Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

10 Hours or Less

The Bottom Line:

"Solid"

*Mini Review*

Outland, developed by Housemarque and published by Ubisoft, is billed as a return to the "metroidvania" style of game, which would presuppose a number of things but most importantly a discovery of new abilities which unlock new areas in old levels. At it's most basic, Outland does provide such gameplay, though it's not entirely satisfying, and mashes it with the lauded Ikagura-style color-switching along with fighting-game mechanics. On the whole, said gameplay is certainly enjoyable for what it is, providing some difficult platforming (specifically with color-switching), occasional new abilities which open up new areas in passed levels, and perhaps most successfully some thrilling boss battles.

Yet, it's homage to "metroidvania" isn't entirely deep. In fact, as a few reviewers have noted, Outland basically plays like a linear platformer with fighting and color-switching. I have to say I agree with that assessment: those looking for Super Metroid redux had better return to Metroid, SOTN, or ChAIR's Shadow Complex. There are a number of aspects of those games which never really materialize here, including the following:

1) While there is some backtracking to open up all levels, the game doesn't at all require it. Rather, backtracking is left to the completionists who want to grab all the gold they can. No backtracking is required to complete the game.

2) The new abilities you learn are few and don't really affect gameplay. After achieving the color-switching ability (by far the most fundamental to the game), everything else is entirely secondary and often useless in gameplay. If it's needed, it's purely to make it to the next level (without really backtracking).

3) the map-system in no way indicates where you've been or haven't been. While this could be viewed as making it simply more difficult to achieve total completion, it ends up making it feel like exploration is entirely secondary, and adds grinding time to no avail as you re-traverse entire levels looking for new areas in vain.

These aren't enough to sink the game. Quite the contrary, Outland's superior boss battles and challenging yet enjoyable platforming make it a worthy game that platforming fans will almost assuredly enjoy. But don't expect any legitimate return of the classic "metroidvania" gameplay; it's far too much a veneer to be considered legitimate.