The Outcast series is a franchise that has been around since the late 90s, but it’s finally back in 2018 with an updated version of the original game.
The sequel to the first Outcast, which was released more than 20 years ago, is finally on the horizon. Outcast 2: A New Beginning is genuine, and it’s coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, according to THQ Nordic and Appeal Studios (featuring members of the original team). THQ’s 10th Anniversary event announced the news, but no release date was given.
The game is set 20 years after the events of the original game, which the creators purposefully timed to correspond with the time between the sequel’s announcement in 2001 and today. While it may hearken to a bygone age, this is a brand-new game — the original version of Outcast 2 was shelved in 2010 — and while it may harken to a bygone era, it’s built for contemporary platforms.
Cutter Slade, the protagonist, returns in “a robust single-player adventure,” according to Appeal. While it seems from the teaser that Slade is collaborating with the Talan of Adelpha to free the planet, it appears that gamers will not be able to do so.
The pre-alpha in-game video depicts a gorgeous planet with a wide variety of species and landscapes, but it also depicts a darker side, one that is exploited and enslaved. Slade finds a solution: he shoots and cuts through the planet’s invaders like a one-man army. He’ll also have a few powers at his disposal, such as a shield slam, to assist him along the road.
Outcast 2 will feature a large story with a “Self-ironic, healthy perspective,” according to Appeal. The narrative will be “non-linear… with dynamic storyline development depending on player activities,” but it’s unclear how players will be able to affect it.
The news of Outcast 2 comes as a welcome surprise to fans of the franchise, who have been waiting far too long for a decent sequel. Outcast: Second Contact was published in 2017 as a recreation of the original game. In the following months, stay tuned for more.
