Outcast – A New Beginning was released back in March on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. The game puts players in the shoes of the same protagonist as the original 1999 Outcast, Cuttler Slade, as they take on invading forces while at the same time trying to figure out what’s happening and exploring the world of Adelpha.

Throughout the game, players will get their hands on quite a few tools to aid their exploration, including a full-fledged jetpack that allows Slade to take to the skies for faster traversal and more vertical exploration. Players will also find a host of different weapons, all of which can be modified by making use of different attachments.

For more details on Outcast – A New Beginning, check out our review.

There are a few things I immediately liked about Outcast – A New Beginning, at least initially. The world of Adelpha is wonderful, gorgeous, and incredibly interesting from not only a visual perspective, but from an NPC interaction standpoint as well. Just about every interaction you can have with just about any of the world’s natives indicates that there’s a rich history behind the game. While the game succeeds in making protagonist Cutter Slade feel like someone who is going to save the world from doom, the people of Adelpha seemed to have lives before he showed up which adds to the world’s immersion factor.

Sadly enough, this doesn’t last long. You see, Outcast can’t seem to make up its mind about whether to assume that the player might have experience with the original Outcast or not. Right from beginning, it’s going to start wildly throwing alien terms and phrases at you, and while there’s a glossary for every conversation that updates in real time as the conversation goes on, a lot of the dialogue in Outcast – A New Beginning really suffers from not only trying to provide just a bit too much information to the player, but also just feeling like it’s been quite poorly written. This also impacts the characterization of various NPCs throughout the game. Since the game is bound to its fiction to such an extent, some characters can just start feeling downright insufferable as they start repeating the same alien words and phrases in the same conversation.

Thankfully, the moment you actually get to play Outcast – A New Beginning, things start feeling much better. Controlling Slade feels responsive and quick, and once you get your hands on the jetpack, one of the central features of the game, the combat, as well as traversal starts feeling a lot better than just running around everywhere. When it comes to combat, you only really have a single gun to start out w ith that can be endlessly customized with various modules in order to change its behavior. While its default form acts as a pistol, slapping enough modules on to it can turn it into something much more fun, like an SMG that shoots explosive rounds, or a shotgun that can concuss enemies, for example.

By making use of Red Helidium, you can unlock new mod slots for your gun, which in turn allows you to modify it. The sheer variety of mods on offer can open up interesting combat strategies. While this might largely come down to using a few specific mods that work well for your style of play, the fact that Outcast allows you to experiment quite a bit with your primary weapons is a great thing.

"Controlling Slade feels responsive and quick"

Progression throughout Outcast – A New Beginning revolves around finding and making use of a few specific currencies, namely different colored Helidium, Nano-Cells, and even money. These range from allowing you to upgrade your weapons, to giving you traversal abilities for the open world, to even unlocking extra mod slots for your weapons so that you can add even more ludicrous effects to your shot. The progression largely remains inconsequential, especially once you get a couple of key early-game upgrades like the ability to glide or a couple of weapon mod slots. Once you hit a certain point in the game, it can be downright easy to forget that you might have some upgrades waiting for you thanks to all the materials and currencies you’ve gathered, especially if it weren’t for an in-game message system that lets you know about having enough upgrade points.

Generally speaking, the progression system feels decent enough without feeling too overbearing. It’s incredibly easy to target specific progression currencies that you might want to grind up. A lot of the upgrade tree feels like filler, however. Aside from key abilities like gliding or mid-air dodging, a lot of the backpack upgrade tree, for instance, is just more jetpack fuel, which can feel quite underwhelming.

And, of course, let’s not forget that the jetpack deserves its spot as the big feature for Outcast – A New Beginning. Along with giving you regular abilities like dashing and jumping, you also eventually get to unlock the ability to glide along the ground or soar through the air. The moment you unlock these abilities is when the exploration aspects of the game start getting really fun. There’s a level of freedom you get once you get the ability to glide that isn’t really matched by too many other games, and this is definitely helped by the fact that Outcast’s open world is designed to encourage just about every bit of use you can get out of the jetpack as possible.

"The progression system feels decent enough without feeling too overbearing"

Unfortunately, the game’s open world doesn’t feel like it’s well equipped for the player to have all this freedom during usual gameplay. There just isn’t much out in the world in the way of clever discoveries or moments of emergent gameplay. While the world’s beautiful, there just isn’t much there to make exploration worth it. To top it off, most of the side content revolves around just killing certain numbers of specific enemies and this bland design leaks through the game’s main quests as well, where things never really get more interesting than “go here and kill things”.

Despite these shortcomings with its open world, however, it’s difficult to not find some level of charm in Outcast – A New Beginning. Slade, for instance, is an incredibly charming protagonist with equal measures of determination and sincerity that makes following his journey surprisingly interesting. Similarly, the Talans you encounter throughout Adelpha tend to have their own unique personalities, and while their dialogues can often feel like a slog, there are just enough moments of comedy or drama that will keep you going.

Outcast’s story tackles many of the same topics as its predecessor. They were considered revolutionary back then but now has become common enough in the modern video game landscape that nothing in it really stands out. In fact, the story can get downright boring, since the conflict between Talans and humans is one-dimensional. The game also has the incredibly bad habit of forcibly showing you cutscenes that really should have been gameplay instead. Just about every side quest and story mission in the game will constantly break up the action and wrest control from the player, only to show Slade doing exactly what the player was likely going to do anyway. While only slightly bearable early in the game where you’re still presumably learning the ropes, this quickly starts getting out of hand and ultimately had the nasty side-effect of almost discouraging me from doing just about any quest.

"The game also has the incredibly bad habit of forcibly showing you cutscenes that really should have been gameplay instead."

Outcast – A New Beginning feels like it might be stuck in the past. The good thing about it is that there’s a level of freedom that you get quite early in the experience that you just wouldn’t really get from many modern games, especially once you get a couple of upgrades for your jetpack. And to that end, flying around in the world of Adelpha is definitely one of the most fun open world experiences out there. The bad part of being stuck in the past is in the design of the quests, a design that feels like it’s too scared of the freedom that it has given to its players, and keeps trying to take control away from you to make sure that Slade does the right thing through cutscenes instead of gameplay.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

Outcast – A New Beginning puts players in the shoes of Cuttler Slade—the same protagonist as in the original Outcast. Players will have to take on invading forces as Slade, while also exploring the open world map of the planet Adelpha.

Among the tools Slade has at his disposal, aside from weapons, is a jetpack that can be used to aid exploration throughout the game. Slade will also get to make use of different weapons and other equipment to take on invading forces.

A demo for Outcast – A New Beginning was released on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S back in February, allowing players to check out some of the title’s open world gameplay.

For more details on the game, check out a 15-minute gameplay showcase that was released back in January.

Hi-Fi Rush (PS5)

Step aside Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – the true best Xbox exclusive is coming to PS5 on March 19th. Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush already cemented itself as one of the best character-driven, hack-and-slash action-adventure titles ever made when it suddenly dropped last year. The addition of rhythmic elements to the combat with a gorgeous art style and fun humor, made it all the more endearing, but PS5 players can experience the Arcade Challenge! Update! for more challenges and replay value right out the gate.

Outpost: Infinity Siege

If you’re a fan of sci-fi tower defense and base-building, then Team Ranger’s Outpost: Infinity Siege may be worth checking out. Story details are lacking at the moment, but it involves gathering resources, managing units and fighting for survival across multiple sci-fi zones with unique hazards, with a mix of first-person gunplay and overhead commands. You can customize your Protoslag Gun in different ways and team up with friends in co-op, including an endless Horde-mode style mode. Outpost: Infinity Siege is out on March 26th for PC.

Winter Survival

Between Palworld, Sons of the Forest, Enshrouded, Nightingale and Pacific Drive, there are plenty of survival crafting games to jump into. DRAGO Entertainment’s Winter Survival is another potentially worth noting as players fight for survival on a hike gone wrong in Mount Washington State Park. Hunt the wildlife, stave off the cold and hunger, and explore the area to find refuge. Random events can also occur, for better or worse, but the real challenge is managing your sanity, especially when hallucinations start to manifest. Winter Survival launches on March 6th for PC via Steam Early Access, where it will remain for at least six months.

Lightyear Frontier

Of course, those seeking something less stressful can look into Lightyear Frontier. The farming title sees players venturing to a far-off planet for farming purposes. Despite having a mech, it’s more of a multi-purpose tool, allowing you to plough the fields, clear out pollution, plant new trees, and much more (and yes, you can also build a home). With co-op support, it should be interesting to see how Lightyear Frontier fares when it launches into early access on March 19th for Xbox Series X/S and PC.

WWE 2K24

Controversies loom heavily for the WWE following a lawsuit against its former chairman, Vince McMahon. Wrestlemania season rolls on regardless, though, and a new WWE 2K title is out on March 8th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC. Visual Concepts’ WWE 2K24 offers a new 2K Showcase highlighting 40 years of memorable Wrestlemania matches; new match types like Ambulance, Gauntlet, Special Referee and Coffin; and various new features for MyGM, MyFACTION and Universe Mode. Even Backstage Brawl has been revamped to feel more brutal.

Dragon’s Dogma 2

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is out on March 22nd for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Combat is real-time and includes new Vocations like the Mystic Spearhand, Warfarer and Trickster, powerful skills and Pawn actions, the world has limited fast travel and a hefty amount of side content that players may miss. Dragon’s Dogma 2 could be a stand-out RPG in this highly competitive quarter.

Rise of the Ronin

Rise of the Ronin is Team Ninja’s biggest project yet and seven years in the making. It’s an open-world action RPG that takes several combat cues from Nioh, particularly its Styles and weapon types while adding a glider, Grappling Hook and even character switching. As a Veiled Edge in the Bakumatsu era of Japan, players must side with different historical figures and carve their path, with multiple decisions deciding their fate.

Forming bonds with characters can alter the course of the story and unlock new endings. However, the developer also promises extensive side content and detailed cities like Edo, Yokohama and Kyoto. It’s out on March 22nd, exclusively for PS5, and with a character creator, four-player co-op and different difficulty options, we can’t wait to see how it pans out.

MLB The Show 24

It wouldn’t be a year of sports follow-ups without a new MLB The Show. Launching on March 19th for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and Nintendo Switch, MLB The Show 24 offers 400 new animations, including new pitcher animations, revamped base sizes, and multiple other gameplay improvements. Modes like Diamond Dynasty, Road to the Show, Franchise, and March to October also return, while this year’s Storylines sees the addition of Derek Jeter’s 1995 to 2000 seasons.

Outcast – A New Beginning

Appeal Studios’ Outcast – A New Beginning is a dream come true for long-time fans of the 1999 adventure classic, especially after the cancellation of Outcast 2: The Lost Paradise. Cutter Slade returns to Adelpha, and he’s once again on a mission to save the Talans. With extensive weapon customization, different abilities, a large open world with secrets to uncover and extensive wildlife, and a jetpack for quick exploration, A New Beginning promises an extensive amount of freedom like the original. It launches on March 15th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC.

Contra: Operation Galuga

The Contra series hasn’t had the best track record lately, especially 2019’s Contra: Rogue Corps. However, Contra: Operation Galuga is a vast improvement, as WayForward embraces the 80s-style run-and-gun action complete with big bosses, several playable characters, three difficulty options and eight stages for players to test their mettle. New weapons, Overlord abilities and stackable upgrades also sound enticing, and there’s even support for up to four players in Arcade Mode. Contra: Operation Galuga arrives on March 12th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch, with a free demo currently available.

Expeditions: A MudRunner Game

If you liked Snowrunner and wanted more of the same, Expeditions: A MudRunner Game…isn’t exactly that. Instead, it’s more of an exploration title where you work with a research team to explore three massive maps. Unearth treasures, transport equipment, help other truckers – the list goes on, with several new tools to help navigate the dreaded landscape and Specialists to lend their knowledge. Expeditions: A MudRunner Game is out on March 5th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.

Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition (PC)

After Horizon Zero Dawn, it’s now the turn of Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Forbidden West to launch on PC. The Complete Edition includes the acclaimed base game and expansion, The Burning Shores, while supporting 21:9 and 32:9 displays alongside 48:9 triple monitor set-ups. PC players can also look forward to Nvidia DLSS 3 and DLAA support, in addition to AMD FSR and Intel XeSS being supported. If nothing else, Nixxes Software being in charge should mean a much better port than the original when it arrives on March 21st.

Princess Peach: Showtime!

Princess Peach finally gets her time to shine as the protagonist again when Princess Peach: Showtime! arrives on March 22nd for Nintendo Switch. The action-adventure title sees her utilizing various transformations to defeat Wicked Grape and the Sour Bunch, from the deadly Ninja Peach to the martial arts of Kung Fu Peach. You can even don a detective hat as, well, Detective Peach and duel with Swordfighter Peach. Overall, Princess Peach: Showtime! looks like a massive step up from 2005’s Super Princess Peach in every way.

Planet Zoo: Console Edition

A console re-release of a Frontier Developments’ management title on PC from 2019? Odd as it may be, Planet Zoo: Console Edition is out on March 26th for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It features the same content that fans of the original love, from creating different habitats in your dream zoo to caring for various animal species (complete with console-centric controls). The Frontier Workshop also gets cross-platform sharing, providing even more content to download, but there’s also a Season Pass for a whopping 14 additional DLC packs for console players.

Open Roads

Previously set to launch in February, Annapurna Interactive’s Open Roads is now out on March 28th for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. The story of Tess and her mother, Opal, still looks endearing as they embark on a road trip and revisit the past (unearthing some secrets along the way). With a uniquely gorgeous art style and an atmosphere that evokes the nostalgia of simpler times, Open Roads should be worth checking out for adventure game fans.

While developer Appeal Studios hasn’t specified the exact scope of the demo for Outcast – A New Beginning, its description in the announcement indicates that players will get to make use of the jetpack, as well as take part in various combat scenarios as they support the local Talans.

The demo, available as part of the ongoing Steam Next Fest, will be available until March 15 according to the announcement. This coincides with the main game’s release date on the same day.

Outcast – A New Beginning was announced back in 2021. The game is a follow-up to one of the first 3D open-world games to have been released, with the original even going as far back as pre-dating the release of Grand Theft Auto 3.

For more details on Outcast – A New Beginning, check out the 15-minute gameplay showcase released back in January.