Outcast 1.1

I played this game in 1999 when it was first released. It was the best looking game of 1999 that I had ever played (and I played many games that year and to date). Over the years I have played it various times and it has never has grown old. I always wished that Outcast 2: The Lost Paradise was developed and released but it never happened. APPEAL closed shop. When I heard that the founders of APPEAL bought the IP rights to the game, my hopes were revived and it looks like we just might have that opportunity to play a game in my opinion that holds the Best ever game title in gaming history. I emailed one of the founders and he replied stating he appreciated my enthusiasm and it is in the works again. So, Atari who held onto the IP rights all these years…shame on you and kudos to the APPEAL team. I look forward to the release of the second edition to Outcast. The original game will change your opinion to what action/ adventure gaming ought to be, so give it a try. You will experience a living adventure that is second to none. 1999 was a great year and soon I hope the second release will bookend that year.

The Good Gorgeous skybox textures that are practically a work of art in of themselves. A strong storyline that, despite the use of a few tropes, stands as a solid and enjoyable experience. Non-player characters that you can love (or loathe). The Bad Terrain glitches can sometimes result in NPCs getting stuck in walls, though leaving and re-entering a zone will usually fix this problem. One or two NPCs have some slight inconsistencies with their voice acting with noticeable pitch and tone changes. A couple of NPCs have really bad texture seams on their models, most noticeably the Recreators. The combat is... awkward. You adjust to it quickly enough but it never feels quite right. The Assessment Above all, you have to remember that this game is fifteen years old and many of the in-game assets do show their age if you compare them to modern titles. But this game isn't really about amazing graphics, it's about immersing you in a story. The graphics, and even the combat, are just vehicles for what the game is truly about (in my opinion at least), the narrative and the characters. The narrative is good, even charming at times, and memorable but it never quite crosses the line into being a great narrative for me. It lacks that spice which takes an otherwise good and enjoyable story and turns it into a page-turning monster that you spend three days awake for just to complete it. The combat is nothing worth writing home about, and truthfully is probably the weakest area of this game. If you are looking for a smooth, slick 3rd person shooter then this is NOT the game for you! The sound design is overall quite good. The score is excellent, the voice acting is good, albeit a bit cheesy at times and the weapon effects get the job done. The characters are very good, in part due to the voice acting, but the tropes are noticeable. I was surprised at the end that I had bonded a bit with several characters. In short, a good way to spend a weekend and well worth the GOG price.

Rejected by many at the time because of the voxel engine and by many more due to the system requirements Outcast has grown in peoples hearts as a missed classic. With system requirements being trivial and the rich 3d environments still providing a unique and rich exploration mechanic the game in many ways is better suited to today's market. While it lacks the polish and pick up and play attitude of new titles the story and depth of character make this a must play for those that find modern games a little shallow.

Do NOT miss this game you guys! It's one of the most underappreciated classics out there!

This game is real masterpice of its kind with great soundtrack, big universe and epic story. Everybody should own one copy :)