THQ Nordic and Appeal Studios have announced the Outcast: A New Beginning release date.
The long-awaited sequel to the late 90s cult classic RPG is officially arriving on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on March 15th, according to a post on the official THQ Nordic X (formerly known as Twitter) account.
Outcast: A New Beginning was originally unveiled as Outcast 2 back in September 2021, at which point it was also revealed that original developer Appeal Studios would be working on the game.
The project was revealed after publisher THQ Nordic obtained the rights to the Outcast IP in 2019.
If you're not familiar with Outcast, it's a 1999 open-world RPG that developed a cult following thanks to its ambitious open-world design and endearingly awkward controls.
The original game was remade as Outcast: Second Contact in 2017, again by Appeal, with Bigben Interactive handling publishing duties.
Following that, THQ Nordic bought the IP, and Appeal declared its intention to return to Outcast for the forthcoming sequel.
Outcast: A New Beginning once again stars the rather improbably-named Cutter Slade as he returns to the alien planet of Adelpha.
Slade has been "resurrected by the almighty Yods", as the game's Steam page has it, and he must embark on another mission to save the planet after he finds its native inhabitants enslaved and its natural resources plundered.
To assist in your exploration of Adelpha, you'll have access to a jetpack, which you can use to wander what Appeal calls a "world without boundaries" full of "hidden temples and dangerous wildlife".
You'll also be able to approach the game's story "at your own pace", suggesting that there will be non-linear elements to the narrative, so it seems you won't have to follow a strict path through the story.
Outcast: A New Beginning is slated to arrive on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on March 15th. Watch this space for more info.