In the vast landscape of open-world adventure games with sandbox elements, for me, there is one title that has stood out among many others for its uniqueness: Outward. Despite its challenging gameplay loop, punishing mechanics, and minimal margin for error in almost everything you do, no other game has given me the same sense of joy since it launched, including through its major DLCs. You can imagine my excitement when the sequel was announced. And now, I got extremely lucky to try Outward 2 in its closed beta build, and it was everything I was hoping for in the sequel, and even more.
For the World is Dark and Full of Terrors
Many might already know what Outward is, but if not, allow me to enlighten you. Its predecessor was an open-world adventure sandbox experience that put you in the shoes of a regular Joe or Jane, with just a couple of silver coins to their name and a vast map to explore, quests to complete, and several dangers to face.
What made the predecessor so unique was the fact that it embraced player freedom in everything it did, from giving you different options to tackle a quest to placing deadlines on some missions and even punishing you for failing a few objectives. On top of that, you had a methodical action combat system paired with some of the best magic mechanics I’ve seen in years, all to deliver one of the most immersive gaming experiences out there. While the original title hasn’t aged so well, Outward 2 seems to improve on many of its shortcomings, at least based on early closed beta impressions.
As soon as I fired up the build, I was greeted by a straightforward yet extremely helpful tutorial, which I encourage everyone to take, and then I got the character creation screen. This time, you have more origin options, backgrounds, and traits that provide both positive and negative bonuses. While some options are still limited due to the build, I was glad to see how Nine Dot Studios has added more things to enhance the immersion. After building my crafty hoarder, I arrived in the gorgeous city of Simeon’s Bastion and promptly got my teeth kicked in. It’s intentional, though, as it’s part of the story and sets you up for your first big quest.
After waking up in a clinic, you have the objective to recover whatever the group of thieves who knocked you out stole. Like in its predecessor, you need to ask around to find out where to go, and with no guidance other than a map that shows landmarks, you need to pay a lot of attention. Eventually, I found a pawn shop and got the option to recover a trinket by paying ore or waiting a few days until it went on sale on the trader’s inventory. Being the impatient person that I am, I went with the former option and started my quest to gather 150 silver pieces.
Between this self-assigned journey, I also got a quest to gather a plant that allegedly ignites everyone who touches it. With only an estimated location of where it was, I found it after roaming around the outskirts of the city and beating some white chicken-like creatures. Since the plant would set me on fire, I doused myself, which allowed me to grab it. Then, on my way back, a dual-wielding bandit jumped out of nowhere, ambushed me, and knocked me out. When I woke up, due to the new defeat scenarios in Outward 2, I spawned next to a monster-infested stronghold. Since I’m as reckless as any sandbox player without proper equipment, I went inside and met my demise after taking three steps inside the building — it was magnificent.
Now, the reason why I describe all of this is to give you a scope of all the freedom that Outward 2 gives you, but most importantly, the immersion it conveys. For me, few games truly make you feel like an adventurer, and while being the Dragonborn is always enjoyable, I prefer seeing the world through the eyes of an ordinary person — something this game lets me do.
In terms of new additions, it is still a bit early to tell, especially since this is a very beta build, so to speak, but combat feels much better than in Outward. Magic returns with its intricate mechanics, yet it feels much better to use. Crafting and gathering still play a huge role, and hoarders might struggle less due to the addition of the handy pack mules. I do hope that Nine Dots eventually works on the UI because that is one thing that I feel needs a lot of polish. Challenge should come from the gameplay experience, not with battling against the UI, but again, it is an early build, so things may change down the line.
Still, Outward 2 was pretty surprising, even if the world isn’t open yet and the playable area only has a few quests. The real standout to me was the world, which feels grander in scale but also full of dangers lurking behind every corner. I remember how I often took breaks between Outward sessions, but the sequel had me glued to my chair as I went hunting for a new crafting recipe or looking for ways to make money.
A Sandbox Adventure With a Lot of Potential
Overall, Outward 2 has a lot of potential to not only surpass its predecessor but also many open-world sandbox experiences out there. The fact that the game gives you so much freedom from the get-go and just keeps getting better as you step out into the world is fantastic, and something that few games can replicate. My only complaint now is that I have to wait for the next big update, which I can only hope will get here soon. But in all seriousness, if you’re a fan of the first entry, Outward 2 is raising the bar in just about every way imaginable, and I can’t wait to see how its development progresses from here.
