Outriders has finally been released and gamers across the world are diving into the new sci-fi looter-shooter from Square Enix and People Can Fly. While many Outriders players are coming from different games, the most comparable at the moment may have to be Destiny 2: Beyond Light. While Outriders is not set up to have limited time content like Destiny, nor is any comparison of the two an exact 1:1, many players may struggle with a sense of FOMO between the two games.
Outriders is a standalone narrative that is not taking the seasonal content approach like Destiny, but it's important to note players can probably invest as much in the former as they wish, given Outriders' extensive endgame Expeditions. The latter is structured around being a hobby game, one that Guardians need to log into weekly to keep up with. Outriders is simply a new name in the looter-shooter space, and that alone is enough to make gamers struggle with wanting to play something new but not wanting to fall behind in Destiny.
Outriders is a sci-fi looter shooter comparable to Destiny 2 in some ways. While Altered and Guardians are different in their implementation, the two are also quite similar, being an overpowered protagonist in a Sci-Fi world and shooting aliens. Guardians of Destiny should feel at home as an Altered in Outriders. With multiple classes and three-man squads, Outriders should feel natural for many Destiny players regardless of the other distinctions.
Destiny 2 vs. Outriders in Their Approach to Looting, Shooting Content
While Outriders has a lot to offer fans of looter-shooters, seasoned Destiny veterans may struggle with playing Outriders simply because they would not be playing Destiny. The latter is geared around its players logging on and playing every single week to keep up with the seasonal story and newly released in-game content such as Destiny 2's weekly challenges. Players of Destiny have previously discussed the feeling of FOMO in Destiny as the players took a season away from the game, and it's possible this fear of missing out in Destiny will keep some Guardians from jumping into Outriders.
Considering that Outriders does not currently have any limited time content or a seasonal story that requires players to play every week, the struggle of playing either Outriders or Destiny will surely fade overtime, however. As more players play through and finish Outriders' campaign, the game itself will require less upkeep. Players are not required to play Outriders every week and can enjoy the game at their own pace, meaning they can dive head-in and put in hundreds of hours or they can play just a few at a time.
Currently, the biggest draw for many Outriders players is to finish the main story campaign and level up their characters of choice. While players work towards max level in Outriders, one of the key points of concern is being around the same level as their friends. This may make players dedicate more time to Outriders right now to get their characters to a point where they can play with any of their friends and not be under-leveled or skip around in the campaign.
Plenty of Space and Time for Both Destiny 2 and Outriders
With Destiny 2: Beyond Light having just about wrapped up their seasonal story for the current Season of the Chosen, now may be a good time for Guardians to pick up the mantle of Altered and join in on the exploration of Enoch. When Destiny 2’s next season starts, Guardians will have even more reason to struggle between Outriders and Destiny.
Unlike Destiny, Outriders does not have any PVP activities, so Destiny players who are fans of the Crucible will find nothing like that in Outriders. This could be a good or a bad thing for many players. Destiny players who dislike the Crucible or just prefer the PVE activities have a lot to look forward to in Outriders.
The Outriders content is not expiring, so gamers can pick it up and play whenever they wish. This allows gamers to more easily prioritize when they play what game depending on if they have weekly ritual content to complete in other games. Destiny players who want to pick up Outriders may want to do so while Destiny content is approaching its slow point between seasons.
Outriders is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.