Outland – Video Game Review (Xbox, PS3)

Spolier Free Review of Outland

Falling from what seems like thousands of feet, I become aware of one thing: There’s danger below me, around me, all in different forms. Giant spiders dig up out of the ground and men clad in armor and carrying spears patrol floating platforms. The environment itself is my enemy, vicious, mobile, and utterly surprising in every way. This is Outland, a downloadable title by Ubisoft that matches the level of greatness from the best Arcade titles to date. With a $10 price tag, Outlands value shines as a top notch bang for buck and here’s why.

Developer Housemarquee’s Outland is a title with direct ties to several iconic games that have defined genres.  Levels feel like the old-school platforms of yesteryear. If you remember looking at long 2D maps with power-up and reward locations dotting them in your chosen video game publication, you’ll be instantly drawn into the level design, which is challenging without being cheap. There’s a great deal of exploration to do and breathtaking views to enjoy. Players are rewarded for their constant backtracking and exploring with power-ups and money to purchase upgrades and extra content.

The alternate paths are not a necessity, but will make further progress much easier for those that choose to take the time to explore. The gameplay resembles the game Ikaruga; meaning that you gain powers which grant you the abilities to change between light and dark (or switch “polarities”, for those that have played the game.) This grants the game an unprecedented level of challenge to its platforming aspect.

Checkpoints are spread evenly throughout so the penalty of dying is much less severe than it could have been. Revisiting earlier levels with powers you receive later in the game also rewards the player. Matching the colors of unfriendly enemies or environmental hazards prevents you from taking damage, but you’ll have to take a walk on the opposite side to attack and defeat the creatures that inhabit Outland.

The sound and the music are spot on, and really do a great job of pulling you into the world that Housemarque has created. The game is challenging, but never unfair, as the controls are tight and varied enough to give you options in the most extreme of circumstances. It is simply up to you to feel the rhythm and flow of what is happening around you, and reacts accordingly.

There is also cooperative multiplayer via XBOX Live. While not a necessity, Horsemarque has shown great appreciation for its consumers by offering another way to make this already surreal experience just that much cooler. There’s nothing like creating elaborate chain to aerial-chain combos with a friend, and unleashing burst of light and dark in conjunction. Oh, and it is absolutely beautiful to behold. Like I said, not a necessity, but extraordinarily cool nonetheless.

At only 800 MS points (10$) Outland is a game that is well worth your time and money. The main storyline can take 6-10 hours depending on how long you spend gathering the extras. Once the story mode is completed the CO-OP mode adds even more value. As an old school gamer who loves platformers like Castlevania, Metroid, Megaman, and Super Mario Brothers, I found this game to be extremely fulfilling. The controls are tight, the sound is excellent, the level design is challenging, and the visuals are absolutely surreal.

It’s a great investment, and at 10$ this game is worth every penny.

Pros:

-Challenging and Original Puzzles

-Exciting Combat

-Fun and Epic Boss Fights

-A lot to explore

Cons:

-Co-op servers devoid of people to play with

-No split-screen capabilities

Rating: 5/5 Raging Nerds