Outriders

Outriders is one of those rare games where it not only lives up to expectations, but completely surpasses them. The game's multiple character classes and seeming endless amount of customization makes for a fresh and engaging gameplay loop long after you finish the campaign.

Still, in time, Outriders‘ bugs and server issues are likely to be eradicated, leaving its only real downside to be its poorly-told story full of loose ends. And even with that said, the narrative remains interesting and engaging – just nothing special. The real draw here is the captivating looter-shooter action that grabs you early on and simply doesn’t let go. You’ll love running into each combat encounter, commanding the battlefield like the Altered being that you are, before sweeping up any loot left by those you’ve slain. Then, back at camp, you’ll paw over your stats, improving and moddi...

Outriders is an exciting evolution of the third-person shooter genre, with thrilling sci-fi powers and satisfying gunplay that makes nearly every battle feel fast-paced and gripping until the last enemy drops. The memorable planet of Enoch alongside a steady flow of loot with plenty of promising ways to mod and enhance your weapons and armor are both strong motivators to see the game to its conclusion and beyond, even when the story does little to intrigue and the server issues plague both the solo and co-op experiences. Additional mission variety could have helped keep the game feel fresh for...

Our relationship with looter shooters has been long and tumultuous. We’ve spent years mowing down monsters, dancing in the rain of treasure that erupts from their shattered bodies. Outriders is the latest milestone in this grim harvest, the newest always-online Arrow Examination simulation from Square Enix and People Can Fly. Don’t get me wrong! I love a good looter shooter, and Outriders delivers that core experience with effortless grace. I’m not as sold on the rest of the package, but rest assured: fans of well-crafted, fluid loot grind cycles are going to love this game.

Outriders offers some genuinely great sci-fi action, alongside some really interesting world and creature design that I'd love to see more of. Its mostly satisfying take on RPG loot progression is well worth putting up with a lackluster story, a few clunky interfaces, and some lingering technical issues. Outriders is the good kind of grind - especially if you're into goo-ifying your enemies with a couple of friends.

Outriders is a good looter-shooter at times that has some moments of greatness buried beneath a generic, if well-realized, sci-fi veneer.

“Outriders features stellar action and deep customization, but it lacks personality.”

With an expanded endgame, new difficulty tiers, and new story content, Worldslayer adds a lot to Outriders, even if none of the additions are mind-blowing.

Outriders isn’t what I was expecting. In the lead-up to launch, it looked like one more Destiny-like looter shooter to toss on the pile. But while it does have looting, shooting and even online co-op, Outriders isn’t just another live service game. In a lot of ways, it feels like an experiment to blend looter shooter mechanics with single-player design and hectic, old-school combat. It doesn’t completely succeed, but enough of it works that I want more.

People Can Fly's inconsistent looter shooter isn't worth the ride.

Outriders has great ideas and those come shining through at various high points to spectacular effect, but it is pushing against the weight of inconsistent execution and unstable systems.

In many ways, Outriders is the perfect example of how a co-op looter shooter should be. The crafting and character build system undoubtedly raised the bar for any to come in the future. The combat is thrilling, unique, and a blast to play. The visceral action and superpowers, simply feel good.