Outcast was one of several covert treasures released in 1999, which was maybe the greatest year ever for PC gaming. Many novel ideas and concepts were pioneered by this open-world action-adventure game, including the notion of unrestricted exploration in a 3D sandbox loaded with material, which we now take for granted. Riding on the popularity of Stargate SG-1, this provocative science fiction tale raised important issues on the dangers of meddling with native cultures. It refused to give in to the Hollywood happy-ever-after, providing a bittersweet and somewhat agonizing ending that many people still find endearing.

A few of the innovations it presented, such as its ray-casting engine that was based on software, proved to be unproductive in the long run. The game did not scale well with the quickly advancing PC technology, and thus negatively impacted its widespread use among newer gaming generations. The 2014 HD remaster mostly addressed the issue, while the 2017 release of the fully-bloded remake did away with it entirely. For its devoted fan base as well as inquisitive newcomers, Outcast: Second Contact was an essential Outcast. It did so well enough in sales to encourage the owners of the current trademarks to think about a worthy sequel.

The Starbucks approach

Outcast - A New Beginning is the result of seven years of work. It's unclear how many members of the original crew contributed, but my estimate is not very many. The initial game's unique sensibilities and subtlety are hardly noticeable anymore because of the altered tone. A fresh Beginning is a real fresh beginning, for better or worse. A little later, we'll go into greater depth about it.

The game's touching conclusion is further developed in the sequel, which suggests that Cutter Slade—the former Navy seal who rescued Earth—was court-martialed and put to death by a military court. It seems that he was unable to stop the devastation entirely, which led to a large number of victims. We'll do our best to avoid giving away too much about The New Beginning's heavy emphasis on the idea of parallel dimensions, since many of the disclosures in that respect would be considered spoilers. It's enough to state that this will cause uncertainty for many hours for those who loved the original Outcast.

Having stated that, we find our hero emerging on the surface of planet Adelpha once again. The native Talan people's gods, the Yods, aren't done with him yet. Pesky Earthlings made a comeback, a la Avatar, and started robbing the wealth and resources. Cutter was therefore Starbucked and made to reprise his role as Lisan-al-Gaib. His armament is nonexistent, he suffers from forgetfulness, and the next generation of aliens hardly remembers Ulukai, the great rescuer of the Talans.

Get plenty of fetch quests

As we previously said, the tone of Outcast – A New Beginning differs from that of the first game. This is primarily related to how strongly anthropomorphized Talans and their civilization are portrayed. Put another way, everything about their culture, language, and way of life is similar to that of a traditional Earthly shamanistic community, but with an odd contemporary twist. They often discuss abstract topics like gender equality and bring up phrases like marketing, metaverse, and engineering in their chats. Numerous strange, inappropriate Talan NPCs will appear, which will further undermine the immersion. One man is an alchemist who abuses substances and talks and behaves like "Dude" from The Big Lebowski. Thus, the Adelpha never feels completely alone. Rather, it seems more like an unholy cross-over between modern California and medieval Bulgaria.

Playing New Beginning revolves on assisting those pretend aliens with their issues, which is mostly accomplished by doing an absurd number of fetch quests. You must purchase the goodwill of many villages in order to start the Talan union ritual. In exchange, you will get a symbolic token. Thus, you'll teleport—that is, move between villages—to deliver this and gather that. Along with other household chores, you will be in charge of rearing cattle, making alcohol, and cleaning up pests. After a time, it becomes mind-numbing. Speaking with worried Talans for a long time would tire you out even more. As soon as they meet you, everyone appears to have a ton of urgent personal concerns that they will bring up.

Compact weapons for victory

Thankfully, there are other things to do than housework. The demolishment of the robot-infested bases dotting Adelpha is the second need for initiating the union. The dynamic battle makes up for repeated fatigue, even if the same set of actions will be performed more than a dozen times, which is a small overuse. This time, you just have two weapons, but you may make many combinations with them since they are modular. Weapon behavior is influenced by a wide range of modules, including the multi-shot, cooling booster, ammunition saver, optical sight, rapid-fire module, and others. By combining different parts, you may transform a standard rifle or handgun into a machine gun, sniper rifle, or shotgun.

It's quite easy to use your designs in the field. Weapons work well with energy shields and jetpacks, which are necessary tools for both movement and defense. For example, one of the core fighting mechanics in New Beginning is the ability to protect yourself while your weapons cool down for a brief period of time. With a jetpack, you may effortlessly counter enemy cover by attacking them from a distance (It's over, Anakin). You may upgrade your weapon modules, shield, and jetpack using the resources you gain by doing tasks and taking out occupation robots, so there's a strong incentive to follow the rules exactly. Here, there are no cheats, improvisations, or other workarounds; you have to play the game exactly as the developers intended.

Few peaks and more valleys

Technically speaking, Outcast - A New Beginning is a solid game, but it falls severely short in terms of story and tempo. The fighting and visual appeal are both excellent, but the excessive number of enticing tasks and strange world-building make the whole experience unsatisfactory. Not to be overlooked are the peculiar production imbalances. One side of the globe is a breathtakingly beautiful one, consisting of rich, varied biomes that are intricately detailed and vertical. However, every Talan has the same lips and a small range of emotions on their faces, with surprise being the most common. It's really insignificant, but you'll always be aware of it.

Is Outcast – A New Beginning a game you should play? It will be difficult to convince devoted players of the renowned first game to overlook its sequel. However, Second Contact is much more affordable and would be a far better option for all prospective newbies. If you end yourself falling in love with Adelpha, you'll undoubtedly buy the sequel when the price reduces.