Outward

Outward on PC is currently sold as Outward Definitive Edition, a third-person fantasy survival RPG from Nine Dots Studio. It combines demanding real-time combat, expedition planning, environmental hazards, crafting, and meaningful role-playing choices. The current edition includes both major expansions, making it the most complete version of the Aurai adventure on the main PC storefronts.

A survival RPG built around preparation

Outward does not cast you as an overpowered hero. You begin as an ordinary traveler who must earn money, find equipment, learn combat techniques, and understand the dangers outside the settlement of Cierzo. A distant destination is never just a waypoint. It is a trip that requires food, water, weather protection, healing items, spare weapons, and enough backpack space for the return journey.

The central loop is simple but demanding: leave town, explore a region, gather resources, complete quests, fight or avoid threats, then return with better equipment and more knowledge. Survival needs are designed to affect the adventure rather than exist as background meters. Hunger, thirst, exhaustion, temperature, disease, and injuries can change how safely you travel and how effective you are in combat.

Exploration uses a third-person perspective and rewards players who learn the landscape. Outward does not rely on constant hand-holding, so landmarks, roads, mountains, and regional layouts matter. The world of Aurai is intended to be read and remembered, especially when a journey goes wrong and you need to recover your backpack or find an alternate route.

Combat, magic, and consequences

Combat is deliberate rather than power-fantasy spectacle. Positioning, stamina management, weapon reach, impact, stagger, status effects, and preparation all influence an encounter. A seemingly weak enemy can become dangerous when you are tired, carrying too much, suffering from an ailment, or fighting in poor conditions.

Players can use melee weapons, ranged options, traps, elemental effects, consumables, and ritualistic spellcasting. Magic is not treated as a simple list of instant abilities. Many spells require a setup step, a specific environment, or a combination of effects before they become useful. This creates a preparation-heavy system where experimentation can be more valuable than selecting the highest damage option.

Defeat does not always mean a conventional reload. Outward uses dynamic defeat scenarios that can place you in a different location, cost resources, or create a new problem to solve. Its constant auto-saving structure means decisions can have lasting consequences, including faction choices, quest outcomes, and the state of important locations.

Character development is flexible, but it is not built around endlessly unlocking every ability. Training and breakthrough decisions encourage a defined build, whether you focus on weapon mastery, defensive techniques, traps, elemental damage, sigils, or a hybrid approach. The result is a role-playing system that rewards planning before a difficult expedition instead of relying only on level advantages.

Factions, quests, and a world that remembers choices

Outward's story is divided between personal survival, regional conflicts, and larger faction narratives. Players can align with groups such as the Blue Chamber, the Kingdom of Levant, or the Holy Mission. These paths present different political priorities and quest structures rather than functioning as cosmetic labels.

Quest progression is deliberately less forgiving than in many open-world RPGs. Some decisions are permanent, and failing to act can change what remains available later. This makes the game more suited to players who accept imperfect outcomes than to players who expect every quest to remain safely available until they are ready.

The world also supports discovery outside the main quest lines. Hidden dungeons, regional hazards, unusual encounters, crafting recipes, and equipment combinations give exploration a practical purpose. A detour can provide a useful weapon or blueprint, but it can also expose an underprepared character to enemies far beyond their current ability.

Definitive Edition content and progression

The current product is Outward Definitive Edition, not simply the original base release under a different label. It combines the main game with The Soroboreans and The Three Brothers, alongside quality-of-life changes and additional mechanics.

The Soroboreans expands the build system with new skills, corruption-related mechanics, dungeons, and equipment options. The Three Brothers adds a separate region, new progression layers, and the New Sirocco city-building system, where players help transform a refugee camp into a settlement.

The edition also includes an enchantment system with more than 85 recipes for modifying weapons, armor, and trinkets. Enchanting can improve damage, elemental properties, weather resistance, or other specialized effects, giving long-term value to equipment that might otherwise be replaced.

On PC storefronts, the practical buying question is whether you want the complete edition or already own legacy Outward content. Steam and GOG both identify the current product as Outward Definitive Edition. Existing owners of the original base game together with The Three Brothers may qualify for the digital Definitive Edition upgrade through the applicable storefront account.

Solo play and two-player co-op

Outward is fully playable alone, but its systems also support two-player co-op. PC players can adventure together through online multiplayer or shared split-screen, which remains one of the game's clearest points of difference from most open-world fantasy RPGs.

Co-op changes how the survival loop feels. One player can prepare food, place traps, apply buffs, or control an enemy while the other creates an opening. It does not remove the need for planning, because both players still have to manage equipment, travel, healing, and the risks of entering unfamiliar territory.

Players looking for a broader settlement-building focus may prefer third-person medieval survival RPGs like Bellwright, which place more emphasis on recruiting NPCs and developing a growing base. Outward is more focused on personal builds, expedition decisions, and consequences in a fixed fantasy world.

PC features, controls, and storefront differences

The Steam version lists online co-op, shared split-screen, achievements, cloud-related account features, and Remote Play Together. That last option can make local-style co-op practical when both players are not physically at the same PC, subject to the platform's own connection requirements.

GOG lists controller support and provides a DRM-free version that can be installed and played without GOG Galaxy. Galaxy remains optional for features such as cloud synchronization and achievement handling. Steam players should expect the normal Steam client and account ecosystem.

The storefront data lists 12 supported languages. English, French, and German include full audio, while the wider localization list covers interface and subtitles in languages including Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, and Turkish.

Mod support is part of the PC ecosystem around Outward, but the exact setup and compatibility depend on the edition, mod framework, and game version. It is safer to treat mods as an optional community layer rather than a guaranteed feature with identical behavior across every storefront installation.

Who should play Outward?

Outward suits players who want survival mechanics with real consequences, slower exploration, build experimentation, and a fantasy RPG that expects them to learn through failure. It is especially strong for friends who enjoy planning a journey together, dividing combat roles, and solving problems without a constant stream of objective markers.

It is a weaker fit for players seeking a cinematic power curve, frictionless fast travel, generous quest resets, or combat that can be solved by repeating one reliable attack. The game intentionally makes preparation, navigation, and risk assessment part of the challenge.

Players who want a larger co-op survival sandbox with extensive construction may also compare it with fantasy survival adventures such as Enshrouded. Enshrouded emphasizes crafting, building, and larger multiplayer groups, while Outward keeps its focus on two-player travel, character builds, and the tension of being underprepared.

Outward Definitive Edition FAQ

Is Outward now called Outward Definitive Edition on PC?

Yes. The current Steam and GOG product pages use the name Outward Definitive Edition. The Definitive Edition combines the original adventure with The Soroboreans and The Three Brothers and adds quality-of-life improvements.

What does Outward Definitive Edition include?

It includes the base Outward experience, The Soroboreans, The Three Brothers, additional weapons and dungeons, the New Sirocco city-building content, enchantments, and other edition-specific improvements.

Can Outward be played solo?

Yes. The entire game can be played as a single-player RPG. Solo players still need to manage survival conditions, prepare for combat, navigate the regions of Aurai, and live with the consequences of defeat and quest decisions.

Does Outward support online and split-screen co-op on PC?

Yes. The PC version supports online co-op and shared split-screen for two players. Steam also lists Remote Play Together, while the exact connection experience depends on the platform and network setup.

Is Outward Definitive Edition DRM-free?

The GOG version is listed as DRM-free and does not require GOG Galaxy to install or play. Steam uses the Steam client and its account ecosystem. These storefront policies are separate from the game's offline and online co-op behavior.

Does Outward have conventional fast-travel and quest guidance?

Outward is built around physical travel through its regions rather than constant navigation assistance. Landmarks, preparation, and route planning matter, and some quests or choices can produce permanent outcomes. The structure is closer to an expedition and mastery loop than a guided checklist.

What languages and PC input options are supported?

The storefront listings identify 12 supported languages, with English, French, and German full audio plus additional interface and subtitle languages. Controller support is listed on GOG, while Steam provides the platform features associated with its PC release.