Outward from Nine Dots and Deep Silver is a survival RPG on PlayStation 4 with a shiny Platinum waiting for you. Learn more in our Outward review!

Outward is a survival RPG in which you start with pretty much nothing after your boat ends up going down. Because of this, you should get going with an extended tutorial that is a completely separate mode from the game. Here you learn about the basics of combat by taking against dummies, and to learn all you need to learn about Outward, you can just follow the red line that will take you from one tutorial module to the next. It’s an easy cycle: learn the tutorial stones, do what is asked of you, and move on to the next section.

In this tutorial mode, you can learn about the different aspects of combat such as parrying, evading, and countering with your sword. You’ll also learn about items, crafting, the protective properties of equipment for cold or hot weather, how special abilities work, and more. It’s definitely worth your time since going into Outward without going through the tutorial will not be a fun experience. The way the tutorial is presented and how interactive and intuitive it is, makes it a great option for players new to this genre.

 

As for the game itself, you will pretty much start with nothing on you. As you explore the starting area, you will find some miscellaneous items that will make it possible for you to equip your character to defend yourself from bandits and the beasts of the wilderness. A few minutes later, you will end up in a spot where you can get a good night sleep before moving on to the town. It turns out you have a debt to pay, and you must find a way to repay it before it is too late. It is then that the game starts to open up for you, as you will have different paths to take as to how you will end up obtaining the resources needed not only to repay your debt but to take on the bigger journey that awaits you.

There are plenty of objectives to complete in the game, and they can’t all be completed during a single run, so you’ll need to do separate runs after you’ve beaten the game to be able to see everything that Outward has to offer. You see, Outward has different factions for you to join, offering a very different experience depending on your choice, with separate story arcs to explore. Each faction has its own set of specific quests, so you’ll be unlocking some trophies along the way once you manage to join one.

 

As I mentioned before, the game has survival elements thrown into the mix, so you’ll need to keep an eye on things such as thirst and hunger as you explore each area. You need to be careful of what you eat and drink since, if you don’t pay attention, you can end up with various illnesses/diseases. For example, drinking water that is not pure can make you ill and weaker, forcing you to find/craft a cure for your condition. As long as you drink good water, such as the one in clear springs, you should be good. The same goes for eating food that has not been cooked, or that has not been cooked properly – looking after your protagonist goes a long way to surviving in this game!

Crafting is an important element in Outward. With the items and materials you obtain, you can end up crafting weapons, armor, or accessories. One of the most important things you need to create is a torch, so be sure always have some wood and linen on you. Luckily, wood is plentiful, and linen can be easily bought or even found as you explore. If you are short on materials, then you can dismantle what you don’t need to obtain some additional materials that can be put to a better use. You can also cook food and create new meals that can cure your illness, heal your wounds, and help you recover from some illnesses.

This being an open world RPG, you can explore each location at your own pace. The good news is that if you die, it will not be the end of things. If you don’t drink water or eat as needed, or get wiped out by a disease, then you won’t be getting a game over. What will happen is that you will find yourself somewhere else, minus your gear. There is no manual saving in the game, which is not something I like but it’s also not a deal-breaker, so the game will be autosaving to keep players from, well, cheating the system by redownloading a save from the cloud. This means you won’t be going back on any decision you make, so you should always be aware of it.

Outward is a fun RPG on PlayStation 4 with a ton of content to explore and survival elements that will keep you on your toes as you explore the wilderness, taking on quests that will bring you the favor of the faction you’ve decided to join. You’ll build up a reputation, purchase a home, cook meals, craft items, unlocking new abilities in each skill tree as needed. My only gripe with Outward is one that has, unfortunately, been a recent constant on PlayStation 4 releases: the in-game text font is too small to read things comfortably. An option to resize the text would be a great addition to the game, so hopefully, it’s something that the team can patch into Outward.

Disclaimer
This Outward review is based on a PlayStation 4 provided by Deep Silver.