A new IP from Fortnite's co-developer People Can Fly was always going to garner some attention, and early glimpses of the online co-op RPG Outriders did turn a few heads. The initial release went fairly well, although the game did face some criticism for its character portrayals, bugs, and lack of innovation on several fronts. Outriders did have a fun combat system and some interesting level design, but the biggest criticisms was reserved for its pretty basic story. Many fans were hoping that the release of the game's first expansion, Outriders: Worldslayer, would address this and offer a more engaging narrative.
The co-op shooter introduced Enoch, a challenging world that is plagued by a destructive energy storm known as the Anomaly. Throughout the base game, players must fight for their place in this new environment while also dealing with hostile wildlife and the deadly Ferals. The narrative held a few surprising revelations and examined the morality of colonization to some extent, but Outriders left players wanting more, with several big questions left unanswered. The Worldslayer expansion was Outriders' chance to explore these narrative threads and provide players with another exciting adventure on Enoch.
Another Twist To The Tale
The story campaign of Outriders ends with players finally learning the true fate of the Caravel, humanity's tragic history with the Pax and their subsequent transformation into the Ferals, and why the Anomaly had devastated the planet. Gamers defeat the leader of the Ferals and the pods are launched from the Flores, providing humanity with another fresh load of resources to help their ill-fated colonization attempts. The story was seen as one of Outriders' weaker elements, and simply as a framework from which players could enjoy the gameplay and explore the other aspects of the game.
While the expansion brings plenty of other new elements, its story was a chance for the developer to get fans back on board and engage with the wider world of Outriders by adding more to the narrative. Worldslayer added another area, letting players explore icy wastes beset by blizzards that showed Enoch's wildly fluctuating weather. Gamers were also pitted against a new antagonist – Ereshkigal, leader of the human insurgence faction and considered to be one of the first Altered. Fighting not only Ereshkigal and her Insurgents but also an expanding Anomaly presented a new challenge, but many felt that the expansion's story didn't quite live up to the hype.
Worldslayer's Final Moments
While the story doesn't answer all the questions fans were left with at the end of Outriders, it does provide some more insights into pre-human history on Enoch and deepens the lore. However, with only a few hours of story content for players to enjoy, it doesn't feel like a sizable enough addition to really cover that much new narrative ground, establish enough of a backstory for the villain, or create meaningful connections with new characters.
After finally defeating the tentacled Ereshkigal and completing the campaign, players manage to set up a human settlement protected by a barrier that keeps the destructive Anomaly at bay. Despite finally finding a measure of peace, the Anomaly still hasn't been fixed, and its power will continue to grow, meaning this respite is only temporary. Even though they're warned that if they leave they will not be able to return, the protagonist goes back through the barrier and heads off in search of a more lasting solution to the Anomaly.
Lured to the ancient city of Tarya Gratar – the former heart of the Pax civilization – like many of Enoch's creatures before them, gamers can start the Trial of Tarya Gratar, which is both the end of the overall story and a new endgame activity. After defeating the last boss, the player travels further into the cavernous areas beneath the city and sees inscriptions on the walls depicting humanity's arrival on Enoch. The drawings show the Outrider insignia, revealing that their disastrous effect on the planet was foretold, and the original inhabitants had prepared for it, but they were a thousand years too early. Fueled by their determination to learn more, the player descends further in search of the truth.
Outriders: Worldslayer is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.