I won’t lie that I went into Outward 2 with a bit of a chip on my shoulder. I was not the biggest fan of Nine Dots’ action RPG when I reviewed it back in 2019—although for some reason or another, my review seemed to get lost in the annals of time. However, that was quite some years ago, and I like to think I’ve grown as a person; and in truth, I was both surprised and curious to see a sequel to the game. Perhaps old grievances will have been addressed and gameplay enhanced!

It still might be too early to tell, seeing how the hands-on version of Outward 2 I got to play prominently stated at the top-right of the screen that it was an Alpha and, “everything can change,” but the game certainly feels bigger than I remember its predecessor being. However, diving into this sequel with a renewed perspective certainly made me appreciate a lot more about it—and to some degree, its predecessor.

What I liked about diving into Outward 2 was how it immediately felt more like... Read more