The latest Square Enix title, Outriders, is receiving an extensive demo next week, giving gamers insight into the highly anticipated sci-fi shooter. The demo will introduce players to the game's massive sci-fi world while highlighting some of its more unique gameplay elements. A recent Twitter thread outlines the demo and explains what players can expect. Here's everything you need to know about Outriders' upcoming demo.
Outriders is a unique cooperative RPG that follows a group of advanced warfighters after a strange alien entity known as The Anomaly infects the inhabitants of Enoch, a budding planet in the year 2159. It's up to the Outriders to find the Anomaly's source and stop the cataclysmic infection from spreading further.
The Outriders demo will launch on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam on February 25, 2021. Console players will need 22GB to download the demo, while the PC version requires at least 24GB. There is a chance the file size could increase after decompression, but it shouldn't be a drastic difference. The demo will be completely free on all platforms and will even feature a cross-play beta.
Gamers can expect the Outriders demo to be a bit more extensive than others on digital marketplaces. It will take players through the entire prologue as well as the opening chapter. It concludes with a herculean boss fight with Gauss, an Altered (humans given supernatural powers from the Anomaly) that threatens the planet's future. There's no time limit, allowing players to get accustomed to Enoch's chaotic landscape well before launch. The demo will even be available after Outriders' release date for gamers still hesitant about sci-fi epic.
Players will be able to try out all four character classes through the digital demo. This includes Devastator, Pyromancer, Technomancies and Trickster. There will also be six available character slots so players can sample each class without deleted previous heroes. Character levels will top out at level 7, but players can earn four class abilities and two skill points to apply to their skill tree. All saved console data will transfer to the game upon launch. Unfortunately, PC players won't be able to move their demo data to the actual game.
Outriders features a unique World Tier system that acts as the game's difficulty settings. It will automatically adjust to a player's skill level depending on their in-game performance. The likelihood of finding rare or legendary gear increases the higher a player's World Tier. The demo will only allow players to reach World Tier 5, but the complete game will feature a much more expansive version of the system.
To prevent exploitation, the Outriders demo will cap resources at an undisclosed amount. The crafting system will also be blocked in the demo. Developers hope the restrictions will help balance out players once they enter the full game. However, all gathered resources will carry over to the completed game once a player transfers their data. Again, this only applies to console players since the PC demo doesn't overlap with the full game.
Streamers will be able to stream the Outriders demo in its entirety. No restrictions or abstract guidelines prevent them from showing certain sections of the game. Square Enix does warn about a trailer featuring licensed music at the end of the demo. Streamers might want to plan their broadcast according to prevent copyright infringement.
The upcoming Outriders demo has more than a few fans steaming with anticipation. Gamers will be able to test the game's unique co-op system while exploring Enoch's turbulent environment. Although Outriders' release date is still a ways away, the demo will curb players until its debut. Hopefully, Outriders will live up to the hype once it launches on April 1st.