Publisher THQ Nordic have ushered in the new year with the acquisition of a critically acclaimed IP, Outcast.
The 1999 adventure game Outcast allowed for unrestricted exploration of the open world of alien planet Adelpha, one of the first games to allow for such unrestricted traversal of a 3D world, also incorporating a reputation system which affected the course of the game’s story. Mechanics allowing the player to dodge enemies' slow-moving projectiles, use stealth, gadget and cover systems to quietly evade enemies, and converse with and aid friendly aliens, provided the player with a multitude of ways to handle encounters.
It was these innovations that earned the game favorable reviews, GameSpot and Computer Gaming World naming it their 1999 Game of the Year - the game has attracted the label of ‘revolutionary.’
This is not the first time Outcast has returned to the spotlight, a planned 2001 sequel named Outcast II: The Lost Paradise shelved due to developer Appeal’s bankruptcy. A fanmade sequel developed over the period of 2003 to 2017, now titled Legacy of the Yods to avoid copyright, was well-received by fans and is still available. Finally, 2010 saw a re-release with an assortment of patches, while a pair of HD updates, Outcast 1.1 (more along the lines of a remastering) and Outcast: Second Contact (a full remake) dropped in 2014 and 2017 respectively.
With THQ Nordic’s acquisition, a full, official sequel may finally be on the cards, though nothing has yet been confirmed.
In 2016, Nordic Games rebranded as THQ Nordic, having acquired a number of key THQ properties after THQ’s 2013 bankruptcy. Since then, THQ Nordic has gone on a spree of acquiring developers and IPs, including Experiment 101 and their IP Biomutant, a Biomutant title set to release in 2019, and Koch Media, which came with additional THQ IPs, Metro, Homefront and Saints Row.
In a press release, THQ Nordic described the game as follows: “GameSpot’s Adventure of the year in 1999 puts you in the role of Cutter Slade, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, and right in the middle of the alien world of Adelpha. After a couple of things went South with a probe sent to a parallel universe, Cutter is given the job to escort 3 scientists, close the black hole and safely get everyone back to Earth. So one cakewalk of a job and he blew it... Damn it, Cutter…”
Swedish-based THQ Nordic AB handled the acquisition, while the Austrian-based subsidiary THQ Nordic GmbH will handle the development of potential future titles.
Did you play Outcast back in the day? Are you excited about the prospect of a follow-up? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
