The Outriders demo arrived, whipping many players into a frenzy as they're eager to explore what development studio People Can Fly has crafted under the purview of its genre mashup between RPG and looter-shooter. The demo released on February 25, more than a month prior to release so the developer can analyze play styles and balance.
People Can Fly has been enjoying the fruits of its labor as Outriders has been the talk of social media. The hybrid of looter-shooter and RPG, along with cooperative drop-in/drop-out play, seemingly encourages longer sessions as players are immersed in the game's fantastical planet. People Can Fly made an announcement on Twitter that the popularity of the Outriders demo has stretched well-beyond what it imagined.
One player in particular, has racked up 254 hours played in total thus far. Notably, this is within the demo period alone. People Can Fly notes the average playtime is of Outriders is four hours and twenty minutes, and the demo had over two million players in the first week on the market - culminating in a total of 9.5 million hours played. The demo offers a heft of the first part of the title, with items and weaponry carrying forward into the main game. This means those who are grinding the demo right now will have a leg up when the full title releases.
The individual who has played for 254 hours (which breaks down to an average of seventeen hours per day) is a clear outlier. While it's a monumental outlier, it shouldn't necessarily be taken to imply that the demo has ten full days of content. The player who has racked up the length of time shows an inventory full of legendary weapons in Outriders, and rarely seen purple apparel.
These items won't be farmed in vain. People Can Fly has said loot will be upgradeable as players continue through the story. This assures people currently grinding the demo that the hard work will pay off, presuming they receive a weapon that operates how they want. The development studio has recently nerfed a legendary farming segment, reportedly rolling back those that ran a path with no combat but three chests.
While People Can Fly is deservedly enjoying its time in the spotlight, the success of the Outriders demo doesn't promise a successful full title. A multitude of variables, ranging from gameplay loop fatigue to player taste, can affect the final verdict on Outriders. The verdict currently, however, is that this is a title that may enjoy a long life with a large playerbase.
Outriders releases on April 1 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Eurogamer