lacking stamina in hallowed marsh just to respawn without armor. Then you die again to a pair of bandits and your armor just vanished from existence. It doesn't get better the second time around, trust me.
The only advice I could give is always have master trader armor and never accidentally drink rancid water when picking up wood.
Star Citizen is also doing that. If you are criminal and dead/caught by security, you wake up in prison and forced to work there in order to get money & use the money to pay the fine OR you can find the hidden path to escape the prison. Seems like novelty at first but become a chore multiple times. Star Citizen is MMO, you get good laugh with a group of people while doing a chore. In single player games like Outward it's just really pain & annoying.
@@rokaspleckaitis8924except for the most part you can run from any combat interaction so it doesn’t seem to bad.
Man I remember joining this channel when I think there were about 6 of us in the channel credits. Now you're doing sponsorships and hitting it big. You love to see it! Congrats on the success!!! And no doubt it's still the beginning.
Anyway , yet another great Review. I've tried Outward a bunch of times and always wanted to love it. But could never figure out why I was getting killed in every early game combat encounter. And ended up giving it up.
Now I know where I went wrong and absolutely going back to it now! Keep up the great work!
Great review! I love this game. There’s weight to it. And a feeling of realistic progression right from the start. Leaving town for the first time and having to turn back relatively quickly, but making it a bit farther each time until you can reliably make it to the next area. There’s a real sense of sadness in some areas and relief and safety/comfort in others. And the backpack mechanic was so cool and so different from anything I’d seen in an RPG/survival game up to that point. Such a hidden gem of a game.
Hey Mort and commenters, just wanted to share an old game that's been in my library for over a decade and I finally tried: Divinity 2: Developers Cut. Not to be confused with Divinity: Original Sin 2. I might have just lost my mind or something, but it scratches an itch I've had for a while. If anyone does decide to try it, I highly recommend the larger text mod. Happy gaming everyone!
I made a story series for it actually, I've covered all the of the divinity series and did all sorts of lore videos for it
@@MortismalGaming Right on, I must've just not seen it! Gonna check it out now. Love the content!
That game was great
This game has the best "death" mechanic I've ever played. I love how each death has different outcomes based on how you died.
It's very reminiscent of a ttrpg random encounter table and I luv it
I wish more games had these dynamic mechanics. One idea is have enemy types that spawn to match what your skill tree is. So if you are a melee class you won't be be bombarded by archers
This was one of my favorite games ever. I played this with one of my best friends and I’ve never played anything like it. He made a super tank melee character and I went into runic spells! We got best in slot gear for my mage and than grinded Tsar stones to make him a full set! I loved every minute of this game. 10/10
Dude, what an amazing video. I've watched about 6 videos already to try and decide if I should pickup the game in the current 70% off sale it's going now, and your video is DEFINITELY the best.
A long time subscriber and Just want to say it’s impressive how quickly you 100%-ed it. I’m almost 200 hours into it (I did abandon a few false starts as I tried to learn the mechanism of the game) and I’m still on my first playthrough with 44% achievement.
I'm about the same hours and achievements as you, and I play on and off this game for about a couple of years now. And I just started another playthough tonight... this game has something special
Thank you so much for this thorough review! It was exactly what I was looking for to decide on purchasing 🤗
This game was awesome. One of the rare survival rpgs you can play in co-op. Adds so much to the fun factor.
That's how I got into it... played for a while. Was showing a friend... said bro grab a controller, we'll splitscreen it. Guy was what like what really? After 2 weekends he bought it himself and we played online together for months. Good times.
I really enjoyed this one. Especially in co-op. I love your reviews.
Off topic, but relevant to this channel: I was thinking a lot about one of your previous videos about tabletop rpgs and crpgs, and I feel like call of cthulu would lend itself so well to the crpg treatment. They have so many good modules to use.
I've been enjoying your reviews lately. I bought this on release and it seriously needed some updates so I think I'm going to download for a fresh look at the definitive
This is definitely what I was searching for, to making a sound purchase.
You gave me both the pros and cons of the game.
Great informative video.
How was your experience?
OUtward should have added mount in mid/late game. Like that you continue to explore, we could have storage on your mount, take care of it, feed it etc... And like that fast travel become unecessary and exploring the world become funnier, because main part of the game is about to explore dungeon, so you have to let the mount outside and it's fine
You have made me genuinely interested in trying this one, it’s been on the maybe list for a while. The magic system has sold me, not enough games treat magic like a careful art of preparation it should be and I really like the sound of the runes. Thanks for the review.
I personally loved the system where you were born a normal person with no magic capacity so to obtain magic you must find the ritual area and then sacrifice a bit of health and or stamina. It makes it a very intentional system and you know you have to at least put some effort into using the strong magic stuff, and you don't necessarily need a ton of mana unless you want to use it rapidly.
So ,, have you got round to trying it yet? I got it at a crazy reduction on Steam; no more than £14 I recall.
@@netweed09 is it good
I appreciate the perspective from someone who has completed 100% of the game reviewed. Any game I purchase I hope to play to the end. It is nice to know whether the effort is worth it. Thanks!
Just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your work!
You put real effort in the games in order to provide a thorough evaluation. The videos are to the point and don't become too lengthy, which is much harder than just rambling on for hours. You don't hide your content behind a pay wall and you review games that are often not as mainstream (namely cRPGs).
This is real quality content, which is a scarce thing on youtube.
Thank's a lot.
Great review. I played this back b4 the dlcs. It was fun, but I had the same complaints u did. I look forward to see what this dev team could do next. Lots of potential here.
I feel like Outward could have been truly amazing had it had a few QOL features and less tedium associated with travel and survival mechanics coupled with a world that is a bit more lively and reactive. I also remember that my main issue besides the above was the very limited hotbar. 8 slots is just not enough.
Yeah once i was thinking of it as much more of a dungeon crawler and less of a choice and consequence style rpg i fell in love.
It is truly amazing though but yeah it could have been more I guess
this doesnt help if youre playing console, but on pc you can install a vast majority of QOL mods that truly increase the experience
@@jmueller9288 we played on ps4 which was by far the worst version I’ve f the game but it was still a magical experience.
yeah thankfully pc modding is fucking amazing
I honestly just love your videos dude, thank you for the great content!
I love the fact that it made you genuinely afraid to traverse an area without adequate prep. Immersion-wise, this game is A+
A new Mort vid before work! It is going to be a good monday.
Thank you for the very nice review. Now I am really looking forward to playing it.
This is by far one of my favourite games (top 3 I would say). It captures something oldschool that I think a lot of modern ARPGs have lost. If I had to compare it to a specific game, I would say it's the most like Gothic 2 with the Night of the Raven expansion. You will die a lot and it won't be very fun for your first few sessions, but once it clicks, it'll capture you and you'll have the time of your life with it
Thanks so much for the deep dive! This game has tempted me more than once! I just haven't pulled the trigger mostly because of the vastly inconsistent reviews! Just like you said this game is polarizing. I'm just not sure if I'm ready to jump in and commit the time it takes. Maybe down the line during a Steam sale!
This is an excellent review. Thank you!
Thanks for the great review bro. This helps a lot!
This game is extremely fun in split screen coop and online coop. It really brought me back to simpler times before gaming became what it is today. Definitely try it out. 💯🥊
Then stop gaming - start playing like it used to be. We used to play games not game games.
I have over 500 hours in this game. I'm completely in love with it and I play it with my daughter and my brother. I hope there is a sequel in the future.
Right there with you brother, I'm around 400 hrs
This game is amazing
I have no idea how long I've been playing but it's up there ☝️
I kind of disagree with the idea of "getting your build together" and using wikis to find out everything right away. I think the punishing combat and naturally improving your character overtime while also discovering things mostly blind makes for a much more rewarding and fun experience.
Overcoming your first dodo bird, then your first bandit, then your first bandit camp is super rewarding knowing you are slowly getting better and better. Also the game is fun discovering things both in mechanics and locations. However I think using a ton of guides and rushing to "get your build together" would take a lot the fun away with both challenge and the fun of progression in this game.
This game was definitely "it's more about the journey than the destination" type of experience and I would not rush it to just try and be a goated character personally.
Been waiting for this one!
thanks for covering this game, I won't be playing it but nice to see what it was like
Heh. I was able to set up a city quick travel network because of how the games split screen play works. Just park a throwaway character next to every trainer and your good. Those characters names can literally be the name of the city or trainer they are next to.
Woah, that's genius, I think I'll steal that idea.
Going to buy this right now on my series super excited
Just an interesting tidbit I noticed in my various playthrus: I did the Soroborean storyline on my zero mana character, and several members continuously hounded me to get mana throughout the questline. Thought it was a nice touch.
By God, how could you have finished this so fast? Art thou a machine?
Great review as always!
Thanks man ! Great review. Had it on my Steam wishlist but doesn't sound like my type of game. Maybe wait for a big sale.
Great review. I was thinking of playing this game, but only if the survival elements were less harsh (is there a word for that?). From what you said, this game would probably start feeling a like a chore very quickly for me.
IDK I learned the systems from the game, like the tent. It was the endgame systems i wasn't truly familiar with, but all the survival and prep expectations were pretty up front.
Fast travel can definitely ne added in a way that feels earned and does trivialize the game.
Having player to clear certain bandit camps and monster lairs between two points, surveil points of interest, putting markers on hight points and whatnot, building transportation hubs, like horse stables. Requiring experience, materials and time. In the end ability to fast travel will feel earned.
Thanks for this review. I bought the game back on the ps4 when it had no dlcs and the whole "bad first few hours experience" happened to me. But the definitive edition is now on sale for ps5, so I am definitely gonna give it another go!
I recently did the Three Brothers DLC for the first time recently, thought the city building dragged it down but the quests were really cool
hmmmmmmm def gonna get it ... its on like 75% sale on steam right now
Nice tips, after 10 hours (real time) going in Hallowed marsh because used caravan to Monsoon and died there like 100x times I will restart and play more wisely :D step by step :D
Definitive Edition is on sale today (Steam) and I FINALLY picked it up! Also, finally subscribed to your channel. Sorry it's taken so long, I've grown to appreciate your input and views on games over the last few years and finally decided to make it official with a sub. Sorry it's taken this long, here's to a year full of gaming and commenting/reviewing in 2024!
I am so glad I found your channel
this game is amazing, especially if you play with a friend, no other game caputres the sense of adventure this well
Hey Mortisimal, great vid mate as always. I know your schedule is tight and you dont generally play MMOs but would love to hear your take on Dungeons & Dragons Online (DDO).
Also personal comment on time, aside from the main quest centered around the home town it rarely has effect but with that questline I'd tell you to hold as much importance of the time you have when it's brought to your knowledge because once you fail that timer the consequences are extreme
I 100% agree with you with the initial gameplay experience, the first time I play the game I completelly hate it but after I came back a week later and start learning the mechanics and the crafting I felt in love with the game. Great Review !
I had a similar experience with Dark Souls
I'm always hinting at folk to "give games a chance" or "wait until it bites ya" lol because we often miss the full picture of what the devs have put on offer. So very well done in doing a review after playing it to 100%. Subbed
SO glad you’re reviewing this. It’s 65% off right now and I need more info before pulling the trigger lol. Looks like Skyrim and Skyrim and elden ring had a baby, and I’m here for it.
Another tip for new players: many different enemies will aggro onto eachother, if you're being chased by bandits and can run them toward a pack of hyenas they are likely to start fighting eachother which can give you a chance to escape or pick off the weakened survivors
I love everything about the game ... and then found mods to add/enhance stuff in it... Feels amazing now.
Good review, I guess I will give it another shot.
I really want to get back into this game
I remember the first time I played Outward, went out exploring, fighting the chickens and stuff then went to the beach and I was like "Is that a shrimp?" Then proceeded to shit myself as I got nearly one shot. That and the bandit fort (you know the one) were so memorable for me. Lots of jank in Outward but lots of stuff that dares to be different, kinda like TES III Morrowind, it's just a very unique game.
How did you not mention the score. I think the music kept me going long enough to get settled into the game. Also, you mention timed quests not being an issue. Did they change the starting town being destroyed if you take too long? Heck when it released, you barely knew you had a quest let alone it was timed. Went to Levant to get the best back pack. Came back, town destroyed.
they didn't change it, it still will be destroyed
Welp at least I got in a deep sale for $12 something today 3/5/23 so if you're recommending it all full price for some people I think I'm okay with the purchase.
Even if I end up not liking it at least my price of admission was low and as you said will love this game and maybe I'll be lucky enough to be one of those.
I just got tired of the thing always popping up in both my Steam and GoG feeds because I've played and own a lot of titles in the Genre'.
Thanks Morti for the honest review as always and your reviews I always know I can trust because you put in the time to 100% everything you review.
Just an awesome work ethic and attitude, thanks again...
Thanks for the great review! I like how PC Gamer put it, that "...Immortality is far more terrifying than death, and "...The auto-save and never-die principles of Outward are harsh, and feel punishing at times...but beyond making your failures meaningful they also make triumphs, even tiny ones, monumental." I'm looking forward to 100% including Three Brothers after your review!
On my second attempt I discovered that in the beginning, it's more lucrative just to stay in town and fish. Then cook and sell the meals for more money than any other activity to earn money with much less danger. Yeah, Outward the cooking simulator!
Yeah the first experience I had with this game was REALLY BAD... I'm hesitant to play a game people say "It gets good later"
I played thus a lot and got quite far into it. I don't remember if I actually finished it. I remember some of the bosses being quite difficult for me. Overcall I did enjoy it.
Setup and preparation - The game.
I still have to finish this game but I had more good moments than frustrating ones with it so far. It's deconcerting at first but very interesting once you understand it's a survival and exploration game first and an action-aventure game second. You've got to prepare for each trip, think about engagements about expandable resources versus gain, etc.
With some polish here and there I think there would be less moments when you just quit the game for a few months because you got your ass handed to you due to some janky implementation. On the other hand same jank can be exploited in your favour too sometimes :p
This game is kinda makes me play things differently, 99% of the time i always play as a dual wielding warrior, or classic melee sword & shield, but in this game i find so much fun playing as bow, pistol + traps gameplay, truly bizzare for me, or maybe i finally find a game that make planning an attack worth my time and actually fun, nothing better for me in this game than just setting a tram then snipe enemy from far away, i have such amazing time,
they get close? So I started blasting
Dunno if its still as op but when i played the game with a friend whenever there was an insanely hard enemy we would resort to spike traps which would destroy them also the game lets you put weapons in the trap as well that scaled with it. Overall had a really fun time with it, usually don't like survival games but this one felt so rewarding still have to play the DLC though.
I would lay entire bridges worth of trip wire traps, prep time is op
Just went on sale for $13 - your video definitely helped!
What is dying in coop like?
When one person dies they are in a "downed" state until the other tm8 either dies or revives them (its free too revive) but after both die it does the normal spawn you in wherever
Love this game. Glad you are reviewing it. Played many many hours. 🥰
Fun fact: There are currently 241 Character Builds listed on the Outward Wiki.
I own this and have tried to play it a few times but I just struggle to get into it. I'm not a huge survival fan so that's a knock against it for me which is too bad because I think I would enjoy the gameplay.
Man I was shredding this game on the ps4 about to get back in it again and have to start all over lmao this will be fun FML
I know it's a wildly different system but the magic kinda reminds me of Tyranny. Perhaps it's that it does magic in a different way than most other games like Tyranny does.
I know this video is a year old now. But, Outward Definitive Edition is discounted to $9.99 on Steam right now until 07/27 I believe is the end date. Just a heads up for those wanting to give Outward a shot. I highly recommend it to anyone who was a fan of Morrowind and Survival games.
The set up of this game is really cool. But then the mechanics of the actual game kinda loose me, but I suck at survival so there’s that 😂
The survival mechanics are actually not that hardcore. In the beginning you have to take care a bit to have enough water and food, but the more you progress, the less of an issue it will be. Don't be scared away by that :)
There are skills taught by trainers that reduce your hunger, thirst, and tiredness rates to help with the survival mechanics, iirc they are all basic skills so no breakthrough point required
You should always drop your backpack before a fight. It makes fighting easier
I didn't have much trouble with the combat playing it completely blind but I've played a lot of these kinds of games. Outside of that it was a pretty decent experience.
Since your touching this world (and Elden Ring) how about the Nioh games? They are hugely more RPG and combat focussed than a lot of these games. Could be an interesting take from you I reckon.
If you have a buddy to play this with (online or split screen) it's way better, also the long travel times don't feel as long, actually can be fun wandering
I loved this game when it first came out several years ago and this is a massive upgrade on the looks side at least. I enjoyed the hell out of it, lots of fun and intresting to say the least ha
22:35 I feel like this could be solved by having random events in the world like bandits etc
If you name your character sonic, you can activate a super speed mode and travel really really fast, wouldn’t recommend for the first play-through tho so you can get familiar with the maps.
Name: Code Sonic
For super speed, have to tick the box in the settings. Incase anyone wants to turn into a cocaine sniffing golf ball.
I personally installed cheat engine for that game. Once I knew I only have to walk from A to B, id press my speed x5 button and quickly run there. Since Depletion and enemies are sped up as well, it does not relly feel like cheating. But going from Cierco to Lavant now wasnt 20 minutes anymore which really imporved my enjoyment.
Played most of the Soulsborne games, some difficult to handle ones like Lords of the Fallen and The Surge, games with a varying difficulty from the start like Elex, but this one was really more of a brick wall. I don't have great skills in these games, though wouldn't say i'm bad and i enjoy a good challenge. Yet, the beginning feels like it's really not worth to persevere, just getting ganged up even more as the time goes by.
Perhaps it's just a manner of the game going in the first hour from mild 1 to rough 8 (on a 10 point scale) and in the next few hours it will not go past 9 or even fall down to 7. It's like with those books or movies when people say "just get through the rough start, it'll get better later on". It's even more frustrating with the fact that many other games that have such rough beginnings are quite worse after you go deeper into them, so you really can't compare any of them until you go halfway in. All this time you're wondering if you're wasting your time or enjoying yourself... And i don't mean all those masochists (me included) that like to have their butts whooped in a really rough gameplay. I just assume there's always a light in the tunnel, some hope or even the slightest progression from being pummeled and not getting whacked just for the sake of humbling me or teaching me a lesson in a language i don't yet understand.
It's definitely not fun getting killed on an open road 2 minutes out of going from the main gates of starting location, just to be killed by hyenas over and over, losing your equipment, etc. (my very first impression and not the last). After a mild tutorial, getting sucked into a death loop...
Yet, i'm still drawn to this game and perhaps in some time i will try it again. I tried a couple times already. It's a rough start. It's written left and right that this game can be REALLY difficult to understand how to play. It requires a lot of effort to persevere. For now, it's waiting for a good moment. Maybe one day it will come.
This game is dope. Bought it yesterday, stayed up to four in the morning playing it. I'm a person who loves the Dark Souls series, and the combat here is a bit like that, minus the boss fights (at least so far?) but with a great twist - every time you die (in hardcore mode only) you have a 20% chance of permadeath. That danger makes every little encounter meaningful and exciting. Oh and also you can starve to death, freeze, etc. In some ways it's actually harder than a souls game, and I love that.
You should check out Kingdom Come Deliverance. I love Dark Souls. I really enjoyed Outward. Kingdom Come Deliverance has become my favorite RPG of all time.
@@tennesseeheckler3014 Good to know, thank you.
I'm going to touch on two things missing from this otherwise comprehensive review as Mort tends to omit these aspects frequently (by choice I suspect as he is more narrative focused). The graphics and soundtrack, and how they work in unison to create an immersive experience.
Graphically, the title is not special, it is simplistic actually and the footage shows that, however, the team did a spectacular job on the lighting and art design making it aesthetically pleasing.
The soundtrack is simply one of the best available. I cannot do it justice in description, I simply urge those interested to listen to the track "Chersonese" on the OST. It is one of the earliest tracks that plays on your introduction to the wider world.
With that track in your head, imagine setting out into an unknown journey, a distant mountain on the horizon with fields of long grass changing from cyan to purple glowing beneath it. You are going on an adventure and you know it.
The hardships are what makes the game fun and what people want in survival game. The game is very immersive and is also a great game for coop. I've played it every time new DLC came out with my gf and we had an amazing time.
My friend and I were playing this on co op splitscreen. We were exploring and had a saying about the quickest way back to monsoon was to die and let someone carry us. The last time we took that Uber I lost my sword and he lost his litch hood. It was indeed not the quickest way back to monsoon after all the rerouting it took to regear.
I have an interesting game for you to review: Kenshi. Sseth reviewed it but I'm curious about your take on it too.
Love you channel, barony review would be great.
I would love to see you reviewing the game made as a mod for gothic2,its called chronicles of myrtana - archolos, I really loved this game, its pretty much a masterpiece
played this game co-op with my brother for a few hours. what an exhausting experience
Very good review 👍
which games got you most satisfaction after 100% completion?
Recommend this to anyone just got it for Xbox with the updated version I got this on release and I can this game is one of my favourites I come from the 90s so this is the rpg styles I'm used to maybe not so much the next generation