Outriders may just be the looter shooter that fans have been asking for, there’s a density to the game’s lore that never feels half-baked or made solely for the sake of story advancement. Square Enix and People Can Fly have teamed up to put a fresh spin on a genre that had felt elusive in recent times. While no one goes into a looter shooter game for the story, a good looter shooter certainly has its merits and provides a foundation to carry the game from point to point.

The strength of Outriders lies in how smoothly you transition from cutscenes to action, there’s a sense of impending doom from the start. No matter what class you choose, the skill tree gives you plenty of reasons to push and grind. There’s a reward for that too. The more you push yourself, the more likely you are to earn rare and legendary items and weapons. It feels earned and the specialization stands out, each weapon has been crafted with its own unique identity that will appeal to any playstyle.

Your style largely determines which class you choose and which weapons you use. You may think that you can just do what you do best, but the game often offers different challenges that force you to adapt your strategy.

The enemy AI in the game works flawlessly, from dodging grenades when you spend more than enough time in cover to having a strategy in place to overwhelm you. It feels like the game is actively trying to beat you, rather than the other way around.