Outward Retrospective - Hardships and High Stakes

As part of their effort to highlight some of the more notable video games released in 2019, PC Gamer brings us this article dedicated to Nine Dots Studio’s survival-focused RPG Outward. If you’d like to learn what makes the game unique and worthy of your attention, especially now that it’s been out for a while and can boast a sizable content update, you should check the article out. A few sample paragraphs:

Outward does things differently than most games, beginning with what happens when you lose a fight. In the fantasy RPG from Nine Dots Studio, you don't die when your hit points drop to zero (unless you're using the permadeath mode added back in October). Instead, you fall unconscious and wake up somewhere else. A mysterious benefactor may have dragged you to a warm campfire, a passing traveler may have carried you to a town, or you might wake up in a bandit's prison, dazed and battered, and have to stealthily gather your gear and escape.

These outcomes result in losing some time, consuming some precious supplies to return yourself to good health, and having to travel—sometimes a considerable distance—to get back to the fight you lost just to try again. Which in a way, makes falling unconscious much more punishing than simply dying and reloading a saved game.

This is especially unusual, and surprisingly effective, considering the deep survival systems in Outward. It doesn't seem like a survival game would work if you can't actually die. But since you can't fast-travel, and since maintaining your health and stamina is a real struggle in the harsh world, even minor enemy encounters feel fraught with real peril, and every small victory feels like a major triumph.
Project Fantasy Unveiled - Upcoming Online Fantasy RPG
GameBanshee Site Update

As some of you may probably know, for the past several months,


Diablo IV Group Interview
Diablo IV - Open Beta Retrospective and Changes

Last month, quite a few people had a chance to experience the


Wartales Reviews
Wartales Reviews

Shiro Games' mercenary RPG Wartales left early access earlier this week, inviting


Age of Wonders 4 Developer Diary #5 - Dwarves of the Underworld
Age of Wonders 4 Developer Diary #13 - Diplomacy

Diplomacy is the main subject of the latest developer diary for Triumph


Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader - Secrets of the Koronus Expanse
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader - Secrets of the Koronus Expanse

If you'd like to know just what kind of locations and quest


MythForce Development Update - Power Progression
MythForce Development Update - Power Progression

The latest development update for Beamdog's roguelite adventure MythForce outlines the new


Diablo IV Sorcerer Trailer and Interviews
Diablo IV Sorcerer Trailer and Interviews

Having introduced us to Diablo IV's Rogue class a couple days ago,


Master of Magic Remake - New Roadmap Revealed
Master of Magic Remake - New Roadmap Revealed

If you'd like to know what MuHa Games and their publishers over


Monomyth Update - Video Devlog 3.0: Beta Update 3
Monomyth Update - Video Devlog 3.0: Beta Update 3

Rat Tower Software's latest Kickstarter update for their dungeon-crawling RPG Monomyth showcases


Wartales Released
Wartales Released

Following just over a year of early access, Shiro Games' mercenary RPG


The Elder Scrolls Online - Arcanist Class Trailer and Necrom Prologue Quest
The Elder Scrolls Online - Arcanist Class Trailer and Necrom Prologue Quest

The Elder Scrolls Online's upcoming Necrom chapter will be going live on


The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition Patch v1.2 Available
The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition Patch v1.2 Available

A new patch is here for the Spacer's Choice Edition of Obsidian


Diablo IV - Early Access Beta Trailer and Guided Tour
Diablo IV - Rogue Trailer

With Diablo IV set to launch on June 6, 2023, Blizzard Entertainment


Remnant 2 - The World of Losomn Overview
Remnant 2 - The World of Losomn Overview

The latest promotional reveal for Gunfire Games' upcoming Remnant 2 is packed


New World - How PTR Changed Season 1
New World - How PTR Changed Season 1

Amazon Game Studios recently kicked off the first progression season for their


Diablo: Immortal - Heroes of Unification Update Available
Diablo: Immortal - Heroes of Unification Update Available

Blizzard Entertainment's latest content update for their mobile-focused action-RPG Diablo: Immortal kicks


Age of Wonders 4 Developer Diary #5 - Dwarves of the Underworld
Age of Wonders 4 Developer AMA

A few days back, Triumph Studios held a Reddit AMA, during which


Hellgate: London - London 2038 Development Update #38
Hellgate: London - London 2038 Development Update #38

Roughly two months after the previous update, the latest developer diary for


Warren Spector on What
Warren Spector on What "Player Powered" Means

Otherside Entertainment's upcoming immersive sim Argos: Riders on the Storm is positioned


Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Board Game - Of Managers and Designers
Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Board Game - Of Managers and Designers

Archon Studio's latest Kickstarter update for their upcoming Heroes of Might and