Okay Geek Farm
XBLA - Outland Review
Okay Geek Team
Back in the 90’s we were treated to all sorts of sidescrolling adventures but that eventually dwindled when 3D modeled worlds and characters changed the way we looked at games. Now only on rare occasions do we even see a side-scroller, and let alone one that tries to change the mold of how we preceived them in the past. That is until Outland, which draws upon the light and dark, polarity mechanic made famous in the insanely difficulty sh’mup, Ikaruga. How’s it translate onto a 2D plane? Flawlessly.
Story
While there does seem to have been a bit of work done on the game’s narrative and background characters, none of them really pay any consequence in terms of what you’ll be doing. Sure, you’ll fight an enemy and then get a small narrated bio on who they were and what they didn’t do before dying, but none of that is really important, especially in a game in which its gameplay features are the ones garnering the praise.
So rather than bore you with details on how you’re the modern day hero of a battle that’s lasted centuries, let’s move forward onto what really makes Outland deserve your attention. Though, I don’t want to sound as if the story isn’t great or anything because it truly is well done, it’s just that you probably won’t remember a single thing about it since you’ll be too busy dodging bullet patterns in the right color than anything else.
Gameplay
We sure have come a long way since the days when Uno was the number one seller on Xbox Live Arcade.
Outland is a full adventure game that spans a large inter-connected world, whose layout is done through the Metroidvania style we’ve all come to love through the years. For those unfamiliar with this — you are only able to access certain areas due to yet unattained abilities. Once you’ve defeated some bosses and gotten further down the road however, you’ll you be able to return to blocked off areas and tread new paths with your newly bestowed powers.
But what’s all this talk of amazing gameplay and the importance of light and dark? Well, if you’re into top-down perspective shoot’em up (sh’mup) games then you might be familiar with Ikaruga — an arcade title that was pretty inventive for its time for introducing a polarity system in which enemies would either shoot you with light or dark bullets. So what’s so special about that? Well, what if I told you that your plane in Ikaruga was able to switch between two and either absorb like-colored bullets or take damage from opposite-colored ones? Yeah, now we’re thinking with portals! This same idea was borrowed from Ikaruga and implemented into Outland, however this time being thrown into a 2D side-scroller meant that its execution would be entirely different and presented in an interesting fashion. For instance, besides having to make your way from point A to point B on a stage while dodging multiple colored bullet patterns, you’re also going to be pitted against opposite-colored enemies as well.
But once you’ve gotten the polarity thing downpat then the rest of the game is smooth sailing, especially since its controls are dead on. It’s sad to say that games made in the sidescroller mold nowadays seem to lack the precise controls that were absolutely necessary in years past. However, Housemarque, the developers of Outland, were able to get the most important quality of a sidescroller right. Now throw in some extra abilities, like wall jumps, charges, and sword fighting, as well as a few collectibles to find along the way, and not to mention a co-op mode for another online player to join you through the campaign or challenge rooms, and you’ve got yourself a title that no self respecting adventure player would pass up.
Visuals / Audio
Outland manages to get everything right in the gameplay department, and when it comes to the way its presented it’s also a winner. The environments are epic in scale, feeling a bit reminiscent of Shadow of the Colossus, which may have to do a bit with how small you feel in relation to some of the bosses you’ll face. And we can’t say enough about the art direction, which derives most of its look and feel from the imagery seen on ancient pottery and architectures. Now set this package on the doorstep of some soothing and at times even exhillerating ambient music, and you’re set for an adventure that sets itself apart from anything released in recent memory.
Overall
Outland seems to do everything right for a downloadable Xbox Live Arcade title. It’s quite long, taking about 5 to 8 hours if you try to get all 40 collectible helmet thing-a-ma-jigs and it puts up quite a fight in terms of difficulty. However, it’s not impossible or even frustrating since you’re given more than enough health, meaning you can simply walk through some of the bullet puzzles, taking damage just to get to the other side. But that’s not essentially a bad thing, since you won’t be forced to do stages over and over again just to keep going.
Pro’s
- Intriguing gameplay mechanics
- Accurate, precise controls
- Rightly balanced difficulty level
- Epic sense of scale
Con’s
- none
As I mentioned before, we’ve come a long way since the days of Uno. Overall, Outland is a bit of a mix between Shadow Complex and Ikaruga, but still managing a way to keep itself original enough that players won’t feel as if they’ve played this before. It debuted on digital shelves last Wednesday at 800 MS points and I feel it’s worth every penny.
