I won’t lie that I went into Outward 2 with a bit of a chip on my shoulder. I was not the biggest fan of Nine Dots’ action RPG when I reviewed it back in 2019—although for some reason or another, my review seemed to get lost in the annals of time. However, that was quite some years ago, and I like to think I’ve grown as a person; and in truth, I was both surprised and curious to see a sequel to the game. Perhaps old grievances will have been addressed and gameplay enhanced!
It still might be too early to tell, seeing how the hands-on version of Outward 2 I got to play prominently stated at the top-right of the screen that it was an Alpha and, “everything can change,” but the game certainly feels bigger than I remember its predecessor being. However, diving into this sequel with a renewed perspective certainly made me appreciate a lot more about it—and to some degree, its predecessor.
What I liked about diving into Outward 2 was how it immediately felt more like a proper RPG experience. Players are given their choice of character backstory as well as two traits that work similarly to Fallout, bestowing both a positive and negative effect upon the player. Once they’ve created their character, they’re immediately framed for a murder and cast out of their home village.
At least that’s what happened in the only one of three starting locations that was available for this preview. I’d like to imagine each scenario would play out differently, but even if the story stayed the same across all three locations, it provides a much clearer and more immediate impetus for adventure than its predecessor, and doesn’t hang a one-week ticking clock around their neck before they’ve even figured out what’s going on—which I didn’t totally appreciate in Outward.
However, much like its predecessor, Outward 2 feels like a very old-school, pen-and-paper kind of RPG, which demands a different kind of demeanour when approaching it. Something about Outward 2—and to a similar degree its predecessor—that I didn’t fully appreciate was how the game is very good about continuing the adventure no matter what. I remember not fully understanding why every time a player would get “killed” in combat, they’d never actually have to face the grim spectre of death.
But I’ve come to see that, like a good Dungeon Master, Outward 2 really does a lot to put players in interesting scenarios and keep them on their toes. In some ways, it can be beneficial—like when you’re found by helpful travellers and brought to a nearby encampment, where you can rest, and maybe gain information for your current objectives. And sometimes, it’s detrimental—like when you break your ankle running from the monster that just handed you your buttocks.
Survival is a key part of the experience, and while that exists in the macro sense of managing to defeat all the things that want you dead, there’s also the micro elements where players need to manage their hunger, thirst and exhaustion. Outward 2 is not joking around—running too much can cap your max stamina, drinking contaminated water will make you sick, and going over your carrying capacity will slow your movement to a crawl.
“What I liked about diving into Outward 2 was how it immediately felt more like a proper RPG experience.”
Even the act of sleeping is tense—with players needing to choose between how much of their sleep will relieve exhaustion, heal their body or have them on guard for potential threats. Depending on the time, each point placed in the three requires an hour, and depending on how they place your points, players will be given a percentage chance of ambush at night. It’s one of the many things that constantly keeps the player on their toes and thinking about how to proceed in every aspect.
It’s certainly a punishing RPG, harkening back to games like Fallout or Planescape: Torment, but it’s also an incredibly gratifying one because it actually feels rewarding when you overcome an obstacle or successfully think (or fight) your way out of a difficult situation. However, since it’s still in its Alpha stages, I do think there are some ways that Outward 2 should embrace modern game design.
Players are given a map and are able to drop pins in order to mark potential areas of interest, but they’re unable to actually see their current location on the map—there’s no character indicator. Again, in theory, I actually don’t mind this idea. It’s very old-school Dungeons & Dragons, and players need to actually look at their map and survey their surroundings to know where to go or where they are. But theory and practice are two very different things, and it can be very easy to lose track of where you are and where you’re supposed to go in Outward 2.
The one thing I really hoped would see some improvement was the combat, and while I can say it does feel better than I remember its predecessor being, it still feels unforgivingly difficult in a way that really doesn’t make it satisfying. I get the idea that our character isn’t necessarily a bold adventurer, so it makes sense that they wouldn’t be slaying monsters left and right. However, it is something that I REALLY hope gets a rebalance, because combat is clearly an essential component of the experience.
The land of Bellowgale was an incredibly interesting place—a massive area underground surrounded by towering cliffs and lush plantlife that becomes bioluminescent at night. The creature design is also pretty diverse, from your average human guards, to bloated abominations, spectral foes and huge plantlike monstrosities. It’s a place that both captures a sense of beauty and danger—always keeping the player guessing about what’s around the corner.
So far, I like what I’ve seen from Outward 2, but I really hope that, in this still early stage, the game can receive some serious rebalancing and quality-of-life improvements. There’s no reason a game can’t be challenging while still implementing the benefits of modern-day design. I feel like Outward 2 is so close, and with a little more tweaking, it can honestly get there.
No official release date has been set for Outward 2, but the studio is planning a Q3 2026 release window. A Global Playtest is planned for December 9th, 2025 and run until December 15th. Players can register at the official Nine Dots website.
