Formats: Xbox 360 (XBLA) (version tested), PlayStation 3 (PSN)
Developer: Housemarque
Publisher: Ubisoft
Released: Out now (360), TBA (PS3)
Score: 8/10
ââ¬ÅNever judge a book by its coverââ¬Â the old cliché goes, and the same could be said for games. The digital cover for Outland doesn't really give a good sense of what the game is like. The chunky, bladed font is reminiscent of a Hayden Christensen movie tie-in and the unsubtle artwork is a blazing streak of orange and teal, a combination so overused that there's a Tumblr account dedicated to ââ¬Ëcelebratingââ¬â¢ it.
It's a surprise, then, to discover that Outland is a carefully crafted Metroidvania title, with moody shadow-puppet visuals and a red/blue colour-change mechanic not unlike cult shoot 'em up Ikaruga. It's also really quite good, despite the best efforts of the cover artist to suggest otherwise.
Outland, as the coined genre moniker of Metroidvania might suggest, is a game about exploration and upgrades, a game in which you gradually unlock more areas, and access to previously inaccessible areas, through acquiring power-ups and new moves. It's a standard, recognisable means of progression now, but one that remains rewarding whether in its original 2D form or in the likes of Arkham Asylum or Metroid Prime. The majority of Outland's upgrades are fairly cursory - there's nothing here which reinvents the genre ââ¬â and when used to explore they allow you to unlock health/power upgrades and concept art. The Metroidvania aspects, while fun, are far from Outland's major draw.
The main appeal of Outland lies in its platforming, and the aforementioned colour-switching mechanic, and how seamlessly the two combine to form a fluid game experience. In Outland, your character is granted the ability to shift between red and blue - dark and light powers ââ¬â and while using a given colour, you're immune to laser fire of the matching colour. Bullet hell-style sections litter the game, waves of red and blue bullets that pepper the screen in waves and patterns, requiring expert timing as you switch between colours, leaping into and out of laser fire, blocking off a blue beam as red bullets fly towards you, diving away from the blue, shifting yourself to the red colour to avoid damage. Enemies, too, come in either red or blue forms and can only be damaged by your character when he's of the opposite colour. Special attacks, such as a sword swipe, laser beam or charged burst, are unlocked as the game progresses. These attacks don't require colour shifting, and can be used in tight situations where shifting to the correct colour in order to take out an enemy just isn't possible.
Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/8495165/Outland-review.html
Developer: Housemarque
Publisher: Ubisoft
Released: Out now (360), TBA (PS3)
Score: 8/10
ââ¬ÅNever judge a book by its coverââ¬Â the old cliché goes, and the same could be said for games. The digital cover for Outland doesn't really give a good sense of what the game is like. The chunky, bladed font is reminiscent of a Hayden Christensen movie tie-in and the unsubtle artwork is a blazing streak of orange and teal, a combination so overused that there's a Tumblr account dedicated to ââ¬Ëcelebratingââ¬â¢ it.
It's a surprise, then, to discover that Outland is a carefully crafted Metroidvania title, with moody shadow-puppet visuals and a red/blue colour-change mechanic not unlike cult shoot 'em up Ikaruga. It's also really quite good, despite the best efforts of the cover artist to suggest otherwise.
Outland, as the coined genre moniker of Metroidvania might suggest, is a game about exploration and upgrades, a game in which you gradually unlock more areas, and access to previously inaccessible areas, through acquiring power-ups and new moves. It's a standard, recognisable means of progression now, but one that remains rewarding whether in its original 2D form or in the likes of Arkham Asylum or Metroid Prime. The majority of Outland's upgrades are fairly cursory - there's nothing here which reinvents the genre ââ¬â and when used to explore they allow you to unlock health/power upgrades and concept art. The Metroidvania aspects, while fun, are far from Outland's major draw.
The main appeal of Outland lies in its platforming, and the aforementioned colour-switching mechanic, and how seamlessly the two combine to form a fluid game experience. In Outland, your character is granted the ability to shift between red and blue - dark and light powers ââ¬â and while using a given colour, you're immune to laser fire of the matching colour. Bullet hell-style sections litter the game, waves of red and blue bullets that pepper the screen in waves and patterns, requiring expert timing as you switch between colours, leaping into and out of laser fire, blocking off a blue beam as red bullets fly towards you, diving away from the blue, shifting yourself to the red colour to avoid damage. Enemies, too, come in either red or blue forms and can only be damaged by your character when he's of the opposite colour. Special attacks, such as a sword swipe, laser beam or charged burst, are unlocked as the game progresses. These attacks don't require colour shifting, and can be used in tight situations where shifting to the correct colour in order to take out an enemy just isn't possible.
Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/8495165/Outland-review.html
