Even in Beta, Outward 2 Delivers a Brutal Challenge That Won’t Suit All Gamers (But That’s The Point) [Preview]

These days, RPGs run the spectrum from cozy to hardcore, with a game to suit just about any gamer. And for those who want a true challenge from a game that absolutely will not hold your hand, the first Outward has long been a cult classic. Now, Nine Dots is preparing to launch the survival RPG’s long-awaited sequel, Outward 2. This follow-up is intended to give fans everything the first game has to offer, refined by years of player feedback. Ahead of the game’s final Closed Beta on May 26th, I had a chance to check out the beta build to see what Outward 2 has to offer.

When Nine Dots says Outward 2 is a “challenging action RPG” with “no hand-holding,” they are very much not kidding. Loading into the beta, you’re strongly encouraged to play a tutorial build before jumping into the game. And I can see why. From the start, you’re very much on your own, an unremarkable nobody trying to make your way in the world. It’s a pretty stark contrast to popular chosen one games like Skyrim, and it’s safe to say it won’t be to everyone’s taste. But after spending several hours in Aurai, I can see what Outward 2 is going for… even if it’s still a bit rough around the edges in beta.

Outward 2 Levels Up Character Creation, But Getting Stronger Won’t Be Easy

One of the core things that Nine Dots wants to improve in its sequel RPG is character creation. After all, that’s where you start any RPG journey. And while the whole point of Outward is that you’re not anyone special, that doesn’t mean your character can’t feel like who you want to be. The UI for character creation is a little bit clunky, but you’ve still got a decent set of options for your physical appearance in the closed beta. More to the point, choosing from 11 different backgrounds and 10 unique traits lets you customize your starting build in this brutal survival game. Eventually, gamers will also be able to select a unique starting scenario from 3 different options, but only 1 is available in the beta build.

Once you make your choices, the journey of your average Joe (or Jane) begins. And leveling up from that starting build won’t be easy. One of the things I most appreciated about Outward 2 is how it approaches skills. You don’t just get to spend points willy-nilly. Instead, each new ability on the skill tree requires real-world actions to unlock. Your character has to actually learn by, say, cooking, crafting, or defeating enemies before you’ll be able to spend skill points to learn new abilities. This adds to the gritty realism and challenge the game is going for. It does make for slow going, but it makes those skills truly feel earned in a way that adds to immersion.

Of course, the time it takes to meaningfully level up your character does mean you’re probably going to die, a lot. Especially if you have the melee combat reflexes of a slug like I do. In Outward 2, getting defeated by an enemy doesn’t lead to a simple respawn. Instead, you get one of a handful of failure scenarios. When you wake back up, you might find yourself robbed and abandoned, with your pack way up at the top of a cliff. Or, you may get lucky and be dragged back to the inn. No matter what happens, you have to live with your failure rather than simply getting a do-over. For me, this was more frustrating than it was fun, but I can certainly see what Nine Dots is going for here. If you like a realistic challenge, Outward 2 is going to deliver already even in beta.

It’s a Slow Burn with Some Kinks to Work Out, But Outward 2 Clearly Builds on Its Predecessor

Cards on the table, I didn’t have much fun with my first couple of hours in Outward 2. That “do the tutorial” prompt at the beginning is not kidding. There’s quite a learning curve with this one, especially if you don’t have a ton of hours in the first game. But once you settle into the many ways Outward 2 does action RPG differently than many popular games, it starts to grow on you to the point that you’re constantly itching for another few hours in Aurai. That said, the game definitely does still feel like a work in progress in beta. Prepare to see some snags and glitches along the way, including my personal favorite: fully invisible beds in the local inn.

Other key areas that Nine Dots wants to improve upon compared with the first Outward are combat, story, and a world that truly feels alive. You can feel the start towards each of these areas in beta, but I don’t think we’re quite there yet. The world is bustling with characters going about their business, but many of them are still pretty static. Those you can talk to have interesting personalities, but the dialogue still loads slowly enough that I sometimes wondered if my poor PC had given up the ghost. Despite those snags, however, you do start to feel immersed in the game. That’s helped along by the game’s lack of quest markers. You’ll be consulting a static map that doesn’t tell you where you are, learning the lay of the land as you go. In this way, Aurai does start to feel personal very quickly… especially if you’ve got the sense of direction I do and wind up running circles around the city.

As for combat? It’s definitely tricky to master, and if you don’t get the hang of dodging and blocking, you won’t spend much time in combat at all before you are very, very dead. For me, combat still feels more frustrating than fluid, but I think it’s got a lot of potential for those who enjoy fast-paced melee combat and enemies that won’t give up easily. I can’t count the number of times I tried to flee, only to get horns in the back on my way out.

In terms of story, I think I need more time with Outward 2 to say much in this area. Because quests expire if you don’t complete them in time, I didn’t make a lot of progress in my initial playthrough. I spent too much time being lost and getting killed to finish a single one of the early quests in time, so suffice it to say, my character’s story isn’t going much of anywhere yet. But I do like the way that moving forward from each failure creates the sense of an ongoing journey, one that is just part of what’s happening in this wider world.

After many hours in Outward 2‘s closed beta, I came away eager to play more. The game definitely feels rough around the edges still, and it runs a bit slowly even in potato mode (which yes, I did use). But even so, if you’re looking for a realistic survival RPG that isn’t going to hold your hand, I think the beta for Outward 2 is well worth checking out when it launches on May 26th. Since the beta runs until June 8th, you’ll have a good bit of time to settle into the grueling gameplay loop and see what Outward 2 has to offer.

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