If there is one type of game that I love, it's RPGs, but it's a genre that is so vast... that it offers many possibilities. Today, I bring you OUTWARD: Definitive Edition on PC. I confess to you from the outset that I was surprised by this game in many ways, as you will see below. Here we go !
History
Guilty of being of the bloodline of a person who made mistakes, you must pay the blood price in cold hard cash. Following a boat sinking, you still won't be able to pay and you will only have 5 days to find the money that will be your temporary salvation, unless you manage to find a more definitive solution...
My opinion: the story, quite interesting in form, quickly directs us towards a choice of factions that goes hand in hand with obligations and constraints. For example, my faction in the blessed swamps offers me lightning and light abilities in exchange for an unbounded hatred towards me by Chaos, yes yes, I understood that I was a palouf. Beyond that, the story is quite classic with some well-felt twists. But the thing that will shock us the most is the "banal" side of our character who is not at all a hero or anything, just a person who hangs around and ends up there without really having a prodigious destiny to assume and which will fail many, many times.
Graphics & atmosphere
Far from being a graphic revolution, we end up with a decent game that offers varied and interesting environments. The pleasure of seeing the leafy plains with its welcoming fauna (with fangs, claws and spears) and its flora. I liked going through all the areas that show something really different and really strong.
As for the soundscape, the music will remain classic and banal as desired. The atmosphere is on the other hand well rendered between the different sound effects of combat and environment. We will often feel an atmosphere of 'emptiness' which will be quite present and which will sometimes risk tainting your gaming experience if you like chain fights and life in abundance.
Gameplay
General
A tutorial is possible and shows us the tricks of the game, but for those who want to do it the hard way, it is possible to launch the adventure directly. We find ourselves after a shipwreck that leaves us literally with nothing, except our underwear. We get something wearable and we start exploring a small area that will offer some equipment and a fight against hyenas. If we lose, we will start our adventure at home with what we have recovered. We notice here one of the originalities of the software: events at each of his defeats.
We can end up either in the village in a bad state, or in a cave with wild beasts, or by meeting a nice druid, etc... Once, I was brought back to the inn to heal me and relieve me of my scholarship... luckily I was broke. The story will force us to understand the game for ourselves by collecting money by all possible means to leave us the choice that will define our adventure: the factions. You will therefore have several possibilities with the resulting advantages and disadvantages.
The fights
You will have few choices at first. It will be with arms and flight that you will be able to fight, before learning the magic which will be an ally of choice against your enemies, even will be vital for certain fights. You can learn techniques and magic from instructors for hard cash.
But the battles won't be easy. I got destroyed by a number of hostile NPCs and nasty creatures at a bend in the path. Don't wait for a power-up that will increase your power all of a sudden... it's not on the program. On the other hand, the enemies who hunt you down and tear you to pieces, yes! You will have to rely on your dodging to keep you alive or on blocking, being very careful with your more than limited life and stamina bar.
Hunting, fishing, cooking and friendship
You will have many things to do, such as cooking to help you feel better and temporarily increase your stats, but also crafting which will allow you to make new weapons, new armor, more practical bags or even where to rest and take care of yourself. But you will have to be careful because, in addition to your personal protection, you will have to be careful to have clothes suitable for the weather, to keep your body temperature normal, equipment for drinking drinking water, and eat properly. How about a few traps for intruders who wish you harm?
Note that sleep will allow you to repair your equipment, regenerate your life, but should also make you take into account that you will have to do guard shifts to reduce the chances of being attacked while you sleep. But be happy, you can also count on a friend if someone deigns to play with you during your adventure. This co-op side is more than welcome and will allow you to have much more effective combat strategies (defense and attack!). You just need to find the person who wants to travel the world with you.
Summary
OUTWARD: Definitive Edition shows us that it is possible to make games that are complex and accessible to everyone, I really did not expect so much resistance or such a complicated start for my character. Once you get the hang of it and understand the mechanisms, it's fun to play after being skinned alive by the creatures lying around. In itself, the game is original, interesting and offers many hours in perspective. I recommend it without any hesitation to anyone looking for a game that does not end with a spoonful. The possibility of playing in co-op adds a plus, but will not take away its UFO aspect. There is so much to say that I surely forget some, but it will remain an experience in its own right.
