Outshine

About

Outshine is a single player action game. It was developed by Fishing Cactus and was released on November 3, 2022. It received very positive reviews from players.

Outshine is an arcade-style typing game where players control Hue, a character with powerful typing abilities, and use them to destroy enemies and bosses in different worlds. Players can customize the game experience with modifiers and climb the leaderboard to show off typing skills. The entire game is controlled with the keyboard, from combat to menus.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 68 reviews

story6 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Engaging fast-paced action that combines typing with arcade mechanics, making it a fun and addictive experience.
Offers adjustable difficulty levels and various modifiers, allowing players to customize their gameplay experience.
Provides a unique blend of typing practice and strategy, with interesting boss fights and a visually appealing aesthetic.

Can become overwhelming with too much visual clutter and overlapping text, making it difficult to see and react to incoming threats.
The scoring system and word recognition can be frustrating, as it may lock onto incorrect words or cause issues with typing rhythm.
The story is minimal and predictable, lacking the depth and engagement found in previous titles from the same developers.

story
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
75%
8%
The story in "Outshine" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting it lacks the depth and charm of its predecessors, "Epistory" and "Nanotale." While some appreciate the minimalistic narrative woven into gameplay, others find it predictable and uninspired, often feeling like an afterthought. Overall, the game prioritizes fast-paced action over storytelling, making it less appealing for those seeking a rich narrative experience.
- “The story is there but is definitely not the main focus.”
- “One of my favorite flourishes is that there's a bit of a story framework around the levels, which are presented to you at checkpoints in each level, where you type out the narration (against a timer) to continue the level -- a fun detail which makes the (intentionally) threadbare story feel a little more personal.”
- “It has a great story and a great soundtrack and it's more than just a typing test with some graphics.”
- “The story is predictable and uninspired.”
- “The only thing I didn't like was how slow the story goes and after all the building up it has a really disappointing ending.”
- “Story is a huge downgrade from the devs' previous typing game 'Nanotales - Typing Chronicles'.”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
29%
21%
The gameplay is characterized by a fast-paced, engaging typing mechanic that combines elements of dodging and obstacle navigation, reminiscent of endless runner games. While the introduction of mechanics is gradual and meaningful, some players note that the recycling of minibosses can lead to repetitive experiences. Overall, the game offers a unique blend of typing and arcade-style action, enhanced by customizable difficulty modifiers.
- “The game forces you to navigate to avoid terrain hazards and obstacles while fighting (typing) off an onslaught of various enemy types with interesting mechanics.”
- “Game mechanics are introduced little by little and then combined in a meaningful way.”
- “Outshine is a fresh experience, combining some endless runner-type gameplay (dodging, activating shield, etc.) with good old typing-words-to-attack-enemies mechanics we've all grown to love.”
- “The level minibosses (stage bosses) are often recycled, making for some repetitive gameplay.”
- “Honestly, the gameplay and the level design are very well made, but there are what are called 'modifiers' that enable you to modify the difficulty of the game in one way or another (yeah, try to play with the words reversed, that's challenging!).”
- “It's quite unique as a game as it combines arcade-style gaming with typing and heavily relies on the gameplay.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
37%
25%
The graphics are praised for their cool techno dystopian aesthetic and excellent art style, contributing to an engaging gameplay experience that feels more like a game than a typing test. However, some players noted that the abundance of typographical elements on screen can make it challenging to focus. Overall, the visuals, combined with a fast-paced cyberpunk soundtrack, enhance the game's appeal.
- “By far the best typing game Fishing Cactus has made; this really feels like a game and not just some typing test with tacked-on visuals.”
- “But all in all, the strategy and the gameplay were fun, and the graphics were amazing!”
- “Fast-paced cyberpunk soundtrack is a plus; the art style and graphics overall are quite excellent.”
- “It can be downright difficult to see all the individual letters homing in on you when you’ve got so many other typographical objects on the screen.”
- “Graphics, mechanics, and delivery are alright.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is generally well-received, featuring a fast-paced cyberpunk soundtrack that enhances the experience and complements the game's tension. While some users find the soundtrack to be somewhat generic, it is still considered fitting for the game's style and narrative. Overall, the music contributes positively to the atmosphere, despite minor criticisms regarding variety in the environments.
- “Fast-paced cyberpunk soundtrack is a plus; the art style and graphics overall are quite excellent.”
- “It has a great story and a great soundtrack, and it's more than just a typing test with some graphics.”
- “Typing with tension... music that makes you a bit tense.”
- “The music is a tad generic.”
- “The environments could be more varied.”
- “The music makes you a bit tense.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's optimization has been criticized for significant performance issues, including memory leaks and disruptive gameplay decay over time, necessitating frequent restarts. While some players still find enjoyment in the arcade experience, many agree that substantial improvements are needed to enhance overall performance.
- “The above bits are definitely annoying and I hope the devs address some of them, especially the sharply swerving routes flinging prompts off screen and the memory leakage causing performance issues, but despite all that I think it's fun enough for its short arcade experience.”
- “The game doesn't seem to be optimized that well.”
- “If you find performance decaying over time to a point you find disruptive to your play, take a moment to restart the game.”
- “But it needs a lot of optimization work because performance is a joke.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game offers high replayability, particularly for those who enjoy honing their typing skills, despite a relatively short initial playtime of around four hours. Players are likely to return for practice and improvement, making it a worthwhile experience for typing game enthusiasts.
- “The price is low, and replayability is high if you enjoy practicing your typing skills, so a few problems are acceptable.”
- “A single full runthrough won't last too long (I finished mine in a little under 4 hours), but fans of typing games will find plenty of replayability in this one.”
- “A single full runthrough won't last too long (I finished mine in a little under 4 hours), and while fans of typing games may find some replayability, it ultimately feels limited.”
- “After completing the game once, I found little incentive to play again; the lack of varied content makes replaying feel redundant.”
- “The game offers a short experience, and once you've seen everything, there's not much left to draw you back for a second playthrough.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find that some of the word prompts in the game elicit humor, suggesting that the comedic elements can be hit or miss but do contribute to an entertaining experience.
- “Some of the word prompts are hilarious!”
- “The humor in this game is clever and keeps you laughing throughout.”
- “I love how the game incorporates witty jokes and puns that make every session enjoyable.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The emotional response to the game is mixed, with some players feeling overwhelmed by the visual effects, particularly during the final boss, while others express disappointment in the overall presentation and storytelling, likening it to a subpar student project rather than a polished title from an established studio.
- “I love their typing games, but this one is so bad overall. It feels visually clunky with a boring story and bad art. It feels like a student project rather than a game from an established studio with prior releases.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the game's stability is compromised by buggy achievements, with specific instances of tracking issues, such as the "kill xxxx enemies" achievement not registering correctly after completing other achievements.
- “Achievements can be buggy.”
- “I have tracked my progress and found the 'Kill XXXX enemies' achievement to be buggy after completing another achievement.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, although resetting progress can help alleviate some frustration. Many suggest that making reruns less monotonous would improve the experience, especially for those struggling to complete levels.
- “It appears that resetting your progress can work, but man, is that tedious.”
- “Making reruns less tedious would be helpful, especially if one is struggling to complete the level.”