There’s something reminiscent of the old school in Outrage: Fyter Fest’s powerful punchups, a straightforward but satisfying beat-em-up that also manages to incorporate some smart new ideas.
The more hits you land amid Outrage’s constant action – using melee weapons, pieces of scenery or just your good old fists – the bigger your on-screen character becomes, and the closer you get to unleashing the Over Rage ability (more on those in a bit). But being bigger also makes you more of a target – at least that’s the case in my experience.
The Current of Outrage Steam Next Fest Demo offers two match types to try out – and there’s a mix of old and new. A classic Domination mode features Zone Control, where two teams of four do battle in relatively large and rather destructible areas of the game. There’s also a 16-player version of the Battle Royale mode, where all combatants try to survive as long as possible in a slowly shrinking death circle.
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More modes are coming across the full game, including a Capture the Flag-style offering and an option where you can ‘bank’ rage, as in a particularly enraged version of The Weakest Link. Bye! More characters and more Over Rage abilities are on the way too – adding to the existing list of fireballs and AOE effects is an electric hamster ball of destruction you can swing around with.
Perhaps this blend of modern additions with classic gameplay shouldn’t be too surprising, given the legacy of the team behind it. Outrage is the first project to launch from Hardball Games, a new name for a team of industry veterans who have worked together before CSR Racing, Moment And Pure,
There’s clear inspiration from the classics of the beat ’em-up genre here, and the usual ability to punch, kick, throw or build up combos with well-timed button presses. There are also some very pleasing visuals here, including neon-drenched battle arenas, pools of fire and lava, cartoonish fighting effects and bizarre costumes. You can feel the influence of modern fighters here – e.g. Gang Beasts or, more recently, party animals – is also mixed. Outrage’s current Steam demo is online-only, but the full game will offer local co-op play when it arrives – expected to happen later this year.
Outrage was originally announced as a 32 player game, and I played this version of it about a year ago. I must say it was a bit Very Chaotic, so I’m glad to see Outrage re-emerge, with better tuning – and looking far more ready for full launch. Bigger isn’t always better, yet – but it can still be a lot of fun.
