What The Critics Are Saying About Outriders

People Can Fly's new looter shooter, Outriders, was finally released on April 1, 2021, after being pushed back for months. The game's sizable demo received mixed remarks from publications like Forbes, but the released version of Outriders really took everyone by surprise. Server issues and bugs have overshadowed some the hype for the game.

However, despite major issues for certain versions of the game, Outriders saw pretty high praises from critics reviewing the PlayStation 5 version of the game. The premise of the game is to survive on a new planet that was supposed to be the new home for humans. Players use a mixture of fantastic abilities and guns to stay alive and learn about the new war-torn planet.

While the story of the game hasn't exactly kept critics on the edge of their seat, the combat in the game more than made up for it. Joe Apsey from PlayStation Universe summed it up well: "It isn't too flashy, it isn't the prettiest game on PS5, it doesn't utilise the PS5's feature[s] all that well...but my god Outriders is a bloody excellent video game."

According to Gamers Heroes' Blaine Smith, Outriders' "combat is refreshingly brilliant from start to finish." PlayStation Universe's Joe Apsey agreed, and his review mentioned that "combat really is the shining star of Outriders."

The game's special abilities, according to Blaine Smith, create "an action-packed, adrenaline fueled combat system that makes every battle as challenging as it is rewarding." Outriders' different character classes all come with unique abilities, which makes each character play differently. Additionally, healing in the game doesn't rely on potions or armor plates, but instead on getting kills. Apsey also commented that the game's "top-tier sound effects" will keep players' hearts racing during firefights. 

The gear in Outriders stands out as well. Instead of grinding for the best weapon drops with the best stats, players can craft and customize their weapons and armor. This opens the door for a "malleable character that you can fine-tune exactly how you want," in Apsey's words. Pair the combat system with the highly-customizable gear, and players are sure to have plenty of options to play how they want.

In stark contrast to the numerous positive PS5 reviews, reviews for the PC version of Outriders are coming in slower — and much harsher. This is understandable, considering the always-online game isn't fully playable on PC, thanks to server issues that have made co-op impossible. Morgan Park from PC Gamer slammed the game for its subpar storyline — and since co-op is virtually non-existent, that's basically the only experience PC players were able to get.

According to Screen Rant, server issues have also led to upset fans review bombing the game on Metacritic. Along with bugs that make certain parts of the game unplayable, Screen Rant mentioned that the game is "completely unplayable for the vast majority of players." Considering servers are a major issue, the game's requirement of being online is another game-breaking issue. 

The official Twitter page for the game claimed that the game's server issues were looking up on April 4, 2021. Even so, the PC release was so frustrating for some gamers that it's hard to know if those fans will give it a second chance.