Hello kind Internet traveler, may I interest you in a video about backpacks? That’s one of the the subjects of the latest Outward developer diary, further cementing Nine Dots Studio‘s open world RPG as a rarity in today’s gaming landscape.

I must admit that before today, I wasn’t all that interested in Outward, as it seemed yet another open world fantasy RPG. After watching this dev diary (and the previous one, which sets the tone for the adventure ahead, talking about the fragility of our avatar), I’m now well on the “I want this, and I want it NOW” camp. There’s something incredibly endearing about a game where you have to think about your backpack. And it’s not a small detail put there to force the player to sit through some detailed but ultimately meaningless animations, if my eyes (and ears) don’t deceive me. Rather, in Outward, everything we do must be carefully planned, as we are not some super-hero who can carry everything in their pockets and still roll around like a naked Souls character. Here, we’ll need to drop our loot before engaging in fights, or prepare for some nasty surprises as the weight of all our possessions holds us back.
Oh, and if the backpack wasn’t enough, Outward will also support cooperative play, online or offline (splitscreen). What’s not to like about that?
Should you also share a love for quirky open world action RPGs, here’s Outward‘s Steam store page. According to the latest carrier pigeon data available, the game will be released on March 26, 2019.