THQ Nordic is slowly building a reputation for bringing franchises back from the grave. This includes publishing the remaster of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, the remade Destroy All Humans! Series, and the upcoming Outcast 2: A New Beginning.
Outcast 2: A New Beginning was one of several games featured during Friday’s THQ Nordic showcase. And while developer Appeal Studio hasn’t announced a release date, Outcast 2’s new Story and Gameplay Trailer offers plenty of teasers for the upcoming game.
The Outcast 2 trailer opens with a close-up of protagonist Cutter Slade’s shirt. Then, the camera pulled back to reveal that the shirt is on display in the center of a room as the alien narrator, Mar, recounts Slade’s backstory. Branded an outlaw and banished from two planets, he arrived on the alien world of Adelpha to aid the Talan people when no one else would.
Mar continues narrating as viewers are treated to several scenes of Outcast 2’s gameplay. Viewers see Slade soaring above the ruin-strewn landscape of Adelpha, running through bioluminescent caves, and jumping across a volcanic wasteland. The trailer goes on to showcase Slade’s exploration of the game’s hand-crafted open world, scouring the sprawling landscapes and forgotten ruins as Mar describe his quest to “awaken their powerful mysteries.” Viewers can see Slade doing precisely that when he taps into the power of a massive overgrown temple.
Said power will likely come in handy in the struggle against the game’s robotic antagonists. They feature heavily in the next section of the trailer, with Outcast 2’s being one of several titles to show off gameplay during the THQ Nordic showcase. The trailer gave viewers a good look at combat and a brief glimpse of the game’s weapon customization system. Outcast 2’s action appears heavily movement-based, with Slade using his gun, shield, and jetpack to shoot, block, dodge, and melee attack a range of enemies in various environments.
However, combat isn’t the only thing that Slade needs to master if he wants to save Adelpha for a second time. “When saving a planet, Mar knows that a true hero must also gain the trust of his people,” the alien tour guide explains as the trailer shows Slade approaching a Talan village. Unfortunately, the trailer ends there, so viewers don’t get to find out what he’ll need to do to earn the Talan’s trust.
THQ Nordic announced Outcast 2: A New Beginning during its September 2021 showcase. It continues the story of 1999’s Outcast, which follows former Navy SEAL Cutter Slade as he journeys across time to save the alien planet of Adelpha. Unfortunately, its planned sequel never materialized following Appeal’s bankruptcy. Fortunately, THQ Nordic managed to get the original team back to work on the sequel, letting them finish the story after a gap of more than twenty years.
Outcast 2: A New Beginning is in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.