Outcast: A New Beginning

Outcast: A New Beginning is a 2024 action-adventure, open-world third-person shooter developed by Belgian developer Appeal Studios and published by THQ Nordic. Released on March 15, 2024, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, it serves as the incredibly long-awaited, direct sequel to the legendary 1999 PC game Outcast (which is widely recognized by gaming historians as one of the very first true 3D open-world games ever made).

Core Concept and Story

The game leans heavily into the tropes and aesthetics of classic 1990s sci-fi television (think Stargate SG-1 or Farscape).

You reprise the role of Cutter Slade, a wisecracking, ex-Navy SEAL who serves as the quintessential 90s action hero. Decades after the original game, Slade is inexplicably resurrected by an almighty entity and returned to the spectacular, vibrant alien world of Adelpha. He quickly discovers that the peaceful native civilization, the Talans, are being subjugated and their planet is being strip-mined by an invading force of heavily armed, robotic human mercenaries. Slade must once again act as the “white savior” of the alien race, uniting the Talan villages to fight back against the corporate invaders while simultaneously uncovering the mystery surrounding his own missing daughter.

Gameplay and Features

While the narrative DNA is proudly stuck in the 90s, the gameplay is a thoroughly modern, highly mobile AA open-world experience:

• The Jetpack: This is the game’s absolute triumph and defining traversal mechanic. Slade is quickly equipped with an upgradable jetpack that allows him to dash, jump, glide, hover, and seamlessly boost across Adelpha’s massive, highly vertical environments. It makes exploring the map genuinely thrilling and completely negates the need for traditional vehicles.
• Modular Arsenal: Instead of carrying a massive wheel of different firearms, Slade only uses a basic pistol and an assault rifle. However, you can deeply customize them using dozens of weapon modules scattered across the world. You can mix and match these modules to create overpowered, chaotic synergies—like a rifle that fires homing, explosive, multi-shot rounds that heal you upon impact.
• The Energy Shield: To compensate for the lack of a modern “sticky” cover system, Slade utilizes a deployable wrist-mounted energy shield. It can be used to block incoming barrages of robot laser fire or be thrust forward as a devastating melee bash attack in close quarters.
• Non-Linear Exploration: After a surprisingly lengthy cinematic prologue, the game takes the training wheels off. You are given immense freedom to jetpack in any direction, complete Talan village quests in whatever order you see fit, and organically slowly cripple the invader’s infrastructure.

Reception and The “AA” Jank

Outcast: A New Beginning sits comfortably in the “Mixed” to “Mostly Positive” territory across user reviews and Metacritic (hovering around a 70/100).

Fans of old-school PC gaming absolutely praised the game for its gorgeous art direction, the sheer joy of the jetpack movement, the fun weapon customization, and its lighthearted, cheesy charm. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is a breath of fresh air in the modern, ultra-grim AAA gaming landscape.

However, it was heavily criticized for its undeniable “Eurojank.” Because it was built on Unreal Engine 4 on a tighter AA budget, the game launched with severe performance issues, including massive stuttering, screen tearing on consoles, and frequent framerate drops. Furthermore, critics pointed out that while flying around is incredibly fun, the actual activities you are flying to—clearing out identical robot bases and doing basic fetch quests—feel highly repetitive and reminiscent of a decade-old Ubisoft formula.

Quick Note

Outcast: A New Beginning is a charming, wonderfully nostalgic B-movie sci-fi adventure.

In short: It lacks the immaculate polish and deep narrative complexity of a massive AAA blockbuster. But if you have a soft spot for 90s action heroes and want to spend a weekend strapping on a jetpack, exploring a beautifully rendered alien planet, and blasting robots with highly customizable weapons, it is a remarkably fun, breezy ride.