Outriders is set for release in early 2021, and it will be a third-person shooter set in outer space that has RPG elements and customizable characters. Because Square Enix is publishing the game so close to the beginning of a new console gen, some people are speculating that Outriders will be a big hit in the sci-fi genre, beating out some more anticipated games. While it remains to be seen exactly what impact Outriders will have in its genre, it has some hype built up already, especially around some intriguing-sounding classes like the time-manipulating Trickster and powerful Technomancer.
The launch dates for the Xbox Series X and PS5 put a lot of factor up in the air for a lot of games still in development, and some fans were initially disappointed to see Outriders being delayed out of a Holiday 2020 release window. Unlike some games stuck in development hell, Outriders fans were lucky enough to see the release date only being moved as far back as February 2021, which isn't that much time. Still, fans have gotten to see sneak peaks of gameplay via the progression of trailers.
E3 2019 Reveal Trailer
2019's E3 event saw multiple game reveals that got a lot of people excited, yet the Outriders official reveal trailer made a major splash even alongside highly-anticipated games like Marvel's Avengers and Watch Dogs Legion. This trailer was highly cinematic and showed off some of the character and setting visuals with broad strokes as well as some peeks at action. The trailer was a follow-up to lore hints that many fans caught on Twitter. At the time, Outriders had a release window of Summer 2020.
Official Reveal Trailer February 2020
This trailer came out just ahead of the official gameplay reveal a few days later, and provided a bit of a taste as to what players could expect to see, as well as a re-wetting of the palate after a several month gap between trailers. Once again, cinematic visuals and landscape settings were a major part of the video, accompanied by a cryptic narration that hinted at a post-apocalyptic space force fighting off a violent enemy. The trailer also focused more on some of the elemental powers that the Outriders classes would have.
Outriders Official Gameplay Presentation
The gameplay reveal came out just under a year before the currently planned release date, although at the time a Holiday 2020 reveal was still what Square Enix and People Can Fly were shooting for. The video overlays commentary with some of the developers over clips of various characters in combat and exploration, and for the first time, fans could see the user interface with HP, levels, and more. The devs also delved into some of the lore of what will be combined sci-fi and fantasy game. The Outriders gameplay reveal got a lot more players excited for what looks like an interesting twist on the third-person shooter RPG sci-fi genre.
"Become Terror" Trailer
This trailer increased the hype for what were shaping up to be very unique character classes, and the Trickster class with its ability to influence the flow of time especially proved to be popular among fans. This trailer also introduced the Technomancer, a class that uses scraps left over from a mysterious past to forge deadly constructs.
The official Outriders YouTube channel also features interviews, insights from the devs about their process in creating the world and character classes, and the monthly Outriders broadcast, which offers a deeper dive than most trailers. With all of this, it's clear that a ton of time has gone into crafting this blend of sci-fi and magic-based fantasy. Although it's been delayed until 2021, all the currently-revealed features and the promise of Outriders cross-play at launch will hopefully assuage fans' frustrations with having to wait just a tad longer for the game to be tested and released.
Outriders launches on February 2, 2021, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X, with a Stadia version in development for 2021.