The intermittent scenes of normalcy add a layer of depth that enriches the game. The characters feel wildly different from each other, with some offering a return of innocence to this world and others showing off the brutal reality of what it’s like to stay on top when the rest of the planet wants you dead. The fast-paced, action-packed moments convey the need to keep moving, and those moments are even starker thanks to calm-before-the-storm story sequences that introduce the characters along the way. While the beginning sequence goes all-in with the action, the true start of the story kicks in soon after and goes hard on the fight-or-flight instinct in a new world that challenges what it means to be a survivor. Outriders begins its adventure with a cutscene heralding the arrival of humans on a new planet called Enoch, a world that was meant to be their salvation brimming with promise as a fresh start for humankind. It also has the subtle, dry humor that People Can Fly is known for, especially to Bulletstorm fans. That action coincides with a tale that rests within sci-fi fantasy but holds a modicum of truth regarding human instincts and how we react when there is nothing left to lose and everything to lose at the same time. That storyline is more immersive than I expected, and while it takes about an hour to really pick up momentum, it eventually becomes a cacophony of in-your-face action. The entire adventure is macabre with a dark narrative that centers on survival, the ability to adapt, and the journey to prove you're the biggest badass on the playground.

I love shooters and RPGs, and Outriders amalgamates these genres perfectly. Despite launch day connection issues, I couldn't put Outriders down and after running two complete character builds through the main story and endgame content, I'm happy to say that this game has lived up to every one of my expectations and hopes. Outriders is an explosively chaotic looter shooter that pulls from the best of the best of People Can Fly's previous games while offering a new tale that takes some seriously wild turns.

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