Outriders: Worldslayer Preview: A Vibrant Expansion
Outriders was a game that more or less felt like it came and went in early 2021. Although it was a great addition to Xbox Game Pass, launch issues that persisted for an extended period of time and a generally positive but not very noteworthy reception caused it to fade away from the public eye. Of course, like any game, it had its devoted fan base that ate up new content, but it didn't have the kind of attachment that something like Destiny does. However, Outriders' new expansion, Worldslayer, looks like the shot of adrenaline the online RPG-shooter needs to win back lapsed players and excite veterans.
Outriders: Worldslayer features an all-new campaign that's accessible to everyone from the jump as players can use their existing character or use a free boost to reach the appropriate level on new characters. With all kinds of new weapons and gear at their disposal, players are tasked with going up against a powerful Altered known as Ereshkigal, someone who seeks to stand in the way of the Outriders and threaten their survival.
In an hour-long hands-on preview, I was able to feel a sense of desperation from the Outriders, and the few cutscenes I saw emphasized the urgency and drama of the situation. Various characters were in states of panic and helped solidify that this threat was the real deal. It's easy for a game like this to fall into the trap of creating generic villains that are oh so mighty and powerful, but in reality, they are excruciatingly forgettable. While there is still much to be seen, there is an effective amount of build-up in Worldslayer that paints a strong picture of the danger that you're in and creates tangible stakes both through the writing and the missions you go on.
Immediately, Outriders: Worldslayer is a breath of fresh air for the game. The original game had a very dark and mildly generic look. It lacked a lot of life, and while that works for the tone the game is trying to set, it makes a game that is meant to last dozens – if not hundreds – of hours feel very oppressive and repetitive. Wordslayer immediately looks to address that. During my preview, I went to two distinctly different biomes that felt like a far cry from what was in the base game.
The first one was some kind of icy tundra where winds howled and thick snow prevented you from seeing very far ahead. It was instantly striking after experiencing the base game in a bunch of muddy environments. After fighting a giant beast in a snowstorm and battling through bright white caves that resemble Superman's Fortress of Solitude, my squadmate and I moved on to a swampy area.
It felt like something out of an episode of Scooby-Doo. There were derelict shacks with all kinds of nets and random tools lying around, moody fog to build suspense, and enemies that looked like they bathed in the soupy water. To top it all off, our mission was to find a ghost ship. It's spooky and atmospheric in a way that the original game wasn't. Perhaps more importantly, there is real variety here. There was a strong contrast to the environments we explored and the enemies we were battling within them. It felt like People Can Fly was listening to critiques of the base game and applied them to its first premium expansion in a solid way.
The developer noted that it had taken feedback from the community over the last year and packed it into Worldslayer. From additional mod slots to how it is designing the combat, there are plenty of new quality of life changes that help improve the gameplay of Outriders. There are also "Apocalypse Tiers," something that replaces Challenge Tiers and allows for more lucrative rewards and variations in difficulty.
However, as is par for the course with these kinds of games, there are a lot of new systems and menus added that just feel like they further convolute an otherwise relatively straightforward game. There are now different skill trees and ways to progress, and if you're someone who has either never played the game or hasn't played it in a while (like myself), this is going to feel overwhelming. Given this preview was roughly an hour long, there wasn't a lot of time to familiarize myself with the new systems while juggling combat, but it largely felt unnecessary. For veterans, this may be welcomed as these additions offer even more specificity over how you build your character, but it is hard to imagine newcomers messing around with them until they have a greater grasp on the game.
Even though there are some unnecessary changes. Outriders: Worldslayer is a hefty expansion that looks like it will give the game a greater sense of identity. It mixes the punchy and satisfying combat with diverse levels and captivating storytelling that quickly ropes players in. Whether this will give Outriders a second life with a larger audience remains to be seen, but either way, it's a valiant effort that should please anyone with at least a fleeting interest in the game.
Outriders: Worldslayer releases as a premium expansion for Outriders on June 30th, 2022 for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.