It was surprising for a lot of people to see Outcast – Second Contact launch in 2017, remaking an iconic sci-fi adventure game and updating it for the modern era. It appears to have been a success though, as Appeal are back with Outcast 2 – A New Beginning, set to launch on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X | S in the future. No set release date has been given, but from the brief glimpses shown in a behind closed doors presentation, Outcast 2 could be a fantastic sci-fi adventure.
Outcast 2 will once again put players in the role of the remarkably named Cutter Slade, who ended the last game trying to return to Earth after saving the world of Aldepha. Unfortunately, the portal didn’t work, and Cutter’s been lost to time for 20 years, just like the Outcast series. When he finally returns, the planet of Adelpha now has to contend with a group of hostile robot dudes looking to cause problems for everyone. Not fun.
Strangely, Outcast 2 has been a project in the making for two decades, as the original version of the sequel was in production at Infogrames before the studio went belly up. Afterwards, the series was mostly forgotten about, but with the success of the remade version, Outcast 2 is in full swing. Better still, 10 people from the original team, including the original game and art director, along with the composer, are working on the sequel, with development actively starting in 2018, not long after the release of Second Contact.
During the showcase, some in-game footage was showcased, and it certainly looks gorgeous, which is impressive when you consider that the footage taken was from a pre-alpha build 2 weeks before the showcase. The open world in particular looks brilliant, with plenty of lovely, vibrant jungles and ancient ruins to explore. The actual gunplay looks alright too, though not as much of it was shown. Mass Effect was mentioned as an inspiration, and it showed, with third-person cover shooting and abilities all confirmed.
Access and THQ Nordic were keen to stress that the story and gameplay were designed to be enjoyed by both new and veteran players, with features such as exploration and the non-linear narrative still at the heart of the game’s formula. Speaking of exploration, the developers are looking to create a sci-fi world you’d actually want to live in or visit. There’s a lot of dark and gritty sci-fi, so the developers want to create a game and world that’s a bit lighter.
It still feels like a product of the time the original Outcast was created in, though maybe that’s just because I can’t get over the name Cutter Slade and the fact he’s some swaggering wisecracker. It’s a bit silly. That said, Outcast 2 – A New Beginning looks like it could live up to the franchise’s incredible history. We’ll find out when Outcast 2 comes to PC and consoles in the future.
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