This week, People Can Fly and Square Enix showed off more gameplay from their upcoming Cooperative-RPG-Shooter, Outriders. In their third monthly installment of Outriders Broadcast, we were shown A LOT of footage focused on two of the game’s playable classes. Let’s discuss what we saw and what we can expect moving forward towards the game’s launch this holiday.
The New Kid on the Block
Outriders Broadcast #3 started no different than any other: with a trailer. It was brief and showed a very nice overview of a lot of things we’ve seen over the last year since the games reveal in 2019. This was followed by another trailer. This time, we got a glimpse at the fourth class: The Technomancer. It has long been speculated, but with it fully confirmed we can look further into what this playable class has to offer.
The Technomancer appears to be a summoner, support, and long-range class. With its abilities being derived from technology, the Technomancer has the ability to summon gear and gadgets like turrets, mines, and grenades as well as weapons like SMGs, mini-guns, and rocket launchers. Using this gear gives the ability to attack from range while also gaining tactical advantage on the battlefield while the others draw the enemy’s aggro. It was also mentioned that not only can the Technomancer support with ranged damage dealing but also has the only squad healing ability in the game.
If you’re someone that likes to support your damage-dealing and tanking friends from afar, the Technomancer might be your choice. If you’re still on the fence, we should know more about the Technomancer during its deep dive in the next Outriders Broadcast. So, stay tuned for that!
We Will Rock You
During each broadcast, we’ve been shown a deep dive into one of Outriders’ playable classes. This month, we got a closer look at our resident rock-man, the Devastator. As previously mentioned, the Devastator draws their power and abilities from the ground, rocks, and gravity. On the surface, the Devastator looks like your typical tank used mostly for drawing aggro for teammates. After a closer look, the Devastator could be a close-quarters damage dealer or even a status-setting close-range attacker. As I’ve stated previously about other classes: it’s very nice to see the diversity in how you can build these classes out.
Devastators are often built with armor and max HP in mind as they start higher than the other classes and kills at close range replenish armor and HP. You can power up your Devastator by focusing on one of the class’s three skill trees: Vanquisher, Warden, or Seismic Shifter. The Vanquisher focuses on close-quarters-combat and gives many bonuses and upgrades to weapons like shotguns and SMGs. The Warden is the tank focus. For those looking for more health, armor, and resistance to status effects, this is the one for you. The Seismic Shifter leans into the Devastator’s anomaly powers and accents its ability to do damage over time.
Speaking of damage over time, let’s talk about the Devastator’s abilities starting with its melee. Usually, I wouldn’t comment further about an innate melee ability, but the Devastator’s melee can inflict a bleeding status on enemies. This further leans into its ability to do damage over time, so it’s definitely something to think about when spending your skill points. On top of this melee, the Devastator has eight other abilities and we got to see four of them today: Gravity Leap, Reflect Bullets, Impale, and Endless Mass. Seeing some of these in action reminded me very much of how I built some of my Pathfinders in Mass Effect: Andromeda and I’m really excited to see the rest of the skills the Devastator has to offer.
Most Important Questions, Unanswered
Every Broadcast is capped off with a Q&A session with Community Manager, Robbie Palmer. This is often riddled with questions we’ve already heard before: where can we play the game? Can we play the game solo? I think the most important question has still yet to be answered: When will the game release? With “Holiday 2020” fast approaching, it’s surprising and a bit concerning that we have yet to get a launch date for Outriders. Personally, I thought this was the one where we’d get it but I guess we’ll have to wait just a bit longer.
Until Next Time
Outriders Broadcasts have been airing pretty regularly since its announcement back in May. So, we should expect another episode sometime in late September or early October. What should we expect to see? In their closing address, they mentioned a look at some of Outriders’ endgame. This won’t be just the gear, but also the activities that will drive you towards that gear. Also, like previous installments, we will see a deeper breakdown of one of the game’s classes. Next time we’ll get to see the newest class, the Technomancer, in all its glory.
I really have enjoyed the monthly installments of Outriders Broadcast this year. It has been a ray of hope in a year plagued by disappointment and delays. That said, it’ll be nice to have the game in our hands. Hopefully, that comes sooner rather than later.
