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Out of Time – Review

From vampires to B-movies, Vikings, and soon even Space Marines, there’s seemingly nothing that cannot be turned into a Survivors-like video game. So why not simply mash every conceivable thing together and create the Everything Bagel of Survivors-likes? Out of Time does just that, and more: Its proverbial cream cheese is distinctly Fortnite-flavored. The game has actually been out for half a year, but given that it’s been receiving content updates, we’re not going to consider this one a backlog review. So, six months in, is Out of Time still fresh, or has it already grown stale? Story While there is a good chunk of backstory to be found here, Out of Time’s focus on online multiplayer and seasonal structure prevents the game from fully committing to a completely rounded narrative. The base premise is that our world has been thrown into chaos by an event called The Shattering, which fractured time and merged past, present, and future. This causes a mix of monsters, environments, and timelines to collide. Humanity gathers in a hub city called Infinitopia, and from here, they set out to deal with hordes of enemies from across time. It’s not the most original or exciting premise, but it does the job of explaining why Jeanne D’Arc is leading a resistance against giant robots, so we’re not complaining. Graphics Most Survivors-likes make use of pixel art shown from a top-down perspective, but Out of Time goes for a completely different approach. The game’s visuals are bright, cartoony, and heavily reminiscent of Fortnite. The colorful, stylized aesthetic is full of exaggerated effects. This works well with the fast-paced gameplay and helps sell the game’s over-the-top era-mashing concept, where medieval, modern, and sci-fi elements coexist. The downside of the game’s visuals being all over the place is that Out of Time lacks visual consistency, and, in turn, feels like it’s missing a distinct identity. Ironically enough, the broad, anything-goes approach makes everything come across as generic and interchangeable. From a technical and performance standpoint, the game is relatively modest in its requirements and runs smoothly, even during chaotic moments with many enemies on screen. However, it’s not entirely without issues. There are occasional technical quirks, such as UI scaling problems and minor visual bugs. Sound It’s not surprising that Out of Time has an understated soundscape, as the game itself is heavily reliant on communication with other players. Music does most of the heavy lifting here, and the soundtrack, which is available separately, features catchy, lo-fi tunes in Infinitopia, and more dramatic music underscoring the action. The lack of voice acting is noticeable, but doesn’t detract from the overall experience. Sound effects add impact to the on-screen action but don’t necessarily stand out. Gameplay Despite its unusual presentation, Out of Time is undeniably a Survivors-like. The game is built around fast-paced, repeatable, grind-heavy runs where players drop into a map, fight waves of enemies, gather loot and resources, and try to grow stronger over time. Each run follows a clear loop: you start a mission, explore a mostly linear map under a 15-minute time limit, defeat hordes of enemies to gain XP and gear, and eventually trigger and defeat a boss to complete the run. If time runs out, you fail, but you still keep collected resources, reïnforcing Out of Time’s constant progression loop. Combat is auto-attack-based, while active abilities come from your equipped gear. Weapons, armor, helmets, and boots each grant different skills, meaning your build and playstyle are defined by what you wear rather than which character you choose to play as. Runs are then further shaped by in-run upgrades, random events, and side challenges, like defending objectives or triggering special encounters. These can grant temporary boosts or permanent upgrades, although the latter only last for the duration of that run. While Out of Time can be played solo, the game is mainly designed to be played online with others in co-op. The major defining feature here is the so-called Tether system. Staying close to teammates provides buffs and shared advantages, while straying too far results in penalties like damage and lost stats. This makes teamwork and coordination a key part of successful runs, especially at higher difficulties. Back in Out of Time’s hub area, you can then use collected resources to upgrade your gear, increase your stats, and raise your overall power level, allowing you to tackle harder difficulties with better rewards. If you enjoy grinding for loot and experimenting with builds, this loop can become engaging, but Out of Time does lean heavily on repetition, incremental upgrades, and cooperative synergy rather than variety or narrative depth. At the time of writing, Out of Time has five “eras” to offer: Medieval, Modern, Wastelands, Solarpunk, and Cyberspace. Next in line is the Prehistoric era, although when this will arrive hasn’t been confirmed yet. There are also nearly 30 characters to choose from, ranging from wizards to robots and yakuza, although as we discussed earlier, gear defines the character’s battlefield performance, rather than their backstory. Regardless, it’s a hefty amount of content to mess around with. Surprisingly enough, despite Out of Time’s “seasonal” approach, the game doesn’t opt for a free-to-play model. Instead, you only need to pay for the base game once and can opt to expand this with the Temporal Disaster DLC. We wouldn’t be surprised if more DLC is forthcoming, although the lifespan of a game like Out of Time depends on how active its playerbase is. The game originally launched as an Epic Games exclusive, but has since expanded to PS5 and Steam, with crossplay support. While there are no specific numbers, particularly for Epic and PS5, SteamDB only showed a couple of dozen players actively playing the game when we checked. Hopefully, Out of Time can find its long-term footing, because it is one of the more original takes on the Survivors formula. Conclusion From its unconventional presentation to its online co-op focus, there is plenty that sets Out of Time apart from other Survivors-likes. That alone makes this one worth checking out if you’re looking for a take on the genre that feels fresh compared to the countless copy/paste iterations of the formula. The main pitfalls that Out of Time faces going forward stem from an overall lack of identity, which is ironic given its premise, and the reliance on an active playerbase. If the game interests you, then don’t be deterred by the possibility of said playerbase declining, but instead give the game a shot, and contribute to its longevity.