Outbound Review

Despite being someone who spends far too much time gaming, I absolutely love camping. So, when I first heard about Outbound, a cosy survival game themed around exploring the world in your camper van, I knew I had to give it a try.

Does developer Square Glade Games’ latest title have enough fuel to keep the campfire burning? Or will this one fizzle out far too quickly?

Outbound doesn’t focus on building a narrative, instead giving players smaller, environment-based snippets of world-building. The main draw is the freedom to explore several different maps, building your “base” as you please (but more on that later). There are objectives, collecting materials that can be used to craft items or repair structures such as bridges, but you’re mostly just left to progress as you see fit.

The semi-open world maps are completely devoid of people, although there are signs of life everywhere. It can, in single-player at least, feel incredibly lonely and even a little bit boring at times. I get that the whole experience is meant to be just you, your dog, and your van, but surely you’d expect to see other campers or hikers during your travels, rather than just notes left by them?

This is obviously less of an issue if you play multiplayer. With Outbound supporting up to four players online, this could completely negate any feelings of loneliness should you have at least one other friend to play with. Unfortunately, I was unable to test the multiplayer during this review, but I can imagine the world being much more engaging with a co-op buddy.

There’s an immediately noticeable tranquil look to Outbound and its various wilderness environments. This is an outright cosy game, and the visuals really hammer that point home. It’s just so peaceful and colourful, made even more so due to the fact that the developer didn’t try and make it as realistic-looking as possible. I was actually reminded of Firewatch now and then, another game that takes place in the wilderness that has the same sort of artistic vibe.

As for the audio, this was slightly more disappointing. For starters, there’s very little background music. Aside from the occasional bit of soft piano, the soundtrack is virtually non-existent. Whilst this does place more emphasis on the wonderful ambient audio, listening to a nearby river flowing as you sit next to a crackling campfire is super relaxing, I couldn’t help but put my own playlist on for some background noise. Your character will also occasionally narrate things that are going on, which adds some depth, but with no NPCs to chat to, it’s usually just a quick line or two before going back to silence.

Outbound has you spending time driving from point to point in your van, exploring the wilderness on foot, and building your very own home away from home. Let’s focus on the driving first. It’s pretty basic; you accelerate with one trigger and brake with the other. Handling is floaty, but you won’t need to worry about damaging your vehicle or repairing it.

My main issue with these sections, though, is just how painfully slow the van is! Although you can upgrade your engine to increase the speed, it’s still not quite fast enough. This may be by design, so that players can take in their surroundings. But I wasn’t always in the mood for sightseeing, especially when I had to backtrack to previous areas.

When you need to stretch your legs, you can simply pull over and hop out of the van. The on-foot sections are more enjoyable to play and are mainly centred around gathering resources and exploring areas your van can’t reach. That being said, certain resources can be rather difficult to find, which makes the hunt for them a little too grindy when you’ve got a new machine or tool to craft.

Going resource hunting isn’t the only reason for exploring every nook and cranny. Hidden away all over each map are radio towers that unlock blueprints for new tools and items for your camp. There are plenty of goodies to unlock, although you’ll need to earn tickets to use these towers by collecting and subsequently recycling litter found throughout the world.

Once you have the required blueprint and the right amount of materials, you can craft anything from a watering can to a full-blown house above your vehicle. You heard me right; popping open the side door of your van lets you not only craft and place furniture and machines inside it, but also on top of it. You’re able to create your very own, multi-floored base, right on top of your camper’s roof!

It’s comical, if a little odd, to see a full house complete with a garden appear out of nowhere above your head, then magically zip out of existence once you set off driving. It’s very limited at first, as your van can only hold so much weight. After several hours of gathering and upgrading, you’ll finally be able to expand the once-limited space into your own self-sufficient haven, floating off the ground.

Finally, there are the survival elements to Outbound. These light survival mechanics may seem far too basic for genre veterans, as your character’s health and hunger, as well as the van’s power, are all you need to worry about. Even then, you're never really in any danger, as these meters deteriorate so slowly that they almost become an afterthought whilst playing. This is a non-issue if you want a game that’s more stress-free, but I personally would have liked a little challenge or some difficulty options to alter the experience.

Outbound was a bit of a surprise for me. Although I did grow tired of the quiet, lifeless world and the grind for resources, I couldn’t help but jump back in over and over to explore and build more. If you’re after a slow burner of a game that tests your patience more than your reflexes, then Outbound may be one for you. Those who like their survival titles to have a bit more urgency and threat may need to look elsewhere. Whilst it is a flawed game, it’s hard to deny how charming Outbound can be when it’s at its best.