What is Outriders Game? A Cross-Gen or A Next-Gen?

What is Outriders game? The question seems odd but it should be answered. While many are calling it a next-gen looter shooter, Outriders is not a next-gen looter shooter from any angle. It is a cross-gen looter shooter because you will be able to play it on both 8^th and 9^th gen consoles. Cross-gen games would always hold back gaming for every platform. Developers have to consider all platforms while developing a game.

Just one look at the game is enough to let you know the type of game it is. The graphics of Outriders are outdated even by the standards of 8^th gen consoles let alone next-gen consoles. I think the game is fun as a looter shooter. There aren’t any next-gen mechanics of in the game but it is understandable because it is a cross-gen game. For 8^th gen consoles the game is fine but for next-gen, not so much. The good news is that Outriders is not a live service game. There are no microtransactions which makes it a good deal. The game has potential but I just hope that is not another Anthem. What is Outriders game? Let’s try to find out.

Outriders is a Cross-Gen Looter Shooter

The reason for the bad graphics of Outriders is the fact that it is a cross-gen game, not a next-gen game. Weaker hardware will always hold back a game which is usually the case with a cross-gen game. At least developers are not marketing it as a next-gen looter shooter experience. If the mechanics and graphics of the game go too far ahead then making it available on a weaker platform requires a lot of work. In some cases, it is impossible to do so. Using lots of NPCs with enhanced AI puts a load on hardware. If such mechanisms are used in 8^th gen consoles then it won’t work. Developers also need to consider the HDD while developing cross-gen games. It’s not easy for the developers to make two different games for different hardware. What is Outriders game for you? a next-gen or a cross-gen game.

Making Outriders a true next-gen experience is not a viable option economically. Outriders is not a live service game so its glory period won’t be that long.  It will offer both single-player and multiplayer experience in a single package. Outriders is a co-op game with a gameplay strategy similar to Borderlands. Such gameplay will not keep the game alive for a long time. Developers would not want to put too much investment in a game that offers short term profit. There are no microtransactions in the game which further reduces the profit. The strategy of Outrider is similar to a single-player RPG. In a sense, it is a single-player and multiplayer game at the same time.

Why Wasn’t Outriders Made As A Next-Gen Game?

Aside from general hardware, two major things are holding back Outriders. Game Engine and SSD are major bottlenecks for current-gen consoles. Outriders is no exception to this bottleneck due to its cross-gen nature. An SSD allows developers to put more layers in a single sequence due to its high speed and no seek time. It enables developers to put more data in a sequence without worrying about loading it. The same tactic can not be applied to HDD due to its low speed and seek time. Rendering multiple layers in a single sequence won’t be a problem for the next-gen console. Right now PS 5 has the fastest consumer SSD and there won’t be any loading thanks to SSDs. Developers are developing Outriders while considering HDD. What is Outriders Game without SSD?

Game Engine is another major bottleneck of Outriders because it is developed on Unreal 4. Epic Games has already revealed their Unreal 5 footage on PS 5 which is much better than anything we have seen. The fact the Outrider is being developed on Unreal 4 is evident in the game. Unreal 5 utilizes the powerful hardware of next-gen consoles and SSDs. 8^th gen consoles lack everything that the 9^th gen console will offer. A cross-gen game can’t be as good as a true next-gen game.

What is Outriders Looter Shooter Game?

The simple answer to the question “What is Outriders game?” is that it is a cross-gen looter shooter game. However, the game offers some complex mechanics which might make it a fun play. It is a looter shooter so one should expect repetition as it is evident from the gameplay. The first monthly broadcast did not show anything that we didn’t already know. Outriders was running on PC during all of the presentations. It would mean that the game was running on so-called next-gen graphics. You should expect similar graphics on both PS 5 and Xbox Series X. They did say that they might improve the looks of the game but the improvement would not be evident. They can’t just scrap the game and make it from the ground up so don’t expect too much.

Outriders might be a good looter shooter and that’s about it. There is nothing extraordinary that the game is offering other than the lack of microtransactions. Combat seems fun especially when you consider the abilities of different classes. The dismemberment system reminds me of the Gears series. There is inspiration form a lot of other games making it a diverse experience. Some of the combat mechanics don’t make sense but they are still there. The world tiers system of the game is amazing and it gives a fair chance to everyone. I like the game as a looter shooter but not as a next-gen or even cross-gen game

Verdict

Outriders is the upcoming looter shooter that will release on both 8^th and 9^th gen consoles along with PC. The quality of the game is questionable for a next-gen or even cross-gen game. There is nothing next-gen about it because it is a cross-gen game. You can’t compare it to other upcoming games but it might be a decent looter shooter. I expect nothing good from it aside from being a fair enough looter shooter. There are no microtransactions and it is not a live service game making it digestible. I understand that developers are being held back by 8^th gen consoles but that’s about it. There might be no room for improvement. Let’s answer the question “What is Outriders game?” It is not a next-gen game but I hope that it is at least the type of game we are seeing in the gameplay.