OutRage: Fight Fest is a back-to-basics beat 'em-up that blends old and new

There’s something reassuringly old-school about the meaty punchups of OutRage: Fight Fest, a straightforward but satisfying beat ’em-up that also manages to blend in some smart new ideas.

OutRage: Fight Fest

Publisher: Hardball GamesDeveloper: Hardball GamesAvailability: 16th July 2024Download the demo on: Steam

The more hits you land amidst OutRage’s constant flurry of action – using melee weapons, pieces of scenery or just your good ol’ fashioned fists – the bigger your on-screen character becomes, and the closer you get to unleashing an Over Rage ability (more on those in a moment). But growing large also makes you more of a target – in my experience at least.

OutRage’s current Steam Next Fest demo offers two match types to try – and there’s a mix of old and new. A classic Domination mode features zone control, where two teams of four battle it out across the game’s relatively large and rather destructible arenas. There’s also a 16-player version of a battle royale mode, as all combatants seek to survive as long as possible within a slowly-shrinking circle of death.

More modes are set to arrive in the full game, including a Capture the Flag-style offering and an option where you can ‘bank’ Rage, like on a particularly grumpy version of The Weakest Link. Goodbye! More characters and more Over Rage abilities are also set to arrive as well – adding to the current roster of fireballs and AOE effects with an electric hamster ball of destruction you can roll around in.