It’s been 20 years since Outcast first made waves in the gaming world, earning a place in the history books for pioneering non-linear open-world gameplay. Appeal Studios and THQ Nordic have finally delivered the long-awaited sequel: Outcast – A New Beginning. Cutter Slade, the wise-cracking ex-Navy SEAL, is back on the alien world of Adelpha, and this time, the stakes are even higher. The Talans, once free, are now enslaved, and the planet is on the verge of collapse, stripped of its resources by invading robotic forces. Cutter must once again take up arms to save the planet and uncover the mysteries of his past intertwined with this otherworldly conflict.
Outcast – A New Beginning brings back the original development team, with all the charm and innovative gameplay that made the first game a hit, while modernizing the experience with sleek new mechanics and a more expansive open world. It also brings back the original composer, Lennie Moore, to deliver a sweeping, epic soundtrack that enhances every moment of exploration and battle. With a jetpack in hand, new weapon customization options, and a world teeming with hidden temples, wildlife, and Talan culture, Outcast – A New Beginning promises to deliver on the nostalgia while offering something fresh for returning fans and new players.
Does this long-awaited sequel capture the original’s magic while stepping into the modern gaming era, or does it buckle under the weight of its legacy? Let’s dive in and find out.
Setting and Story
Outcast – A New Beginning transports players back to the vibrant and mysterious alien world of Adelpha, a planet that fans of the original game will instantly recognize. However, the Adelpha of today is a world under siege. Once a beautiful, untamed environment, it is now marred by the presence of invading robotic forces that have enslaved the native Talan people and stripped the land of its natural resources. The setting is not just a backdrop—it’s a dynamic world that feels alive, from its diverse landscapes to the people you’ll encounter and help along the way.
Cutter Slade, the protagonist of the original Outcast, returns to Adelpha, resurrected by the almighty Yods. But things have changed dramatically since his last visit. The once-peaceful Talan people live under oppression, their villages in ruin, and their ancient powers—once a source of wonder—are now a key to survival. The invading robots have a much deeper connection to Cutter’s past than he initially realizes, adding an unexpected layer of personal stakes to the story.
The narrative in Outcast – A New Beginning blends old and new elements. Long-time fans will appreciate the return of familiar faces and locations, but the game does an excellent job of making the story accessible to newcomers as well. You don’t need to have played the original to understand what’s going on, as the game does a great job of easing players into the lore. Cutter’s dry wit remains a central feature, with his personality clashing against the more severe backdrop of Adelpha’s plight. This contrast between Cutter’s humour and the world’s darker themes gives the story an interesting dynamic.
What truly makes the setting shine is the attention to detail in the world-building. The Talan culture, history, and traditions are deeply woven into the gameplay. You’ll help villages, learn their ways, and eventually unlock ancient powers tied to the planet’s natural forces. This connection to the planet’s energy feels immersive and rewarding, making the world more tangible. The non-linear nature of the world means you’re free to explore at your own pace, uncovering hidden temples, ancient relics, and untamed wildlife that all contribute to the richness of Adelpha.
The overarching story has Cutter not only battling the invading robots but also searching for answers about his role in the fate of Adelpha. Why did the Yods resurrect him? What is the deeper connection between him and the invaders? These narrative threads give the story more depth and add an air of mystery that keeps players engaged. As you progress, you’ll discover that the stakes are not just about saving a planet—it’s about uncovering the truth about who Cutter is and what his true purpose might be.
In conclusion, Outcast – A New Beginning successfully builds on the foundations of the original while expanding the world of Adelpha in meaningful ways. The setting and story work in tandem to deliver an experience that feels both nostalgic and fresh, with a rich lore that invites exploration and discovery.
Gameplay and Mechanics
The heart of Outcast – A New Beginning lies in its gameplay, which masterfully blends open-world exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving. At its core, the game is all about freedom—allowing players to tackle objectives at their own pace non-linearly. Whether flying across Adelpha’s vast landscapes with your jetpack or diving into combat with custom-built weapons, Outcast – A New Beginning delivers a robust, dynamic experience that keeps the action fresh and engaging.
Jetpack-Powered Exploration:
One of the standout features of Outcast – A New Beginning is the jetpack, a tool that transforms how you traverse the sprawling landscapes of Adelpha. The jetpack offers verticality to the world, enabling you to jump, air-dash, glide, and soar quickly across environments. The freedom it provides isn’t just about getting from point A to point B—it’s about discovering hidden areas, solving environmental puzzles, and gaining tactical advantages in combat.
The open-world design allows for seamless exploration. Whether you’re navigating lush forests, desolate ruins, or alien temples, the jetpack adds a layer of fluidity and fun to the traversal mechanics. It feels liberating to fly over hills, leap across chasms, and drop down on enemies from above. The world is hand-crafted to encourage exploration, with secrets, hidden pathways, and ancient temples that reward those who stray off the beaten path.
Customizable Combat – Break, Build, and Destroy:
The combat system in Outcast – A New Beginning revolves around customization and strategy. Cutter Slade has access to various weapons, which players can modify with different modules to create their ideal loadout. Whether you prefer long-range sniping, up-close melee combat, or powerful energy-based weaponry, the game gives you plenty of options to play however you want.
Modules you unlock and discover as you progress allow you to mix and match parts to create unique weapons with specific perks. The modular system adds an element of experimentation, encouraging players to try different builds depending on the situation. For example, you might equip a weapon with long-range targeting modules for open-world skirmishes, while a close-quarters configuration works better for exploring indoor ruins filled with enemies.
Combat is fast-paced and varied, with enemy AI providing a decent challenge. The invading robotic forces you face are formidable, and the game demands you make full use of your arsenal and skills. Dodging, air-dashing, and using your jetpack to stay mobile in battle are essential to success. Boss fights, in particular, are well-designed, offering multi-phase encounters that test your mastery of the game’s mechanics.
Tactical Flexibility and Non-Linear Progression:
One of Outcast – A New Beginning‘s biggest strengths is how it gives players control over the pacing and direction of the story. The non-linear structure means you can approach the game’s objectives in any order, allowing for a personalized experience. Whether you want to dive deep into side quests that involve helping Talan villages or focus on the main story missions, the game accommodates both playstyles. This sense of agency keeps things fresh, as players can follow the narrative path that interests them at any time.
In addition to its mission structure, the game offers plenty of flexibility in approaching combat scenarios. Stealth is an option in certain situations, letting you sneak up on enemies, take out scouts silently, or avoid large groups altogether. Alternatively, you can go in guns blazing, relying on your customizable weapons and powers to overwhelm your foes. The ability to shift between stealth and action at will means players are never locked into one playstyle.
Environmental Puzzles and Talan Powers:
Beyond combat and exploration, Outcast – A New Beginning also incorporates environmental puzzles and Talan powers, adding complexity to the gameplay. As you help the Talan people and restore their villages, you unlock access to ancient Talan powers tied to natural elements. These powers provide powerful combat abilities—such as summoning lightning storms or controlling the wind—and play a role in solving environmental puzzles.
These puzzles are scattered throughout Adelpha and often involve creative interaction with the environment. Whether using wind to move obstacles or channelling energy to unlock hidden temples, these puzzles are satisfying and break up the action with moments of thoughtful problem-solving.
In conclusion, Outcast—A New Beginning offers a rich and varied gameplay experience. The combination of customizable combat, jetpack-fueled exploration, and non-linear progression ensures that players are constantly engaged, while the Talan powers and environmental puzzles provide additional layers of depth. It’s a well-balanced game that gives players the tools to carve their path, whether they’re here for the story, the exploration, or the combat.
Multiplayer and Replayability
While Outcast – A New Beginning is primarily a single-player experience, its depth of gameplay and non-linear structure provide a significant level of replayability. The game doesn’t include traditional multiplayer modes, but its expansive open-world design and various player-driven choices ensure that each playthrough feels fresh and rewarding. Let’s explore how the game encourages long-term engagement even without multiplayer elements.
Replayability Through Non-Linear Story and Exploration:
One of the standout features of Outcast – A New Beginning is its non-linear approach to the story and world exploration. The game doesn’t force players down a single, rigid path—instead, you’re free to pursue objectives at your own pace, unlocking secrets and temples and engaging in side quests as you see fit. This structure encourages multiple playthroughs, as players can approach the game’s objectives differently on subsequent runs, focusing on different aspects of the world each time.
How you interact with the Talan people also contributes to the game’s replay value. Each playthrough can emphasize different abilities and combat strategies by prioritizing different villages and unlocking ancient powers in varied order. This sense of freedom and personal choice makes Outcast – A New Beginning a game where exploration never feels repetitive. Whether you missed a hidden temple or chose not to explore a certain region in your first playthrough, there’s always something new to uncover when you revisit Adelpha.
Talan Powers and Combat Styles:
As players unlock new Talan powers, how they approach combat and environmental puzzles evolves. These powers are tied to nature and offer different ways to dispatch enemies or manipulate the environment. For example, on one playthrough, you may focus on offensive abilities like calling down lightning storms to obliterate your enemies. At the same time, you might favour more defensive or support-based powers on another. This variety allows players to customize their gameplay experience, encouraging experimentation and new strategies on subsequent runs.
Similarly, the modular weapon system adds to the game’s replayability. With dozens of modules to customize your weapons, players can create new builds on repeat playthroughs. Whether you’re building a sniper-focused long-range weapon or crafting a rapid-fire assault rifle with energy-based enhancements, the ability to change your loadout encourages players to try different combat styles and discover new ways to engage with the game’s enemies.
Side Quests and World-Building:
Outcast – A New Beginning also features a wealth of side quests that add depth to the world and provide additional replayability. These quests are tied to the Talan people and the world’s lore, offering meaningful stories and rewards beyond the main narrative. Many of these side quests are optional and often provide unique gameplay challenges or introduce new mechanics.
The game’s world-building is rich with hidden secrets, temples, and environmental puzzles, giving players the incentive to explore every corner of Adelpha fully. On a first playthrough, it’s unlikely that players will uncover every hidden detail, so completionists will find plenty of reasons to dive back into the world. Additionally, the open-world design means there’s no singular “right way” to play the game, contributing to the feeling of discovery and replay value.
Multiple Endings and Player Choices:
The narrative in Outcast – A New Beginning also incorporates multiple possible outcomes, depending on the player’s actions and decisions throughout the game. The choices you make—how you approach the Talans, how you tackle the invaders, and what powers you unlock—can influence the ending you receive. This branching narrative gives players a reason to revisit the game and make different decisions to see how the story might unfold in new ways.
Future Updates and Content Potential:
While Outcast – A New Beginning does not include multiplayer, there is potential for post-launch content or expansions that could further enhance its replayability. Whether through additional missions, new regions of Adelpha to explore, or expanded customization options, the game’s modular nature leaves the door open for future content updates. For now, the sheer breadth of the base game offers plenty to keep players engaged for the long haul.
Replayability Without Multiplayer:
Even without traditional multiplayer modes, Outcast – A New Beginning provides a fulfilling and long-lasting single-player experience. The combination of a sprawling, open world filled with secrets, dynamic combat systems, customizable weapons, and Talan powers means there’s always something new to try. Players can experiment with different strategies, explore untapped regions, and engage with the game’s rich lore in varied ways, ensuring that no two playthroughs feel the same.
In conclusion, Outcast—A New Beginning proves that a well-designed single-player game can have immense replay value, even in the absence of multiplayer modes. Its non-linear structure, multiple endings, deep customization systems, and wealth of side content encourage players to return for new experiences long after the first playthrough.
Graphics and Sound
Outcast – A New Beginning immerses players in a beautifully crafted world, combining modern visuals with atmospheric sound design to bring Adelpha to life. Appeal Studios has paid meticulous attention to the environment, character design, and audio, making the game visually stunning and an auditory delight. Let’s examine how the game’s graphics and sound contribute to its overall experience.
Graphics:
The visual design of Outcast – A New Beginning is breathtaking. Adelpha is a hand-crafted alien world filled with vibrant ecosystems ranging from lush forests and cascading waterfalls to desert ruins and ancient temples. The level of detail in each region makes the planet feel alive, and the diverse biomes invite exploration. Lighting effects, shadows, and environmental information—such as the swaying of alien flora or the way sunlight filters through treetops—enhance the sense of immersion and make each area visually distinct.
Character models, particularly for the Talan people, are well-designed, featuring intricate clothing and facial expressions that help bring their culture and struggles to life. The invading robotic forces are imposing and sleek, their mechanical designs contrasting sharply with Adelpha’s natural beauty. As the protagonist, Cutter Slade has been updated with modern animations and detailed armour, yet he retains the rugged charm that fans remember from the original game.
One of the game’s standout features is the seamless integration of the jetpack mechanics with the world design. The jetpack animations are smooth, and whether Cutter is gliding through the sky or dashing through open fields, the environments respond dynamically, adding a sense of scale and freedom to the experience. You’ll often soar across sweeping landscapes, taking in breathtaking vistas highlighting the game’s impressive draw distance and environmental variety.
Adelpha is not just a pretty world but a living one. Wildlife roams freely, and interactive elements like destructible terrain or reactive wildlife help create a more immersive experience. The game’s temples and ruins are especially noteworthy, filled with ancient architecture and complex designs that give the world a sense of history. These locations often hide environmental puzzles or secrets, rewarding players for fully exploring their surroundings.
Sound:
Sound plays a significant role in Outcast – A New Beginning, and the original composer Lennie Moore’s return ensures that the game’s soundtrack is as epic and atmospheric as ever. The orchestral score complements the sweeping landscapes of Adelpha, offering grand, cinematic moments during exploration while ramping up the tension during intense combat sequences. The music shifts dynamically depending on the situation, creating a seamless transition between moments of quiet discovery and full-blown action.
The soundtrack isn’t just background noise—it’s integral to the game’s emotional beats. Whether traversing the calm, serene forests or battling waves of robotic invaders, the music elevates the experience and draws players deeper into the world. Long-time fans of the original Outcast will also appreciate the thematic continuity in the music, with familiar motifs subtly woven into the new compositions.
The sound effects in Outcast – A New Beginning are equally impressive, with each aspect of the game’s design reinforced by thoughtful audio cues. From the hum of your jetpack as you fly to the metallic clang of robots and the crackle of weapons fire, the audio design helps players feel connected to the world around them. Each weapon you customize has its distinct sound, from the satisfying hum of energy rifles to the explosive blasts of heavy artillery. These sounds provide essential feedback during combat, allowing you to quickly assess the battlefield and react accordingly.
Environmental sound design also plays a massive role in building immersion. The world of Adelpha is filled with subtle ambient noises—wind rustling through trees, alien wildlife calling in the distance, the rhythmic pattern of rain—that make the world feel alive. The audio reflects the environment as you explore different regions, from the echoing silence of a desert ruin to the rushing sound of a waterfall in the forest. These auditory details enhance the sense of scale and place, making the world feel alien yet grounded in realism.
Voice Acting and Dialogue:
Cutter Slade’s return is marked by his signature dry wit, and the voice acting perfectly captures his personality. The performances are well-delivered, with Cutter’s sarcastic remarks adding fun to the otherwise severe narrative. His interactions with the Talan people are particularly engaging, as he often plays the role of a reluctant hero despite his deeper connection to Adelpha’s fate. The voice acting for the Talan characters is also strong, helping to convey their plight and culture authentically.
The dialogue between characters feels natural, and while the game balances humour and drama well, it doesn’t overdo the quips or monologues. Conversations are concise and to the point, providing key narrative insights without bogging down the game’s pace. The NPCs you meet throughout the game all have distinct personalities, and the voice acting adds to their individuality, making the world feel populated by various characters with their goals and struggles.
Performance:
Technically, Outcast – A New Beginning performs smoothly across the board, with stable frame rates even during larger battles or when exploring wide-open areas. The transitions between zones and fast travel points are quick, ensuring the open-world experience remains seamless without long load times breaking immersion. The game is optimized well, running smoothly even on mid-range systems, allowing more players to experience the beauty of Adelpha without sacrificing visual quality.
In conclusion, Outcast – A New Beginning excels in its visual and auditory presentation, creating a world that is as captivating to explore as it is to look at. From the vibrant landscapes of Adelpha to the sweeping orchestral score and meticulous sound design, the game pulls players into a living, breathing world where every detail has been crafted with care. Whether flying across open plains with your jetpack or engaging in intense firefights, the graphics and sound elevate every moment of the experience.
Final Thoughts
Outcast—A New Beginning is a triumphant return to the world of Adelpha. It delivers a satisfying blend of nostalgia for fans of the original game while introducing fresh mechanics and modern innovations for newcomers. Appeal Studios and THQ Nordic have done an excellent job revitalizing this beloved series, balancing rich world-building, engaging gameplay, and deep customization to create an immersive open-world experience.
One of the game’s most impressive aspects is its non-linear approach, which allows players to explore at their own pace and tailor their adventure based on their personal play style. The jetpack-fueled traversal is a standout mechanic, offering a thrilling sense of freedom as players soar across Adelpha’s stunning landscapes. Coupled with dynamic combat, a deep weapon customization system, and the ability to unlock powerful Talan abilities, the varied gameplay keeps players engaged.
Narratively, Outcast – A New Beginning balances humour and gravitas, with Cutter Slade’s iconic dry wit perfectly contrasting the darker story of Adelpha’s enslavement. The game does a great job of building on the lore of the original while expanding the stakes, introducing new characters and mysteries that tie into Cutter’s past. Whether you’re invested in the story or want to explore the world, the game offers something for everyone.
The game’s hand-crafted world is visually stunning, with vibrant ecosystems and detailed environments that bring the alien planet to life. Combined with the epic orchestral soundtrack by Lennie Moore, Outcast – A New Beginning creates a truly immersive atmosphere that draws players in and keeps them captivated.
While the game excels in many areas, there are minor drawbacks. The compelling story may not have the narrative depth that some players might expect from a modern RPG, and the lack of traditional multiplayer may disappoint those hoping for cooperative play or competitive modes. However, these are small gripes in a thoroughly enjoyable single-player experience.
Ultimately, Outcast – A New Beginning is a fantastic evolution of the original game, offering rich exploration, satisfying combat, and a world that feels alive with history and culture. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer, this game offers a rewarding adventure worth every moment spent on the planet of Adelpha.
We prepared this review using a digital copy of Outcast—A New Beginning for the PS5 version provided by SandBox Strategies.
