Outriders Broadcast 2: Beyond The Frontier Breakdown
Developer People Can Fly and Square Enix recently revealed the second Broadcast for their latest title Outriders, filled with tons of new details and information excited fans can sink their teeth into. So we’ll be giving a Breakdown of what was shown in The Outriders Broadcast 2: Beyond The Frontier.
Story & Sidequests
During the first few minutes of the broadcast, we learned that the story of Outriders will play a vital role in the game, and will have over two hours of additional cutscenes fleshing out the story and lore with extra side missions separate from the main campaign.
The broadcast also showed the journey and structure of the world where we see the first city, a part of the colonized areas in Enoch where humans have built towns, strongholds, and mines as they try to survive the many dangers of the planet. It’s also where the player will spend the first hours of the game.
Later on, we are shown Eagle Peaks, a snowcapped mountain in the warzones where one of the side quests takes place. This sidequest in question shows an Outrider tasked with venturing the icy warzone to rescue some missing soldiers. Along the way he encounters and fights a cult worshiping the anomaly, a strange, mysterious source of power found in Enoch.
During this section, we’re shown a mix of gameplay elements from your usual ballistic shooting with various types of weapons, to the flashy yet deadly moves of the Crusher class.
After each sidequest, players are given three rewards to choose from, ranging from weapons, armor, and other types of gear.
Hubs & Trucks
We were also introduced to Hubs, areas in Enoch where players can sell scrap to purchase gear and frequent bars to gain useful intel such as bounty locations or pick up new sidequests form NPCs. As players progress the game, the dialogue from NPCs change to reflect the world state, and even new side quests get added. Some of which are hidden in other hubs and areas serving as a motivation for players to explore.
Aside from taking on quests, Hubs are also areas players can check on their crew and truck. Each Outrider truck is unique to them as they can be customized to suit their tastes. They also serve as mobile Hubs with a crew consisting of a driver, a weapon vendor, and a craftsman.
Other items found in a camp include a stash, which serves as an inventory box to store and retrieve gear and, as a bonus, can transfer items between the player built characters. Next is the hamchia where players can change the look of their characters on the fly, and finally a matchmaking station to find other outriders to join the battle.
Behind the Soundtrack
During the broadcast, we were also shown a glimpse into the making of the theme and soundtrack of Outriders with an interview with Inon Zur, the game’s lead composer who showcases a mix of epic and dramatic tunes that will be heard in the game’s soundtrack.
The Pyromancer Class
Next was a spotlight of the game’s second class – The Pyromancer. Pyromancers are mid-ranged combatants best suited for taking on hordes of enemies at a time with thermal and fire-based attacks and a range of AOE attacks. Pyromancers also come with a variety of passive skills. One of which is the ability to heal once an enemy is marked with skills such as the burning status effect, which can be inflicted on enemies to cause more damage and even interrupt some attacks.
Every class has a set of eight powers including the Pyromancer and during the broadcast, we were shown four of them which include:
Thermal Bomb- This power sets an enemy ablaze and deals additional damage to foes over time. Once an enemy finally succumbs to the flames, they rise into the air and explode, which also deals additional damage to surrounding enemies.
Ash Blast- This is a type of AOE attack that inflicts the ash status effects to enemies within a large radius. It freezes enemies in place, allowing the player to get a few hits in or utilize some devastating combos.
Heat Wave– One of the earliest powers the Pyromancer can learn. This is a mid-ranged attack that sets enemies ablaze while also inflicting burn status effect damaging them over time.
Overheat– This power deals a small amount of damage to enemies in a large radius and acts as a nice supporting power for other skills and attacks. It deals with additional damage to enemies already burning. More powers will reportedly be shown towards the game’s release.
Power Combinations & Skill Trees
A part of gameplay that was greatly emphasized are power combinations. As an example, players can use Heat Wave to inflict the burning status effect on enemies and then follow up by using Overheat to cause maximum damage to those burning foes. There are many other ways to combine powers, of course, and players are encouraged to find combinations that fit their style.
We were also shown the Pyromancer’s skill tree, which can be used to alter each Outrider’s build and skills. Nodes are filed with class points, which can be earned from leveling up. Each skill tree also comes with three branches, and for the Pyromancer, these are the Ash Breaker, Fire Storm, and Tempest. Each branch comes with both major and minor passives that increase the Outrider’s damage and survivability.
The Ash Breaker branch provides bonuses against marked enemies and boosts anomaly power. The Fire Storm branch focusses on the maximum damage of skills such as burning damage, anomaly power, and skills used on marked enemies.
The Tempest branch, however, focusses on pure tank skills such as maximizing health bonuses and reduced damage from enemies. This branch also has a neat passive skill named Phoenix Nestling that gives players an automatic revival upon death. Players should also note that skills will also be affected and altered by the gear a player chooses in many ways.
Conclusion
The broadcast was rounded off with a Q&A where some questions from players were answered regarding the game. The next broadcast promises a detailed look at the Devastator class a glimpse into legendary gear, modding, crafting, and more.
OUTRIDERS will release on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC in Holiday 2020.
About the Author
Abdul Saad Abdul Saad is a seasoned entertainment journalist and critic, and has been writing for five years on multiple gaming sites. When he isn't writing or playing the latest JRPG, he can be found coding games of his own or tinkering with something electrical.
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