Outland

Since Christmas, I have been doing most of my gaming on my new Xbox 360. To date I have only one game, Skyrim, which I have been playing for nearly 200 hours. I am starting to grow weary of pillaging Tamriel so I decided I would have a small foray into the Xbox Live marketplace to see what I could find. I had a few recommendations from some friends and after some deliberation, I decided to get Outland, which has been well received since its April 2011 launch. It was also a bargain at just 800 MS points so I fumbled my way through the Xbox downloading menus and eagerly sat down to play. 

Outland is an interesting platforming game from Finnish developer Housemarque. They are responsible for Dead Nation for the PS3 and a rake of other games that I have never heard of. The player takes control of a nameless man who is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior who defeated two powerful beings, the Sisters of Chaos, who are responsible for the creation of the world. They are also capable of its destruction which is why this warrior imprisoned the two after an titanic battle 30,000 years ago. However the sisters have now escaped from their prison and it is up to the player to stop them again. The plot and setting have a mystical aspect to them with shamans, think jungles, magical energies and creatures, ancient crumbling cities and a haunting soundtrack.

Anyone familar with modern platforming games will have no trouble playing Outland. The game introduces a mechanic where the player has 2 different energy states, light and dark, which are blue and red in the game. These can be switched between at will and used for a variety of purposes. Enemies can be either light or dark and they can only be attacked by the player when in the opposite state. There is a power attack that will damage an enemy regardless of its energy state but these need to be charged with kills so may not always be available. Energy barriers and projectiles can be ignored while in the same energy state. There are many platforms and some switches attuned to either light or dark that can only be influenced when the player is aligned correctly.

First thing to strike you is of course the games amazing graphics. The slick art style is interesting has a very cool ancient Aztec/Mayan feel to it. The richly detailed and gorgeous backgrounds are intriguing and really do wonders to create an dark atmosphere. Outland is an excellent example of how great a modern 2.5D game can look when done right. The foreground of the game is dark and silhouetted which contrasts with the multi layered intricate backgrounds to create a lush visual experience. The red and blue elements glow with neon brightness in this gloomy environment, creating an electrifying air to the already beautiful game.

Outland is split into a number of sections, each ending in a boss fight. The bosses are varied and interesting and always look awesome. Each one is different and require a different approach to defeating them. The stage itself often changes as the boss's health decreases making the battles dynamic forcing the player to change tactics and preventing the boss from being defeated by using the same attack over and over. 

The games controls are responsive and easy to master. This was a big plus for someone like myself who is more used to a keyboard and mouse than a controller. In Outland you have your standard slashing and up and down sword attacks. Dark attacks only affect light enemies and vice versa. Switching between the two energy states is easy and will be a frequent action during game play. In addition to your standard attacks, you can slam the ground, slide and perform a power charge attack. These are useful for destroying walls and finding hidden locations. The player also has special attacks. These require energy to use, which is recharged/collected by killing enemies. These attacks are very powerful and will cause massive damage to an enemy regardless of their energy state. There are several power attacks that can be unlocked through the game. Each is unique and useful for different situations. There is a steady learning curve that keeps increasing the challenge in a manageable way. There are a few tricky spots and the boss fights can take a couple of attempts but it is not so difficult that it would lead to much frustration.

Another cool feature are the projectile emitters. These release streams of red or blue shots in beautiful mesmerising patterns of fire, forcing the player to duck and weave through gaps, often having to flick between light and dark mid air to avoid particles and navigate through successfully. Several varieties of enemies oppose the player through the game, several variety of warriors, giant spiders, floating jelly fish and a host of others interesting designed foes dwell within the games world. Combat is satisfying as is killing enemies. Rapidly flipping between energy states to fight groups of light and dark foes adds a new level of complexity to the overall relatively simple combat.

Some decent platforming sections are well integrated with the combat and exploration. There is a well designed and implemented map screen that lets the player get their bearings so getting lost is nearly impossible. The player collects coins from fallen enemies and numerous jars and other containers throughout the game. These are used to purchase some upgrades such as increasing max health and power attack energy. Other than that there is no inventory or item collection with the exception of a few keys for opening doors. This is not a major issue for me as it kept the focus of the game solely on action and platforming. 

There are some multiplayer co-op modes but I have yet to play them. From what I read they are an excellent addition to the game.

Overall I really enjoyed Outland. The gameplay is fun and rewarding, the graphics, sound and art direction really blew me away. The level design is top notch and the difficultly and learning curve are balanced perfectly allowing the player to progress while keeping the game challenging. I highly recommend Outland to anyone looking for a high quality modern platformer, its cheap, beautfiul and a worthy addition to anyones collection. 5/5