Bite-sized Review:
OutRage: Fight Fest

By Chris Picone, 22 June 2024

I love me a good party brawler and Outrage is definitely one of them.  Straight out the gate it's absolutely full of attitude.  Outrage is all about the rule of cool. 

Aesthetics

Bright and colourful, Outrage's graphics vaguely remind me of Fortnite, except of course third-person and top down.  The characters all come in a range of zany stereotypes and costumes; wrestlers, dinosaur suits, afros, punks, sporties you name it.  You only start with a few but unlock more skins as you play.  Some of the skins are a lot of fun and offer real incentive to keep playing. The levels are a little simpler; laneways and rooms are nice and wide so there's plenty of room to brawl in.  They're still interesting though; three-dimensional, they use the space well and have plenty of fun props and obstacles.  Crates with weapons or health are also scattered across the level.  A little more variety in level themes might have been nice but there's plenty already in terms of levels being designed for a variety of game modes. 

Gameplay

The core gameplay is robust but slightly more diverse than I expected.  You have a button for kick, punch, and grab, and you can score combos by timing your next hit as each lands.  Doing so can stagger your opponent and give you the advantage.  You need to use the right tool for the job though; punches are very short ranged, while kicks have a medium range - so you you might be able to kick someone before they get too close but if they're inside your guard the punch will dominate. The grab button can be used to wrestle or throw opponents but also objects found on the battlefield. Of course there's also a roll button to help you dodge enemy attacks. As you deal damage your rage meter rises, and as it does you grow larger.  Getting big quick can bring real power because you can't lift things bigger than yourself. So if you're big, the little guys can't pick you up, but you can also pick up and throw huge objects like cars. Max out your rage meter and you also get to use a special ability - a "human grenade" to begin with, but you unlock more abilities as you play.  What I found most fun about Outrage was the game modes.  You can play team, solo, or duo games. And in each mode there are battle royales, capture the flag, domination, all the expected modes.  Each level is cleverly designed to create multiple pathways to victory while also ensuring choke and focal points so you'll always find yourself brawling with someone. The action is non-stop. 

Verdict

Outrage is an exceptional party brawler. It looks and sounds great, has tons of fun characters, well-designed levels, and plenty of game modes. It's fast-paced, and full of non-stop action and fun.  It's an easy recommendation for any brawler fan. 

Links: 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2307870/OutRage_Fight_Fest/