Outcast – Second Contact

Jumping mechanics like the old Tomb Raider games had me pulling my hair out but Outcast is alright other that that. Outcast is a remaster that maintains the feeling of the original version, driven by a good narrative structure that puts the player in a big world populated by different alien races that give a lot of different quests. Instead the gameplay is old and unfriendly and graphics that dont hold up.

I didn't know this game, so I wondered a little bit about the 90'-ies -touch in the gameplay. As common back then the gameplay is a kind of slow and not without a challenge. The game has a strong story and is very atmospheric. The diologues are very charming and humorous.
The combat is kind of simple but feels fluent. The movements are clunky - you need patiance for this kind of game. For me the story was amazing and after I started playing I was looking forward to continue after work every day. I really enjoyed playing this game and do recommend it.

I played this game when I was a boy. Couldn't win it back then, wasn't ready. Now I bought it and won it. I needed that.
Great game, especially for its time. This remade version (higher graphics) made it playable. I wouldn't have played the game with classic graphics. So big thanks to the re-creator ;)
I feel like I broke through something. Will help me in in real life.

First off: despite being an older game, it still works flawlessly on modern systems. I've only had a couple random crash but there are lots of auto save so it's fine. I didn't see anyone complain either.
However being an older console port, some controls can't be changed. But they're simple so it's no big deal or you can use an xbox controller.
As for the game, it's pretty good. It's an old school open world fetch quest adventure so there's a lot of back and forth, which is not for everyone but they're wrapped in diverse enough story plots to not feel boring.
There are a whole lot of dialogues and characters fully voiced. There's a very decent amount of sub quests on top of the main one. The world design, music and story is very well crafted and fun to explore. The whole experience is pretty interesting if you like this kind of game and there's a lot of very good ideas here and there.
I knew about the game but never played before and I'm glad I did end up trying. It seems to be quite a faithful remaster of the original one (Outcast 1.1) and after watching some gameplay videos, it looks impressive how they remade it and not changed everything like many modern game studios would.
So if you've played the very first one, you should try this as this game is probably gonna look like your memories of the 1.1 and if you've never played it, it still looks very nice. The textures, music and mechanics still hold up.
If you want to complete the adventure on the first try (15-20h), you probably won't. Being an older game, there's not much hand holding going on. If you want to understand what something does, you have to figure it out by yourself (like the tech gadgets you should use but don't know about if you don't dig around). Even the manual save sytem is hinted in the dialogues but not clearly shown unless you dig. There's no quest marker, no arrow, except for the main characters as there are lots of npc roaming around. It's refreshing if you like snooping around.
To be noted, the way to find characters is by asking any npc and they will give you an overall direction which is a very cool way to handle this, especially since both npc and some main characters just go about their life and move a lot.
For the achievements, if you want to 100% the game you'll need to go through it at least twice because there are lots of quests that aren't obvious and some seem secondary but are part of the main one. Missing these don't prevent you from finishing the game but you won't get 100% for the main story, if you finish without these hidden primary quests. A workaround would be to back up your saves, as you only get 3 manual slots and the auto save is very aggressive and will trigger at every interaction. Otherwise, you won't be able to go back a lot at all.
However there are guides online, notably planet-adelpha dot de and true achievements.
I'll definately play the second game once it's more affordable, hoping the story is expanded because it's quite an interesting set up.
Overall it's really a must for anyone who likes straight forward sci-fi adventure. The world is worth exploring and if you get it on sale, it's really more than worth its price.

Outcast - Second Contact is a remastered version of the cult classic action-adventure game originally released in 1999. Developed by Appeal Studios, this updated edition seeks to preserve the charm and innovation of the original while bringing the experience into the modern era with improved visuals, enhanced audio, and refined gameplay mechanics. For fans of open-world exploration, rich storytelling, and classic sci-fi settings, Outcast - Second Contact offers a fascinating glimpse into a game that was ahead of its time, albeit with some rough edges that may affect the experience for new players.
The story follows Cutter Slade, a former Navy operative sent on a mission to a distant, alien world called Adelpha to prevent a catastrophic dimensional rift threatening Earth. The narrative blends science fiction with elements of exploration and diplomacy, as Cutter navigates a richly detailed and mysterious planet inhabited by various indigenous tribes and strange creatures. The plot unfolds gradually, with a mix of action, exploration, and puzzle-solving that encourages players to engage deeply with the world and its inhabitants. What stands out is the game’s commitment to creating a living, breathing world where player choices and interactions influence how the story progresses, adding a layer of depth and immersion.
Gameplay in Outcast - Second Contact centers around open-world exploration and mission-based objectives. Players are free to roam the diverse environments of Adelpha, from lush forests and towering mountains to ancient ruins and bustling alien villages. The game combines third-person shooting with puzzle-solving and NPC interaction, offering a varied gameplay experience. Combat feels somewhat dated compared to modern standards, but it remains engaging thanks to the variety of enemies and tactical options available. Exploration is rewarding, with hidden secrets, side quests, and lore scattered throughout the world, inviting players to take their time and fully absorb the environment.
Visually, the remaster improves significantly on the original, updating character models, textures, and environments to meet contemporary expectations while retaining the distinct artistic style that defines the game. The world of Adelpha is brought to life with vibrant colors and detailed landscapes, making exploration a visually pleasing experience. However, despite these upgrades, some elements—particularly animations and facial expressions—can still feel stiff or outdated, which may pull players out of the immersion occasionally. The remaster does an admirable job preserving the original’s atmosphere, though, maintaining the alien world’s unique blend of wonder and danger.
The audio design is similarly enhanced, with a remastered soundtrack and improved sound effects that enrich the sense of place and tension. Voice acting remains a mixed bag; while some performances convey emotion effectively, others can feel wooden or overly dramatic, reflecting the original’s late-90s production values. Nonetheless, the audio work overall supports the narrative and gameplay well, particularly the ambient sounds of the alien wilderness and the evocative musical themes.
One of the strengths of Outcast - Second Contact lies in its world-building and the depth of interaction with the native Adelphian tribes. Players must learn local languages, understand cultural nuances, and engage in diplomacy, which adds layers of complexity and immersion uncommon in many action-adventure titles. This interaction influences story outcomes and mission success, encouraging thoughtful engagement rather than brute force solutions alone.
Despite its many merits, Outcast - Second Contact does present challenges. The game’s mechanics, while faithful to the original, can feel clunky or unintuitive to modern gamers accustomed to streamlined controls and polished interfaces. Some quests may require significant backtracking, and the absence of a clear waypoint system can lead to confusion. Additionally, bugs and performance issues occasionally mar the experience, particularly on certain hardware configurations, which can be frustrating.
In conclusion, Outcast - Second Contact is a fascinating blend of old-school design and modern enhancements, offering a richly detailed sci-fi world filled with exploration, intrigue, and cultural depth. It’s a title that will appeal most to players with a fondness for classic adventure games or those interested in experiencing a unique story-driven open world from a bygone era. While some aspects feel dated and the game’s pacing and mechanics may challenge newcomers, the remaster preserves the original’s spirit and expands its accessibility, making it a worthwhile experience for those willing to embrace its quirks and immerse themselves in the mysterious world of Adelpha.
Rating: 8/10

Summary:
I had a lot of fun with this game but it does have a lot of issues and afaik the devs are no longer working on this (the last patch - patch 2 - was from feb 2021 and I have not seen any mention of them doing a patch 3). Some of the issues may not apply to you and some may depend on what kind of gaming experience you enjoy. If you aren't turned off by the issue list, then I would absolutely recommend this game to anyone who enjoys immersive open-world exploration and doing all the side quests. It does take awhile to get used to this game's way of doing things, but after everything clicks, it's a lot of fun.
This reminds me a bit of the first Risen game in the immersive exploration department (e.g. one of my favs), although they are extremely different games in most other aspects (a lot of people have a hard time adapting to Risen's combat system, for example, but this game's combat is much more forgiving... and depending on the settings, might even border on too easy... plus the obvious difference in settings between the two games).
If you are new to the Outcast series, be aware that "Second" in the title is NOT referring to a previous game (this game is NOT a sequel). It is referring to the fact that this is the second remake of the game. The original Outcast (1999) was remastered and released as Outcast 1.1 (2014). This game (2017) takes that same story but does it with a newer engine. If you see Outcast: A New Beginning, that game is the sequel to this one.
Issues:
For me, I got LOTS of crashes. I will note that I am on Linux (using proton) if that matters. I did see some reports of Windows users having issues with crashes/freezes in the past but couldn't tell if that was before or after patch 2 was released. According to protondb, no other Linux users reported crashes/freeezes in the last 4 years. So maybe I just got "lucky" and had some hw/system setup it didn't like. Anyway, I'll cover these more below. Bottom line: I seem to be in the minority in terms of frequent crashes/freezes so while it doesn't mean you will experience the same thing, it's not impossible either. I strongly recommend testing immediately after purchase so you can get a refund if you run into the same issues and can't deal with it.
For newer gamers that prefer a lot of hand-holding and direction... this is not that game. While the setting is obviously different, this experience is more similar to games like Risen or Gothic where you don't have a lot of stuff explained to you in-game. I actually think this makes things more immersive, but I know some players just find that annoying. The main issue with this is that the steam version of Outcast: SC does not include a manual! Fortunately, since the first remake is also on steam and most of the stuff (actions, items, world, etc) carries over fine, so you can use the Outcast 1.1 manual.
There were mentions in the discussions of game breaking bugs but I never encountered any of those.
There are a few side-quest actions that are optional/can be missed, so if you are playing for cheevos be aware. spoilers for the easiest to miss ones: a) there is a relic fetch quest in talazaar/merchant area for a food merchant which has 2 parts to quest - finding and cleaning, these count separately. for full marks, you need to show it while uncleaned but dont sell until cleaned; b) there are 2 hunters, the first is in okasankaar/water region. there is some interaction w them that is optional and if you don't complete those before doing that hunter's quest, you will not be able to complete it later.
The save system has 8 slots total and 2 are for auto-saves (which afaik can't be disabled). If you want more fine-grain control/to be able to go back further than those 8 slots, then you will need to manage save backups outside of the game. Saves for this game are created under game install dir (steamapps/common/Outcast - Second Contact/outcast_Data/StreamingAssets/userdata/savegames).
There isn't any explicit difficult setting, but some of in-game options can make combat range from moderately cheezable to fairly challenging. The main settings related to this are Damage resistance (default=normal), Auto replenish health bar (default=off), Targetting assistance (default=on). Zigzagging and kiting enemies also help when you can pull them off.
Inventory doesn't sorting or filtering abilities and is not alphabetical even. Whatever item (e.g. essence idol) you have in your non-weapon hand slot will not appear in the inventory list but its symbol is shown next to the hand icon.
If you are on a twon-ha (horselike creature) and try to access the game save item, it does not work from horseback but also stays in your action slot and prevents you from dismounting. what worked for me, was to select.
F-link (teleporter devices) are a bit confusing the 1st time. Basically, you will get 3 separate F-link devices that don't interact with each other, each w different icons. Each F-link has two parts. When you equip, you drop the first part and the 2nd part is added back to inventory. Then as long as you are in the same area as the dropped part, you can equip the 2nd piece and warp to it. Then it will pick up the drop and you'll have to set it again.
NPCs can craft ammo but you need to go thru dialog, are limited to a max of 6 boxes, and there is no queue (each NPC allows 1 craft at a time only). This is annoying especially considering that the dialog lines in question are not skippable.
Other:
Your map drop pin for this game is upside down. You can either adapt or get a mod.
There are mods on Nexus... a whopping 6 of them. Mostly UI stuff.
Crashes/Freezes:
error.log from game all mention Access Violation, which is generally from code that has improper memory access
My system is older but plays most games fine. And generally if there are issues, they are less frequent vs this game (cpu = AMD FX-959, mobo = 990FXA-UD, ram = 32gb ddr3, gpu = GTX 970, psu = 1000W, ssd = Samsung 860 EVO). So failing/inadequate hardware is unlikely (tho possibly poorly supported hw).
I did 2 idle tests and left the game running for around 8 hrs and 4hrs respectively in areas where it had crashed previously. No issues, until I started running around in-game. So pretty sure it's not some idle memory leak.
Between debugging/phone calls/etc, my actual playtime is probably about 12-15 hours less than recorded by steam.
After completing, Steam says I have just over 63 hours on this game (or about 50 hrs actual playtime over 1.5 playthrus since I started over halfway thru). I would estimate 12 hours was spent debugging / doing idle tests (e.g. testing for memory leaks without me actually playing).
~/.local/share/Steam/logs/gameprocess_log.txt shows every time the game process was started. Cross-referencing that with system logs, I can see that I had 8 systems freezes that required restarting pc and 84 times that the game crashed and was able to log to a folder under its install folder. I don't have an exact count for the number of times where the game process froze but didn't freeze the system or capture a crash but there were definitely a few. From gameprocess_log, I can see I launched the game 115 times over the course of the 7 days I played. That averages out to me having to launch the game 15-16 times per day due to the crashes and a little over 80% of launches ending with a crash or freeze.
Now consider how much I had to like it in order to deal with all that.
Disclaimer: I received this as a gift from another steam user, so I technically got this for free. I am not affiliated w devs/p

41/41 achievements. This game didn't really need a remake, because it's still jank and buggy as fuck. I loved this game when I was a wee lad, and I still have a soft spot for it. None of the achievements are missable, except the one for 100% side-missions, because you can lock yourself out of ONE side-quest. That's just evil.