Since April 1st, the loot shooter Outriders has been released. MyMMO author Tarek has already played for several hours and was positively surprised by the first real boss fight. He explains why and what was so cool about the fight here.
After the demo of Outriders, I was satisfied on one hand, but there was one thing that left me disappointed: the boss fight against Gauss, who was previously announced as a tough opponent.
However, he turned out to be quite lame. Gauss had some cool lightning attacks that kept you on the move. But it was neither particularly challenging nor really exciting.
Therefore, my expectations for the boss fights in the actual game were relatively low. Sure, the demo only covered the first chapter of Outriders, which doesn’t say anything about the rest of the game. However, I was still afraid that all boss fights would take place on that scale. After all, only a few shooters feature good boss mechanics.
With the release of the shooter, I could finally play up to the third chapter “Eagle Peaks.”
The “bosses” in the second chapter were even less spectacular than Gauss. They were just random guys in armored suits with Gatling guns, some of whom had a few abilities.
I usually made short work of them. So I felt confirmed at first. But then came the mission “Inferno,” which leads to a volcano, and I must admit: I was massively mistaken! At least for the moment.
Because there I met the first real fat boss of Outriders, and he positively surprised me.
Fight in the Volcano
In the mission, I had to reach the mountain peak and make my way up. I did that as well. Prior to the mission, I was warned about a danger on the summit that had already cost several men their lives. What exactly it was, of course, they couldn’t tell me.
On my way up, I encountered a pretty large spider. By large, I mean really large. Bigger than a truck. I wasn’t sure at first if it was the boss or just part of the scenery. But from that point, the anticipation began: Could it finally be that I’m not fighting some armored random guy with a Gatling?
Along the way, the spider climbed around in front of me several more times, and I was then attacked by smaller offshoots. The anticipation grew with every meter up. Then, upon reaching the summit, the fight began. Right in the crater.
Tough Boss Fight with Multiple Phases
This is how the fight went: In the crater, surrounded by lava, I had to face the behemoth. It repeatedly initiated jump attacks, caused the ground to shake, and used wide-area fire attacks.
I myself was playing as the Technomancer and initially had problems. I didn’t react quickly enough and was relatively quickly dead.
Before the second attempt, I prepared better, adjusted my equipment, and planned to heat up the spider with the rocket launcher and the Tormentor, an artillery cannon. Now the actual fight began, after the spider had first “warmed me up.” In the second attempt, I was able to finish the spider off and emerged from the (lava) field as a satisfied victor.
The fight has several phases, each bringing a twist.
- The first phase is still relatively calm and it is fairly easy to dodge the attacks.
- Eventually, the spider briefly retreats and sends its offshoots after you. This is a good opportunity to regenerate health points.
- The second phase proceeds like the first, except now mini-spiders attack in between
- In the third phase, the boss shrinks the battlefield and you also have to be careful not to run into the lava
- The last phase is the grand finale.
Here, the spider disappears into the lava pool and suddenly transforms into a giant lava worm. How that is physiologically possible was relatively irrelevant to me.
Here’s why I liked the fight so much: The staging is cool and the absurd transformation of the spider into the monster worm is what I like about Outriders. It’s all about boldness, not subtlety. Moreover, the different phases provide variety and require you to change your tactics in between.
I like boss fights that at least represent a certain challenge and that require a minimum of thought. Combined with the cool design and the epic staging, I really liked this boss.
I hope Outriders will give me more of that! This remains to be seen, as I haven’t been able to see much of the game yet due to constant server crashes.
Some Issues at Launch, but the Important Things are Right So Far
This is how the launch of Outriders went for me: Initially, like many others, I had the problem of not being able to play at all. Constant server outages prevented that.
I actually wanted to start together with my friends. That also fell apart because I’m on PlayStation while they are playing on Steam.
Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem thanks to crossplay, but at launch, it doesn’t work between PC and consoles. People Can Fly is also working on many other issues already in a patch: Outriders struggles with launch issues – This is what the developers are saying now
So I had to head out alone for a while. Apart from that, I really like Outriders. By now, I’m just at level 13, but I’ll still give you my impressions:
- The Story: I am currently still divided regarding the narrative. It has its good moments, especially some of the side missions tell interesting stories. The setting of Outriders is a bit overloaded but fundamentally intriguing. It’s still too early for me to make a judgment. People Can Fly doesn’t take itself too seriously, and the humor is macabre, which I like.
- Loot: Collecting gear is motivating from the very first moment and is one of the best aspects of the loot shooter genre so far. While I only started crafting in Division at the endgame, that starts in Outriders as soon as you get blue gear. I am curious to see how that will play out in the endgame; so far, I’m very satisfied in that regard.
- Crafting: The crafting system is well thought out and allows for extensive modifications to gear. It could become the key to keeping Outriders motivating throughout the game.
- Gameplay: Compared to the demo, the weapon handling and cover system feel improved. However, I still use cover rarely.
- Difficulty: Outriders is challenging, especially when solo. I’ve had to bite the dust in some areas. Generally, though, it was my own fault. I like that it’s not too easy, and when in doubt, you can simply lower the world tier. Thankfully, I’ve never had to do that so far.
I particularly like the interplay of the different mechanics. Gear, the skill trees of the classes, and crafting currently form a very motivating combination and complement each other well.
I constantly try out new variants, already building builds just to then discard them because I found a new weapon or gear piece or to try out a new skill.
My interim conclusion: If this continues, Outriders could become the best loot shooter for me in recent years. I hope the technical problems will be resolved as soon as possible, but People Can Fly is focusing on transparency and communication, which is why I’m quite optimistic in that regard.
What is Outriders? This is a cooperative shooter from People Can Fly and Square Enix. The game mixes story, RPG, and loot mechanics and is a cover shooter that can be compared to games like Gears of War or Remnant: From The Ashes. The setting is situated in a dark sci-fi fantasy setting.
Humans have already destroyed Earth in Outriders and now want to settle on the planet Enoch. You take on the role of an Outrider. This is a military special unit trained for the exploration of the new home.
However, upon arrival on Enoch, things go wrong and you are placed in cryosleep for 30 years. When you awaken, you possess special abilities that serve as the basis for the four classes of Outriders. But humanity is once again on the brink of extinction. These new abilities come at just the right time. Here you can find an overview of Outriders: Classes, system requirements, crossplay – All info about the loot shooter
Here is the launch trailer for Outriders:
If you are interested in Outriders but still unsure: The free demo is still available. You can get an impression of the cooperative shooter and its four classes there.
Moreover, you can carry over the progress to the full version; you do not have to start from scratch.
Have you already defeated the boss? Did you also find the fight so cool? Or do you have a different opinion? Feel free to write us in the comments.
