Outcast

The Good
Once in a while, a game so incredibly good shows up that trying to think of a lot of good points is easy but trying to pin one down as a place to begin with is very hard. Those who have played Outcast and are reading this will know why I'm having trouble figuring out what I should begin with. The truth is, Outcast is good. No I take that back, Outcast is amazingly good. When it was first released, I had an interest in it but for reasons of money among other things, I never got around to buying it. Recently, I found it as a budget title and decided to get ahold of it. Now that I've played through this very long game, I can't believe I didn't get it sooner. Where was I? Ah yes, the good points! Where to start... Well I could tell you about the dozens of absorbing quests you must undertake, or the plethora of sub quests you can find. I could talk about the huge and lush world you'll be completing them in, or the brilliant sound and voice acting. Then again I could just talk about the music, the beautifully written orchestral score performed by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra is utterly phenomenal. More than once I have found myself popping the cd into the cd player and listening to it while I was working or relaxing. Visually the game is strong and even in todays games I have not seen a better rendition of water. In Outcast the water shimmers, ripples and reflects like nothing I've ever seen before in a game. Gameplay is so much fun it's hard to stop and the story is also well put together. I could go on and on about this game but I think my enthusiasm for it speaks volumes by itself so I'll just go on to the easiest section...

The Bad
For the first time in all the reviews I've written I'm at a loss. I can't think of anything I really hated about this game but if you push me then I guess the story was a bit less complex than I'd like and the character development was in some places not as high as others. I am really reaching here by the way.

The Bottom Line
You must get this game. That's all there is to it. You have no excuse since it's now a budget title which makes getting it almost criminal. If you play games then go and get it NOW. About the only people who I think should avoid it are those who loathe action of any kind in their games. On second thought even those people should try this, you might be swayed.

The Good
This game is a nearly perfect blend of action and adventure. It takes place mostly outdoors with expansive vistas (many games tend to have a very limited visual field, whether due to primarily interior or urban environments). It has many supporting characters with individualized personalities. The musical score is performed by the Moscow Philharmonic, and gives the game a "cinematic" feel. The interface was very easy to learn and uses a combination keyboard/mouse. This game is vast and will keep the player busy for many enjoyable hours.

The Bad
I suppose the use of voxels to render the imagery was one thing that could be improved upon. There is a lack of rendered detail of objects. Oddly enough, this did not really detract from the game a bit. I have read that the sequel will not be using voxels and that the detail will be much better.

The Bottom Line
Outcast is a game to try if you are an adventure gamer and you need a break from hardcore puzzle solving. There are puzzles but they are so well integrated into the storyline, and they are usually solved within the context of the action. FPS/action gamers will probably find the action a bit tepid but this game is "aimed" more at the adventure gamers who like some action elements too. My wife and I both enjoyed this game very much!

The Good
Almost everything is good.

The plot is incredible, and could have been a best-selling sci-fi novel. The game is just too prefect. A gamers dream come true...

The Bad
Bad? What bad?

The Bottom Line
My favourite game of all time, simply one of the best and most revolutionary games ever created.

We have never seen anything quite like this, neither before, nor after.

It would probably have become the most famous game ever, had it not been for the big hype with Half Life which was released the same year.

In my view: Outcast beats all other games, and is simply one of the best games ever made.

Perfect graphics, an excellent plot (the best, and most engaging plot I have ever seen in a computer game), perfect atmosphere, perfect music and sounds, perfect AI, you cant get it better then this.