Outcast
- November 24, 2000 14:47 PM PST
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Outcast is a third-person action/adventure with a fulfilling backstory, striking graphics, and a bone-chilling score. All told, it's incredibly fun.
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Earth scientists locate the planet Adelpha in an alternate universe and rejoice in their findings--until the Kroax, a hostile native group, identifies the Earth probe as a threat and try to destroy it. Earth scientists believe the destruction of this probe will create a black hole and ultimately lead to the devastation of Earth. They assemble a team of scientists, and a smart-aleck military operative, Cutter Slade to go through the portal, repair the probe and save the day.
Most of the gameplay involves interaction with the Talans, the indigenous people of the planet Adelpha, who offer Slade clues to the locations of the six sacred Mons needed to save their world. And of course there's the typical running, jumping, and shooting of bad guys that make adventure games so exciting.
Adelpha has six regions, each with distinct characteristics. Ranzaar is the arctic territory where Slade begins his journey. Here lives a small group of Talans who are part of the resistance against the oppressive Kroax group lead by Fae Rhan. The other regions are more temperate, with rice paddies, marshes, forests, mountains, and an urban hub. (The Kroax can make this last a difficult region to navigate safely. Slade does not exactly look like the average Talon.)
Outcast is definitely pretty. While pixelated, the voxel graphics are stunning. The worlds capture settings at once alien and familiar. The aliens themselves are sentient, but very distinct from humans, and are both animated and voiced quite realistically (for aliens). And each world has enough unique qualities to set it apart from any of the other worlds.
Helping support the look and feel is Outcast's haunting soundtrack--composed by Lennie Moore and performed by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. It complements the mood of the game--rising in intensity during the action sequences and becoming more soothing while Slade is wandering in the rice paddies.
In the end, Outcast, with its overall appeal, measures up to some of the strongest contenders in the Adventure genre. The compelling story, wonderful soundtrack, and an attractive graphical engine make Outcast worth playing.
