For those expecting a super fun, hack n' slash soulslike co-op RPG, Outward is NOT it. If that's what you were expecting, you can download mods to make it that way, otherwise the vanilla experience is probably not what most casual players are looking for. Most might argue it's a bad game if you have to mod it for it to be fun, but the vanilla game is in no way bad, it's just very different from what most people will expect.

Outward is designed to be played SLOW. And I mean everything is slow, even the combat. Most of the time the fighting can be reduced to hitting an enemy once, then dodging or blocking for a good 30 seconds before landing another hit on repeat. There are no fast travel or mounts, so you will be walking pretty much everywhere you go. This is not your usual action RPG, and do not approach it as such. Sleeping is a mechanic that is necessary so that your character doesn't get tired and lose health and stamina.

In terms of quests and choices, it's pretty good and it does not hold your hand at all. Every action you make matters, however it seems like dialogue choices don't really make too much of a difference except for a handful of quests. It's more based on the decisions you make on killing somebody or outright just abandoning the quest, as every quest has a time-limit to encourage agency. Some quests can end up changing the world entirely, with some having actual proper consequences from not acting on them, so it's a pretty solid quest system.

Replayability is pretty good, the game has some mechanics that encourage you to start New Game Plus like legacy gear that can turn certain sets of gear into an upgraded version of it for your new character. Although, I'd say the Three Brothers DLC should only be played once, I personally don't think it's very good as the Soroboreans.

I'd say give the game a shot, pick it up during a sale and if you don't like the vanilla game, you can mod it to the level of a Soulslike in terms of combat responsiveness with the Combat Tweaks Mod. The Raid Mode Mod is a must if you want to play with more than 2 people.

For those expecting a super fun, hack n' slash soulslike co-op RPG, Outward is NOT it. If that's what you were expecting, you can download mods to make it that way, otherwise the vanilla experience is probably not what most casual players are looking for. Most might argue it's a bad game if you have to mod it for it to be fun, but the vanilla game is in no way bad, it's just very different from what most people will expect. Outward is designed to be played SLOW. And I mean everything is slow, even the combat. Most of the time the fighting can be reduced to hitting an enemy once, then dodging or blocking for a good 30 seconds before landing another hit on repeat. There are no fast travel or mounts, so you will be walking pretty much everywhere you go. This is not your usual action RPG, and do not approach it as such. Sleeping is a mechanic that is necessary so that your character doesn't get tired and lose health and stamina. In terms of quests and choices, it's pretty good and it does not hold your hand at all. Every action you make matters, however it seems like dialogue choices don't really make too much of a difference except for a handful of quests. It's more based on the decisions you make on killing somebody or outright just abandoning the quest, as every quest has a time-limit to encourage agency. Some quests can end up changing the world entirely, with some having actual proper consequences from not acting on them, so it's a pretty solid quest system. Replayability is pretty good, the game has some mechanics that encourage you to start New Game Plus like legacy gear that can turn certain sets of gear into an upgraded version of it for your new character. Although, I'd say the Three Brothers DLC should only be played once, I personally don't think it's very good as the Soroboreans. I'd say give the game a shot, pick it up during a sale and if you don't like the vanilla game, you can mod it to the level of a Soulslike in terms of combat responsiveness with the Combat Tweaks Mod. The Raid Mode Mod is a must if you want to play with more than 2 people.