GB Feature: Outward Preview

Val recently had the opportunity to give Outward a spin, which you may recall is the the survival-heavy and open-world RPG offering headed our way in several weeks (on March 26th) from Deep Silver and Nine Dots Studio. His hands-on experience has led to a three-page review that you may want to take in before making a final pre-order decision:

The immediate area around your village is packed with bandit camps, hostile settlements, ancient ruins, and mysterious caves, with the main attraction being a giant magic mountain right in the middle. Looking at the map of your home region, you’ll probably notice that your character is not on it. You get a compass, some occasional signposts, a series of landmarks, and that’s that. If you want to get anywhere in Outward, you will need to actually follow the directions the game’s NPCs give you.

You will also need to be prepared for anything, as pretty much everything in Outward is out to get you. Forget bandits, skeletons, and giant lightning-spitting shrimp, even the game’s oversized chickens are brimming with bloodlust. And if you’re not careful, the chickens will get you.

And if they don’t, then it will be the heat. Or the cold. Or the lack of food and water. So, not only will you need to be on the constant lookout for monsters, you’ll also have to forage and hunt for food and collect water wherever you can. On top of that, the longer you stay awake, the shorter your stamina bar gets, forcing you to rest from time to time.