Review: Outcast – A New Beginning

Developer – Appeal Studios Publisher – THQ Nordic Platforms – PC, Xbox Series S|X, PlayStation 5 (reviewed) Review copy given by publisher Many of you might not know of a game called Outcast, which was released all the way back in 1999 for Windows PC. It was one of the first truly open world games that paved the way for modern titles! Developer Appeal Studios went on to make a remake of the original titled Outcast – Second Contact in 2017 and is now coming out with a full fledged sequel called Outcast – A New Beginning. A New Beginning is by all means, a traditional and standard open-world third person action experience with RPG elements, and again follows series protagonist Cutter Slade on the alien planet of Adelpha. Despite technically being a sequel to the original Outcast, this game can be enjoyed and played as a standalone title with a separate narrative.  The biggest turnoff and initial hurdle are the opening hours of the game, where you’re forced to sit through tedious amounts of dialogue, cutscenes, and tutorials. This amount of hand holding is unseen in today’s day and age and it’s off putting to see the screen cut out to load a cutscene and then jump back to the actual gameplay. That being said, it does help you get used to the game’s systems, because the user navigation and menus are poorly designed by nature. The open world itself is very run of the mill, generic, and janky. We’re not in 1999 anymore – revolutionary design principles and ideas that were great 25 years ago are no longer cool now. After slogging through an extremely slow tutorial prologue, the world opens up for you to explore and traverse. While the graphics aren’t state of the art crisp, I did enjoy the diverse fauna and environments the world of Adelpha has to offer! The general story is reminiscent of the Avatar movie series, where humans are bad and the alien inhabitants on this planet are good.  The narrative picks up after the events of the original game, with you playing as protagonist Cutter Slade returning to the planet Adelpha with no memory. You quickly become embroiled in a conflict, tasked with fending off human invaders and uniting the planet’s inhabitants. After conversing with some locals, you’re tasked by the Talan to reactivate large portals called Daokas scattered across the lands. Audio design and voice acting are mostly fine, if you don’t mind some clunkiness and awkwardness to the dialogue. Mission structure generally revolves around storming an enemy base or finding an item or two. You’re equipped with an energy shield that doubles as a melee weapon, along with two firearms: a pistol and rifle. The gunplay feels decent, with DualSense rumble support and aim assist on the controller. Progression comes in the form of unlocking mods for your weapons that ultimately change what they do and how they look. You can experiment with a ton of different modules, such as turning your pistol into a machine gun or having your rifle shoot out mines. It’s pretty neat but I would have enjoyed finding brand new weapons instead. Traversing the world with your jetpack is probably the most fun this game has to offer. Later on you get a nifty glider as well. Though you only start out with a limited amount of charge in your jetpack and energy shield, they can both be upgraded later. Aside from combat and exploration, the open world is filled with padded side content such as light puzzles or timed obstacle course trials. The freedom is appreciated, but again, this game follows the generic open-world formula when it comes to game design. It has its fun moments, but there are also moments where you question why you’re playing it when there are so many better titles out there for cheaper. The biggest crime this game commits is its outrageous price tag. Outcast – A New Beginning is a whopping $69.99 on PlayStation 5, making it ten dollars more expensive when compared to its Steam counterpart. Let’s be real here, this is a double A title at best, but it’s triple A priced when the quality isn’t there. I’d reckon a fair price for this title would hover between the 30 to 40 dollar range, as there just isn’t enough content and polish to justify the cost. Even if you’re a fan of the first game, I’d wait for a sale on this one. Speaking of lack of polish, let’s talk about all the technical bugs that plague the game. For starters, the user interface looks outdated right off the bat. The menus are unintuitive to navigate, the text sizes are too small, and button inputs often don’t register. Load times are abysmally long on PlayStation 5, taking over 20 seconds to load in from a fresh launch. There’s also a quality and performance mode but even the latter struggles to maintain a steady 60 frames per second in the open-world. It generally hovered around 40-50 for me most of the time. NPCs would T-pose out of nowhere, I would clip through or get stuck in the environment, and the game hard-crashed on me a few times. Outcast – A New Beginning holds an undeniable amount of allure despite being an extremely janky and overpriced double A game. It offers an interesting world with a mix of old-school charm and modern gameplay mechanics. The jetpack traversal is addictive and the weapon modding system is refreshing. However, it’s clear this game will definitely not appeal to everyone, even if you’re a fan of the 1999 original.

Xbox releases Gaming for Everyone Product Inclusion Framework for game developers

In a significant move to promote diversity and inclusion in the gaming industry, Xbox has released its Gaming for Everyone Product Inclusion Framework to game developers at GDC 2024. This comprehensive set of resources aims to assist game developers in creating more approachable, representative, globally accessible, and accessible games. The Gaming for Everyone Product Inclusion Framework focuses on four key areas, or “Inclusive Growth Doorways,” that developers can use to weave intentionality and inclusion into their products: Xbox has created a central Resource Hub, accessible via https://aka.ms/ProductInclusion, to help developers utilize the framework effectively. This hub includes tangible examples, best practices, case studies, and other valuable resources. Xbox has been using and refining this framework internally since 2019 and is now offering it to the public. By making these resources available, Xbox hopes to empower developers to create more inclusive gaming experiences for everyone. For more information about the Gaming for Everyone Product Inclusion Framework, visit the Xbox Developer website at https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/games/resources/productinclusion/.

Alone in the Dark is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC

THQ Nordic and Pieces Interactive have officially released horror-survival game Alone in the Dark, a love letter to the original game. Alone in the Dark is now available to play on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. The Standard Edition can be purchased for $59.99 USD. Set in the haunting Derceto Manor, players take on the roles of Emily Hardwood and Edward Carnby, portrayed by the talented actors Jodie Comer (Free Guy, Killing Eve) and David Harbour (Stranger Things). Together, they must unravel the disappearance of Emily’s uncle, delving deep into the secrets that shroud the manor’s dark past. Alone in the Dark challenges players to solve puzzles and to confront terrifying entities along the way to uncover the truth. In our review of Alone in the Dark we scored it a 7 out of 10. “While it may offer moments of enjoyment, it ultimately fails to recapture the essence of its predecessors, leaving fans yearning for the chilling embrace of true horror.”

Bungie Hires Former Valorant Director To Lead Marathon

Last year, Bungie had a bunch of layoffs to the studio and more is apparently coming that will impact their next project, Marathon. According to IGN, Bungie had let go of Christopher Barrett who had been working with the studio for a long time and was leading the Marathon reboot. Former Valorant game director, Joe Ziegler has been working on Marathon as the game director over the last 9 months. Joe left Riot Games for Bungie in 2022, but the role was never specified until now. “For the last 9 Months, I’ve been working on Marathon as the game director. We’re still baking, but I’m excited to share with you more info on the game as we get closer and closer to bringing it to all of you,” says Ziegler on X (Twitter). Hey everyone! Fun update: for the last 9Months I’ve been working on Marathon as the game director. We’re still baking, but I’m excited to share with you more info on the game as we get closer and closer to bringing it to all of you. — Ziegler (@Ziegler_Dev) March 19, 2024 IGN also mentions that Bungie is pouring resources into getting Marathon shipped and its direction shifted under Joe Ziegeler. One example is that instead of having custom player characters there will be a cast of heroes to choose from. It was announced in late 2023 that Marathon was delayed to a 2025 release pushing it just a year from its planned launch which layoffs at PlayStation Studios were more than likely a large factor in that.

Review: Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator

Developer – Simteract Publisher – Nacon Platforms –  PS5, Xbox Series S|X, PC (Reviewed) Review copy given by Publisher Created in 2021, NACON’s LIFE range aims to create a catalogue of video games dedicated to life simulations. Simulation games are attracting more and more gamers who are looking for increasingly immersive experiences and want to try uncommon or very technical professions. In these LIFE simulators, players can experience the life of a range of jobs through varied game mechanics that combine planning,managing and performing specific tasks related to the relevant profession. In the latest Life game , We are taking a look at becoming a professional Taxi Driver. Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator provides a distinctive experience, allowing you to step into the role of a taxi driver and the manager of your own taxi company. Your goal is to pick up and drop off passengers at various locations around Barcelona while adhering to traffic regulations, responding to road incidents, and satisfying customer requests to earn high ratings and generous tips. Moreover, you are responsible for developing your taxi company: recruiting other drivers, increasing your vehicle fleet, and making strategic decisions to ensure the growth and success of your business. One of the appealing aspects of this game is its meticulous replication of Barcelona. The development team has accurately reproduced a significant portion of Gaudi’s city at a 1:1 scale, featuring 460 km (285 miles) of roads and notable landmarks such as Royal Square, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, and Plaça de Catalunya. During the game, You don’t have to just drive and focus on building your taxi cab empire, but you can take advantage of your free time between fares to explore the city and visit numerous points of interest, which will grant you experience to unlock new abilities. To enhance the sense of realism, the street names are in Catalan, and the entire game is translated into Catalan to honor the city and its people. In Taxi Life, there are 5 “objectives” or different things you want to be aware of and keep in mind while you grow your taxi cab empire, those things are: Driving Performance & Etiquette, Maintenance, Vehicle Comfort & Customizations, Completing Challenges & Taking care of VIP Riders, and lastly and most importantly growing your success and building out the company. When it comes to Driving Performance & Etiquette, your responsibilities as a taxi driver extend beyond merely transporting customers to their destinations while obeying traffic regulations and adjusting your route to accommodate random events (such as accidents, construction, and parades) and varying driving conditions (like night-time and wet surfaces). It is also essential to cater to your passengers’ needs, which may include changing the radio station, turning on the heat, or providing recommendations for places to visit. By promptly responding to their requests, you can earn excellent ratings and receive generous tips from your passengers. In Taxi Life, maintaining your vehicle is a crucial aspect of managing your taxi company and ensuring its success. As a taxi driver, you must stay vigilant and monitor the various indicators on your car’s dashboard to identify any issues that may arise and address them promptly. These indicators can provide early warnings of potential problems, such as low fuel, engine temperature, or tire pressure, allowing you to take action before they escalate into significant issues that could leave you stranded or cause severe damage to your vehicle. To maintain your taxis in top condition, you will need to visit service stations and garages regularly. These facilities offer a range of maintenance tasks, including routine inspections, repairs, and cleaning services. By staying on top of these tasks, you can keep your taxi running smoothly and avoid costly repairs or replacements down the line. Cleaning your taxi is an essential maintenance task that should not be overlooked. A clean and well-maintained taxi not only creates a more pleasant experience for your passengers but also helps to project a professional image for your business. By visiting a car wash or garage, you can have your taxi thoroughly cleaned, both inside and out, ensuring that it remains presentable and attractive to potential customers. In addition to these routine maintenance tasks, you may also need to take your taxi to a garage for more significant repairs or replacement of worn-out parts. These repairs can be costly, so it’s essential to stay on top of your vehicle’s maintenance needs and address any issues promptly to avoid more extensive and expensive repairs down the line. By investing in regular maintenance and repairs, you can keep your taxi running smoothly and reliably, ensuring that you can continue to provide excellent service to your customers and grow your business. In Taxi Life, you have the freedom to customize your car model and driving style, as well as the vehicle’s size, color, cabin, rims, components, and accessories. As you progress through the game, you can use the money and experience you earn to upgrade these features, enhancing both the performance and appearance of your taxi. This level of customization allows you to tailor your taxi to your specific preferences and driving style, creating a unique and personalized experience that reflects your individuality and helps you stand out on the streets of Barcelona. Not only do these customizations enhance the customers experience and comfort , it can lead to you being a more premium ride and get more tips. Throughout the game , you will have the opportunity to undertake various challenges. These special missions may include tasks such as driving as fast as possible while disregarding speeding fines or strictly adhering to all traffic regulations, to make sure your VIP client gets to there destination on time. It’s important to note that the customers in these missions have particularly high expectations, so you will need to be at the top of your game to satisfy their demands. Completing these challenges successfully can earn you rewards and recognition, providing an exciting and engaging experience that